College of Professional Studies
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies (BAIS) degree completion program aims to offer students with previous undergraduate coursework the opportunity to finish their bachelor’s degree online with Agora University.
Students pursuing the BA in Integrative Studies degree will have acquired appropriate coursework that can be completed at Agora. Students may transfer up to 84 credit hours into Agora toward the completion of their BA in Integrative Studies degree. Full-time students take between 12-18 units per semester. Courses in the BAIS degree program are taught in an 8-week intensive format.
The program is delivered entirely online, offering students the flexibility to balance academic, professional, and personal responsibilities. Designed with an integrative framework, the program includes four concentrations: Middle Eastern Studies, Computer Science, Education, and Pre-Law. Each concentration comprises five core courses.
Graduates of this program may pursue further studies at the graduate level or seek career opportunities in education, community service, legal studies, technology, and cultural studies. Additionally, the program prepares students for leadership roles that require interdisciplinary knowledge and critical thinking.
Objectives
The BAIS program is designed to offer students an integrative framework at the undergraduate level toward the completion of an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies must complete a combined total of a minimum of 120 credits in order to be eligible to earn their bachelors.
Outcomes
The Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies program outcomes are intended to prepare students to:
- Remember fundamental concepts, theories, and facts from interdisciplinary coursework to establish a strong foundational knowledge base.
- Understand interdisciplinary connections and the significance of integrating knowledge from different fields to gain a holistic perspective.
- Apply interdisciplinary methods and approaches to solve complex problems in both academic and real-world settings.
- Analyze information and issues by deconstructing them into their component parts, identifying relationships, and drawing informed conclusions.
- Evaluate the credibility and relevance of information from multiple sources, making informed judgments based on evidence and criteria from diverse disciplines.
- Create innovative and coherent projects, presentations, or research papers that synthesize and articulate ideas from multiple disciplines.
Courses
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies Degree will take WRIT 300 Study and Writing skills in addition to selecting one of the four emphases comprised of four courses, totaling five required courses.
Middle Eastern Studies
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| MEST300: Jerusalem: The Sacred and the Profane | 3 | Core |
| MEST301: Genocide and the Human Condition | 3 | Core |
| MEST302: Arabic Civilization | 3 | Core |
| MEST303: Modern Egyptian Politics | 3 | Core |
Education
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| EDU200: The Landscape of Education | 3 | Core |
| EDU301: Understanding the Culturally Diverse Learner | 3 | Core |
| EDU302: Family, Community, and Education | 3 | Core |
| EDU310: Theories of Learning and Instructional Design | 3 | Core |
Computer Science
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| CS300: Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 | Core |
| CS301: Programming Techniques | 3 | Core |
| CS302: Software Development | 3 | Core |
| CS303: Software Security | 3 | Core |
Pre-Law
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| LAW200: The Development of Law and Human Rights | 3 | Core |
| LAW301: Criminal Law | 3 | Core |
| LAW310: Business Law | 3 | Core |
| PHIL200: Introduction to Logic | 3 | Core |
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL301: Greek Thought from Early to Late Antiquity | 3 | Elective |
| CIVL300: From Voice to Vision: The History of Writing | 3 | Elective |
| CIVL310: Medicine in the Ancient World | 3 | Elective |
| CIVL301: Myths of Mesopotamia and the Near East | 3 | Elective |
| ARTS301: Mystery and Imagination: Art and Civilization | 3 | Elective |
| MEST300: Jerusalem: The Sacred and the Profane | 3 | Elective |
| MEST301: Genocide and the Human Condition | 3 | Elective |
| MEST302: Arabic Civilization | 3 | Elective |
| MEST303: Modern Egyptian Politics | 3 | Elective |
| EDU200: The Landscape of Education | 3 | Elective |
| EDU301: Understanding the Culturally Diverse Learner | 3 | Elective |
| EDU302: Family, Community, and Education | 3 | Elective |
| EDU310: Theories of Learning and Instructional Design | 3 | Elective |
| CS300: Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 | Elective |
| CS301: Programming Techniques | 3 | Elective |
| CS302: Software Development | 3 | Elective |
| CS303: Software Security | 3 | Elective |
| LAW200: The Development of Law and Human Rights | 3 | Elective |
| LAW301: Criminal Law | 3 | Elective |
| LAW310: Business Law | 3 | Elective |
| PHIL200: Introduction to Logic | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 300: Business Law and Ethics | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 310: Principles of Marketing | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 320: Financial Accounting | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 330: Managerial Accounting | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 340: Organizational Behavior | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 350: Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship | 3 | Elective |
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BBA 360: Management Information Systems | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 380: Strategic Management | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 390: Business and Social Impact | 3 | Elective |
| SCRP201: The Prophets and Wisdom Literature | 3 | Elective |
| SCRP211: Acts and the Epistles | 3 | Elective |
| THEO301: Liturgical Development | 3 | Elective |
| PATR201: The Fathers After Nicaea | 3 | Elective |
| PATR210: The Desert Fathers | 3 | Elective |
| THEO302: Pastoral Theology | 3 | Elective |
| SCRP301: Women in the Holy Scriptures | 3 | Elective |
| THEO303: The Christian Family | 3 | Elective |
| THEO304: Christian Apologetics | 3 | Elective |
| THEO330: Iconography and the Arts | 3 | Elective |
| ANTH300: Christian Anthropology | 3 | Elective |
| LANG100: Introduction to Biblical and Liturgical Greek | 3 | Elective |
| LANG110: Introduction to Biblical Hebrew | 3 | Elective |
| LANG120: Introduction to Classical Syriac | 3 | Elective |
| THEO103: Orthodox Christian Spirituality II | 3 | Elective |
| HIST300: The Church until Chalcedon | 3 | Elective |
| HIST301: The Coptic Church after Chalcedon | 3 | Elective |
| THEO202: Christian Ethics II | 3 | Elective |
| THEO203: The Theology of Mission | 3 | Elective |
| THEO204: Ecclesiology | 3 | Elective |
| SCRP212: Revelation | 3 | Elective |
The Two Ways of Knowing
This course explores the two types of knowledge in Orthodox Christianity: Knowledge of the mind (ἐπιστήμη) and knowledge of the heart (γνῶσις). The course will discuss the essence of Orthodox Christian knowledge through true encounter, and the expression of such experience in the diverse human epistemological and philosophical frames of mind. The course will also highlight the importance of establishing a priority for using a specific order of epistemological questions to accurately express the encounter. The course will then highlight Orthodox methodologies and their foundational dependence on a lifestyle of a ‘change of mind’ (μετάνοια) and the necessity of this change for a true Orthodox conversion, not just in form but also in essence.
Theological Anthropology
This course aims to explore the historical, scriptural, and patristic sources to engage with contemporary issues in theological anthropology. The course will examine theological anthropology as outlined in Pauline literature. It will also examine the theology of the Cappadocian and Syriac Fathers, particularly Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian, Ambrose of Milan, Basil the Great, Ephrem the Syrian, and Jacob of Serug to examine the diversity of interpretation and breadth of meaning for the mystery of humanity. The course will shed emphasis on establishing methodologies to address modern issues surrounding the origin of humanity.
Orthodoxy in the Modern World
This module intends to familiarize students with the thought of some of the most important modern Orthodox theologians, as well as the challenges Orthodoxy faces today. To this end, the work of key theologians such as Sergei Bulgakov, Georges Florovsky, Paul Florensky, Vladimir Lossky, John Zizioulas, Christos Yannaras, Alexander Schmemann, and Dumitru Staniloae will be examined, as well as critical assessments of their work and contribution. Several challenges and problems of the Orthodox Church in the contemporary world will also be examined, such as the renewed importance to the Patristic legacy; the collapse and restoration of Mt Athos in the 20th century; the challenge of ecumenism.
Advanced Seminar in Christology
The question Christ posed to His disciples, “who do people say I am?” has been answered in different ways since the earliest times of Christianity. Using Christ’s query as a point of departure, this seminar investigates and presents a comprehensive synthesis of the Christological controversies that arose in both the Eastern and Western part of Christendom. Through a close reading of the writings of the Church fathers, the course also helps the students understand the mystery of the Incarnation of the Logos (Word of God) as the indispensable part of the divine plan of salvation.
Genocide in the Early 20th Century Middle East
How did Christianity in Turkey decrease from 25% of its population to just 0.4% today? This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of human genocide through an in depth examination of the Turkish driven genocide against its Christian minority communities. Students taking this course will examine the antecedents of genocide and the Christian response. Questions investigated in this course address religious and national identity, persecution, martyrdom, and the legacy of victimhood. The experience of Armenians and Assyrians (i.e., Syriac-speaking Christians) will especially be highlighted.
Comparative Translations of Scripture in Late Antiquity
How do the various ancient translations of the Bible convey the same meaning in essence but diverge in form? This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of the Sacred Scriptures through an examination of the various languages traditions through which these writings are conveyed. Students will participate in weekly seminars of scripture reading with attention to issues in comparative translation. Students taking this seminar are expected to be proficient in Hebrew and Greek. Proficiency in one or more languages of Christian and Jewish antiquity are highly encouraged: Aramaic (Targumic and Syriac) Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic (Ge’ez), Georgian, and Latin.
The Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel is a unique document within the literature of the Old Testament, intersecting with history, prophecy, apocalypse, and wisdom literature, in three different languages. Like all books of the scripture, the book of Daniel can be read entirely on its own as well as in concert with the entirety of scriptural tradition. In this course, we will be plunging deeply into the book of Daniel in order to better understand inner-biblical exegesis, the reception of the text within the tradition of the Church, and its place in modern biblical scholarship.
This course proceeds under the assumption that students previously have read the Old Testament in its entirety. Doctoral students are required to read the text in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, (and are encouraged to bring translations reflecting the the liturgical language of their tradition to our seminar).
Scripture in its Ancient Near Eastern Context
This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of the religions of ancient Israel and Judah during the Iron Age and their development in relation to the ontological encounter of divine inspiration prior to the incarnation. In large part, the course is motivated by the question of how the image and likeness of God is imprinted upon those inside and outside the faith community of ancient Israel, and what this means for understanding the emergence of scripture and tradition before the dawn of Christianity. Engaging both the primary texts of scripture and the ancient near East, the course prepares students to analyze the similarities and differences between the beliefs and praxis of ancient Israel with those of their neighbors. An examination of the prominent secondary literature introduces students to the major theories of the nature and diachronic changes in Israelite religion. Research beginning with these primary and secondary texts will be measured against the concerns of Orthodox Christian theological anthropology. Students taking this course will be proficient in Classical Hebrew and ideally one other scriptural language from antiquity, such as: Greek, Targumic Aramaic, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, or Ethiopic.
The Christian Doctrine of God and Diversity
The Christian faith confesses a Trinitarian God who is a diversity of persons in unity. This doctrine must present Christians with a model of appreciating diversity while also being rooted in a unity. This course traces the development of the Christian doctrine of God and related themes from Scripture to the 20th century. The course pays close attention to significant texts in the Christian tradition to discussions of the doctrine of the trinity and its relationship to diversity. We explore how our Trinitarian faith should be lived daily by reflecting on contemporary challenges surrounding diversity of religion, sexuality, culture, and biodiversity.
History and Memory
History begets memory and memory begets history. Different groups of people hold differing historical narratives based on their communal memories. Communal memory creates historical narrative that ultimately intentionally seeks to forget, erase, and exclude events that are historically preserved. This class seeks to explore the history of the Oriental Orthodox tradition and how this history is shaped, remembered and forgotten, and preserved in communal memory.
Death in the Christian Tradition
In this module students will engage with a range of biblical, classical and contemporary texts to explore how the Christian tradition has thought about death and what, if anything, might come ‘after’ it. Students will acquire a thorough grounding in the biblical perspectives on death and
hope, noting how this develops and changes through the history of Israel and the early Christian era.
This will lay the foundation for the investigation of classic theological questions such as the relationship between sin and mortality, and the relationship of body and soul in Christian anthropology and hope. We will explore the increasing complexity of the ways in which Christians came to understand the possible post-mortem states of the person, and the debates which have circled around each of these: eternal bliss, eternal damnation (whether understood as conscious eternal torment or otherwise), and the various conceptions of Purgatory. Much of what the Christian tradition has to say about death is mediated through liturgy, and we will spend time investigating the significance of classic and contemporary funeral rites from diverse traditions. The willing embrace of death, whether through martyrdom or suicide (of course the distinction can be a blurred one), features much in contemporary cultural and political discourse. The course ends with a look at how the Christian tradition has approached both topics historically and in the present day.
From Cult to Culture
This doctoral seminar examines the fundamental elements of Eastern Christian worship as it developed in the early centuries of the Church, in order to historically ground subsequent theological discussion of contemporary renewal. After several weeks exploring the common repository of Orthodox liturgical tradition, we consider examples of current scholarship on the extant Rites in use among the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches: Armenian, West Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian and Byzantine. The selected readings showcase key scholars in the field, highlight the value of comparative and interdisciplinary methodologies, and illustrate the challenges of integrating history and theology with pastoral practice. The final weeks invite students to synthesize what they have learned by means of reflection on their own identity as worshippers in the modern world—with all its challenges: how does the beauty of the lex orandi (“rule of prayer”) relate to the truth of the lex credendi (“rule of belief”), while also cultivating the goodness of an authentic spirituality, that is, a faithful and fruitful Christian lex vivendi (“rule of living”)?
The Gospel of John
The course, The Gospel of John, involves an in-depth exploration of a particular theme or area in the study of theology. In this stream of the theology, we shall read the entire text of the Gospel according to John, chapter by chapter, in the context of modern historical research, but also with an eye to the Patristic commentaries and the spiritual reading of this text. The several strands of the text will be studied in a seminar form. The class will take into account several Biblical hermeneutic methodologies, but ultimately will concentrate on the text itself and the way it was understood and received in the early Christian communities.
A focus will lie on independent study on the part of the students to explore particular themes, texts, figures, or areas around the subject, which will be based in contemporary scholarly resources. Students will be required to take initiative on devising their assessment projects, and to exhibit strong communication in the delivery of their findings.
Transfer Admission
For students who did not finish all their general education requirements or who wish to acquire elective coursework to qualify for transfer into the Degree Completion at Agora University can finish these courses through our partner Sophia Learning. Please visit https://agora.edu/general-edu/ for more information.
Students transferring into the BAT degree completion program must fulfill the following general education coursework as measured in semester units to graduate whether at Sophia Learning or any other accredited community college or university. The following list of relevant courses available through Sophia Learning will satisfy these requirements:
General Education and Electives Core
Years 1 and 2 - TransferWritten & Oral Communication - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 102 | English Composition II | 3 |
Quantitative Principles - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 101 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 102 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
Natural and Physical Sciences - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLTH 110 | Introduction to Nutrition | 3 |
| ENVS 101 | Environmental Science | 3 |
Social and Behavioral Sciences - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| PSY 110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
Humanities and Fine Arts - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARTS 101 | Art History I | 3 |
| PHIL 105 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
Foreign Languages - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPAN 101 | Spanish I | 3 |
| SPAN 102 | Spanish II | 3 |
Civics - 6 Units
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 120 | US Government | 3 |
| HIST 101 | US History I | 3 |
| HIST 102 | US History II | 3 |
Five (5) additional 3 credit hour Elective Courses from the list below in any of the above categories.
List of General Electives
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COM 101 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| HLTH 111 | Health, Fitness, and Wellness | 3 |
| HLTH 120 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| SCIE 150 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 |
| SCIE 151 | Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | 1 |
| SCIE 155 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 3 |
| SCIE 156 | Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | 1 |
| SCIE 160 | Human Biology | 3 |
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SCIE 161 | Human Biology Lab | 1 |
| SCIE 165 | Introduction to Chemistry | 3 |
| SCIE 166 | Introduction to Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| SCIE 170 | Microbiology | 3 |
| SCIE 171 | Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| ARTS 102 | Art History II | 3 |
| MATH 120 | Introduction to College Mathematics | 3 |
| FREN 101 | French I | 3 |
Transferable Upper Division Electives
| Course Name | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| CS 101: Introduction to Information Tech | 3 | Elective |
| CS 115: Introduction to Networking | 3 | Elective |
| CS 112: Introduction to Relational Database | 3 | Elective |
| CS 111: Introduction to Java Programming | 3 | Elective |
| CS 110: Introduction to Python Programming | 3 | Elective |
| CS 105: Introduction to Web Development | 3 | Elective |
| LAW 150: Criminology | 3 | Elective |
| MATH 140: Calculus I | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 111: Career Readiness | 3 | Elective |
| COM 102: Workplace Communication | 3 | Elective |
| LAW 104: Conflict Resolution | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 103: Project Management | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 110: Personal Finance | 3 | Elective |
| COM 110: Visual Communications | 3 | Elective |
| Course Name | Credits | Type | PHIL 101: Ancient Greek Philosophers | 3 | Elective |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 135: Precalculus | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 400: Microeconomics | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 410: Macroeconomics | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 420: Business Analytics | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 370: Operations Management | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 430: Human Resource Management | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 440: Performance Marketing | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 450: Digital Transformation | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 460: Business Finance | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 470: Negotiations & Conflict Resolution | 3 | Elective |
| BBA 480: Business Communication | 3 | Elective |