Masterstudium i atferdsvitenskap - spesialisering i begreper og anvendelse 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 1 April 2005 and Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University 26 June 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 variety of settings both in the private and public sector. Former students are working in the fields of:

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

(The list 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

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.

Some courses are offered as freestanding courses with admission requirements. Applicants to freestanding courses in the master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or college.

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 thedevelopment 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.

Relasjonskompetanse i videregående opplæring er et studium som har til hensikt å videreutvikle studentenes kompetanse om hva som hemmer og hva som fremmer gode relasjoner i møte med ungdommer og ungdomskulturen, noe som igjen kan bidra livsmestring for elevene. Gjennom studiet skal studentene videreutvikle sine kommunikasjonsferdigheter i samspillsprosesser, reflektere rundt ulike etiske utfordringer og anvende egen eller annen egnet arbeidsplass som lærings - og utviklingsarena.

Studiet vektlegger praktisk arbeid for å utvikle studentens egen relasjonskompetanse. Samtidig skal studentene bidra til skolebasert kompetanseutvikling ved å videreutvikle praksis som en kollektiv læringsprosess med andre studenter på studiet og kollegaer på skolen/arbeidsplassen.

Studietilbudet er utviklet i forbindelse med den nasjonale strategien Yrkesfaglærerløftet - for fremtidens fagarbeidere. Regjeringens satsing på yrkesfaglærere vektlegger blant annet lærerens evne til å danne gode relasjoner til sine elever. Ved siden av å ha solid fagkompetanse og være gode formidlere, må lærerne forberede en svært variert gruppe elever på å være arbeidstakere. Stortingsmeldingen 28 (2015-2016), Fag - Fordypning - Forståelse - En fornyelse av Kunnskapsløftet understreker at gode relasjoner mellom lærere, elever og skolens ledelse gir et godt læringsfellesskap og at mye læring foregår gjennom samhandling og sosialt samspill.

Studiet retter seg primært mot yrkesfaglærere, men også mot faglærere, faglige ledere, instruktører og andre tilsatte i videregående opplæring.

Opptakskravet er generell studiekompetanse eller tilsvarende realkompetanse, og tilsetting som yrkesfaglærer, faglærer, faglig leder eller instruktør i videregående opplæring. Andre tilsatte i videregående opplæring kan tas opp etter nærmere avtale.

Følgende krav må oppfylles for å være kvalifisert realkompetansesøker:

1. Søkere må være 25 år eller eldre i opptaksåret og kan ikke ha generell studiekompetanse. Søkere må dokumentere ett av følgende:

• fagbrev eller tilsvarende, og minimum to års relevant yrkespraksis;
• minimum fem års relevant yrkespraksis. Inntil to av de fem årene kan erstattes av relevant ulønnet arbeid, utdanning, organisasjonserfaring eller liknende.

2. Søkere må ha tilstrekkelige ferdigheter i norsk (eller annet nordisk språk) til å kunne gjennomføre studiet. Faget norsk (eller annet nordisk språk) skal bestå av minimum 112 årstimer fra videregående opplæring eller tilsvarende, bestått med karakteren 2 eller bedre. Alternativt kan kravet til norsk dokumenteres med en attest fra arbeidsgiver som beskriver hvordan søkeren på en tilfredsstillende måte har brukt norsk skriftlig og muntlig (eller annet nordisk språk) som en vesentlig del av sitt arbeid. Søkere med morsmål fra land utenfor Norden må dokumentere at de oppfyller krav til norsk tilsvarende kravet til generell studiekompetanse, i henhold til krav i forskrift om opptak til høyere utdanning.

Relevant deltidsarbeid av ulikt omfang og lengde kan regnes om til heltid, etter gjeldende regelverk.

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), 2 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)

Studiet er et samlingsbasert deltidsstudium. Mellom samlingene skal studentene gjennomføre arbeidsoppgaver/arbeidskrav på egen eller annen egnet arbeidsplass.

Studiet forutsetter at studentene er aktive deltakere på samlinger og at de bidrar med refleksjon og erfaringer i det læringsfellesskapet klassen utgjør. Undervisningsmetodene inkluderer introduksjon av faglige temaer, dialog, gruppeoppgaver, erfaringsdeling og litteraturstudier.

Det legges vekt på at innholdet og arbeidsformene skal være praksisnære og praksisrelevante. Arbeidskravene skal bidra til kompetanseheving, utvikling av studentenes evne til egenvurdering og tilrettelegging av samtaler med elever.

Følgende pedagogiske prinsipper ligger til grunn for valg av arbeidsformer: Praksisorientering, problemorientering, eksemplarisk læring, erfaringslæring, opplevelsesorientering, verdiorientering og studentinnflytelse.