What is the LEAD program?

The LEAD program is a degree program designed for adults who have life circumstances that prevent them from attending traditional day-time courses. The LEAD program offers both Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. The program is a combination of Bible and leadership courses and is designed for people who are interested in becoming better Christian leaders, both in the church and in the workplace. Whether you are seeking to pursue full time ministry, improve your knowledge of the Bible, or to complete your Bachelor’s degree, LEAD is designed to help you accomplish your ministry and career goals.

What is the LEADon program?

LEADon is our online degree completion program. It is the virtual version of our LEAD Bachelor of Science in Bible degree. This BS in Bible has exactly the same content as the on-campus degree. An entering student must have at least 60 transferable college credits to be in the LEADon program.

Can I get a LEAD Associate of Arts degree online?

We currently only offer the Bachelor of Science degree online. If you wish to complete your Associate of Arts degree but cannot attend traditional (daytime) classes, please contact us for more information about our LEAD A.A. program at 407-569-1171, or email us at .

What are the admissions requirements for LEAD?

For every degree in the LEAD program, there is an age limit of at least 23 years old and an admissions process that must be completed in its entirety. The Associate of Arts academic requirements include: proof of high school graduation through official transcripts, a high school cumulative GPA of 2.5, and official SAT or ACT test scores. If you have at least 12 transferable college credits, then our only academic requirement is official college transcripts and a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.0.

The LEAD Bachelor of Science program, both on-campus and online, is a degree completion program, which means applicants must have a minimum of 60 transferable credits from an accredited college, university or technical school and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. All students entering a degree program at Florida Christian College must agree to abide by our standard of conduct as stated in our Student Life Handbook. If a student's life circumstance is such that the only option they have is LEAD or LEADon and they don't quite meet the minimum credit hours or age requirements they can petition for an exception.

Step one is to complete an application either online or on paper and pay your application fee. Step two, send in your official transcripts. Step three, write two essays. Step four, get three references. Step five, Get ACT/SAT scores if you do not have at least 12 transferable college credits. For details and downloadable forms, please see our Application Checklist page.

Do you offer housing for LEAD or LEADon Students?

We unfortunately do not offer on campus housing for LEAD or LEADon Students at this time. Kissimmee and St. Cloud have a variety of residential areas that are close to Florida Christian College.

Do you still have questions? Please feel free to contact a LEAD representative by calling 407-569-1171 or click here to request more information.

If I complete the LEAD program, what degree will I have?

It depends on whether you want to earn an Associate of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. You can graduate with an Associate or a Bachelor degree. If you start at the Associate level, it is a seamless transition into the Bachelor level. At the Bachelor level, you can finish the degree either on-campus (LEAD) or online (LEADon) and at that point will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Bible. This Bible degree can be enhanced by adding one of the Specializations listed below.

• Counseling Specialization
• Christian Ministry Specialization
• Organizational Leadership Specialization
• Non-Profit Management Specialization

Specializations are concentrations, or academic emphasis that may be added to the Bachelor of Science in Bible for 18 more credits. These specialization courses are completely online and may be taken in conjunction with either the on campus or online Bachelor programs.

How do I know if FCC will accept my credits?

By rule of thumb, if you have received credit from an accredited college, university or technical school, we will accept them as transfer credits. Courses will only be accepted in transfer if they received a grade of C (2.0) or higher. The amount of credit we transfer also depends on the degree program you choose.

How many of my credits will transfer?

We will transfer what is necessary for helping you achieve the minimum requirements for our program. If you would like to know how many of your credits will transfer, please send an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) to our Registrar’s office and we will do an initial transfer credit evaluation. Please contact the Registrar’s office ahead of time to request this evaluation at .

Is LEAD an accredited program?

Yes, LEAD, is an accredited program. Florida Christian College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Associate and Bachelor degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida Christian College.

Florida Christian College is also accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (5850 T.G. Lee Blvd., Suite 130, Orlando, FL 32822: telephone number 407-207-0808) to award Associate and Bachelor degrees.

How much does the LEAD program cost?

The amount each student pays per semester is based on educational costs minus any scholarships, financial aid, or outside support. Many students are able to receive financial support from their church, while others are eligible for grants and scholarships. The first step in determining your actual out of pocket costs is to complete an application for federal financial aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov) in order to find out how much aid you are eligible to receive. The LEAD program can be less expensive than traditional education simply because there are no campus housing costs and certain student fees associated with being a Traditional student. The base program is 9 credit hours per semester. If you plan to pursue one of the specializations there is an additional 3 credits per semester required. Because costs fluctuate from year-to-to, please visit our Tuition and Fees page to learn about the specific cost of the LEAD program. Also visit our financial aid page for more information on aid, grants and scholarships.

Can I get financial aid for the LEAD program?

Yes, LEAD students can receive federal financial aid. Please see our financial aid page and www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information about receiving financial aid for your education.

How long are the courses?

On-campus LEAD courses are broken down into five-week-long segments, one class at a time for five weeks totaling three classes in a 15-week semester. The online courses in LEADon are 8 weeks long. There are 3 courses per semester if you are working towards the BS in Bible only. There are 4 courses per semester if you are working towards the BS in Bible along with a specializations. The online program is designed so that students are only working on two courses at a time, at most. For example, see the semester timeline below for a LEADon student working towards the Bachelor in Bible with one of the specializations:

How long will it take me to finish my degree?

The LEAD Associate of Arts degree is 64 credits and can take a student about 2 years to complete. The LEAD and LEADon Bachelor degree can be completed in 2 years (six semesters) or less, depending on how many credits you have transferred in. In reality, the entire program requires a total of 135 credit hours to graduate. The actual Bachelor of Science in Bible offered by Florida Christian College is only 54 credit hours (72 if you add on a specialization). Therefore, students transferring in the minimum 60 hours will have a remaining 21 credit hours to complete in order to receive the degree (3 if you add on a specialization). These 21 extra credit hours can be completed in a variety of ways, including taking courses through our traditional program, taking courses in our LEAD A.A. program, taking extra online courses offered through FCC, or taking courses through a local community college.

What can I use my degree for?

Historically, LEAD graduates have gone on to use their degree for a wide variety of careers, from politics or business to education or ministry, the degree is very versatile.