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Courses | Master of Divinity (Missions and Intercultural Studies)

Below are the course requirements for this academic program. For more program details, including graduation requirements and learning outcomes, visit Biola's academic catalog.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must hold the Bachelor of Arts degree, or its academic equivalent, with a 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average. Those not meeting this latter requirement, if accepted, will be placed on probation. Graduates from approved unaccredited colleges, if accepted, will be granted provisional acceptance, though exceptions may be made when the grade point average is 3.0 or higher. Graduates from approved unaccredited colleges may be required to take additional liberal arts course work (not applicable toward the graduate degree) if their undergraduate program did not include these courses.

Specialization Requirements

Changes of specialization may be authorized under certain circumstances prior to the completion of 40 credits, but are discouraged after that point.

Advanced Standing

Applicants who have taken undergraduate courses in biblical or theological studies may request advanced standing based on collegiate work. See Talbot Admissions Requirements for details.

Graduation Requirements

  1. Satisfactorily complete 79 semester credits.
  2. Take the courses prescribed in the Master of Divinity curriculum.
  3. Complete the requirements in the specialization below, including co-curricular requirements.
  4. Students without previous courses in Old Testament Survey and New Testament Survey must take TTBE 519 and TTBE 520, which are not for credit unless taken in place of general elective credits.

  5. Complete the online introduction to theological research and writing by the end of the second semester.

  6. At least 50% of the total credits required for the degree program must be completed at this seminary, calculated prior to applying any advanced standing or transfer credit.
  7. The M.Div. program can be completed in three years. For those who need to extend the program, contact the department for advising on a four-year curriculum for the Master of Divinity in Missions and Intercultural Studies specialization.
  8. Must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA with no grade below a "D-".
  9. Meet with graduate academic records and degree specialist in the Office of the Registrar one year prior to graduation to declare intent to graduate. (See Graduate Graduation Check description in the Admission, Enrollment and Graduation Requirements section.)

Biblical Languages Requirement

Two biblical languages are required: Greek and Hebrew.

Greek

The courses listed below are required. Qualifying examinations to test out of TTNT 501 or TTNT 502 are available to all interested students. Depending on exam results, a student may enroll directly into TTNT 502 or TTNT 503. For any language courses waived by a qualifying examination, the student should take an equal number of credits in the New Testament department (3 or 6).

TTNT 501Beginning Greek I3
TTNT 502Beginning Greek II3
TTNT 503Introduction to Exegesis3
TTNT 604Exegesis in the Gospels3
or TTNT 605 Exegesis in the Epistles

Hebrew

The courses listed below are required. Qualifying examinations to test out of TTOT 603 or TTOT 604 are available to all interested students. Depending on exam results, a student may enroll directly into TTOT 604 or TTOT 703. For any language courses waived by the qualifying examination, the student should take an equal number of credits in the Old Testament department (3 or 6).

TTOT 603Elements of Hebrew I3
TTOT 604Elements of Hebrew II3
TTOT 703Introduction to Hebrew Exegesis3
TTOT 722Hebrew Exegesis2

Curriculum Requirements

Prerequisite Courses 1
Old Testament Survey
New Testament Survey
Program Courses
Students enrolling in the Missions and Intercultural Studies specialization will take the following courses:
TTBE 517Hermeneutics and Bible Study Methods3
TTHT 505Patristic and Medieval Theology3
or TTHT 506 Reformation and Modern Theology
or TTHT 514 Historical Theology Survey
TTNT 501Beginning Greek I3
TTNT 502Beginning Greek II3
TTNT 503Introduction to Exegesis3
TTNT 604Exegesis in the Gospels3
or TTNT 605 Exegesis in the Epistles
TTOT 603Elements of Hebrew I3
TTOT 604Elements of Hebrew II3
TTOT 703Introduction to Hebrew Exegesis3
TTOT 722Hebrew Exegesis2
TTPT 591Field Apprenticeship I1
TTPT 609Expository Preaching3
TTPT 707Foundations of Pastoral Care and Counseling2
TTSF 501Introduction to Spiritual Theology and Formation3
TTSF 503Personal Foundations for Spiritual Formation3
TTSF 504Spiritual Formation, Vocation, and the Disciplines1
TTSF 505Talbot Spiritual Direction I0
TTSF 506Talbot Spiritual Direction II0
TTTH 521Theology I: God, Scripture, Creation3
TTTH 522Theology II: Christ, Humanity, Sin, Salvation3
TTTH 623Theology III: Spirit, Church, Last Things3
Missions and Intercultural Studies Specialization Courses
ISAN 507Cultural Anthropology3
ISCL 751Theology of Mission3
ISCL 791Field Internship1
TTPT 592Field Apprenticeship II0
TTPT 608Developing Strategic Church Ministries3
TTPT 691Field Apprenticeship III0
TTPT 730Biblical Leadership and Management3
Emphasis/Elective Courses
Select an emphasis detailed below9
General elective courses6
Total Credits79
1

TTBE 519 Old Testament Survey and TTBE 520 New Testament Survey are prerequisites for this degree. To meet the prerequisite, students must have received a "C" or higher in approved undergraduate or graduate survey courses from a regionally accredited institution. Students who enroll without the prerequisite courses must take TTBE 519 and TTBE 520 before graduating. Credits from these courses may count as general electives, or may add to the length of the program if electives are not available. 

Emphases

Students earning the Missions and Intercultural Studies specialization choose any three courses from the categories below. These three courses may be from one or from multiple categories below. Other courses offered by the Cook School of Intercultural Studies may also be used to satisfy this requirement with the permission of the department chair.

Anthropology

ISAN 528Cultures of the World3
ISAN 555Kinship and Family in Cross-cultural Perspective3
ISAN 561Economic Anthropology3
ISAN 631Topics in Cultural Anthropology1-3
ISAN 671Applied Anthropology3
ISAN 751Social Anthropology3
ISAN 761Culture and Transformation3
ISCL 520Interpersonal and Intercultural Adjustment3
ISCL 556World Religions3

Applied Linguistics

ISAL 520Introduction to Language and Linguistics3
ISAL 525Introduction to Syntax3
ISAL 529Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics3
ISAL 535Introduction to Bible Translation3
ISAL 646Sociolinguistics3
ISAL 648Discourse and Text Analysis3
ISAL 679Planning, Evaluation, and Research in Applied Linguistics3
ISAL 683Topics in Linguistics1-3

Church Planting

ISCL 520Interpersonal and Intercultural Adjustment3
ISCL 555Introduction to World Missions3
ISCL 556World Religions3
ISCL 663Cross-cultural Implications in Evangelism3
ISCL 727Principles of Church Multiplication3
ISCL 732Church Planting Models and Strategies3
ISCL 735Principles of Church Growth3
ISCL 742History of the World Christian Movement3
ISCL 743Urban Church Planting Models3
ISCL 744Narrative in Scripture and Teaching3
ISCL 765Cross-Cultural Leadership3

Cross-Cultural Education

ISCL 520Interpersonal and Intercultural Adjustment3
ISCL 555Introduction to World Missions3
ISCL 575Multicultural Education3
ISCL 709Intercultural Communication3
ISCL 744Narrative in Scripture and Teaching3

Linguistics and Biblical Languages

ISAL 520Introduction to Language and Linguistics3
ISAL 521General Articulatory Phonetics3
ISAL 523Introduction to Phonology3
ISAL 525Introduction to Syntax3
ISAL 529Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics3
ISAL 535Introduction to Bible Translation3
ISAL 648Discourse and Text Analysis3
ISAL 650Seminar in Linguistics and Biblical Exegesis3

Missiology

ISCL 555Introduction to World Missions3
ISCL 655Contemporary Theology of Mission3
ISCL 680The Local Church and World Missions3
ISCL 722Spiritual Conflicts in Cross-Cultural Context3
ISCL 724Issues in Spiritual Warfare3
ISCL 730Directed Study1-4
ISCL 742History of the World Christian Movement3
ISCL 747Christianity and Culture3
ISCL 750Issues in Contextualization/Cross-Cultural Theology3
ISCL 752Acts: Biblical and Missiological3
ISCL 755Biblical Morality and Cultural Relativity3

Urban/Multi-Ethnic

ISCL 520Interpersonal and Intercultural Adjustment3
ISCL 531Peoples of Ethnic America3
ISCL 559Topics in Urban Studies3
ISCL 560Urban Research and Study3
ISCL 568Theology of the City3
ISCL 583Poverty and the City3
ISCL 730Directed Study1-4
ISCL 744Narrative in Scripture and Teaching3