Behavioral Science, Bachelor of Science
Purpose
The Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science helps students understand how individual and group behaviors are affected by social issues, social environments, and cultural influences in their lives. With a Wilmington University Behavioral Science degree, students will gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in careers working with adolescents and teens, families, the elderly, the homeless, the court systems, government agencies, addictions, crisis interventions, and more. Upon completion of the program, students seek careers in the human services, government, business, and industry. Students seeking graduate degree options may consider Master’s degrees in social work, sociology, psychology, human services, family science, public administration, criminology, counseling, social work or human resource management.
Program of Study
The Behavioral Science program includes courses in psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, and philosophy. Course work emphasizes normal and abnormal individual development, as well as family, group, and cultural dimensions of behavior. Ethical and professional issues are also addressed. Skill development in interpersonal relations, problem solving, and evaluation of programs and research are stressed. In addition, General Education courses required of all Wilmington University undergraduates provide a well-rounded academic foundation.
Classroom courses provide a blend of theory and application. Students also have the option to explore internship opportunities throughout the community in a variety of settings which provide experiences in applying knowledge and skills. Internships allow students to apply newfound skills and knowledge in professional internship settings that can be added to their resumes.
The program is offered online and in-person with day and evening classes offered at New Castle and Brandywine.
Program Competencies
Knowledge:
Demonstrate the ability to define and explain theory and application within the Behavioral Science disciplines with regard to:
- Change and development at individual, group, and societal levels.
- Individual differences, group variations, and social deviance.
- Micro- and macro-level processes involving individuals, groups and societies.
- Empirical and ethical issues related to the systematic study of individual, group and societal processes.
Skills: Related to the Behavioral Science Disciplines
- Demonstrate effective oral and written presentation skills.
- Demonstrate effective critical thinking and problem solving skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to conceptualize, plan, implement, analyze, and report formal inquiry in the behavioral sciences.
- Demonstrate effective utilization of current technologies.
- Demonstrate the ability, skills, and flexible thinking necessary to explore the various applications of behavioral science in the real world, including career options.
Personal and Professional Development
- Demonstrate an awareness of one’s strengths and limitations, interests, aptitudes, values, goals, commitment to self-directedness, self-discipline, and planning for present and lifelong learning, career identification, and development.
- Demonstrate an awareness of self in relation to others, including effective interpersonal communication skills, ability to work in teams, and respect for diversity and multiculturalism in a pluralistic society.
Experiential Learning Options
The Office of Experiential Learning takes a 360◦ approach to experiential learning. Whether you come to Wilmington University with a vast amount of professional experience and are awarded Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), or you participate in a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity (Internships or Cooperative Education) embedded in your curriculum for credit, we provide a pathway to completing your degree.
Accelerated Options
The Behavioral Science program offers qualified students an accelerated option that allows them to take graduate level courses while completing their Behavioral Science degree. Accelerated options are available for the following programs:
- Graduate Certificate in Case management
- Master of Science in Applied Family Science
- Master of Science in Human Services
Please contact the Behavioral Science Program Chair for more information.
Program Policies
Elective Guidelines
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences recommends that students who transfer in six or more core courses and all 18 credits of core electives use any remaining electives to increase their subject knowledge by taking upper level electives in their field. These will include the interdisciplinary electives identified from the other academic colleges.
Minimum Grade Policy
The Behavioral Science program has set a minimum passing grade of “C-” for program core courses. Students receiving a grade lower than “C-” in any required core course must retake that course.
Curriculum
General Education Requirements (40 credits)
| CTA 206 | Computer Applications | 3 |
| ECO 105 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
| ENG 121 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 122 | English Composition II | 3 |
| ENG 131 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| ENG 310 | Research Writing | 3 |
| | |
| HIS 381 | Contemporary Global Issues | 3 |
OR
| | |
| POL 300 | American Politics | 3 |
| | |
| MAT 205 | Introductory Survey of Mathematics | 3 |
| PHI 100 | Introduction to Critical Thinking | 3 |
| PHI 302 | Ethics and Values in Behavioral Science | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Natural Science Elective with Lab (4 Credits) | |
HUM
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| | |
Behavioral Science Core (45 credits)
| MAT 308 | Inferential Statistics | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Marriage and the Family | 3 |
| SOC 304 | Ethnic Groups and Minorities | 3 |
| SOC 306 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 318 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOC 331 | Research, Writing and Information Literacy in the Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| PSY 309 | Interpersonal Communication Skills | 3 |
| | |
| SOC 405 | Social Deviance | 3 |
OR
| | |
| PSY 305 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| | |
| SOC 340 | Applied Research Design | 3 |
| SOC 409 | Seminar in Applied Behavioral Science | 3 |
| | |
| SOC 490 | Internship in Behavioral Science (Behavioral Science majors) | 3 |
OR
| | |
| Upper Level Behavioral Science Elective | |
| | |
Select 6 credits from upper level (300-400) courses beginning with the SOC prefix.
Choose one Developmental course from the following:
Behavioral Science Electives (18 credits)
Courses beginning with the prefix CRJ, PSY, ORG, or SOC may be used as Behavioral Science electives. In addition, the following courses may also be selected as Behavioral Science electives:
| POL 326 | Public Policy and Social Issues | 3 |
| POL 350 | Economic, Welfare and Income Policy | 3 |
| POL 380 | Health Care Policy | 3 |
NOTE: Guided Practicum (SOC 290-SOC 291) as well as Internship (SOC 490) and Co-op (SOC 450) experiences are available.
Free Electives (18 credits)
Students with less than 16 transfer credits are required to take
FYE 101 as one of their electives.
Concentration in Case Management
Case management is an integral part of services provided by direct service providers working across all areas of human services. Through their work on behalf of their clients, Case Managers have a positive impact on the communities they serve. Case managers work as advocates for their clients, assessing needs and connecting clients with available and appropriate services and resources that can facilitate well-being.
Case Managers require specialized skills and knowledge of interventions in the performance of various client-centered functions, such as coordinating clients’ care and following up to ensure that needed services are in place and being utilized effectively. The Case Management concentration builds students’ knowledge and skills in establishing support services, preparing students to excel in a variety of occupational settings, such as social services, community agencies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Case Management Concentration (12 credits)
| SOC 312 | Community Health & Social Issues | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Working in the Helping Professions | 3 |
| SOC 468 | Case Management | 3 |
| | |
| SOC 324 | Health, Society and Culture | 3 |
OR
| | |
| SOC 495 | Internship in Sociology– Case Management | 3 |
Concentration in Emotional Intelligence
The concentration in Emotional Intelligence prepares students to navigate the workplace environment and enhance job performance by maintaining favorable interpersonal relationships. Individuals who possess emotional intelligence skills are better able to collaborate with others while managing conflict within workplace relationships. In addition, they avoid burnout and learn from previous mistakes. Through coursework that covers emotional intelligence, ethics and values, and self and team management techniques, students gain the crucial expertise necessary to face challenges and make a meaningful impact on their environment. This concentration empowers students to leverage their social awareness to improve both personal and organizational performance and avoid the mistakes of those who lack emotional intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence Concentration (12 Credits)
| SOC 315 | Emotional Intelligence and Leadership | 3 |
| SOC 317 | Applied Emotional Intelligence | 3 |
| PHI 302 | Ethics and Values in Behavioral Science | 3 |
| SOC 463 | Social Values & Intercultural Communication | 3 |
Concentration in Human Services
The concentration in Human Services provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to obtain specialized knowledge within the field of Human Services. Students will learn to work across a range of human needs through a spectrum of courses covering current social issues, working in the helping professions, and theories of personality. This concentration will be of great benefit to students who desire to work as a youth worker, minister, family support worker, client advocate, case manager, community organizer, and many other professions.
The concentration in Human Services is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of human behavior and help them develop the skills necessary to function as a human services professional. There is also the added benefit that students who graduate with a concentration in Human Services will be better positioned to begin their master’s degree in the Master of Science in Human Services at Wilmington University.
Overall, students who earn a degree with a concentration in Human Services will distinguish themselves from others in the workplace and will acquire a valuable, competitive advantage in any profession and gain the knowledge and skills to work effectively in their chosen career in culturally competent ways, to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, and to provide specialty services.
Note: The “General Education Requirements” and “Behavioral Science Core” curriculum for the Human Services concentration remain unchanged. The only difference is the SOC electives are limited to courses required for the concentration.
Human Services Concentration (12 Credits)
| SOC 312 | Community Health & Social Issues | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Working in the Helping Professions | 3 |
| SOC 468 | Case Management | 3 |
| Upper Level Behavioral Science Elective | |
Concentration in Human Trafficking Awareness
The goal of the Concentration in Human Trafficking Awareness is to provide knowledge and develop skills about the social and criminal impact of human trafficking. Developing greater awareness of the human trafficking problem will enable all those working on the front line and dealing with humans in crisis to know how to respond to and investigate suspected human trafficking cases. Knowledge and skills gained from the human trafficking courses in this concentration program can be put into practice by medical and health professionals, educators, human services and social workers, and law enforcement.
Human Trafficking Awareness Concentration (12 Credits)
Concentration in Social Justice Advocacy
Examples of continuing social inequities are ubiquitous. Students desiring to effect positive change in any area of inequity will benefit by having the specific theoretical and historical knowledge associated with a social justice perspective, as well as the skills necessary to research the historical causes of injustices, and the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate possible solutions and to advocate for social change.
Many students in the Behavioral Science program seek to effect positive change in their communities. They often work at non-profit and state agencies dedicated to serving marginalized communities. The concentration in Social Justice Advocacy will offer students who are interested in working to alleviate social injustices the opportunity and guidance to refine their degree focus and to introduce a career path of advocacy in the communities they serve.
Social Justice Advocacy Concentration (12 Credits)
Behavioral Science Completion Degree
Curriculum
As a transfer student who holds an Associate's degree from a partner institution, the following Behavioral Science courses are required.
| MAT 308 | Inferential Statistics | 3 |
| PHI 302 | Ethics and Values in Behavioral Science | 3 |
| | |
| PSY 305 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
OR
| | |
| SOC 405 | Social Deviance | 3 |
| | |
| PSY 309 | Interpersonal Communication Skills | 3 |
| | |
| Upper Level Behavioral Science Elective | |
OR
| | |
| SOC 490 | Internship in Behavioral Science (Behavioral Science majors) | 3 |
| | |
| SOC 302 | Marriage and the Family | 3 |
| SOC 304 | Ethnic Groups and Minorities | 3 |
| SOC 306 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 318 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOC 331 | Research, Writing and Information Literacy in the Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| SOC 340 | Applied Research Design | 3 |
| SOC 409 | Seminar in Applied Behavioral Science | 3 |
| Dev. Psych Elective | |
| Upper Level Behavioral Science Elective | |
| Upper Level Behavioral Science Elective | |
Completion degree students who fulfill all course requirements are eligible to earn one of the Behavioral Sciences concentrations.
The following courses or their equivalents are prerequisites for a degree in Behavioral Science AND require a minimum grade of “C-“for eligibility in this degree program:
- ENG 122 English Composition II
- MAT 205 Introductory Survey of Mathematics
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
- SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
- Natural Science Elective with Lab
What is a Completion Degree?
A Completion Degree is a personalized version of a bachelor’s degree created exclusively for students who have completed an associate degree at an accredited institution. A student who expects to transfer a completed associate degree should communicate with a Wilmington University Academic Advisor before registering for courses. An official transcript with documentation of the conferred degree must be received by Wilmington University to confirm eligibility.