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Master of Divinity (Missions and Intercultural Studies)

Overview

The Master of Divinity with a concentration in Missions and Intercultural Studies prepares you to advance God’s global mission through pastoral ministry in the local church, the mission field or other intercultural settings, whether local or international.

On top of a biblically and theologically sound educational foundation, this program trains you to become more culturally aware and to understand a variety of theological issues relevant to geography, ethnicity, ideology, intercultural communication and other topics. Additionally, the program gives you the option to select an emphasis most relevant to your calling.

  • Develop Your Passion for God’s Worldwide, Culture-Spanning Mission. Grow in your understanding of the Bible as a salvation history story that progressively reveals God as a missionary God. You’ll gain a broad academic and practical foundation for your calling to reach the nations and pursue God’s mission in culturally diverse contexts.
  • Be Equipped to Share the Gospel in Cross-Cultural Contexts. How well do you know the cultures you’re called to serve? Increase your impact as you develop your understanding and skills in exegeting your social and cultural environment. As you grow in your knowledge of theology, communication and culture, you will grow to be more effective and able to share the gospel in a culturally sensitive manner.
  • Focus in on a Specific Area — or Customize Your Program. Beyond your specialization in missions and intercultural studies, you can narrow your scope by selecting a specific area of focus, such as anthropology, applied linguistics, church planting, cross cultural education, linguistics and biblical languages, missiology, urban/multiethnic, or a customized mix of these areas.
  • Prepare to Provide Pastoral Leadership. The Master of Divinity provides a broad-based seminary education that prepares you in every way to teach and preach the Word of God, to offer pastoral counseling, to help believers apply the truth of God’s Word in their daily lives and to evangelize.
  • Communicate Biblical Truth with Accuracy and Relevance. Much of your training involves digging into the Word of God and understanding the biblical authors’ intended meaning. You’ll gain the necessary skills and tools to exegete the Bible by learning Scripture’s original languages, Greek and Hebrew. Then, you’ll practice applying the knowledge you’ve gained in exegesis and interpretation in your preaching classes. This is what you need to communicate God’s Word to people today — faithfully, clearly and relevantly.
  • Learn by Doing with Guidance from Mentors. You’ll gain theological and missiological insights in ministry by engaging in specific cross-cultural tasks in your course assignments and required field education. As you do, you’ll benefit from the mentorship and wisdom of Talbot professors who have extensive cross-cultural ministry and missions experience.

For more reasons to choose Talbot School of Theology for your education, see the Why Talbot? page.

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Courses

What will I study as a Master of Divinity (Missions and Intercultural Studies) student?

Each of Talbot School of Theology’s Master of Divinity programs include a core of biblical and theological foundation courses, the Spiritual Formation Core, a sequence of Hebrew and Greek, training in preaching and counseling, and an area of ministry specialization.

As part of this concentration, you’ll have an opportunity to customize your coursework and choose one of the following emphases:

  • Anthropology
  • Applied linguistics
  • Church planting
  • Cross-cultural education
  • Linguistics and biblical languages
  • Missiology
  • Urban/Multiethnic

Admissions & Deadlines

As a Christian institution, Biola seeks to admit applicants whose backgrounds clearly demonstrate scholarly aptitude, a commitment to the historic Christian faith, personal character and integrity, and a positive service-oriented motivation toward their field of study. Biola does not discriminate on the basis of the applicant's race, color, sex, socio-economic status, disability, or national or ethnic origin.

Education and GPA Requirements

  • You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution by the time you plan to start coursework at Biola, with a minimum grade point average of 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale).
  • Note: If you do not meet the degree or GPA requirements above, you may still be considered for admission. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions office at graduate.admissions@biola.edu. If you are an international student, contact grad.international@biola.edu.

English Proficiency Requirements

  • If English is not your first language, you are required to display your English proficiency before admittance into a Biola University graduate program. See “English Proficiency” in the application steps section below.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • General: July 1
    • International Students
      • On Campus: June 1
      • Online/Hybrid: July 1
  • Spring Semester
    • General: November 1
    • International Students: October 1

Visit Biola

Explore our sunny Southern California campus in person or virtually. Learn more about your program of interest and the admissions process by scheduling an appointment with an admissions counselor.

Visit Biola
Virtual Tour

Meet Your Admissions Counselor

If you have more questions about the program, admissions process or Biola in general, schedule a phone call or send an email to your admissions counselor.

Graduate Admissions Counselor

Photo of Chris So
Chris So

Email: chris.j.so@biola.edu
Text or Call: (562) 784-7064
Book a Phone or Virtual Appointment

International Graduate Admissions Counselor

The Office of International Admissions serves students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

Email: grad.international@biola.edu
Book a Phone or Virtual Appointment

Application Steps

  1. Complete and submit the online application

  2. Submit a non-refundable $65 application fee

  3. Submit supplemental application materials through your online application portal:

  4. Official Transcripts

    • Submit all official transcripts from previous academic institutions.
      • Request official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
      • If enrolled at the time the application is filed, be sure to request transcripts of work finished to date and final transcripts upon completion of your course of study.
      • Transcripts will be considered official only when a) mailed directly from the institution to Biola, b) sent electronically through an approved vendor or c) physically delivered in an untampered envelope sealed by the institution. Final approval for admission is contingent on receiving an official transcript.
        • Mail transcripts to:
          Biola University Office of Graduate Admissions
          13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639
    • Note for International Students: All international transcripts need U.S. grade equivalencies noted (i.e. GPA on a 4.0 scale). If your transcripts do not show U.S. grade equivalencies, you must have them evaluated by a credential evaluation agency like SpanTran (Biola Discount), World Education Services (WES) or Foundation for International Services (FIS). Be sure to choose "course by course report" and have SpanTran/WES/FIS send them directly to Biola University via online portal or post (13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada, CA 90639) in order to be considered official.

    Two Reference Letters

    • Pastoral reference
    • Character reference (someone in a leadership role in your life)
    • Note: Additional instructions can be found in the online application.

    Two Essays

    • Christian testimony
    • Vocational testimony
    • Note: The essay prompts can be found in the online application.

    English Proficiency (required for non-native English speakers)

    • Evidence of English proficiency is required for all students to support student success. Proficiency must be shown through one of the methods described below:
      • Minimum test score on a qualifying standardized test
        • TOEFL: minimum score of 90 iBT
        • IELTS: minimum score of 7.0
        • Duolingo: minimum score of 125
      • A degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral) issued by an institution where English is the medium of instruction.
        • Official written communication from the institution (Registrar, Controller of Examinations Office, or Undergraduate College)
        • Official degree statements or transcripts may be accepted given English is stated as the medium of instruction
        • Official catalog verification
        • Note: For universities from non-Anglophone countries, further language assessment may be required.
      • Completion of the English Language Scholars (ELS) with passing status on the ELS's final exit exam, which must be approved by the ELS Director in collaboration with the academic program committee. An updated TOEFL or IELTS score may be used at the end of a term to test directly into the graduate program for the following term.
      • Qualify for English Language Scholars (ELS), which allows students who do not meet the minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores to still enroll in their graduate degree program. Students would be taking academic English courses concurrently with the graduate degree program courses. 
        • Students eligible for ELS will be assessed by the ELS Director to determine the total number of academic English courses to take while enrolled in their graduate program courses. The following are the scores needed to qualify for ELS: TOEFL iBT 81 / IELTS 6.5 / Duolingo 110–124.
        • Note: Students must be admitted to the graduate program first to be considered for ELS.

     

    Additional Forms

     

    Things to Note

    • Track your application status at any time. You do not have to complete the application in one sitting. You can complete a portion and finish at a later time. Your information will be saved. When you apply, to guarantee confidentiality, you will be asked to create a user name and a password, and will receive a personalized identification number. Track your application status by logging in to the online application.
    • Official documents presented for admission or evaluation become part of the student’s academic file and normally cannot be returned or copied for distribution.
    • International students who will be studying on campus are required to apply for an F-1 student visa. For more information, visit biola.edu/international/admitted-students.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Biola is committed to help make your studies affordable — each school offers different scholarship, grant and loan opportunities to help finance your education.

Cost Per Credit (2024‑25) $704
Full-time Tuition Per Term (Estimated) Based on 9 credit courseload$6,336
Part-time Tuition Per Term (Estimated) Based on 3 credit courseload$2,112
Total Program Tuition (Estimated) Based on total program credits and 2024‑25 cost per credit$55,616

Faculty


Format

On Campus: You'll study in person at Biola University's campus in Southern California.

Online: You'll take coursework fully online.

Hybrid (On Campus and Online): This program includes a blend of course formats, including online and in person at Biola University's Southern California campus.

Total Credits

Every program at Biola University features rigorous academics, biblically integrated curriculum and vocational preparation.

Cost per Credit

This is the cost per credit; total tuition costs for each term will differ for part-time and full-time students.

Standard Completion Time

This indicates the standard duration of this program. Completion time may vary depending on transferred coursework and preferred courseload.

Accreditation

Biola University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Additional accreditations may apply to specific programs.