The Master’s Built for the Classical Classroom
Master of Arts in Classical Christian Education
The Boyce College MA in Classical Christian Education (MA CCE) is a fully online master’s degree for educators committed to teaching the classical tradition with scholarly depth and the theological conviction of the Protestant tradition.
Two tracks let you choose how you’re formed: the Pedagogy Track deepens your craft in the classical classroom. The School Administration and Leadership Track prepares you to lead a school.
You already know the why of classical Christian education. This degree is built for the how. The curriculum moves deliberately from philosophical and theological foundations through serious engagement with the tradition to pedagogy and school leadership.
A Degree That Forms the Teacher.
You love the classical tradition. You’ve read the authors. You’ve defended the pedagogy. But the real work is translating Homer, Augustine, and the trivium into a Tuesday morning lesson plan.
The MA in Classical Christian Education (MA CCE) meets you exactly there. The curriculum is built as an arc, carrying you from philosophical and theological foundations, through serious engagement with the classical tradition, into pedagogy and leadership for the classroom and school you actually work in. You’ll learn to teach with the theological grounding, pedagogical skill, and institutional vision the classical Christian movement needs.
This degree forms you so you can form students.
A Degree That Produces the Leader.
You love the classical tradition. You’ve seen what it does in a classroom. Now you want to build the kind of school where that tradition can flourish. That means holding together everything it asks for: the curriculum, the faculty, the finances, and the vision that makes all of it cohere.
The MA CCE’s School Administration and Leadership Track meets you exactly there. The curriculum carries you from the same philosophical and theological foundations every MA CCE student shares into the specific work of leading a school: governance, financial leadership, community-building, and curriculum oversight. You’ll be formed to lead with both competence and conviction.
Because classical Christian schools don’t just need administrators. They need leaders who were formed by the tradition they’re entrusted to steward.
Course Information
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CC 501 | Philosophical and Historical Foundations for Classical Christian Education | 3 |
| CC 502 | Theological Foundations for Classical Christian Education | 3 |
| CC 503 | Engaging the Classical World | 3 |
| CC 504 | Interpreting and Teaching the Classics | 3 |
| CC 505 | Classical Pedagogy for the Modern Classroom I: Moral and Intellectual Formation | 3 |
| CC 506 | Classical Pedagogy for the Modern Classroom II: Methods and Practices | 3 |
| CC 510 | Classical Christian Education Capstone | 3 |
| Total | 21 | |
Total Classical Christian Education (MACCE): 21
Emphases
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CC 507 | Classical Christian School Administration and Leadership | 3 |
| CC 508 | Building a Classical Community | 3 |
| ML 508 | Financial Leadership and Governance | 3 |
| Total | 9 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| — | Students choose their preferred course sequence (9 hours) in Greek, Latin, Theology, Biblical Studies, Philosophy and Ethics, etc. | 9 |
| Total | 9 | |
Classical Christian Education faculty include:
Ryan Lister
Tyler Flatt
Jonathan T. Pennington
Bradley G. Green
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduates of the Pedagogy Track are prepared to teach with deeper skill and theological conviction in any classical Christian school, whether ACCS-affiliated, independent, or part of a broader classical network. Graduates of the School Administration and Leadership Track are prepared for roles such as head of school, assistant head, academic dean, director of curriculum, and school administrator. Both tracks form you for a lifetime of faithful teaching and leadership in the classical Christian movement.
Yes. The MA in Classical Christian Education is 30 credit hours, with new courses starting every 8 weeks. Students who enroll full-time can complete the degree in as little as 12 months. Most working teachers and school leaders pace the program over 18 to 24 months to fit the school year.
Three things set the Boyce MA in Classical Christian Education apart. It provides theological depth for the classical Christian education movement. It is fully online and 30 credit hours, with no residency or in-person intensive, which means you can earn a graduate credential without leaving the classroom or school you already serve. And the curriculum is deliberately structured as an arc, moving from philosophical and theological foundations, through serious engagement with the classical tradition, into pedagogy or school leadership. You choose the track that matches your calling.
If your calling is the classroom, choose the Pedagogy Track. You will deepen your craft as a classical teacher through coursework in classical pedagogy and by choosing advanced concentrations in theology or philosophy. If your calling is to lead a school, choose the School Administration and Leadership Track. You will prepare for headship and administration through coursework in governance, financial leadership, community-building, and curriculum oversight. Both tracks share the same foundational coursework, so you can enroll confidently in the foundation and refine your track choice as your calling clarifies.
New courses begin every 8 weeks. You can apply now for the January 2027 launch cohort, or for any 8-week term after that.
What makes this degree different from other classical education graduate programs?
- Grounded in robust theology. The MA CCE is built on the theological foundation of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The curriculum’s philosophical and theological commitments are Protestant, giving classical Christian educators a graduate program that speaks directly to their convictions. If you’re teaching in an ACCS or independent classical Christian school, this program was built for you.
- A theory-to-practice arc. The curriculum is deliberately structured. Foundations first: philosophical, historical, and theological. Then serious engagement with the classical tradition itself. Then, pedagogy and leadership for the classroom and school you actually work in. Every course builds on the one before it.
- Two tracks for two callings. The Pedagogy Track deepens your craft in the classroom, with coursework in classical teaching and advanced theology or philosophy. The School Administration and Leadership Track prepares you to lead a school through coursework in governance, financial stewardship, community building, and curriculum oversight.
- Fully online. 30 hours. $433 per credit hour. No other classical education master’s program offers this combination: fully online, 30 credit hours, no residency requirement, and grounded in robust Protestant theology. Finish in as little as 12 months. Start every 8 weeks. Graduate with a credential that reflects both your competence and your conviction.
Who is the Pedagogy Track for?
Classical Christian School Teachers
You’re teaching in an ACCS school or a classical academy. You love the tradition, and you want to deepen your craft or move toward leading the school where you teach. The MA CCE gives you the theological grounding, the pedagogical depth, and the credential the next step requires.
Humanities Graduates Entering the Classroom
You majored in English, History, Philosophy, Theology, or Classics, and you know the content. What you need is the pedagogical training to teach it and the theological foundation to teach it from a Christian worldview. The MA CCE bridges content knowledge to classroom competence without losing conviction.
Teachers Transitioning to Classical Education
You’re leaving a public or conventional private school for the classical Christian world. Classical pedagogy isn’t general pedagogy, and classical Christian pedagogy is a category of its own. The MA CCE provides the specific formation, framework, and vocabulary that this classroom requires.
Who is the Leadership Track for?
Current School Administrators
You’re already serving as a head of school, assistant head, academic dean, or department chair. You know the daily realities of running a classical Christian school. What you want is the formal training to lead with greater depth: governance, financial stewardship, community-building, and curricular vision grounded in the theological and philosophical tradition you’re already committed to.
Teachers Ready to Lead
You’ve been in the classroom long enough to see the bigger picture. You care about how the school runs, not just how your classroom runs. The School Administration and Leadership Track forms you for the transition from teacher to institutional leader, with coursework that prepares you to steward a school’s mission, finances, faculty, and community.
Founders and Church Leaders Building New Schools
You’re planting or launching a classical Christian school and you need the framework to do it well. The MA CCE grounds you in the philosophical and theological foundations of the Protestant tradition alongside practical training in governance, financial leadership, and community-building that a new school requires from day one.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to articulate a coherent account of classical Christian education that integrates its theological, philosophical, and pedagogical commitments.
- Students will be able to design and implement instruction grounded in classical Christian pedagogy, demonstrating the ability to cultivate moral and intellectual formation through course design, instructional practice, and assessment.
- Students will be able to synthesize program learning and demonstrate professional competence through the successful completion of a capstone project aligned with their vocational goals.
Boyce Alumni Receive 10% Off Tuition.
If you completed your undergraduate degree at Boyce College, you’re eligible for a 10% tuition discount when you enroll in the MA in Classical Christian Education in 2027.