400

Students are introduced to the essential concepts, methods, and tools employed in the research process. In this course, students narrow their topic of interest, expand literature research skills, using multiple search tools and initiate exploratory fieldwork. Emphasis is placed on practical applications of these ideas, providing students the opportunity to learn the methods of social and behavioral science research by conducting small projects of their own design. This course culminates in a construction of a concept for an inquiry project that can be completed in the future/concurrent coursework in the program.

In this course, students continue their research using the proposal completed in previous/concurrent coursework in the ABS program and implement a guided research project. This inquiry is guided by the research concepts and the topics covered in the Applied Behavioral Sciences program. The students hone the choice of a research topic; connect the role of background research in constructing a research program; properly construct a research design plan; carry out methodologies of assessing human behavior; employ proper means for analyzing research data; and write a summary research report.

Explore the complexity of leadership, major behavior patterns, ethical issues, and strategies that promote effectiveness in organizations.Define leadership and differentiate it from management while investigating the most current research and perspectives in relation to leadership characteristics, values, theories, and differing approaches. Gain awareness of own leadership style, the development of ability to empower others, and capabilities to increase and enhance leadership potential. Current and emerging trends in leadership in a global context and in regard to students’ own lives are examined.

This course examines the ways in which people and ideas are presented in public forums, from speaking to a group of people to the use of media to convey an idea. With the expanding use of technology, it is critical to be able to analyze how media shapes behaviors and values and to learn how to engage technology to communicate effectively. This course is designed to help students understand, analyze, evaluate, and engage in public discourse in diverse situations. Students practice professional presentation skills required for formal situations and explore the effects of communication technologies at the team, organizational, and societal level.

This course examines the social construction of difference, investigating how economic, political, cultural, and social factors mediate experiences of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and (dis)ability individually and institutionally. Students focus on the intersections of power, ideology, and inequality and how they shape popular imagination, public and private discourse, and social institutions. Topics include the important role of social and political contexts in intercultural interactions; how symbols, beliefs, and rules that make up systems of culture can create and perpetuate inequality, shape individual and group identity, and influence conflict management styles; and opportunities and frameworks for achieving social justice.

Students explore organizational theories, the merger of scientific management, and bureaucratic and administrative theory in relation to managerial and supervisory behavior. Emphasis is placed on practical applications and research in the areas of motivation, decision making, problem solving, and employee/subordinate development, as well as on discovering how people and groups in organizations behave and react. Students also delve into the role of organizational systems, structures, and processes in shaping behavior, and explore how organizations work. Students apply behaviors within organizational structure and draw on concepts presented in previous program courses to more effectively manage their personal and professional interactions and supervise others. Pre-requisite(s): ABS 300, ABS 309, and ABS 331; or permission of Program Chair or designate. Co-requisite(s): None. 5 quarter hour

This course is the culmination of the Applied Behavioral Sciences program. Students review and reflect on key concepts learned throughout the program, integrating these concepts related to their future personal and professional careers. Students produce a portfolio demonstrating their learning through the program.

In this course, students conduct an independent study project engaging through self-directed inquiry, under the guidance of a faculty member. This inquiry is guided by the research concepts that include topics covered in the Applied Behavioral Sciences Interdisciplinary Field related to a student’s area of professional and personal growth.