Oklahoma City University

The 1-year, 33 hour fast-track master's degree in Applied Behavioral Studies (ABS) is designed for pre-counseling and related professionals who are involved in the field of learning, development and group processes in human behavior settings such as mental health facilities, government, business & industry, and organizational contexts. For those interested in becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), see Professional Counseling (this 33-credit hour program, plus five more courses).

Examples of those who might be interested in this degree would include workers in mental health, human development, consulting, teaching, adult learning, human resources, training & development, human services, and student personnel.

The program is designed for fall admission and is "fast-track" in that most of the courses are offered in a once-per-week, 8-week session. Each 3 credit hour course requires a one-weekend seminar while the 4 credit hour courses will require more. This allows full-time students beginning in the fall to finish in one year and part-time students beginning in the fall to finish in two years. Some summer course work is required. The full-time student will take two courses at a time, and the part-time student takes one course at a time. Because of this unique structure, students may have to attend some classes on days when the university is otherwise closed. Special fees apply to a few classes.

Because this is, essentially, a "pre-counseling" program, we recognize the following philosophy in all course work: Emphasizing a practitioner-wellness model, counseling is viewed as an integration of art and science at OCU. As such, the counselor's effectiveness becomes a product, in part, of personal awareness and creativity. The experiential philosophy of the program reflects this belief by emphasizing students' personal growth and development as critical in the training of counselors. It is therefore assumed that students not only desire, but also intend to pursue the inspection of their own personal identity, growth, and development--both inside and outside the classroom--as an integral part of their ABS graduate studies at OCU.

[Oklahoma City University is the state's only top 25 Western Master's Level Institution
(see U.S. News & World Report). The Division of Education & Professional Studies offers this program in OCU's Petree College of Arts and Sciences]

Spring-1st 8 weeks
ABS 5703   Behavior Pathology
ABS 6513   Socio-cultural Foundations

Spring-2nd 8 weeks
ABS 5363   Counseling Children & Adolescents
ABS 6975   Professional Orientation/Ethics

Summer
ABS 6743 Group Process
ABS 5813 Career Development

[* curriculum/sequence subject to change; part-time plan of study also available]

CANDIDACY & PROBATION

Near completion of the 33 hour M.Ed. in Applied Behavioral Studies, students will be evaluated and must "advance to candidacy" in order to continue study toward the Professional Counseling concentration (for those seeking the LPC). This requires grades of at least 3.0 in each course as well as demonstrating a high degree of professionalism, writing ability, ethical behavior, a non-combative, non-abrasive attitude on campus with faculty and students, and a disposition deemed suitable by the faculty. An oral candidacy interview may also be requested.

If a student's grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.0 before or after candidacy, he/she will be placed on academic probation with one semester to raise the GPA to 3.0 or higher. Students entering on probation must raise their ABS GPA to at least a 3.0 within the next 9 semester hours taken. A student placed on probation twice may disqualify him/her from continuation. Only one course grade in the C range is acceptable. Under no circumstances is a grade below the C range acceptable.

QUALIFICATIONS & ADMISSIONS (see Graduate Catalog for any other req's)