Master's Program in Behavioral Science Programme description

The Master’s Program in Behavioral Science comprises 120 ECTS credits in accordance with § 3 of the National Regulations Relating to Requirements for a Master’s Degree, appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research on December 1st, 2005. A successfully completed program leads to the degree Master of Behavioral Science /master i atferdsvitenskap.

The study program is established in accordance with the Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges of April 1st, 2005 and Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University June 26th, 2012.

The program teaches modern behavioral science. The term behavioral science has no agreed-upon definition and may refer to different things in different settings. When used as part of the current program, the term should be understood in the context of the idea that a natural science approach to human behavior is both interesting and important to explore. Aspects of natural science relevant for this master´s program in behavioral science include a focus on empirical investigation, the use of experimental methods, and resulting empirically defined units of analysis. Behavioral science aims to explore and develop a natural science approach in several domains, including in conceptual development and philosophy, in experimental analysis and other parts of basic science, and in the application of scientific principles to generate desirable change. A type of behavioral science called behavior analysis is central to the program. Behavior analysis is concerned with investigating systematic relationships between the environment and behavior and considers both public and private events. Behavior analysis may be viewed as a selectionist science taking into consideration both phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and cultural phenomena. The knowledge, skills and competence from the program are useful when designing, implementing, managing and documenting processes of change for individuals and in systems. Interventions taught in the program are empirically based and well suited for measuring and assessment of outcomes.

The program includes compulsory courses and elective courses, in addition to the master’s thesis. A more detailed overview of the program’s structure for each specialisation is given under the section Content and structure.

Master’s Program in Behavioral Science

The program aims to give students a comprehensive overview of the science of behavior analysis. The study consists of courses designed to provide general knowledge of the conceptual framework and philosophy of behavior analysis and complementary fields. The program has a 70 ECTS compulsory course package, with 20 ECTS elective courses (two courses each worth 10 ECTS) and a master’s thesis worth 30 ECTS. The concepts of behavior analysis are generic, and not exclusively relevant for specific target groups or populations. Behavioral interventions in such diverse fields as behavioral economics, concept formation and complex human behavior, teaching special needs-students, organizational behavior management, clinical behavioral treatment, and behavioral safety and risk management provide practical applications of behavioral principles. These topics are included in elective courses to demonstrate the value of the behavioral approach. The theoretical grounding and practical applications provide a strong knowledge base for students to write their thesis, that usually describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an intervention conducted under the time constraints and practical considerations of a one-semester workload. Except for two compulsory seminars in research ethics, there is no attendance required. However, this is a demanding and exacting program, and students are advised to follow lectures and to participate in a research or lab group preparation of their thesis.

Career opportunities and post-graduate studies

Graduates of the program will usually have a set of professional skills from their undergraduate studies, and the program enhances and adds value to those skills. Graduates have found rewarding work in a variaty of settings both in the private and public sector. Former studentens are working in the fields of:

• general, special, and higher education
• health and social services
• leadership and human resource management
• scientific research

(The list is not exhaustive).

The program prepares the graduates for Ph.D. studies.

The master program is accredited by Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).https://www.abainternational.org/accreditation.aspx

Graduates who wish to sit for the certification exam by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board must complete a specific BACB-approved course sequence. http://bacb.com/

Etter fullført studium har kandidaten følgende læringsutbytte definert som kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Studenten:

• har kunnskap om yrkespedagogisk og yrkesdidaktisk planlegging, gjennomføring og vurdering av praktiske arbeidsprosesser og arbeidsoppgaver
• har kunnskap om hvordan entreprenørielle metoder kan fremme innovasjon, læring og utvikling
• har kunnskap om fagets innhold og utvikling, og behovet for mer praktiske ferdigheter hos elever i grunnskolen
• har kunnskap om bærekraft i arbeidslivsfaget
• har kunnskap om hva de tverrfaglige temaene innebærer i undervisning og yrkesveiledning i arbeidslivsfaget

Ferdigheter

Studenten:

• kan anvende faglig kunnskap for å planlegge, gjennomføre og vurdere praktiske arbeidssituasjoner
• kan ivareta bærekraft og Helse, Miljø og Sikkerhet i praktisk undervisning
• kan sette seg inn i ukjente produksjonsmetoder, teknikker, og tjenester
• kan lede entreprenørielle læreprosesser i elevgrupper og anvende ulike entreprenørielle strategier for læring og utvikling
• kan samarbeid med lokalt arbeids- og næringsliv

Generell kompetanse

Studenten:

• kan anvende forskningsbasert kunnskap i sitt arbeid med yrkesdidaktiske problemstillinger og entreprenørskap i arbeidslivsfaget
• kan formidle sentralt fagstoff digitalt, muntlig og skriftlig
• kan delta aktivt i det profesjonelle læringsfelleskapet for å utvikle faget

Studiet består av to emner på 15 studiepoeng hver, og organiseres som et deltidsstudium over ett studieår. Studiet tilbys som samlings- og nettbasert, med en blanding av samlinger på campus og nettbaserte samlinger.

Undervisningen er variert og har en praktisk tilnærming med vekt på studentaktive læringsformer. Studiet benytter ulike arbeids- og undervisningsformer knyttet til ulike læringsarenaer og digitale plattformer. Forelesninger, dialogbasert undervisning, erfaringsdeling, individuelle oppgaver, digitale metoder, og gruppeoppgaver er aktuelle arbeidsformer.

Universitetets læringsplattform brukes i studiet, og alle studenter må derfor disponere pc med kamera og tilgang til internett.

Eksamenskandidatens rettigheter og plikter framgår av forskrift for studier og eksamen ved OsloMet – storbyuniversitetet. Forskriften beskriver blant annet vilkår for ny/utsatt eksamen, klageadgang og hva som regnes som fusk ved eksamen. Kandidaten har plikt til å gjøre seg kjent med bestemmelsene i forskriften.

• Første semester: Yrkesdidaktikk og bærekraft i arbeidslivsfaget (YDEP6100 ) - 15 stp - skriftlig individuell hjemmeeksamen - vurderingsuttrykk: A-F

• Andre semester: Entreprenøriell læring i arbeidslivsfaget (YDEP6200), 15 stp - Multimodal presentasjon i gruppe - vurderingsuttrykk: Bestått/Ikke bestått

Nærmere beskrivelse av den enkelte eksamen finnes i emneplanene.

Programplan godkjent av utdanningsutvalget ved LUI 29.11.2021

All courses except MALKA212, MALKA213, MALKA214 and MALKA218 have one or more coursework requirements. Each assignment is graded Approved/Not approved. All assignments must be approved before the student can sit for the exam in each course.

Written assignments

The assignments are submitted digitally, and written feedback is delivered in the same electronic platform. When the coursework requirement is delivered according to deadlines in the course schedule the student has the right to receive feedback on the assignment. Assignments not submitted within the set deadline will be considered failed.

A student may submit the same compulsory assignment a maximum of three times. Failed assignments must be reworked before resubmission. If the second submission fails, the student is not eligible for the regular examination. The student is entitled to a third attempt before new/deferred exam.

If one or more assignments are not approved after three attempts, the student must attend the course the next time it is arranged, usually the subsequent year. Application for a fourth and final attempt to complete the assignment to sit for the exam are decided on an individual basis by the study administration in cooperation with the person responsible for the course.

All coursework in writing, including master’s theses, undergoes automatic plagiarism control on submission.

Attendance requirementsWhile there is no attendance required for lectures, this is a demanding program, and steady work is required throughout the courses.

Two research ethics seminars are 100 % attendance required before the thesis outline can be submitted. The seminars are taken place digitally and held annually, one each semester. It is recommended to complete the seminars during the first year of studies.

Exams are tailored to the learning outcomes, course content and teaching and learning methods.

Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. All ordinary exams are held in the same term as the corresponding course.

All exams except the master’s thesis are assessed by one examiner, with an external examiner used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. The master’s thesis is evaluated and graded by one internal and one external examiner. The grading scale on all exams is: A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E are the pass grades, and F is a fail grade.

All courses included in the specialisation are specified on the diploma, as is the titleof the master’s thesis.

Assessments are carried out in accordance with the Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges, Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and Guidelines for Appointment and Useof Examiners at OsloMet.

Exams in Master in Behavioral Science – specialisation in Concepts and Applications

• MALK4100 Science, Behaviour and Society: Portfolio exam that includes 3 individual written assignments (A-F)
• MALK4000-403 Behavior Analysis and Radical Behaviorism: Individual written home examination, 5 hours (A-F)
• MALKA211 Introduction to Behavior Analysis: Individual written school examination, 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA212 Refinement of Behavior Analytic Terms: Individual written school examination (combination of essays and multiple choice/digital tests), 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA213 Laboratory Exercises – Experimental Analysis of Behavior Analysis: Individual project examination (A-F)
• MALKA214 Experimental Design and Functional Analysis: Individual written school examination (multiple choice test), 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA215 Complex Human Behavior: MALKA215 Complex Human Behavior: Individual written school examination, 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA217 Early Intervention for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Individual written school examination, 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA218 Ethical Considerations in Applied Behavior Analysis: Individual written home examination, 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA219 Organizational Behavior Management (OBM): Individual written home examination, 3 hours (A-F)
• MALKA220 Behavioral Economics: Portfolio exam that includes 2 individual written assignments (A-F)
• MALKA222 Clinical Behavior Analysis: Individual written home examination, 3 hours (Pass/Fail)
• MALK5920/MALKD5920 Master’s Thesis: Master’s thesis, individual (A-F)

Approved by NOKUT on April 15th, 2004

Approved by the Board of Akershus University College on September 7th, 2004

Last amendments approved by Head of Department 2 April 2025.