University Catalog

Behavioral Science Major (Bachelor of Science)

Vision Statement

The Behavioral Sciences cover the range of human experience, action, and processes from the individual to the global level. Behavioral Sciences are Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology.

Mission Statement

The Behavioral Sciences explore the interrelationships of the individual, the group and community, social institutions, human biology and psychology. Our program’s mission is to provide the advanced skills, knowledge, and experiences needed by entry-level professionals in social work and human services, as well as to prepare our graduates to be able to pursue advanced degrees in the behavioral sciences.

Program Description

The Behavioral Science baccalaureate is a 120 credit (4 year) degree that is an integration of anthropology, psychology, and sociology. This major is designed for students interested in careers in the Behavioral Health fields or pre-graduate studies in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or applied anthropology/psychology/sociology. For career planning, it is recommended students take a minor such as Criminal Justice or Education, or specialty courses such as the MHRT-C (behavioral health) sequence.

Careers

Our Behavioral Sciences major is designed to provide a foundation for careers in social services, counseling, social work and rehabilitation. If a student is planning to do graduate studies, we recommend reviewing the requirements for particular graduate programs during the late sophomore/early junior year, in order to acquire the prerequisite competencies.

Program Goals

Major Goals for the Behavioral Sciences are as follows:

1. Students will develop the capacity for critical reasoning; and become skilled at critically evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing through research and writing, using multiple sources of information about the human experience. Students will use critical reasoning to recognize assumptions underlying arguments; to construct valid arguments, and to create solutions to problems.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge competence in the disciplines of behavioral sciences through understanding of the historical development of the fields, and through mastery of theories, phenomena and concepts, research methodologies, and applications.
3. Students will demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills. Students will identify and solve quantitative problems in behavioral sciences, manage data, recognize and work with relationships among variables, and develop calculation skills.
4. Students will apply knowledge competency through applying theory to explain phenomena and to analyze case studies; to apply research methodologies to problem solving and to the further development of critical reasoning.
5. Students will demonstrate effective oral, written, and technological communication in the human sciences and in their professional careers.

Program Requirements

Required Support Courses

Required Additional Credits

18 Additional credits required through one of the following 3 options:

1. Complete Behavioral Health MHRT-C Concentration
2. Complete Substance Abuse Counseling Concentration
3. Pre-graduate program studies in Anthropology, Sociology or Psychology. Upper level electives (18 credits) in the discipline of concentration.
4. Complete a Minor (other than Behavioral Science)

Techniques for Assessment

Students will be assessed both directly and indirectly. Students are to maintain a year-by-year portfolio of exemplars of their work. In the senior year, the portfolio will be reviewed by at least 2 Behavioral Sciences and/or Social Science faculty

Graduation Requirements

To be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science, graduates must:

1. Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit;
2. Complete a minimum of 45 hours of upper level credits (300 or higher);
3. Maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average of 2.0;
4. Complete program required courses with a grade of C or better

Required Experiential Work

Students will be expected to work within the campus and local communities. The extra-mural service learning experiences will be part of the senior evaluation, and constitute the citizenship and social responsibility requirements of the general education core.

Suggested Course Sequencing

Fall Semester Freshman Year

Spring Semester Freshman Year

Fall Semester Sophomore Year

Spring Semester Sophomore Year

Fall Semesters Junior Year

Spring Semesters Junior Year

*If not completing PSY 497 Community Behavioral Health Internship

Fall and Spring Semesters Senior Year

Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician – Community (MHRT/C) Concentration

“The MHRT/Community Certificate meets the MaineCare “other qualified mental health professional” requirement for providing specific services to adults. Those services include community integration, intensive case management, assertive community treatment, skills development, day support services and family psycho-education as outlined in Chapter II, Sections 17 and 65 of the MaineCare Benefits Manual.”  * Procedural guidelines from Office of Adult Mental Health Services

Required Courses for MHRT/C Certification

1. ANT 100 Introduction to Anthropology or SOC 101 Social Problems (Cultural Competence/Diversity)
2. SOC 110 Introduction to Human Services and Community Mental Health
3. PSY 221 Psychosocial Rehabilitation
4. PSY 232 Incest and Sexual Abuse
5. PSY 246 Vocational Aspects of Disability
6. PSY 270 Case Management
7. PSY 330 Interviewing and Counseling
8. PSY 233 Substance Abuse Counseling
9. PSY 344 Crisis Identification and Intervention
10. PSY 412 Adulthood and Aging

Substance Abuse Counseling Concentration

Required Courses for Concentration:

1. SOC 110 Introduction to Human Services & Community Mental Health
2. PSY 330 Interviewing and Counseling
3. PSY 334 Crisis Identification and Intervention
4. PSY 362 Abnormal Psychology
5. PSY 232 Incest and Sexual Abuse
6. PSY 233 Substance Abuse Counseling
7. PSY 270 Case Management
8. HUS 331 Substance Abuse Counseling for Special Populations
9. HUS 332 Addiction and the Family
10. HUS 342 Trauma and Addiction

* HUS Classes available through the University of Maine at Augusta

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