The online Bachelor of Liberal Studies in General Studies at Saint Joseph’s University combines a comprehensive, well-rounded liberal arts education with industry-focused courses to give you a bachelor’s degree designed to prepare you to achieve your career goals.
From professional writing to organizational leadership, the online courses below can help you develop skills that can be immediately used to enhance your professional experiences and build a fulfilling career.
The curriculum explores a wide range of topics to provide a basis for various career paths and future studies.
- Gain a perspective of the breadth of liberal studies, from history to philosophy.
- Ensure you have the skills required of professionals today with classes in writing and career development.
- Apply what you learn to your career immediately with studies in topics like organization development and leadership.
To earn the online Bachelor of Liberal Studies in General Studies, you will need to complete 40 courses (minimum 120 credits), including up to 25 courses (maximum 75 credits) transferred from your previous college or university. A minimum of 15 courses (45 credit hours) must be completed at Saint Joseph’s University. Courses can be selected to align to your professional interests and career aspirations.
If you plan to pursue the Autism Studies concentration, Saint Joseph’s University offers three sixteen-week fieldwork courses to help you meet the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s supervised fieldwork requirements. Each course requires a combination of online education, supervised 1:1 fieldwork and supervised group fieldwork, culminating in a total of 1000 hours of supervised time in the field. You will also complete seven theory-based courses, bringing your total credit hours for the concentration to 30. This coursework sequence has been verified to meet the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination®. Applicants will have to meet additional requirements to qualify.*
The Professional Studies concentration consists of eight courses of three credits each, for a total of 24 credit hours. Six courses focus on organizational development topics, such as communication, organizational dynamics, and problem solving, while two concentration electives provide you with the opportunity to explore subjects of interest to you. These include courses offered in Management, English, Leadership & Organizational Sustainability, or Managing Human Capital.
General Education Signature Courses
- PHL 154 Moral Foundations
- THE 154 Faith Justice and the Catholic Tradition or THE 221 Intro to the New Testament
- ENG 102 Texts and Contexts
- HIS 154 Forging the Modern World
- Faith and Reason course
- Any Adult Seminar course
General Education Variable Courses
- One approved course in Art, Literature, or Music, Theater, Film
- One course in the Natural Sciences in biology, chemistry, environmental science, or physics
- Two courses in Mathematics
- Two courses in a Non-Native Language or alternative courses
- One course that is designated as a Philosophical Anthropology course
- One course from Religious Studies or Theology that is designated as a Religious Difference course
- ENG 101 Craft of Language
- One course that is approved as a Social/Behavioral Science course (the Professional Studies Concentration requires PSY 100 Introductory Psychology)
General Education Integrative Learning Courses
- Two courses in Psychology, Sociology, Political Science or Economics (Professional Studies concentration only)
- PSY 100 Introductory Psychology and one additional course including any psychology course (3-credit or more) or an approved course offered in education or special education (Autism Studies concentration only)
Electives
- 14 electives for the Professional Studies concentration (42 credit hours)
- 12 electives for the Autism Studies concentration (36 hours)
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Professional Studies Concentration Courses
ODL 200 Career and Personal Development
3 credits. This course takes the student through a systematic and integrative process of examining eight research-supported "critical factors for success" as they apply to oneself and one’s career. This course will be partially didactic, while being primarily small group oriented, experiential and self-reflective.
ODL 300 Organizational Dynamics and Behavior
3 credits. A behavioral science perspective on the causes and outcomes of individual and group behavior in organizations, and of the behavior of organizations. Topics will include motivation, attitudes, interpersonal processes, leadership, and macro-organizational behavior.
ODL 320 Leadership and Development
3 credits. In this course, participants will review and discuss current applicable social science literature in an attempt to answer some of the following questions: Who is a leader? What is leadership? Does effective leadership originate in a person or in a set of actions or behavior? What do we know about developing leaders? How do the constraints of organizations inhibit or facilitate leadership development? What is your current leadership style? These and related questions will be examined by class members through lectures, case studies, self-assessments, and experiential activities.
ODL 330 Issues in Organizational Development
3 credits. Selected issues in the field such as emotional intelligence, assessment, group and interpersonal processes, job enrichment, selection and placement will be discussed; small groups, role-playing, and other experiential exercises will clarify important concepts in the field. Prerequisite: ODL 2705
ODL 340 Coaching and Consulting
3 credits. Roles, functions, tools, and settings that define consulting and coaching within a business context will be explored with an emphasis on the corporate world. Small groups, role-playing, videos, and other experiential exercises will clarify and supplement readings, research, and discussion.
ENG 263 Writing for Organizations
3 credits. Comprehensive examination of various forms of writing that are produced in managing organizations, including email, memoranda, letters, reports, brochures, guidelines, and slide share presentation materials. Does not fulfill GEP Art/Lit requirement.
Additional Electives
Two additional, approved concentration electives offered in Management, English, Leadership & Organizational Sustainability, or Managing Human Capital
Autism Studies Concentration Courses
IHS 101 Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the first course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. This course is designed to introduce the current research-based interventions in the field of applied behavior analysis and autism. Students will gain a general understanding of the philosophical underpinnings, the concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis and how they can be used across multiple environments (home, school, early intervention, clinics) to address the various social, behavioral and communication deficits of individuals with autism. Topics addressed include respondent and operating conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, generalization, discrimination, matching law, and various contingencies.
IHS 100 Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders
3 credits. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, are common, are a result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, ASD impacts social interactions and communication skills. The types of ASD range in severity from very low functioning, associated with significant cognitive deficits and highly disruptive behaviors, to very high functioning, associated with highly gifted intelligence and "quirky" behaviors. This course introduces students to the neurology, symptoms, diagnostic criteria, causes, biomedical treatments and behavioral interventions, as well as to the impact on individuals with ASD, families, friends, school districts, the economy, and society with regard to functioning, coping, prognosis, and outcomes. ABA 100 is strongly recommended prior to or concurrently with all other courses in the Autism Studies concentration.
IHS 102 Ethics and Professionalism in Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the second course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. This course will explore professional and ethical issues in the field of applied behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s © Professional and Ethical Compliance Code will be examined and its relation to the provision of services. Students will explore ethical problem solving and practices, and societal issues of importance related to culture, human rights, punishment, parenting, education, behavior management, and workplace behavior. Students learn to demonstrate professionalism in the field and practice resolving ethical dilemmas from case studies and their work settings. Prerequisite: IHS 101.
IHS 202 Single Subject Research Design in Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the third course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. This course covers assessment of behavior, including all dimensions of behavior and structured observation. Single-case research methods, including reversal, multiple baseline, changing criterion, alternating treatment, and multi-element designs are covered. Students will be expected to understand, interpret, and apply single-subject research methodology through the experience of defining behavior, collecting data, calculating inter-observer agreement, and creating graphical displays of data. Students will have the opportunity to implement basic experiments for evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral interventions. Prerequisite: IHS 102.
IHS 302 Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the 4th course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. This course is designed to expand upon the previously learned concepts of behavior analysis and connect it to the practical world. In this course, students will gain an understanding of how to use the principles and practices of applied behavioral analysis. This course covers behavior change procedures from principles of learning and behavior from relatively simple animal studies to more complex issues such as the acquisition of human language. Examples of topics reviewed in depth include operant and respondent conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, shaping, chaining, stimulus control, and verbal behavior. Multi-disciplinary, real world examples and applications will be introduced. Prerequisite: IHS 202.
IHS 402 Assessment in Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the fifth course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. Assessment is an important part of any behavior analytic intervention. This course is designed to expand upon the previously learned concepts of behavior analysis and will present the student with information on observation, data collection, and data interpretation. Students will learn the methods for obtaining descriptive data and the procedures for conducting systematic manipulations. Functional assessments and analysis of individual behaviors will be a primary focus. Students will review completing record review, determining the need for services, identifying socially significant behavior, identifying client strengths and weaknesses, conducting preference assessments, graphing functions of behaviors, various application of assessment within behavior analysis, and the important of interdisciplinary collaboration, and incorporating client quality of life and happiness. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a functional behavior assessment, and review mock client data. Prerequisite: IHS 302.
IHS 403 Consultation and Supervision in Applied Behavior Analysis
3 credits. This is the sixth and final course within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. This is the final course in the sequence, where students will build upon previous knowledge around behavior analytic principles, measurement, data, experimental design, ethics, assessment, selecting and implanting interventions. This course takes that foundation and applies it to data-based decision making to evaluate the effects of interventions for clients and staff of organizations. Students also learn to collaborate while selecting and implementing interventions that integrate behavior analytic concepts and principles into plans and to rely on the best available scientific evidence and to incorporate information about preferences, risks, the environment, and social validity for program planning. The course includes team activities and case studies to assess and intervene in collaborative, positive ways that maximize outcomes. Prerequisite: IHS 302.
IHS 404 Concentrated Field Experience 1
3 credits. This is the first concentrated field experience, within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. Prerequisite: IHS 101.
IHS 405 Concentrated Field Experience 2
3 credits. This is the second concentrated field experience, within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. Prerequisite: IHS 101, IHS 404.
IHS 406 Concentrated Field Experience 3
3 credits. This is the third concentrated field experience, within the PLS 5th Edition Association for Behavior Analysis International's (ABAI) Verified Course Sequence (VCS) BCaBA certification. Prerequisite: IHS 101, IHS 201, IHS 404, IHS 405.
*The Association for Behavior Analysis International has approved courses IHS 100 through IHS 406 as meeting the 5th Edition Task List’s coursework requirement for eligibility to take the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) examination. Applicants will have to meet additional requirements to qualify for the examination. Students who enrolled in this program prior to Fall 2018 must register for IHS 465 through IHS 482, which meets the 4th Edition Task List’s coursework requirement for taking the BCaBA examination. For information on these courses, please see the SJU Catalog.
NOTE: Courses are in alpha-numeric order, not necessarily the order in which they are taken, and are subject to change. Please speak with an Program Manager for a course map.
To learn more and begin the credit evaluation process for the Liberal Studies degree completion program at Saint Joseph’s University, call (215) 473-2695 to speak with a Program Manager or request more information below.
