B.A. in Intercultural Studies
In today’s globalized and hyper-interconnected world, the ability to understand and navigate cultural differences is an increasingly coveted skill by employers. Biola’s intercultural studies major prepares students to enact positive social change by addressing global issues in multicultural societies and multinational workforces. Be equipped with the academic tools and training you’ll need to excel in diverse, cross-cultural settings with openness and respect — whether you’re called to STEM, non-profit work, missions, peace and justice action, or any number of other careers, you will be prepared to effectively bring intercultural competence to the workplace.
In addition to its strong curriculum, expert faculty members and biblical integration, Biola’s intercultural studies program offers several key advantages:
- Students participate in a six-week cross-cultural summer internship at home or around the world in which they explore career paths and develop relationships with potential employers.
- Biola offers a wide range of study abroad programs from which to choose.
- Cook’s faculty is one of the largest in the country for an undergraduate intercultural studies program and they bring depth in their areas of expertise, specializing in global regions including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. You’ll learn in an environment supported by experienced, engaged faculty mentors.
- Biola’s location in Southern California — one of the world’s largest and most diverse metropolitan areas — is ideal for internships, field research and job opportunities.
- Throughout the program, you’ll apply what you're learning in real-world contexts through partnerships with local agencies and communities. This program is action-oriented, practical, inquisitive and effective in building change agents to improve the human condition.
- Biola’s annual Missions Conference, hosted by the Student Missionary Union, is the oldest and largest student-run missions conference in the United States.
- Biola’s Cook School of Intercultural Studies has a strong academic reputation, bolstered by its role in publishing an academic journal.
- Intercultural studies graduates are able to move directly into several graduate programs — including an accelerated 12-month M.A. in intercultural studies — at Biola’s Cook School of Intercultural Studies, one of the largest schools of its kind.
Concentrations
- Cross-Cultural HealthcareCultural competence and humility are integral to providing effective overseas health services. By training in international development and global health perspectives, students pursuing the Cross-Cultural Healthcare concentration are practically equipped to serve anywhere in the world. Coursework includes further specialization in "Living Overseas," "Priorities" or "Communication."
- Cultural and Linguistic AnthropologyCultural humility and knowledge of societal functioning are key to solving real-world problems and influencing social conditions. In the Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology concentration, students will develop a strong understanding of cultural change, diverse worldviews, and subsystems of cultures and of social organization — empowering them to engage in community development, social justice activism and action and culturally relevant product or service design.
- Interdisciplinary
A personalized interdisciplinary concentration may be designed by the student and the student’s advisor. Popular concentrations include: international business, teaching (elementary or secondary education), cross-cultural family studies, intercultural journalism and psychology, among others.
- International Business
- Early Childhood Education
- Cross-Cultural Family Studies
- Intercultural Journalism
- Psychology
- International and Community DevelopmentCreating effective impact requires cultural sensitivity and an understanding of poverty, marginalization, and disempowerment. In International and Community Development, students explore these issues and learn how to promote stakeholder participation and collaboration as well as social sustainability in various development interventions. Course options include Introduction to Development, Community Development Models and Strategies, Micro-Issues in Relief and Development, and Project Evaluation and Assessment.
- MissiologyUnderstanding how missions were done in the past and translating that into implementation in today's world is integral for its continued advancement. In the Missiology concentration, students take courses such as History of the Expansion of Christianity and Principles of Evangelism and Church Growth — becoming equipped for a lifetime of helping others come to know Christ.
- Peace and JusticeThe Peace and Justice Concentration equips students with the biblical foundation, academic knowledge, and practical skills to address various forms of conflict on a communal, national and international level. Students learn to analyze issues emerging from cultural, physical, and systemic forms of violence and develop insight and skills in the area of mediation, diplomacy, negotiation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, reconciliation initiatives, advocacy and direct action. Graduates have gone on to work as defense attorneys, diplomats, non-profit directors, mediators and many other conflict transformation-oriented jobs.
- Secondary EmphasesStudents in the intercultural studies major must complete at least one 9-credit concentration and take a minimum of 6 elective credits. One concentration and one secondary emphasis (different from the selected concentration) may be taken using the 9-credit concentration requirement and the 6-credit elective requirement. Students may select one of the four emphases below, which reflect a variety of options in the discipline: Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology; International and Community Development; Missions; or Peace and Justice.
- TESOLTeaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a field that offers the opportunity to teach in the United States and around the world. In the TESOL concentration, students will learn practical skills related to methods, materials, grammar, intercultural communication, ethics and values in TESOL and more — becoming equipped for a meaningful career and ministry.
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Career Outlook and Preparation
What can you do with a Bachelor’s of Art in Intercultural Studies?
A degree in intercultural studies provides exceptional preparation for ministry and careers in all levels of news media, education, diplomacy and humanitarian organizations. You can expect to impact the world for Jesus Christ through professions such as:
- Diplomat
- Foreign Relations Officer
- Human Rights Officer
- International Corporate Representative
- International News Correspondent
- Migration Analyst
- Refugee Counselor
12% job growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for social and human service assistants is projected to be much faster than average between 2021 and 2031.
BLS projections are not specific to Biola University students or graduates.
As I’m doing business, I recognize more and more the gaps in communication in international business that I can now thoroughly fill because of the way I was prepared through the ICS to foster connection across cultures.
The cultural awareness and interpersonal skills I gained in my Intercultural studies have been vital to my everyday work in advising humanitarian workers and assessing the security dynamics in the various countries they serve in.
I have benefited tremendously from my education in Intercultural Studies. Intercultural Studies prepared me to thoughtfully consider the complexities involved in engaging with those of a different culture. Each day, I work with individuals from all over the country and world. Being equipped with tools to consider others’ worldviews has allowed me to communicate more effectively and cultivate healthier team dynamics. Soon, I will be going overseas and feel well-prepared to acclimate to a new culture, communicate effectively with a multicultural team, and share the gospel in a culturally relevant manner.
