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Behavioral Health Master of Arts
The Department of Behavioral Health offers programs that prepare students for various careers in educational and psychological services. Behavioral analysts work to understand and modify maladaptive behaviors, while counselors (including school counselors, clinical counselors, and marriage/family therapists) provide crisis intervention and individual or group therapies.
Educational psychologists apply psychological principles to solve learning and behavioral issues across various settings. Advanced programs open doors to college teaching, clinical work, and other psychological services. Additional professional development opportunities are available for those in roles like social work, healthcare, and community counseling.
Master of Arts Program Offered
Behavioral Analysis
Master of Arts
Quick Facts
Level
Graduate
Location
La Sierra Campus
Duration
45 units
Accreditation
WASC
Description:
The MA in Behavioral Analysis is designed to provide early- career professionals with knowledge, skills, and practical training in behavioral analysis. Behavioral analysts work in secondary and higher education as well as behavioral and counseling-related agency settings.
Students learn how to conduct functional behavioral assessments and apply behavioral techniques that can transform maladaptive behaviors into more adaptive ones. They work with a variety of target populations struggling with a number of presenting problems (e.g., autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.).
Concepts learned in the classroom are applied through a diversified internship program in a variety of settings.
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Counseling
Master of Arts
Quick Facts
Level
Graduate
Location
La Sierra Campus
Duration
45 units
Accreditation
WASC
Description:
A Master of Arts (MA) degree in counseling may be earned through an elective program, which does not lead to state certification (45-units). However, a Master of Arts degree is typically taken by those students who are pursuing an EdS degree, a Board Certified Behavior Analysis certification, a California Professional Clinical Counseling license, or a California Marriage and Family Therapy license for additional units. For further information about this degree, certificate and licensure contact the Department of School Psychology and Counseling
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Sports and Exercise Psychology
Master of Arts
Quick Facts
Level
Graduate
Location
La Sierra Campus
Duration
45 units
Accreditation
WASC
Description:
Equip students with a deep understanding of the leadership, behavioral, and psychological principles that influence sports performance and physical activity.
Foster the development of critical thinking in the context of sports and exercise psychology.
Prepare students to design and implement evidence-based coaching and interventions to enhance mental health, well- being, and performance in sports settings.
Cultivate professional skills in coaching, counseling, behavioral change, and leadership relevant to the needs of athletes and physically active populations.
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Student Life and Development
Master of Arts
Quick Facts
Level
Graduate
Location
La Sierra Campus
Duration
45 units
Accreditation
WASC
Description:
The MA in Student Life and Development is designed to provide early-career professionals with knowledge, skills, and practical training for leadership careers in secondary and higher education student affairs, student counseling/ advising, disability services, residential life, leadership programs, multicultural affairs, recreation, and student programming. Concepts learned in the classroom are applied through a diversified fieldwork program in a variety of student life/affairs/service and related departments in high schools, colleges, and universities.
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Career Outlook
The median annual wage for psychologists was $92,740 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $52,430, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $151,880.
Median annual wages for psychologists in May 2023 were as follows:
- Industrial-organizational psychologists $147,420
- Psychologists, all other $117,750
- Clinical and counseling psychologists $96,100
- School psychologists $84,940
Student Learning Objectives
Students graduating with a degree offered by the Department of Behavioral Health in addition to the previously stated objectives and programs, will gain proficiencies in the following domains:
Assessment. Organize and effectively apply assessment processes to practical situations effectively as it relates to the discipline under study.
Critical Reasoning. Identify critical theories unique to the discipline of focus and understand how to conceptualize, dissect, contrast, and organize these theories in evidence-based ways.
Intervention. Organize and effectively apply prevention/intervention processes to practical situations effectively as it relates to the discipline under study
Professional Ethics and Legal Mandates. Understand and perform various ethical and legal duties responsibly. Understand the steps involved in ethical decision-making processes.
Systems and Consultation. Understand complex issues that require critical and analytical thinking as it relates to working and communicating effectively with individuals, families, groups, other professionals, and society in general. Understand the steps recognized in the consultation process in various organizational and classroom settings.
Multicultural Sensitivity. Be sensitive to diversity- related issues and respect responsibilities as it relates to diversity in all domains. Demonstrate not only self-awareness, but also a general respect for differing worldviews.
Writing Skill. Exhibit scholarly competence in the writing domain (i.e., in terms of organization, continuity, flow, and intellectual cohesion).
- Professional Growth. Show high levels of general academic, research, and technological capacity, personality traits consistent with practicing psychology, personal and professional maturity, ethical decision-making and behavior, and professional demeanor. Not only possess the ability to identify areas of personal weakness or strength related to one’s career field, but also demonstrate an ability to make changes when needed in any domain identified as a personal deficit (cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social).
Partial information in this page was retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Psychologists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm (visited November 18, 2024).