BA with a Major in Scripture and Culture

About this Degree

The Bachelor of Arts in Scripture and Culture is a program that focuses on Scripture’s contents, cultural background, interpretation, and original languages, as well as the use of that education in cross-cultural contexts.

Upon completion of this degree students will:

  1. Demonstrate an intermediate competency in Greek or Hebrew exegesis and hermeneutics.
  2. Compare and contrast the cultures of the various biblical authors and of modern societies.
  3. Distinguish between the original meaning of biblical texts and their interpretation and application by various Christian communities.
  4. Identify and apply appropriate intercultural communication skills and attitudes within cross-cultural and multi-lingual contexts.
  5. Use academic and hermeneutical tools to address disagreements in areas of biblical interpretation.

Interested in this program?  Be sure to apply for Undergraduate Admission to Dallas International University. 

Degree Overview

BA-SC Curriculum Overview Hours
General Education Requirements Level 1 and Level 2 30
Major Requirements
    Level 1 through Level 4 (electives) 18
    Level 3 and Level 4 (required courses) 57
Minor requirements  18/19
Total hours 121*

*Students are allowed to transfer in a maximum of 72 hours of general education for all required Level 1 and Level 2 courses for the BA degree.

General Education Requirements

CIS BA-SC GENERAL EDUCATION CATEGORIES AND LEVEL 1 & LEVEL 2 REQUIREMENTS
Level 1 and Level 2 course requirements are 30 total hours with a minimum of two (2) courses (6) in each of the five (5) general education categories. Visit the CIS General Education Categories page for more information. At Least
1.     Communication and Creative Arts 6
2.     Language and Cross-Cultural Studies 6
3.     History, Philosophy, and Religion 6
4.     Social Institutions and Behavior 6
5.     Science and Mathematics 6
30

Major Requirements

BA-SC Required Major Courses (Level 3 & Level 4 requirements)

AL5321 Greek 1
AL5322 Greek 2
AL5324 Greek Textual Analysis
OR
AL5326 Hebrew 1
AL5327 Hebrew 2
AL5325 Hebrew Textual Analysis		 9*
IS3110 Introductory Research Skills 1
IS3311 Research Writing 3
IS3317 World Religions 3
IS3325 Introduction to Contextualization 3
IS4309 Hermeneutics 3
IS4311 Greco-Roman Religious World 3
IS4312 Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations 3
IS4361 Cross-Cultural Communication 3
AA4350 Language and Society 3
AA4370 Cultural Anthropology 3
AA4372 Political and Social Systems 3
AC3305 Foundations of Torah 3
AC4305 Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures 3
AC4306 Introduction to the Greek Scriptures 3
AL43** Foundations of Translation 3
AL4304 Introduction to Language Structure
(Linguistics minors replace this course with an elective at the 3xxx or 4xxx level within their coursework for the major.)		 3
55

*Students admitted into the BA in Scripture and Culture will automatically be accepted into the graduate level Greek and Hebrew courses.

Electives

Students choose electives that total a minimum of 18 from Level 1 through Level 4 courses.

Minor Requirements

Cross-Cultural Studies

The following are the requirements for the Cross-Cultural Studies minor.

Course Hours
IS3364 Theory and Reality of Development 3
AA4387 Training in Cross-Cultural Contexts 3
AC4322 Storytelling in Abrahamic Communities 3
WA4382 Survey of World Arts 3
AL4302 Principles of Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics 3
AA43** Foundations of Global Migration and Diasporas 3
Total hours for the Cross-Cultural Studies minor  18

Linguistics

The following are the requirements for the Linguistics minor. Please note that linguistics minor students will not take AL4304 Introduction to Language Structure (3 credit hours) from the degree core but will take an additional elective instead.

Course Hours
AL4302 Principles of Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics 3
AL4303 Principles of Phonological Analysis 3
AL4410 Principles of Grammatical Analysis 4
AL4406 Field Methods and Linguistic Analysis or AL5406 Field Methods and Linguistic Analysis 4
AL4207 Field Data Management or AL5207 Field Data Management 2
IS3361 Introduction to Historical Linguistics 3
Total hours for the Linguistics minor  19

World Arts

The following are the requirements for the World Arts minor.

Course Hours
WA2381 Arts for a Better Future 3
WA3380 Introduction to Ethnodoxology 3
WA3386 World Arts Practicum 3
WA4382 Survey of World Arts 3
WA4387 Area Studies for World Arts 3
Plus one from the following two options:
AA4357 Genres of Oral Tradition
WA3350-IN Conference Course on World Arts		 3
Total hours for the World Arts minor  18

Islamic Studies

The following are the requirements for the Islamic Studies minor.

Course Hours
AC4310 Introduction to Islam 3
AC4311-OL Communication and Service in Muslim Contexts 3
AC4322 Storytelling in Abrahamic Communities 3
AC4341 Arabic 1 3
AC4342 Arabic 2 3
AC4343 Colloquial Arabic 3
Total hours for the Islamic Studies minor  18