Business-faith study offered

MBA director Ian Lafferty (left) and theology professor Paul Trebilco. Photo: Peter McIntosh
MBA director Ian Lafferty (left) and theology professor Paul Trebilco. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Sound business management skills and spiritual thought are not ideas that necessarily go together automatically.

However, the University of Otago's department of religion and theology and its business school are joining forces to fill a gap in the market, creating two new postgraduate qualifications in faith-based leadership and management.

These will begin next year.

The new qualifications, a master's degree and a postgraduate qualification, will provide professional development for leaders in faith-based organisations or those hoping to go into that field of work.

Department of religion and theology academic Professor Paul Trebilco said the NZ Council of Christian Social Services had a budget of about $650million which highlighted the importance of managing money and resources properly.

The council covered services including the Anglican Care Network, the Baptist, Catholic and Presbyterian social services agencies, and the Salvation Army.

''The Government has a large amount of funding coming from this sort of sector,'' Prof Trebilco said.

Ian Lafferty, director of the university's existing Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, said the programme already had a joint diploma going with the public health department.

The pair understood Otago would be the only organisation in Australasia to run a theology and business administration course, and were aiming to attract 15 people in 2019, 20 the following year and then 25 in the third year.

However that figure could be conservative, Mr Lafferty said, with Otago's on-campus and online MBA itself having about 270 people enrolled this year, only its third year of operation.

The new courses would be taught entirely online, and would be open to New Zealanders and overseas students.

elena.mcphee@odt.co.nz

 

Comments

How does the government have a large sum of money "coming From" the charitable sector?

I am sure no one seriously thinks the Salvation Army requires education on these matters.

 

Advertisement