EPN-V2

Masterstudium i atferdsvitenskap - spesialisering i begreper og anvendelse Programplan

Engelsk programnavn
Master’s Program in Behavioral Science - Specialisation in Concepts and Applications
Gjelder fra
2025 HØST
Studiepoeng
120 studiepoeng
Varighet
4 semestre
Programhistorikk

Innledning

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

Målgruppe

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.

Opptakskrav

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.

Læringsutbytte

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.

Innhold og oppbygging

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

These courses are compulsory for all students:

  • 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 theses - 40 ECTS credits

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
  • MALK/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.

Valgfritt emne Løper over flere semestre

Arbeids- og undervisningsformer

Videreutdanningen i Integrerte bygningsinstallasjoner er for deg som har behov for videreutdanning i teknikker som knytter funksjoner mellom systemer sammen for å lage bedre styring, overvåking eller nye fellesfunksjoner i et teknisk anlegg. Det vil være nyttig å ha bakgrunn fra elektro-, bygg-, klima- eller energi og miljø i bygg-bransjen.

Internasjonalisering

For å søke på dette programmet må du ha

generell studiekompetanse (samordnaopptak.no) eller oppfylle kravene til realkompetanse

2 års arbeidserfaring

Arbeidskrav og obligatoriske aktiviteter

Se emneplan.

Vurdering og sensur

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)

Øvrig informasjon

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.