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.
Autism Studies Concentration Courses
IHS 465 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. IHS 465 is strongly recommended prior to or concurrently with all other courses in the Autism Studies concentration.
IHS 466 Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Treatment
3 credits. This course is designed to introduce the current research-based interventions in the field of autism, including applied behavior analysis (verbal behavior, discrete trial instruction, picture communication, Pivotal Response Training, Competent Learner Model), TEACCH and social skills. Students will gain a general understanding of applied behavior analysis principles 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.
IHS 467 Social Skills Development in Autism
3 credits. Social skills are learned behaviors that individuals need to successfully navigate social interactions and relationships. This course introduces students to a variety of approaches for assessing and improving the social skills of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A variety of empirically validated methodologies will be discussed, including incidental teaching, video modeling, social stories, and using textual cues. Students will learn to apply these methodologies to teach skills such as joint attention, greetings, conversations, social play, self-awareness, perspective-taking, critical thinking, developing friendships, and community and home success.
IHS 473 Advanced Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
4 credits. This course is designed to expand upon the previously learned concepts of behavior analysis and connect it to the practical world for teachers and educators. In this course, students will gain an understanding of how to use the principles and practices of applied behavioral management in the classroom. Classroom-based examples and practices firmly grounded in research will be discussed. This course will address identifying target behavior, collecting and graphing data, functional assessment, experimental design, arranging antecedents and consequences, generalizing behavior change, and the importance of ethical considerations in using applied behavior analysis in the classroom. Students will also have the opportunity to analyze classroom examples that show teachers using applied behavior analysis techniques in different settings. Prerequisites: IHS 465, IHS 466, and IHS 467.
IHS 474 Applications of ABA: Functional Analysis and Ethics
4 credits. 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. Specific single subject experimental designs will be discussed. The ethical considerations inherent in behavioral assessment, treatment, and research will be reviewed. Prerequisites: IHS 465, IHS 466, IHS 467, and IHS 473.
IHS 480 Practicum (Fieldwork)
3 credits. This course allows students to demonstrate behavior analytic skills in applied settings. In order to generalize information and techniques learned in previous courses, students will work with clients with autism at an approved practicum site. Activities will include skills assessment, program development, instruction, data collection, evaluation of results, progress reporting, and discussion of ethical considerations. The course requires that students be working in the field of autism treatment, complete a site verification, secure practicum contracts, and garner client consent prior to logging hours.
IHS 481 Practicum (Fieldwork)
3 credits. This course allows students to demonstrate behavior analytic skills in applied settings. In order to generalize information and techniques learned in previous courses, students will work with clients with autism at an approved practicum site. Activities will include selecting learning objectives, measurement plan development, instructional plan development, generalization, data collection, fidelity checks, training others, evaluation of results, progress reporting, and discussion of ethical considerations. The course requires that students be working in the field of autism treatment, complete a site verification, secure practicum contracts, and garner client consent prior to logging hours.
IHS 482 Practicum (Fieldwork)
3 credits. This course allows students to demonstrate behavior analytic skills in applied settings. In order to generalize information and techniques learned in previous courses, students will work with clients with autism at an approved practicum site. Activities will include selecting behaviors targeted for change, descriptive assessment, behavior plan development, implementation, generalization, data collection, fidelity checks, training others, evaluation of results, progress reporting, and discussion of ethical considerations. The course requires that students be working in the field of autism treatment, complete a site verification, secure practicum contracts, and garner client consent prior to logging hours.
*The Behavior Analyst Certification Board 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 (866) 758-7670 to speak with a Program Manager or request more information below.
