Bachelor's Degree in Applied Behavioral Science
Overview
Seattle Central Community College has been approved by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities to establish a bachelor’s degree program beginning fall, 2009. The degree creates a continuing educational and professional pathway for Associate of Applied Science students. It is designed specifically for students in social and human services, chemical dependency, and interpreter training to earn a bachelor’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science.
The bachelor’s degree program in Applied Behavioral Science at Seattle Central Community College will address three urgent needs in applied behavioral sciences:
- The gap between high demand employment openings requiring specialized training in behavioral sciences and the current supply of college completers that possess those skills
- The lack of educational pathways to professional baccalaureate degrees for current AAS graduates in human services and interpreting to meet requirements for employment advancement and licensure
- The need for an affordable applied baccalaureate degree option for diverse, placebound students.
Currently in the Puget Sound region there is a shortage of credentialed human services specialists to work with drug abuse, mental illness, homelessness, domestic violence, school failure and other endemic societal issues requiring skilled social service providers. As shown in our proposal, there is a supply gap of approximately 300 trained individuals at the baccalaureate level regionally, a shortage which costs the region enormous resources through expenditures brought about by hospitalization, incarceration and emergency interventions.
Establishing a four-year applied behavioral sciences degree will provide a cadre of trained specialists to meet the extensive and diverse treatment needs of the largest population of clients in the state. Seattle Central Community College, in partnership with Edmonds Community College, Bellevue Community College, Highline Community College, and Lake Washington Technical College, is uniquely qualified and prepared to develop this applied degree pathway for behavioral science professionals.
With the baccalaureate option, students will be able to move from short-term certificates and related Associate of Applied Science degrees to further foundational and specialized coursework, creating access to multiple high demand jobs within many areas of applied behavioral sciences, including:
- Human services management
- Chemical dependency and mental health
- Social work and human services: school, medical, and community
- Interpreting services
- Child and family services
- Prevention and early intervention
- Human services specialists and assistants
Employers will benefit from the proposed degree by having a large pool of graduates qualified for current high demand baccalaureate-level positions that require specific job skills.
