Masterstudium i atferdsvitenskap, deltid Programplan

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/

Prospective students have a bachelor's degree and an interest in the science or philosophy of behavior, and recognize the need for effective behavioral interventions.

Admission to this study program is processed in accordance with current Regulations Relating to Admission to Master’s Degree Programs at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or university college. The Admissions office makes the decisions on applications for admission.

For more information, see Forskrift om opptak til studier ved OsloMet (in Norwegian) or Regulations related to Admission to Studies at OsloMet (in English).

Admission to individual courses

Many of the courses in the programme are available for students outside the programme and can be applied to individually. Applicants to freestanding courses in the master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or college. The grade C requirement does not apply to admission to individual courses. Applicants to freestanding courses do not have to document proficiency in the Norwegian language in order to be eligible for admission. For courses with progression requirements those have to be approved before admission to the course. More information about admission to individual courses can be found on the programme’s website.

A graduate of this program has acquired the following learning outcomes defined as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The graduate can

• demonstrate thorough familiarity with principles of behavior analysis
• discuss therelationship between theoretical knowledge, experimental analysis, and applied science
• understand the difference between description, prediction, and explanation
• demonstrate theoretical and working knowledge of the ethical principles that govern scientific research and interventions in applied settings

Skills

The graduate can

• analyze behavior using the principles of behavior both in research and in applied settings
• conduct experiments and demonstrate working knowledge of scientific methodology
• demonstrate appropriate strategies for evaluating the effects of independent variables and interventions by using different designs and inferential statistics
• critically assess the quality of scientific information
• conduct and report a supervised research project with a behavioral perspective in accordance with research ethical guidelines and regulations
• integrate behavioral principles with knowledge from other fields
• communicate with professionals in different fields

Competence

The graduate can

• contribute to the development of evidence-based methods for intervention and behavior change
• share knowledge and skills with the public and peers according to the standards of professional scientific communication, including the current APA standards
• justify his/her professional behavior with reference to relevant professional and ethical guidelines, general ethical considerations, and assessment of the situation.

Program Structure

The program constitutes a scientifically and pedagogically integrated whole; with compulsory and elective components (all comprising 10 ECTS), in addition to master’s theses of 40 ECTS.

Content of common compulsory courses

These courses provide basic insight and some practical skills in behavior analysis.The philosophy of science that is fundamental to behavior analysis is introduced and placed in a wider context of philosophy of science. The status of various scientific approaches in modern society is discussed. The courses place the study of human behavior in a natural science tradition and emphasize a selectionist understanding of change processes. Basic ontological and epistemological questions are discussed: unity of knowledge; the relationship between natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities; determining and defining analytical units in research; and methodological approaches suitable for promoting effective action. Behavior analysis – experimental, conceptual and applied – is introduced as a cumulative science of behavior.

Compulsory courses

• MALK4100 Science, Behavior, and Society
• MALK4000-403 Behavior Analysis and Radical Behaviorism
• MALKA211 Introduction to Behavior Analysis
• MALKA212 Refinement of Behavior Analytic Terms
• MALKA213 Laboratory Exercises – Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• MALKA214 Experimental Design and Functional Analysis

Content of elective courses

In the elective courses, various behaviorally based approaches to initiating, facilitating and managing change processes in individual behavior repertoire, organizations and systems are studied. Behavioral technology comprises everything from basic self-control techniques to sophisticated tools for initiating and managing complex processes in large organizations. Important features in this methodology are operational measures of change and continuous data collection.

Elective courses (a total of 20 ECTS)

Each student chooses two (2) of the following courses:

• MALKA215 Complex Human Behavior *
• MALKA217 Early Intervention for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• MALKA218 Ethical Considerations in Applied Behavior Analysis
• MALKA219 Organizational Behavior Management (OBM)
• MALKA220 Behavioral Economics
• MALKA221 Complex Systems and Risk Management (Not offered in 2025)
• MALKA222 Clinical Behavior Analysis

Elective courses are normally offered every Fall term. Students enrol for courses bydeadlines each semester, and thedepartment reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrolment. Depending on the number of students enrolled, changes may be made in the way the courses are conducted.

Master's thesis

Students write an individual master’s thesis worth 40 ECTS (MALK5920/MALKD5920). The thesis is usually a work in progress during the elective courses, when students participate in research projects with faculty.

By the end of the final course at the latest, the student submits a thesis outline, including a research question, a plan for progress, and a plan for dissemination (see guidelines, Thesis outline). When faculty approves the thesis outline, the student is assigned a supervisor for his thesis work. See the course descriptions for MALK5920/MALKD5920 for a more detailed description of the master’s thesis worth 40 ECTS.

Two compulsory seminars in research ethics cover academic honesty; the work of Regional Ethics Committees; the guidelines of OsloMet on research ethics and research fraud; current publication manuals and APA style manuscript preparation, and the use of electronic reference management tools. The seminars are taken place digitally and are open forstudents from all stages of the program. One seminar is held every semester, and both seminars must be completed before the proposal for the thesis is submitted.

The master’s thesis can be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

The program complies with the quality assurance systems required by the university.

Progression Requirements

All coursework requirements must be approved to sit for the final course exam. Coursework requirements must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements according to the following:

MALKA211: MALK4100 or equivalent

MALKA212: MALK4100, MALKA211, or equivalent

MALKA213: MALK4100, MALKA211, MALKA212, or equivalent

MALKA214: MALK4100, MALKA211, or equivalent

MALKA215: MALK4100, MALK4000-403, MALKA211, MALKA212, MALKA214, or equivalent

MALKD5920: All courses in the specialisation must be completed with pass grades and the coursework requirements, including seminars in research ethics, must be approved before the candidate may submit the master’s thesis.

Exemption from the provisions of progression requirements may in special cases and upon application by the student, be granted.

Målgruppen er studenter som ønsker seg kvalifikasjoner for arbeid med administrasjon, utredning, økonomistyring og ledelse, særlig i offentlig virksomhet. Etter endt studium arbeider mange som saksbehandlere, med personalforvaltning, arbeids- og velferdsforvaltning, økonomiforvaltning, utredning og planlegging. Studiet gir en god innføring i konteksten rundt ledelse og ledelsesfaget, og kan derfor gi muligheter for å avansere til mer ledende stillinger på sikt.

For å søke opptak til studiet kreves generell studiekompetanse. Det stilles ellers ikke krav om en spesiell fagkombinasjon fra videregående skole.

Det kan også søkes opptak til studiet på grunnlag av realkompetanse.

Kunnskap

En kandidat med fullført utdanning fra bachelorstudiet i administrasjon og ledelse i offentlig virksomhet har

• brede kunnskaper om styringsformer og organisering, spesielt i offentlig sektor
• brede kunnskaper i emner fra statsvitenskap, organisasjons- og ledelsesfag, jus og økonomi som er relevante for administrasjon og ledelse i offentlig sektor
• innblikk i relevante forsknings- og evalueringsmetoder til å gjennomføre systematisk analyse og utredningsarbeid
• kjennskap til relevante, kvalitetssikrede informasjonskilder innenfor fagområdet
• kunnskap om sentrale temaer knyttet til administrasjon og ledelse, avhengig av kandidatens fagsammensetning.

Ferdigheter

Kandidaten kan

• formulere, strukturere og analysere økonomiske, juridiske og samfunnsfaglige problemstillinger og har ervervet seg et grunnlag for å løse slike oppgaver både individuelt og i samarbeid med andre
• finne, vurdere og bruke relevante faglige kilder i tilknytning til slikt arbeid
• anvende kunnskap innen statsvitenskap, organisasjons- og ledelsesfag, jus og økonomi som er relevante for administrasjon og ledelse i offentlig sektor
• gjennomføre utredningsarbeid innen overnevnte områder
• anvende kunnskaper og ferdigheter i innhenting og bruk av aktuelle kilder, litteratur og annen informasjon, kan henvisnings- og sitatteknikk, og kan definere hva som er plagiat og fusk

Generell kompetanse

Kandidaten

• kan arbeide selvstendig og sammen med andre om praktisk og teoretisk problemløsning
• kan systematisere og formidle kunnskap gjennom skriftlig utredning, faglig rapportering og muntlig presentasjon
• har utviklet sine forutsetninger for samhandling og samarbeid på ulike nivåer på bakgrunn av breddekunnskap og helhetsforståelse
• har forståelse for dialog som kommunikasjonsform
• har evne til analytisk tenkning og refleksjon
• kan følge kunnskapsutviklingen på fagfeltet og gjøre selvstendige og kritisk faglige vurderinger
• kan bidra til utvikling av god praksis og innovasjon innen fagområdet
• har innsikt i relevante fag- og yrkesetiske problemstillinger.
• har digital kompetanse og digital dømmekraft, som er relevant på tvers av fagområder

Alle emnene i 1 - 4., samt 6. semester er obligatoriske.

Studiet består av økonomiske, juridiske, samfunns- og ledelsesfaglige emner på 10 eller 15 studiepoeng (se oversikt). Alle emnene i de to første studieårene er obligatoriske. For å oppøve ferdigheter i praktisk anvendelse av teori skal studentene gjennomføre en periode med obligatorisk praksis i arbeidslivet i slutten av fjerde semester. I femte semester kan studentene velge mellom internasjonalt semester eller 30 studiepoeng fra valgemneporteføljen om sentrale temaer innen administrasjon og ledelse. Valgemnene kan erstattes av emner fra universitet og høyskoler etter søknad. Eksterne emner må ha en faglig relevans for studiet. Sjette semester inneholder et obligatorisk emne og skriving av bacheloroppgave.

Merk at dersom et valgemne har svært få påmeldte kan emnet avlyses.

Studieprogresjon

Oppflytting til andre studieår: Studenter som mangler mer enn 25 studiepoeng etter andre semester (inkludert ny og utsatt eksamen), kan ikke delta i arbeidskrav eller gå opp til eksamen i emner i 2.studieår før kravet til antall beståtte studiepoeng fra 1. studieår er innfridd. (Se for øvrig Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet, § 4-2, første ledd)

Adgang til praksis: Studenter må ha bestått minst 60 studiepoeng etter ordinær eksamen i tredje semester for å gå ut i praksis.

Oppflytting til tredje studieår: Studenter som mangler mer enn 30 studiepoeng etter fjerde semester (inkludert ny og utsatt eksamen) kan ikke delta i arbeidskrav eller gå opp til eksamen i emner i 3. studieår før kravet til antall beståtte studiepoeng er innfridd. (Se for øvrig Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet, § 4-2, første ledd).

Studenter som ikke har gjennomført hele studiet, kan få utskrift av eksamensprotokoll for de eksamener og deler av studiet som er bestått.

Internasjonalt semester

Som student ved bachelorprogrammet i administrasjon og ledelse i offentlig virksomhet kan du gjennomføre ett semester (5. semester) i bachelorstudiet i utlandet uten tap av studietid. Et studieopphold i utlandet kan gi deg nye faglige og personlige erfaringer med verdifull innsikt, for eksempel i et arbeidsmarked der språk- og kulturkompetanse blir stadig mer etterspurt. Du kan enten reise til en av Handelshøyskolens partnerinstitusjoner i Europa eller benytte deg av OsloMets avtaler med utenomeuropeiske land. Søknadsfristen er 15. februar i andre studieår.

Praksis er en viktig del av studiet. Gjennom praksisperioden får studentene erfaring i hvordan teorier og ferdigheter i studiet har relevans for arbeidslivet.

Emnet Praksis utgjør 10 studiepoeng og er lagt til fjerde semester (andre studieår). Praksisperioden skal være gjennomført og godkjent i overensstemmelse med gjeldende reglement. Det vises til Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet, kapittel 5 om veiledet praksis.

Studiet inneholder krav til progresjon som spesifisert ovenfor. Studenter som mangler mer enn 30 studiepoeng etter eksamen i tredje semester kan ikke gå ut i praksis.