Intercultural Studies

If there is an antidote to “culture shock,” it is the Intercultural Studies program at Divine Word College (DWC).

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This undergraduate program prepares you for missionary and other service to humanity by guiding you to a greater awareness of what it takes to grasp and adapt to differences in diverse cultures.  Those differences go beyond language. They are the way people greet, eat, express ideas and interact with one another. To be “intercultural” is more than simply existing in another culture; it is the capacity to become aware of such differences, grasp their significance and then make the effort to become part of that culture. 

Because God’s plan includes a great diversity of peoples, languages and ways of life, interculturality is a fundamental element of both the SVD and DWC.

As one of the largest missionary orders in the Catholic Church, the SVD serves God’s children in more than 60 countries. Since its earliest days, the ability to “become one with the people” has been an important part of successful missionary ministry in the SVD. Meanwhile, DWC includes faculty and students from more than 20 countries creating the perfect environment to experience what interculturality is all about. 

The Intercultural Studies program takes the experience a step further by delving into the complexities of human interaction through course work primarily in the social sciences, humanities, and environmental studies. In the process, our Intercultural Studies program can help you learn to live and delight in the wonderful diversity of God’s children.

B.A. in Intercultural Studies – Total 36 Credit Hours

• Requirements, 18 credit hours in subjects that range from communication and environmental studies to social research. 
• Electives, 18 credit hours chosen from a list of subjects from cultural art and music to literature and psychology. There are also opportunities for special-topic study, as approved by the Department Chair.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Identify and explore multiple forms of cultural expression.
• Ability to analyze the impact of social identities such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and national origin on social interactions.
• Identify and evaluate patterns of social and intercultural interaction in order to facilitate intercultural dialogue.
• Demonstrate proficiency in basic research methods and communicating findings.

 

A.A. in Intercultural Studies – Total of 18 Credit Hours

• Required Courses, 9 credit hours in subjects that range from communication and environmental studies to social research.
• Electives, 9 credit hours chosen from a list of subjects from cultural art and music to literature and psychology or courses otherwise approved by the Department Chair.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Identify and explore multiple forms of cultural expression in order to explain how they reflect the values and ideas of their time and space.
• Ability to analyze the impact of social identities such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and national origin on social interactions.