I achieved my Social Media Strategist certification in 2016 through a scholarship. Since then, I…read morecan confidently say that earning the SMS credential has greatly expanded my visibility as a professional, and has been useful as a personal development resource. Then in 2019, I paid for the Educator Certification and began teaching the program in my own city. I have found that I enjoy teaching very much, and this has been a great program to teach! I will say that management of the school has changed between 2015 and 2017, and under the new management, communication flows easily, there's a great level of transparency, and there's a concentrated effort on student relations.

Do not waste your time! Although the information within the course itself is great, there are no…read moreactual people there to help you. I have sent out multiple emails and have left multiple voicemails from October 2015 through March 2016 and none of them have been returned. I am currently waiting to receive my certificate from them after achieving it over a month ago. I would recommend that you look elsewhere if you are looking to achieve a social media certification.

I go here when my BLS expires. Does the job. Instructor has tons of experience. I would recommend…read moreagain. Nice and quick!

From a secular organizational standpoint, there are many things that could be said for, and against…read morethe institution, but on the whole its management is reasonably competent. I had various experiences with the staff, but I would say the majority are professional and nice people to interact with. So I would give 4 stars from a secular perspective. However, regarding the biblical/theological/missionary aspect, I should be grieved to report that the school fundamentally misunderstands both the gospel and the great commission. I hope to enlarge this review at some point for the benefit of others but to succinctly state this, the basic truths such as who is the LORD, what is sin, how can a sinner be saved, the need of the new birth, how can a person know if he has been truly converted, etc. are not only lacking in emphasis, but when they are touched on at all, are handled carelessly and are full of many soul-destroying errors. There is much emphasis on a kind of "Christian experience" which one cannot find taught in the Scriptures, and the students are generally assumed to be converted because they have some kind of zeal for missions. Much of the teaching on missions, evangelism, the bible, etc. is very misguided because the foundation of the house is built on sand. Much is said about the Holy Spirit, but His primary work applying the redemption purchased by Christ is scarcely mentioned. I was a student in 2019 who was very zealous for "evangelism" and "missions", reading the Bible, etc. and only several years later discovered that I was headed to a lost eternity unless I came to a saving knowledge of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. For a very short summary of what I believe to be a biblical understanding of the following, refer to: How a sinner may be saved - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/spiritual-help/how-may-a-sinner-be-saved/ True conversion - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/spiritual-help/how-may-someone-know-if-they-are-truly-saved/ Great Commission - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/2023/01/the-great-commission/ If you only read one thing, I especially recommend the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which I sincerely believe (and I don't say this with any malice or sarcasm at all) contains more truth in it than everything I was taught at BGU. Here is a place where you can read it for free, it provides a summary of what the Bible teaches and is full of Scripture proofs. https://relight.app/resource/WSC If you get one book, I highly recommend this one, which is a very helpful guide through the foundational truths of the Bible that are so important to where our souls will spend eternity, the great commission, and everything else https://www.reformationscotland.org/product/bible-truth-explored/ I wish I could have said more positive about my time at Bethany, but I sincerely hope what I wrote will be helpful to anyone considering attending. My encouragement would be, rather than attending, and "building a house of missions on sand" take the time to read what I've shared above and seek out the soundest church you can find where the minister preaches law and gospel and where the worship is organized, not according to what we enjoy or what feels good to us, but according to what the Saviour has appointed. If you have no interest in reading what I've linked but feel eager to head to the school anyway and become a missionary, I would tenderly warn you that this attitude will hurt your own soul and the souls of others more than you know.

I have known Bethany Global University for about three years now and I have worked as a volunteer…read morewith campus events from time to time. It saddens me that the school has gotten (albeit a small number) of very low reviews. I hope that with my review, I can bring to light some of the misunderstandings. First off, let's get it right on the table. This college is NOT for everyone (but isn't closed off to anyone). It is a Christian school which follows Christian ideals and beliefs. The teaching and living will be Christ-centered and you will be stretched and challenged during your college experience. If that is not your cup of tea, then you will not like this school. This college is also considered a missions college. It has one goal in mind - to prepare students for the mission field to share the Gospel of Jesus with people all around the world. If you do not want to do that with your life, this college is NOT for you. The classes and experiences prep you to be a missionary and a Christian leader for Jesus globally or locally in your world. Sure, is that a narrow focus? Yes, but that is what they were designed and created to do. You cannot hate a business for doing what they want to do with the resources they have. Should I mandate that a vegan butchery sell real meat? No, I just should go to a butcher that sells real meat if that is what I truly want. What is unique and cool about this school is that it is a working college, meaning that you work to pay for your tuition. There are a number of jobs on campus from working in a coffee shop, helping out at a daycare, working in the campus kitchen, or assisting with campus events. I like that model because that means that you leave college with a degree in hand with little to no debt whatsoever. How many colleges can claim that? Another cool aspect of this college is that you get to go overseas for 1 1/2 years to do mission work at a designated ministry site in places like Thailand, France, Kenya, Georgia, or right here in the Twin Cities. That way, you get a taste of what it is like to be a missionary in a foreign environment and use the skills and knowledge you just obtained to help you thrive (as well as having dedicated staff right along with you helping each step of the way). When it comes to living on campus, the college prescribes to living in a way that the Bible says one should. That will ruffle some people's feathers but once again it is a Christian college and they have every right to do it. All of us struggle with that since the ideals that the Bible set are lofty but the campus makes sure to have staff and faculty who are able to live life with the students and provide guidance and support when needed. Many times though the student doesn't ask, instead trying to live life on their own strength. I think that is why some people get burned here; they never speak up or ask for help. Seriously, I personally know many of the staff onsite and they want to help students flourish and thrive, both in their relationship with God but also in their every day relationships and life. Finally, the staff on campus are amazing. Real, down to earth people who want to share the love of Jesus with others and want to raise and build up strong Christ followers and believers. The staff care so much for each student, I have heard so many stories from students who have been impacted in so many ways by the faculty on campus. It isn't just about the grades or the school's mission, the staff care very deeply about each student and what they are going through each day of their lives. And to make sure I am not making this review too weighty, the school does do a lot of fun and exciting activities as well. I recently helped lead a group of students to climb Hallet Peak in Estes Park, Colorado; what an awesome experience! There are also numerous parties, camp outs, and other social events to make this time in your life amazing. *A word of advice before I go. If someone thinks differently than you, instead of pushing away or writing that person off, talk to that person and get to know why they believe what they believe. Many times, we make assumptions that are wrong and only hurt ourselves in the process. This is a good life skill that can/should be done across the board in every interaction we have with people. It isn't just for religion either; it can be for politics, sports, way of life, etc. Open-mindedness DOESN'T mean you have to agree and prescribe to everything but it does mean that you are willing to have a conversation and listen in a non-judgmental way.

I can't wait to get back to teaching this year!…read more The Developmental Designs program was fantastic. Not only did it teach me new and better ways to teach my students, but it also just got me even more excited to go back to school. Anyone that teaches middle level students and above should definitely take this course. It is a little pricey, but well worth your time. If you have time, check out the Origins website for great books. You can even go right to the store to pick them up if you would like. I know this doesn't say a lot, but I love this place. So, I had to promote it if even just a little.