School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

DEBORAH GATINS, Ph.D., Dean

Programs of Study

The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences includes four principal undergraduate departments: criminal justice, teacher education, psychology and social work & sociology.

Students in our criminal justice and social work majors graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. Our teacher education students graduate with a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Our psychology majors graduate with a Bachelor of Arts.

The School offers the Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and School Psychology. Also offered are a MS Ed Contemporary Curriculum and Instruction for our elementary education candidates; and a Masters of Arts in Teaching for our adolescent education candidates. (Please see our graduate catalog for more information on these programs.)

Mission:

Study in each of the School’s undergraduate majors provides students with professional preparation for entry into fields of work associated with the major. Concurrently, students’ learning prepares them for advanced study in career-oriented graduate programs.
The curriculum for each of the School’s majors presents a highly integrated blend of the theoretical and applied aspects of the respective disciplines. This theoretical/applied integration is enhanced by significant internship experiences. Internships provide the opportunity not only to apply what has been learned in the classroom, but also to engage in authentic, spontaneous work in the field.

The School seeks to accomplish its mission by creating learning environments in which students are encouraged to develop their critical-thinking, problem-solving, self-reflective, self-management, and creativity skills. This occurs in the context of studying course content, learning the methodologies of the discipline, learning skills associated with the discipline, and engaging in the values/ethical issues presented by the discipline. Drawing upon knowledge gained from their broad-based Core/Liberal Arts curriculum, students work with faculty to integrate their professional and liberal arts studies. Faculty also seek to invigorate the learning environment through innovative uses of technology. Throughout the entire program students are given many opportunities to demonstrate progress in fulfilling the requirements of their major.

The School’s professional focus is enhanced by the availability of an accelerated, combined Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programs for exceptional students. For elementary education, we offer the B.S./ MS Ed Contemporary Curriculum and Instruction with dual certification in Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities Grade 1-6. These exceptional students begin to take graduate-level courses during their undergraduate program. Our dual certification Adolescence Education program (grades 7-12) and Students with Disabilities is a unique 5-year program that culminates in the completion of the Masters of Arts in Teaching. Similarly, graduates from the School’s Social Work major may receive advanced standing in MSW programs throughout the country resulting in the need to complete only one instead of two years of graduate work for the degree. Students in the Criminal Justice major may begin study in the Master’s of Public Administration Program, and earn an M.P.A. with a concentration in Criminal Justice within one year after graduating with their Bachelor’s Degree.