You will benefit greatly from the extensive knowledge and experience of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences faculty. All members of the department are among the highest qualified in the field.
These professors possess strong theoretical foundations and have a lifetime of experience in Chemical Dependency, Emergency Management, Criminal Justice as well as Clinical Counseling. All will seek to assist you to satisfy your personal quest for knowledge and enable your own personal, professional and spiritual growth.
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Degree Programs
The Bachelor of Arts degree with a Criminal Justice major prepares individuals who want to work in the justice field. This major seeks to equip the student for a fulfilling career with a foundational understanding of human behavior within criminal, transformative, and restorative justice systems. Students will be prepared to serve society as ethical, caring, serviceminded individuals. A major in Criminal Justice opens the door to many jobs in law enforcement, corrections, court-related positions, and security.
Objectives:
Upon graduating from the program, students should be able to:
- Integrate Christian principles in critical thinking and decision-making.
- Apply current and historical justice principles and practices to real-life situations.
- Function within chosen area(s) of justice system with the insight of the functions and interdependencies of various areas.
- Analyze procedural rules and statutes through the criminal process.
- Examine alternatives to the conventional penal approaches through the lenses of transformative and restorative justice.
The Emergency and Disaster Management major offers preparation and qualifications for work in government, non-profit, and private emergency response organizations. Fieldwork within a rigorous academic program helps ensure graduates are knowledgeable, proficient, and experienced.
Objectives:
On completion of this major, students should be able to:
- Evidence competence in the field of emergency and disaster management in preparation for private or public-sector employment.
- Apply theoretical and practical knowledge of emergency and disaster management for saving lives and property from the impacts of crises, emergencies, and disasters.
- Integrate a Christian worldview into critical thinking and decision-making related to the field of emergency and disaster management.
- Analyze the existing and desired structure, climate, and culture of organizations whose focus is emergency and disaster management.
- Analyze an organization’s operation and provide recommendations for improvement.
OCU’s Bachelor of Arts in Human Services major requires its students to critically explore the practice of social advocacy within a biblical worldview. Human Services majors will be prepared for a variety of professions and for graduate work in criminology, counseling, psychology, and social work. Through broad exposure to readings, extensive composition activity, and oral presentations, OCU’s Human Services major will develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to make a difference in their community.
Objectives:
On completion of this major, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to think clearly, logically, critically, and creatively.
- Analyze best practices in current trends related to human services.
- Identify, advocate for, and manage the unique expectations and needs of human services within a variety of culturally diverse communities.
- Integrate a biblically based and Christ-centered approach in the practice of managing human services within a variety of contexts and to a variety of constituencies.
- Be accepted into a graduate program or be employed in a field related to human services.
The Political Science major invites students to reflect upon the ideas, movements, leaders, and cultural influences that shaped the political landscape of the American Republic in the past and continues to alter America’s politics in the present. Going beyond an understanding of politics and political institutions, the program’s faculty seek to influence tomorrow’s leaders in public service toward an ethical vision of government action within the framework of a Christian worldview. Through exposure to a broad set of readings, experiences, and other work, the politics and public policy program provides students with a background in the structure and trends of America’s political order and prepares them for public service.
Objectives:
On completion of the major, students should be able to:
- Integrate Christian principles in critical thinking and decision-making in political science.
- Understand U.S. political structure and historyhow politics influences and is influenced by the contemporary culture.
- Critically examine concepts and theories regarding the interaction of faith and politics.
- Gather and analyze data regarding political behavior and create work that provides a reasonable interpretation of data.
- Produce written work and/or other materials at an advanced level, appropriate for entering graduate school or a vocation.
The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at OCU leads to a broad foundation of knowledge in the discipline of psychology. Through the integration of a biblical worldview, students intellectually approach the study of psychology with a deep awareness of the challenges they will encounter in graduate school, the workplace, or ministry. At the completion of this major of study, students will possess a foundational understanding of human behavior and mental processes as well as basic psychology terminology and concepts used in statistical and research methods, physiological psychology, and history and systems.
Objectives:
On completion of this major, students should be able to:
- Articulate a basic understanding of the principles of human development and behavior.
- Understand contemporary psychological theory.
- Attain a basic knowledge of psychological research methodology.
- Integrate the connection between the Bible and psychological principle into a model applicable to the student’s professional context.
The Substance Abuse Counseling major equips students entering the addiction recovery field. To be licensed in the field of chemical dependency counseling in Ohio, three requirements must be met:
- Completion of education specific to chemical dependency counseling. The BA degree in Substance Abuse Counseling meets more than the minimum hours required. Ohio Christian University’s degree program is designed to meet this requirement of chemical dependency counseling education.
- Appropriate supervision of chemical dependency counseling while employed in a treatment facility. For many students, this process begins after completion of the major.
- Successful completion of the licensure test that is administered by the State of Ohio.
Students are eligible to apply to the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals board for Certified Chemical Dependency Assistant status (CDCA) once they have completed 40 clock hours of chemical dependency training in specific areas. The CDCA is required to seek entry level employment and to begin supervision required prior to taking the State test for licensure. (Refer to ocdp.ohio.gov/, in the Certification and Licensure tab, follow instructions to download the CDCA Forms. Students should contact the appropriate state licensure board to learn of requirements unique to a particular state. The names of the boards can be found online at the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium at www.internationalcredentialing.org.
Objectives:
Upon graduating from the program, students should be able to:
- Integrate Christian principles in critical thinking and decision-making to the study of substance abuse counseling.
- Appraise the needs of persons through use of assessment techniques, diagnostic criteria, and treatment planning.
- Utilize appropriate counseling techniques with individuals, families, and groups.
- Apply chemical dependency interventions, knowledge of drugs, and ethical codes of conduct.
The Associates of Arts in Human Services prepares students for entry-level positions in a variety of human services fields. The curriculum provides an integration of the Christian worldview while equipping students to serve individuals, families, and communities in diverse settings. The AA degree also provides a foundation for students who want to advance to a baccalaureate program in fields such as criminal justice, psychology, social work, and ministry.
Objectives:
On completion of this major, students should be able to:
- Identify foundational knowledge of theory as well as current trends related to the human services profession.
- Demonstrate interpersonal skills needed in helping relationships.
- Explore theory while applying skills to implement client interventions based on various delivery systems within the human services profession.
- Apply professional and ethical standards of practice while integrating a Christian Worldview within the human services field.
Analyze how social, cultural, physical, and mental health concerns impact an individual and society while applying cultural competency to diverse populations. This major does not prepare students for licensure.
