The Behavioral Sciences program prepares students for a wide variety of careers in clinical, social, educational, industrial and law enforcement environments. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science program become eligible for careers as addiction counselors, caseworkers, police officers, customer relations specialists, and human resources personnel. Similarly, graduates are prepared for post-graduate study and advanced training in the fields of psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, criminal justice and law.

The behavioral sciences department offers preprofessional program options in psychology, sociology/social work, and criminal justice, which are designed to prepare students for advanced professional study. Law enforcement scholarship programs make it possible for law enforcement and related criminal justice personnel to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or to take noncredit courses for personal and job enrichment. Four eight-week cycles and summer sessions are offered.

Behavioral Sciences promotes the various research fields of its faculty, such as biofeedback, drug abuse, group interactions, self-help, social ecology, psychological-physiological interrelationships, relationships between personality and academic achievement, and program evaluation.

We offer three undergraduate degrees with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology/Social Work:

• Psychology: This option focuses on the individual and the conditions that influence behavior. Students are exposed to a wide variety of topics such as human development, abnormal behavior, learning and thinking, and personality and assessment.
• Criminal Justice: This option caters to the needs of individuals seeking law enforcement careers as well as those already working in the field. Courses cover the basics of criminal justice through advanced training in such areas as hostage negotiation, forensics, and criminal investigation. In addition to excellent academic credentials, the instructors have professional law enforcement backgrounds at the federal, state, and local level.
• Sociology/Social Work: Sociology/social work is the study of the causes and consequences of human behavior within social settings. All human behavior is social; therefore, the subject matter of this option includes the family, gangs, religious cults, medical systems, and inequalities based upon the divisions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, and social class.