Greetings from the Kepha Institute at Columbia International University. Let me briefly introduce who we are and what we do. The Kepha Institute exists as a unit of Columbia International University. All degrees conferred by Kepha bear the same value as other programs at CIU. Our degrees are accredited by SACSCOC, as well as other professional accrediting agencies. Columbia International University is also an academic institute recognized by the PRC Department of Education.
The Kepha Institute, as a unit of CIU, fully adopts CIU’s vision. We aim to unfold another chapter of CIU’s vision for global education by bringing higher education of the choicest quality to the developing world. The Kepha Institute collaborates closely with various colleges, departments, and programs at CIU. We offer master’s degree programs in business administration, cybersecurity, and clinical counseling, as well as undergraduate programs expected to launch in 2026.
With rapid population growth in the developing world, the Kepha Institute takes on the responsibility of equipping community leaders with sound knowledge and professional skills. We call it the Kepha Institute because “Kepha” sounds like the Chinese word for “enlightenment.” We hope that students enrolled in programs at the Kepha Institute will experience that enlightenment, enabling them to develop the knowledge and skills needed to serve their communities.
Graduate and Doctoral Program Offerings in the Kepha Institute:
Bible & Theology Certificate
Bible Exposition (Chinese), MA
Bible Exposition Concentration (Chinese), MDIV
Business Administration (Chinese), MBA
Early Childhood Concentration (English & Chinese), MEd
Educational Administration Concentration (English & Chinese), MEd
Educational Leadership (English & Chinese), PhD
Instruction & Learning Concentration (English & Chinese), MEd
Intercultural Studies (Chinese), PhD
Ministry Studies Concentration (Chinese), MDIV
Missiological Studies (Chinese), MA
Missiological Studies Concentration (Chinese), MDIV
Theological Studies (Chinese), MA
Undergraduate Joint Program Offerings in the Kepha Institute + Methodist College Kuala Lumpur
This program is jointly organized by Columbia International University (CIU) in the United States and Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) in Malaysia. Students will receive a U.S.-accredited CIU bachelor’s degree upon completion of their studies. This program aims to provide high-quality higher education for Chinese students, both domestically and internationally, and to open high-quality, flexible, and cost-effective educational pathways for home-schooled, private-schooled, and other students. Students will complete the first year of CIU’s undergraduate courses online, followed by two years at MCKL’s Kuala Lumpur campus in the American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP). Afterwards, students will go to CIU’s main campus in South Carolina to complete the remaining courses.
Business Administration, BS
Educational Studies, BS
Psychology, BS
