Minor in International and Community Development
Overview
The international and community development minor provides students with the background, knowledge and understanding to effectively interact with Christian development practitioners to meet the physical (health, education, housing, etc.) and spiritual needs of individuals. In addition, students are equipped to work with a diversity of development organizations and other nongovernmental and governmental organizations to address contemporary development issues.
Courses
Below are the course requirements for this academic program. In addition to these program-specific requirements, all majors include Biola's traditional undergraduate core curriculum. For more program details, including a sample course sequence, visit Biola's academic catalog.
Core Courses
| ANTH 200 | General Cultural Anthropology |
| The nature of people in culture; worldview and perception; culture change; a study of the subsystems of cultures, including social organization, religion, language and related topics. Includes practical applications to global problems such as AIDS, human rights, etc. Notes: Approved for Core Curriculum Behavioral Science credit. Grade Mode: A. | |
| ANTH 342 | Social Justice and Human Rights |
| An introduction to major themes and issues in the anthropological study of social justice and human rights. Common human rights violations will be considered from an anthropological perspective and in the light of Scripture. Various tools for engaging in social activism and advocacy, rescuing the oppressed and undertaking social justice and human rights interventions will be considered. Grade Mode: A. | |
| ANTH 370 | Topics in Cultural Anthropology |
| Examination of a variety of anthropological issues from either a theoretical or applied perspective including: marriage customs, leadership patterns, political relations, indigenous movements, culture change, worldview, etc. Notes: May be taken multiple times for credit with different course content. Grade Mode: A. | |
| ANTH 403 | Economic Anthropology |
| Exploration of theory and methods for the study of economic and social relations as they impact human values, with emphasis on analytic tools for comparative research and cross-cultural application. Grade Mode: A. | |
| INCS 345 | Introduction to Development |
Key theories, models and macro concerns in development, and historic overview of the practice of relief and development. Exploration of topics such as poverty, gender, human rights, debt, nationalism and economic development, globalization, and transformational/holistic development. Provides a broad survey of development concepts, trends, and challenges. | |
| INCS 347 | Micro Issues in Relief and Development |
| This course deals with micro issues in relief and development such as sustainable agriculture, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, literacy, the environment, food security, micro-enterprise development, gender, migration issues, internally displaced persons (IDP's), refugee response and the role of NGO's and faith-based organizations/agencies in working with complex humanitarian emergencies. Grade Mode: A. | |
| INCS 433 | Community Development Models and Strategies |
| Exposure to various models for engagement in development projects and practice, assessment of participatory learning and action approaches, examination of the role of expatriates in community development, analysis of the complexities of community participation, exploration of the role of transformational development practitioners in sustainable economic development and community organizing. Grade Mode: A. | |
| INCS 435 | Project Evaluation and Assessment |
| Examination of the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation/assessment of a development project. Special emphasis on project funding and support, project supervision, project partnership issues, governmental and non-governmental relationships, and participatory evaluation methods. Students will gain practical/hands-on experience through evaluating a local development project. Grade Mode: A. | |
| INCS 485 | Topics in Intercultural Studies |
| Studies in selected issues that arise from or require an international perspective such as minority rights, ethno-art, ethnomusicology, folklore and folklife, contextualization, economics and development. Notes: May be taken multiple times with different content. Grade Mode: A. | |
Elective Courses
| BBST 458 | Theology of Mission |
Study of God's redemptive acts in Scripture on behalf of mankind, with application to the mission of the church today. Grade Mode: A. | |
| INCS 450 | Theology of Mission |
A study of the centrality of God's redemptive acts on behalf of mankind from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as theological issues related to the mission of the Church in modern times. Notes: See BBST 458. Grade Mode: A. | |