Educational Vision

The need for a significant Christian university in Calgary is pressing. Several of Canada’s leading universities were founded by the Methodists during the 19th century. These institutions focused on educating for pastoral ministry and leadership in the professions. Through the 20th Century evangelicals developed the Bible College movement and control of arts and science education passed to the public universities.

While emphasis on training for ministry remains an educational priority, evangelicals are again re-establishing the role of the Christian university as a means to directly shape social, economic and political institutions that are becoming increasingly secular in orientation.

Ambrose continues to provide education for pastoral ministry and strengthens the intellectual and moral development of Canada’s professionals. The goal is to produce graduates who are consciously and actively Christian in all aspects of life.

The Christian university is uniquely positioned to provide an Arts and Science education that meets the rigorous academic standards of the university, a Christian perspective and mentoring by Christian faculty. It serves the church by providing excellent preparation for pastoral ministry.

Academic Standards

The curriculum of University Colleges is approved and accredited by provincial accrediting bodies. Ambrose is accredited by the Province of Alberta through the Campus Alberta Quality Council. Ministry preparation programs at the undergraduate level are accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education and at the graduate level by the Association of Theological Schools.

Faculty

Faculty must possess both the academic credentials required by accrediting bodies and a Christian world-view and character. The Faculty members of Ambrose are chosen to meet both these criteria. Our faculty members have won awards for teaching and research and are the recipients of research funding. Many have taught in the public university system before opportunities emerged in the Christian university context. Ministry program facultyare both academics and pastors and missionaries and therefore equipped to train reflective practitioners.

Primarily, Ambrose is a teaching institution. At Ambrose, education is not just a transfer of knowledge from expert to student but a shaping of the learner by the learned in a relationship where information is communicated in the context of values and principles. Students are invited to learn from educating lives that go on teaching beyond the classroom to the home, the travel experience, the church and the community. For Ambrose faculty, teaching is about directly addressing the search for meaning. It is also about providing practical experience through practicums in arts and science programs, ministry internships and missions experience through the onSite program.