Applied Behavioral Sciences, B.A.
The Applied Behavioral Sciences program is designed for working adults who wish to complete undergraduate degrees for professional advancement or personal accomplishment. As a degree-completion program, it is intended for adults with significant life experience who have completed previous college coursework.
Students will learn about effective communication, group dynamics and human behavior for nonprofit, governmental, corporate and educational settings where employers need to maximize their human capital and serve clients.
Program Details
- Requires 180 QH, including 60 QH of General Education, for completion
- Requires a minimum of 90 QH of previous college credit to be admitted
- Up to 135 QH may be transferred including 60 QH of technical credit
- Credit for Prior Learning is accepted for general education, elective credit, and as determined appropriate by the faculty, toward program major requirements
- The program core must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- Students may complete any undergraduate minor or concentration as well as the ABS program optional Expanding Knowledge of Human Behavior Concentration. Students must consult with their Academic Advisor to select a minor or concentration that best fits their career and personal goals.
- Qualified students may also complete the Education Minor which serves as an Advanced Pathway to the M.A.T. degree and teacher licensure in Elementary Education
Program Learning Outcomes
PLO1. Students will demonstrate diverse processes of critical thinking and decision-making skills.
PLO2. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop and demonstrate effective communication competencies.
PLO3. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and apply effective methods of problem-solving and conflict resolution across diverse contexts.
PLO4. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of adult development and learning to understand human and organizational behavior.
PLO5. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze how difference is constructed and its relationship to personal and professional values.
PLO6. Students will be able to demonstrate research skills employed in the social and psychological sciences to examine and explain human behavior.
PLO7. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to communicate transferable skills and transformative learning through a portfolio that showcases their growth.
Admission Requirements
The program requires a minimum of 90 quarter hours of previous college credit and transfer credit at a GPA average 2.0 for acceptance, or permission from the Program Chair or designate.
Required Courses
General Education Requirements
Communications
The following courses are recommended:
| ENG 101 | Beginning English Composition | 5 |
| ENG 201 | Intermediate English | 5 |
| ENG 203 | Effective Speaking for the Undergraduate | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any three general education courses in the following disciplines: academic writing, oral communications, and any course in the area of communications.
Humanities and Fine Arts
Choose two courses from the list below:
| ART 105 | Race, Identity and Experience in American Art | 5 |
| ART 106 | Race, Identity and Experience in American Art I | 2 |
| ART 107 | Race, Identity and Experience in American Art II | 3 |
| HIS 103 | History Across the Globe | 5 |
| PHI 107 | Introduction to Ethics and Social Critique | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any two general education courses in the following disciplines:
- Humanities: foreign language, history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, interdisciplinary humanities and fine arts, interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences
- Fine Arts: visual arts (including art history, art appreciation, and studio arts, such as drawing, painting, digital art, or film), film and cinema studies, and performing arts (including music appreciation, music theory, and music performance, theatre appreciation and performance, and dance)
Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Choose three courses from the list below (one must be math and one must be a natural science):
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any three general education courses in the following disciplines:
- Mathematics: college-level and not developmental in nature
- Natural Sciences: physics, chemistry, earth science, astronomy, geology, physical geography, biology, human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, genetics, botany and zoology; and interdisciplinary fields such as environmental science, and ecology and conservation
- Mathematics or Natural Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Choose two courses from the list below:
| ECO 200 | Macroeconomics for Today’s Professional | 5 |
| HIS 102 | Civics and American Government | 5 |
| HIS 212 | Think Global: Movements in US History and its Impact on Society and School | 5 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 5 |
| SOC 101 | Foundational Sociology | 5 |
| SOC 204 | Contemporary Chicago | 5 |
| SOC 222 | Culture and Identity | 5 |
| SOC 250 | Cultural and Ethnic Movements in the United States | 5 |
Note: Students transferring credit from other institutions or applying coursework previously completed at NLU may use any two general education courses in the area of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the following disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, history, human geography, political science, psychology, sociology, interdisciplinary social/behavioral science, interdisciplinary humanities and social and behavioral science.
General Education Electives
This area may be satisfied by two courses in any general education category listed above or other courses consistent with integrated general education competencies.
Additional General Education Requirements
| GEN 203 | NLU & You: Tools & Strategies for Student Success | 3 |
Note: Students transferring in less than 90 QH are required to complete GEN 203. Any exceptions must be approved by the Program Chair.
Program Core - 45 QH
| ABS 301 | Professional Development Assessment and Planning | 1 |
| ABS 300 | Adult Development and Learning | 5 |
| ABS 309 | Critical Thinking & Writing | 2 |
| ABS 331 | Dynamics of Group Behavior | 5 |
| ABS 340 | Effective Interpersonal Relationships | 5 |
| ABS 400 | Methods of Inquiry in the Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| ABS 406 | Leadership in a Changing World | 5 |
| ABS 407 | Applied Communication in Society | 5 |
| ABS 426 | Critical Perspectives of Difference | 5 |
| ABS 431 | Organizational Behaviors and Professional Development | 5 |
| ABS 435 | Senior Seminar: Integrating the Applied Behavioral Sciences | 2 |
Expanding Knowledge of Human Behavior Concentration - 20 QH
Students select 20SH from the list below:
| ABS 305 | Perspectives on Life Values, Philosophies, and Ethical Decision Making | 5 |
| ABS 350 | Careers in the Applied Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| ABS 375 | Understanding and Working with Neurodiverse People | 5 |
| ABS 401 | Independent Inquiry in the Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| ABS 430 | Human Behavior and the Economy | 5 |
| ABS 499 | Independent Study in the Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| ABS 495 | Special Topics in the Applied Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
Total Credit Hours: 180
Choose additional courses to total 180 QH. These hours may be satisfied by completing any minor, concentration or general electives in consultation with your Academic Advisor.