Student Achievement and Institutional Effectiveness [December 2022]

This report is an update of the April 2022 Report, with metrics and student-based feedback for all fourteen Program Outcomes. Additionally, a report providing faculty-based and alumni-based feedback is available for download via PDF at the bottom of the page.

The Institute for Worship Studies recognizes the importance of assessing how well students are doing in their degree programs, and how effective the Institute for Worship Studies is in the pursuit of its institutional goals. Here is the latest summary of our findings as of Winter 2022:

The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies has identified and evaluated various measurements of student achievement.

Over the past 10 years, 357 students enrolled in the DWS program. 71% of these students graduated with the full degree (DWS) or certificate (AGCWS). (How this is calculated: new students that began in the January 2006-June 2015 cohorts who graduated in or before June 2022.)

Over the past 10 years, 157 students enrolled in the MWS program. 87% of these students graduated with the full degree (MWS) or certificate (GCWS). (How this is calculated: new students that began in the January 2008-June 2017 cohorts who graduated in or before June 2022.)

Over the past 3 years, the student retention rate has been 73% for students enrolled in the MWS program and 66% for students enrolled in the DWS program. The overall student retention rate has been 68% of a total of 161 students who started their programs during that time. Also, based on the completion of the June 2021 term (i.e., by May 1, 2022) the student grade point average was 3.54/4.0.

Over the past 3 years, on average, 55 new students have enrolled each year. During that same time period, on average, 36 students have graduated each year.

IWS does not track employment rates as all students are required to have a ministry in the local church or a Christian organization prior to enrollment.

The purpose of the programs offered through The Institute for Worship Studies is to further equip worship leaders, instructors, and others interested in the theory and practice of Christian worship, for their responsibilities in the local church and other settings. Given this purpose, fourteen learning outcomes have been identified (seven for DWS and seven for MWS) and academic assessments completed. Following the completion of the June 2021 term (i.e., by May 1, 2022), IWS students indicated that their courses had a positive impact on developing their understanding and abilities in these seven outcomes. Based on assessment instruments utilizing a 1 to 5 rating scale, from strongly disagree to strongly agree, the following indicators and the averaged responses regarding the extent to which the courses helped fulfill them were as follows:

Program Outcomes for the Doctor of Worship Studies
 60 respondents of 67 students, June 2021 term

  1. Biblical foundation of Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, worship rooted in and declaring the story of the Triune God as expressed in the Scriptures. (4.68/5.0)
  2. Historical development of Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, major trajectories in the practice of Christian worship through culture and time for use in assessing current expressions of Christian worship. (4.53/5.0)
  3. Theological reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate, a scripturally rooted, historically informed Christian theology of worship to guide the planning and evaluation of Christian worship. (4.8/5.0)
  4. Cultural reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, ways in which culture informs and shapes expressions of Christian worship, past and present. (4.4/5.0)
  5. Missiological reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the centrality of God’s mission, with respect to the Church’s worship, founded on the scriptural revelation of the Triune God. (4.6/5.0)
  6. Methodological skills for studies in Christian worship
    The student will demonstrate the ability to research, evaluate and articulate concepts related to Christian worship, using scholarly materials (primary and secondary) and the theological action-research methodology. (4.47/5.0)
  7. Ministerial skills in Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate, implement and evaluate, key concepts related to Christian worship in a particular setting. (4.74/5.0)

Program Outcomes for the Master of Worship Studies
23 respondents of 26 students, June 2021 term

  1. Biblical foundation of Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, Biblical evidence for worship as participation in the story of the Triune God. (5.0/5.0)
  2. Historical development of Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the historical development of Christian worship practices and theology. (4.2/5.0)
  3. Theological reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the role of theology, philosophy and epistemology in Christian formation. (4.4/5.0)
  4. Cultural reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the role of contextualization in engaging God’s people in the dialogue of worship. (4.9/5.0)
  5. Missiological reflection on Christian worship
    The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the centrality of God’s mission with respect to the Church’s worship, including its global dimensions. (4.8/5.0)
  6. Methodological skills for studies in Christian worship
    The student will demonstrate the ability to research, evaluate and articulate concepts related to Christian worship, using scholarly materials, as well as apply them to the spiritual life of the believer, with an emphasis upon the planning of corporate worship. (4.48/5.0)
  7. Ministerial skills in Christian worship
    The student will demonstrate the ability to integrate and evaluate MWS course objectives within a local ministry context through specific, intentional and strategically supervised efforts. (5.0/5.0)
In addition to the above student-based feedback, IWS also assesses the program outcomes through faculty-based and alumni-based instruments. These data can be found here.

Student Achievement and Institutional Effectiveness Reports

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