This course draws from the concepts of organizational behavior and leadership theory and human services policy to present the students a conceptual framework for leading a human services organization. Leadership issues unique to human services settings will be discussed, with the focus on developing effective leadership styles, promoting self-care practices, and using mindfulness-based strategies to enhance self-awareness and improve organizational effectiveness in human services agencies.

This course provides students with the common issues and principles surrounding non-profit agencies and organizations. Background and philosophy, rules and regulations, tax implications, principles of philanthropy, the role of grants and other sources of external funding are emphasized.

This course is designed to provide students with working knowledge of volunteer use in human service agencies. Sources and methods of volunteer recruitment, ethical and legal issues in the use of volunteers, methods of training, and techniques for motivating, securing, and maintaining a positive and engaged ongoing inclusive commitment, and effective use of volunteers are areas of focus in this course.

This course explores the interdisciplinary issues associated with gerontology and aging. Topics include social, biological, cognitive theories; differences in issues related to environment and gender; and future implications for service organizations and policy makers in relation to an aging society. Students will understand the individual aging process related to psychological, economic, cultural, and health issues. Students will critically assess the practical implications of an aging population, its social significance, and its effect on society at large in relation to policy, services, living environments, retirement, social support, family relationships, and diseases of older adulthood.

This capstone course addresses the application of sociological theory and research methods to social problems or policy concerns in organizations or communities. Students can either choose from a selection of case studies provided or identify a local organization with an applied or medical social problem or policy issue and develop a proposed solution that applies their learning through an integrative project plan that combines theory, research, and practice. Prerequisite: completion of all required coursework.

This course explores the structure, function, and culture of community organizations, and the ways in which social scientists can use qualitative and quantitative data to inform decision-making, identify and address needs, and evaluate processes and outcomes. Students will read and analyze a variety of case studies and approaches that address these issues.

This course explores theories and concepts of work in contemporary society within and external to formal employment, and the intersection of work, gender, and family. Students will understand a broad range of experiences of work, drawing upon research on how temporal, socio-economic, gender and family roles, culture, and other factors shape work experiences. Students will also consider implications for policy and practice.

This course teaches students how to critically analyze, interpret, and apply statistical concepts to research in education and the social sciences. The focus is on a quantitative approach to the concepts and methods of statistical inference. Topics include sampling, frequency distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, and probability. Statistical analyses covered include correlation, regression, t-tests, nonparametric tests, and Analysis of Variance. Basic research design issues are also addressed focusing on selecting data analysis techniques to appropriately address research questions and to apply the concepts covered to various psychological problems and realistic situations. Emphasis is on developing skills in interpreting statistical results presented in research articles.

This course provides an introduction and overview of the principles and theories of social psychology. The course includes exploration of behavior in groups, group impacts on individual behavior and the ways in which organizational rules and norms impact behavior. Constructs of social psychology, including social influence, social thinking, and attitude formation are covered and related to sociological and psychological research.

This course provides a systematic review of the wide range of cultures and individual differences and the ways in which cultural mores, ethnocentrism, and factors such as matters of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, customs and cultures impact behavior of the individual themselves and of those around them. Through this course, students will better understand themselves and others, in terms of perceptions and behaviors.