Online Youth, Children’s, & Family Studies at a glance
North Central’s Youth, Children, and Family Studies online major will prepare you to be a mentor, leader, and servant for people ages Birth-High School as you guide them in their walk with Christ. Through courses taught by experienced, passionate professors, you’ll learn to plan and implement youth programs, develop vibrant, Christ-centered youth, children and family ministries in a variety of settings.
Benefits of an online degree at North Central
When you earn your degree online through North Central University, you will:
- Have meaningful communications with faculty
- Experience a rigorous academic program
- Receive online tutoring
- Benefit from academic success coaching
- Participate in virtual live chapel
Download a list of your future courses as a Youth, Children & Family Studies major.
Program overview
| Delivery | Online |
| Structure | 8 week online courses |
| Credits | 124 |
| Tuition per credit | $395 |
| Technology fee (per semester) | $200 |
| Estimated total per semester(based on full-time enrollment level of 12-15 credits) | $4,940-$6,125 |
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Skills you'll gain
When you graduate from the Youth, Children, and Family Studies program, you’ll be prepared to:
- Plan and implement effective youth and children’s programs
- Understand the developmental stages of different age groups
- Relate to youth and children as you help with their spiritual, emotional, social, family, and personal needs
- Develop, lead, train, and mentor youth & children’s leaders
- Preach effective, authentic, accurate messages to young people
- Disciple new Christians
- Build relationships with schools and other youth organizations
- Practice personal spiritual formation
- Actualize your God-given gifts
- Serve as a model of Christian character and lifestyle
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Potential Careers
Our graduates succeed in a variety of jobs and careers. Here are some possibilities:
- Youth pastor
- Junior and senior high ministry
- College ministry
- Program director for at-risk youth
- Social service specialist
- Urban youth ministry
- International student ministry
- Youth camp director
Eric Samuel Timm ’01
Minneapolis, MN
"NCU gave me a compass, not a map. For what I do now there is no plan, no mold, no box. For dreams like this you need to have a heading, even if you don’t know the steps to get there. NCU put me in a place to have the courage to follow my compass."
Josiah Kennealy '13
Bloomington, MN
"I am responding to the call God has placed on my life to reach young adults for Christ. As a North Central student, you benefit from opportunities to serve at a local church and a local community around you."
Requirements
All students must complete the General Education Core and Christian Studies Core. General electives may be added or an optional minor may be selected. You need 124 total credit hours to complete the Business Administration degree.
Meet the dean
D. Allen Tennison, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Church Leadership, Associate Professor of Theology
After living in Los Angeles for 15 years, I decided to move to Minneapolis in order to teach at North Central University. Even in the dead of winter, I am glad I made that move. North Central University is a fantastic community with a mission that I wholeheartedly support.
What are your areas of expertise?
My education is in historical theology, and my specialty is the early development of Pentecostal theology, particularly pneumatology (doctrine of the Spirit). My interests include church history (which I taught for years in other schools), global and ecumenical theology, and the intersection of theology and culture, including the sciences.
What do you love about teaching at North Central?
I have taught at a handful of schools since 2001, and never experienced the camaraderie among my peers that I have at North Central University. The students at NCU are also a pleasure to teach. I especially enjoy watching and guiding their development as some take class after class with me.
What are your favorite classes to teach?
There is not a class that I don’t enjoy teaching, but the classes that I teach the most include “Pentecostal Distinctives” (covering the history and theology of the Pentecostal movement) and “God and the Gospel” which serves as our core theology class. I am excited about a number of classes currently in development that focus on the intersection of theology with the modern world. These classes, known as “worldview theology” classes, will answer significant questions such as “how do I faithfully navigate a world of diverse beliefs?”, “what does it mean to be human and what does that meaning require of me?”, “how can I contribute to and participate in contemporary culture?” and “what does it mean to work meaningfully in the modern world?”