Core Curriculum

Bachelor of Arts | Core Curriculum

THE CORE

1. 1. 1. Grounds you in the Scriptures and essential Christian beliefs
      2. Exposes you to new intellectual vistas
      3. Enhances your understanding of ways of knowing within academic disciplines
      4. Allows you to make connections among various disciplines
      5. Develops writing, research, and quantitative and analytical skills

The core consists of courses in general studies, biblical and theological studies, and ministry studies. In addition, BA and Diploma students must engage in praticum with a church or some other organization, while resident students participate in a Life Group.

GENERAL STUDIES (30 credit hours)

Philosophy of Curriculum

The General Studies curriculum broadens the knowledge sphere of students with reference to the arts and sciences, aiming to cultivate a Christian worldview, and enhance communication, critical thinking, and information literacy skills. Students will grow to understand the natural world created by God, examine the human condition through history and social science, learn to reflect God’s image through subjects like literature, music, and fine arts, and communicate a Christian worldview by developing oral, writing, and technology skills.
Integrative thinking is based on the affirmation that all truth is God’s truth and that because God is the creator of all things, including people made in God’s image, truth and insight can be found within the sphere of every academic discipline and can be used for kingdom purposes.

The Scriptures are at the heart of the integrative process. God is the source of all wisdom and should be the first and primary source from which we seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. While Scripture only speaks explicitly and directly to a limited number of topics, it also provides implicit principles that speak to all of life so Scripture should guide our thinking on all subjects. The primacy of Scripture and its authority undergirds and guides all that is taught and affirmed in the curriculum.

The PLBC curriculum facilitates two-way integration leading to a Christian worldview.
First, we integrate truth derived from Scripture with life, ministry, and every domain of academic study.
Second, we integrate truth derived from the various academic disciplines studied in the general studies curriculum with life and ministry.

This two-way integration results in a Christian worldview. The goal of biblical integration is to help students think biblically and critically about every subject and every aspect of their lives. Ideally, students should seek to see each subject through the lens of the Christian faith. When students truly understand something from this perspective, they should gain a greater understanding of the character and nature of God.

GENERAL STUDIES GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To graduate with a degree from PLBC, students must meet the following requirements with respect to General Studies:

• • A minimum of 30 credit hours
  • A minimum of 3 credit hours from each of the following four disciplines:
    • Communications
    • Humanities/Fine Arts
    • Natural Sciences/Mathematics
    • Social/Behavioural Sciences
  • A minimum of 3 credit hours in English Composition or Academic Writing
  • A minimum of 6 credit hours in Church History

GENERAL STUDIES COURSE REQUIREMENTS

PLBC offers the following courses to fulfill General Studies’ requirements:

 

A. COMMUNICATIONS (3 credit hours)

• • • GEN 101 Academic Writing (3)
    • GEN 105 Academic Writing Lab (0)

B. HISTORY (6 credit hours)

• • • GEN 131 History of Christianity I (3)
    • GEN 132 History of Christianity II (3)

C. INTEGRATIVE STUDIES (3 credit hours)

• • • GEN 100 Personal Resource Management (3)

D. PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION (3 credit hours)

• • • GEN 198 The Christian Mind (3)

E. NATURAL SCIENCE/MATHEMATICS (3 credit hours)

The following courses are offered occasionally on a rotating basis.

• • • GEN 141 Introduction to the Natural Sciences (3)
    • GEN 143 Science and Christianity (3)
    • GEN 144 Creation Care (3)
    • GEN 148 Math Fundamentals (3)

F. SOCIAL/BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE (3 credit hours)

• • • CNS 110 Psychology of Human Behaviour (3)*
    • GEN 171 Introduction to Psychology (3)
    • GEN 175 Conflict Engagement (3)

* Christian counseling majors must choose CNS 110 Psychology of Human Behaviour as one of their options. This course is only open to Christian counseling majors.

 

G. NINE CREDIT HOURS FROM THE FOLLOWING

The final 9 credit hours of the General Studies Requirement are either dictated by the student’s program, or chosen by the student.

• • • Biblical studies, pastoral leadership, youth, and children and family majors must take GEN 212 Public Speaking as one of their choices
    • Children and family majors must take GEN 177 Developmental Psychology as one of their choices
    • Music majors must take 4 credits from Fine Arts (GEN 152 and 2 Arts Seminars), 3 credits from music, and a final 3 credit elective (this results in music majors uniquely taking a total of 31 credits in general studies)

1. Communications

• • • GEN 212 Public Speaking (3) Prerequisite: GEN 101
    • GEN 283 Communications Technology and Media (3) Prerequisite: GEN 101

2. Fine Arts

• • • GEN 152 Aesthetics: Art and Christianity (2)
    • Plus one of
      GEN 251 Visual Arts Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152
      GEN 252 Drama Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152
      GEN 253 Dance Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152
      GEN 254 Creative Writing Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152
      GEN 255 Digital Arts Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152
      GEN 256 Film and Media Seminar (1) Prerequisite: GEN 152

3. Music

• • • MUS 165 History of Church Music (3)

4. Philosophy and Religion

• • • GEN 261 World Religions (3) Prerequisite: GEN 198
    • GEN 265 Engaging World Philosophies (3) Prerequisite: GEN 198

(This list is representative, not exhaustive.)

 

BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES (30 credit hours)

Philosophy of Curriculum

In its faith commitments, PLBC affirms the Lordship of Christ as Saviour of the world and that the Old and New Testaments are the written word of God and the foundation for Christian faith and practice.

The Scriptures are not simply a collection of ancient books that happened to come together, but a group of texts through which the church encounters God. PLBC affirms a high view of the Scriptures including their inspiration, truthfulness, relevance, and power. The Scriptures have authority to guide every aspect of life and ministry and are infallible in all they affirm and teach. PLBC further affirms the primacy of biblical revelation without discounting the role of reason, experience, or the legacy of teaching and interpretation passed down through every generation from the times of the early church.

We aim to hold in tension the quest for knowledge with the recognition that exhaustive understanding of any subject is limited by human finitude. In the midst of that tension, we stand on the Bible as the revealed word of God, which states truth but is divinely accommodated to our human limitations. Consequently, our approach to the learning process denies both the arrogance of modernism and the relativity and absolute uncertainty of postmodernism.

Concerning interpretation, we value the active role of the Holy Spirit at work in individuals and the Church in illuminating Scripture as well as the use of critical methods of study, providing those methods are rooted in the conviction that the Scriptures are God’s word to us.

The Bible and Theology curriculum lays a foundation for students to learn the basic content of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Students then have the opportunity to build on this content by in-depth study of specific books of the Bible and theological topics. We seek to balance knowing the “content” of the Bible and theology with methods for “interpreting” the Bible and “doing” theology. For this reason, a significant part of every degree program is dedicated to knowing, interpreting, and applying the Scriptures.

BIBLE AND THEOLOGY COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. BIBLE (18 credit hours)

• • • BIB 101 Old Testament Survey (3)
    • BIB 152 New Testament Survey (3)
    • BIB 192 Biblical Interpretation (3)
    • BIB 201 The Pentateuch (3)
    • BIB 252 The Gospels (3)
    • BIB 291 Advanced Biblical Interpretation (3) Prerequisite: BIB 192 Biblical Interpretation (3)

B. THEOLOGY (12 credit hours)

• • • THS 101 Survey of Christian Beliefs (3)
    • THS 201 Theology I: God the Father (3) Prerequisite: THS 101
    • THS 202 Theology II: God the Son (3) Prerequisite: THS 101
    • THS 203 Theology III: God the Holy Spirit (3) Prerequisite: THS 101

MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The core is light on ministry studies because BA students take the majority of their ministry development courses as part of their major.

• • PTH 101 Spiritual Formation I (3)
  • PTH 325 Evangelism Strategies (3)

 

Links

Tuition & Fees