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Courses Online in the B.S. Behavioral Sciences Degree

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B.S.—Behavioral Sciences

Required Courses in the online Behavioral Sciences Degree program

In the course of achieving your online bachelor's degree, you'll need to complete each of the following courses in the online behavioral science program. Courses include:

PLS 110 American Government and Politics
An introductory course online that provides an introduction to the processes of the American form of democratic government; the nature and structure of US government; its chief characteristics and functions. Special attention is paid to the intimate relation and mutual impact of government and the people on each other, expanding the students' awareness of the effects of governmental decisions on the American People (3 credits).
MIS 101 Introduction to Computer Applications
An introductory course online offering an introduction to computers and management information systems. Topics include operating system, networks and the Internet, productivity tools used in business including word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation programs, management information systems and office automation. (3 credits).
PSY 110 Introductory Psychology
An introductory course online that reviews selected concepts, methods, and vocabulary of psychology. Focus of study will be on the individual and the conditions that influence behavior. Topics that will be covered include: growth and development, learning and thinking, emotions and motivations, personality and assessment, maladjustment and mental health, groups and social interaction, and social influence and society (3 credits).
PSY 210 Theories of Personality
A survey of the major theoretical approaches to understanding the development, structure, and dynamics of personality (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 220 Statistical Analysis
This course covers descriptive and inferential statistics; frequency distributions; percentile rank; measure of central tendency and variability; correlation and regression; and tests of significance. Using computer software, students will directly apply these statistics to specific problems common to the behavioral sciences (4 credits).
Prerequisite: MAT 115.
PSY 310 Abnormal Psychology
A study of mental health and abnormal behavior. The topics covered in this course online include: definitions of mental health and mental illness; problems of adjustment; the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. Case studies supplement and illustrate the theoretical elements of course material (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 340 Introductory Research Methods for Behavioral Sciences
This course stresses the classical approach to experimental research on human behavior. Students conduct and report on experiments in the fields of psychophysics, psychomotor learning, memory, and perception. These laboratory experiments permit the student to apply knowledge gained in former courses about measurements, statistical inference, and the design of experiments (4 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, PSY 210.
PSY 410 Physiological Basis for Behavior
A basic course online to familiarize students with the bodily processes involved in various aspects of human behavior. Physiological psychology studies the biological basis of psychological functions such as sleeping, emotions, motivations, perceptions, learning, memory, and problem solving. The two major biological systems most relevant to psychology are the nervous system and the glandular system (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology
An analysis of the social and cultural forces that govern human behavior. The principal topics of this course online include: social interaction and organization, socialization processes, primary groups and the family (associations, bureaucracy, and other social institutions), collective behavior, population and ecology (3 credits).

PHI 220 Ethics and Social Philosophy
An examination of some of the most critical issues of moral and social philosophy. These include subjects such as the linguistic analysis of terms such as "good," "evil," "duty," "right," and others. The basis of different moral systems will be studied, and selections from ethical and social philosophers will be read (3 credits).
CRJ 384 Professional and Organizational Ethics

This course is intended to identify and clarify ethical issues associated with criminal justice organizations and professional practice. Specifically, these issues address conflicts between duty and morality, personal and professional accountability, and the philosophies of law, justice and civil rights. Practical ethics in professional life are examined.
Prerequisite: CRJ 110

OR
CRJ 460 Institutional Corrections

This course provides an in-depth examination of various treatment practices within both the institutional and the community-based setting. Assessment, classification and risk prediction, the correctional counseling process, and evaluation of treatment effectiveness are all presented. This course places particular emphasis on counseling paradigms and techniques that are commonly used in correctional programs.
Prerequisite: PSY 310

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice area of study in the online behavioral science program is designed to bring you a deep and practical study of the American criminal justice system and the many professional roles that embrace it. In the course of earning your degree online, you'll gain solid understanding of the tools, processes, legal issues, and challenges inherent in careers in law enforcement and private security. Is a career in Criminal Justice right for you? Please review our Criminal Justice career information for additional details.

Students complete these 6 courses online:

CRJ 110 Introduction to Criminal Justice
This criminal justice course gives an introduction to the contemporary American criminal justice system. Discussion of the role of police, courts and prisons. Also examined is the juvenile justice system. General issues considered in this course online include: police discretion, due process and change as an integral element of the American criminal justice system (3 credits).
CRJ 220 Ethics, Diversity, and Professionalism

This course is designed to familiarize students with concepts relating to cultural diversity and the ethics/morality of criminal justice practitioners in the U.S. It identifies specific issues that are recurrent and problematic and suggests possible solutions for practitioners.
CRJ 240 Corrections

This course provides an overview of corrections component of the criminal justice system. The student will be introduced to institutional and community-based aspects of corrections. Underlying theoretical and philosophical underpinnings will be discussed as well as ancient and early historical periods of correctional development. An overview of modern day corrections will be presented to demonstrate the full evolution of the correctional process throughout the United States.
CRJ 330 Criminal Law and Procedures
A study of the elements of the Penal Law particularly relevant to police officers, including a review and analysis of major criminal offenses with consideration given to the available defenses and judicial interpretations (3 credits).
CRJ 360 Probation and Parole
An examination of organization and management in probation and parole systems. Topics in this course online include: distinctions between probation and parole in terms of organizational function and types of clients served; client relationships and interactions with other social control agencies; case loads, case work methods, and case supervision; problems in pre-sentence investigation; and job requirements and performance standards for probation and parole officers with particular emphasis on recruitment, training, and assignment (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, SOC 110.
CRJ 370 Managing Criminal Justice Orgnizations
This course will examine the structure of criminal justice organizations including formal organizational theory, behavior and its application to the structure and methods of operation. The course will also explore the bureaucratic, political and environmental characteristics that impact criminal justice organizations.

Psychology

The psychology area of study in the online behavioral science program is designed to give you insight and understanding of the theories and methods of human behavior, learning, and development. During the course of your online behavioral science program, you'll become familiar with all the tools and practices of psychology as they relate to business, education, and even running your own professional practice. Is a career in Psychology right for you? Please review our Psychology career information for additional details.

PSY 230 Child Psychology
The study of human growth and development. This course is designed to give the student an understanding of children and how they change while passing through the major phases of growth. Emphasis is placed on physical, emotional, and personality development with an aim toward understanding the period of human growth on which adulthood is founded. Special topics in this course online include: identification of conditions in childhood leading to normal psychological development (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 250 Learning Theory
Learning theory is a fundamental science course. The student is asked to trace the emergence of modern cognitive learning theory (neo-behaviorism) from the original works of Pavlov, Thorndike, and Watson through the "blackbox" Skinnerian school of thought. The school emphasizes theoretical rather than methodological issues and, as such, is designed to give the student a firm grasp of the conditions under which permanent behavior change occurs. (3 Credits)
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 280 Social Psychology
An analysis of the structures and properties of human groups. Topics of this course online include: group formation, development of role relationships, intra-group and inter-group conflict, factors influencing group effectiveness, the role of motivation, and attitudes in group processes (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110.
PSY 320 Communications and Interviewing Techniques
The examination of communication from various standpoints, as illustrated by different types of interviews. Interviewing techniques employed for personnel selection are compared with those used in interrogation and those used for the therapeutic purposes. Practice in interviewing. (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, SOC 110.
PSY 330 Personnel Psychology
Examines the important role of individual differences in selecting and placing employees, in appraising the level of employee's work performance and in training recently hired and veteran employees to improve various aspects of job-related behavior. Emphasis is placed on job analysis, measurement of performance and methods used in selection, i.e., tests and interviews. Special attention to the legal issues involving fairness in selection of employees (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110; previous coursework in elementary statistics recommended.
PSY 420 Introduction to Counseling
Theories and practical techniques of counseling, including advisement, guidance, and supportive psychotherapy, by both directive and non-directive methods. Counseling is considered both as a career in itself and as a component of one's job in such fields as teaching, business and personnel management, health occupations, social work and the law (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, PSY 205.

Sociology

In the sociology area of the online behavioral science program, you'll discover how to identify and analyze the social structures, patterns, and problems in American society with an eye toward how they affect today's cultural and organizational settings. Is a career in Sociology right for you? Please review our Sociology career information for additional details.

ANT 101 Anthropology
An introduction to the study of ancient man and primitive cultures. Major topics of this course online include: the origins and evolution of man; the evolution of different cultural forms in terms of craft and technology, magic, religion, and government (3 credits).
SOC 210 Social Problems
A sociological analysis of social problems in American society. All social problems will be viewed from a structural perspective, i.e., the root cause of a social problem lies in the institutional arrangements of a given society. Various institutional arrangements of American society that give rise to social problems will be evaluated in terms of value-conflicts, power structures, and economic institutions. Major topics in this course online include: inequality, poverty, environmental destruction, ageism, educational institutions, social deviance, unemployment, problems of the city (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Completion of 12 Behavioral Science credits including PSY 110 and SOC 110.
SOC 310 Marriage and the Family
The course covers historical changes in family patterns, contemporary family life in different cultures and subcultures, evolution of the American family pattern, functions of the family, the family as primary group, kinship patterns, and nuclear and extended families. Other topics in this course online include: dating, mate selection, family disorganization, and marital success (3 credits).
Prerequisite: SOC 110.
SOC 330 Juvenile Delinquency
An inquiry into the causes of juvenile delinquency and the social and psychological factors involved in the predictive studies and theories concerning the development of delinquency. Topics also include formation of youth gangs, methods of coping with gang activity, the types of crime committed by children and youths, narcotics problems, neglected and retarded children, the youthful offender and wayward minor, the operation of the Children's Court, crime prevention programs (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, SOC 110
SOC 340 Criminological Theory
An examination of crime and theories of crime causation. Topics include: the white-collar criminal, the professional criminal, and the structure of organized crime. The criminal-justice process is analyzed, including the role of the police, the criminal courts, the probation officer, correctional services, and the re-entry of the offender into society (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PSY 110, SOC 110.
SOC 320 Introduction to Sociological Theory

The development of sociological theory in Europe and the Unites States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from Comte to the present day. Emphasis is given to comparing and contrasting various schools of theoretical thought.