About Accreditation…
CREST is incorporated in Alberta as a not-for-profit private company
with authority to grant degrees in religion.
Is CREST Leadership accredited?
There are two general types of credentials:
- Formal degrees – these are academic Arts degrees, regulated by one of two ways:
- The provinces in Canada. The schools that receive provincial funding then come under provincial regulation. These schools are Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) members.
- A voluntary non-profit organization. There are many of these voluntary accreditation organizations, a common one among Christian colleges being ABHE.
- Non-formal degrees – these are professional or applied degrees, focused less on academics and aimed more at the practical application of learning and skill sets. These institutions offer diplomas, certificates, or degrees in religion. Receiving no provincial funding, they do not come under provincial regulation.
CREST is part of this second category because:
- It gives CREST freedom to innovate and stay on the cutting edge of leadership material
- It shields CREST from government officials regulating the content of our courses
- Leadership is more of an applied skill than an academic subject
- We are able to offer training at less cost than traditional, academic institutions
- CREST offers two non-formal credentials:
-
- Diploma in Christian Leadership
- Master in Christian Leadership
-
Is it a recognized credential?
CREST graduates have had other institutions grant academic credit toward their degrees. The amount granted is up to each school.
Students interested in the Master in Christian Leadership typically work in faith-based organizations.
Churches and charities accept credentials from Canadian faith-based schools, both the formal academic schools (like Ambrose University) and the non-formal (like Peace River Bible Institute, or Millar College of the Bible).
CREST is a non-formal credential that has been readily accepted in Canada by Christian organizations.
If you plan to go on to earn a PhD, then you should choose a formal degree track with an academic credential.