Education & Behavioral Sciences
Overview
The Division of Education and Behavioral Sciences offers an undergraduate education embedded within the College’s mission and core values. Through blending liberal arts with the Christian faith, faculty members provide high-quality instruction coupled with a wide range of experiences to guide students in attaining and applying academic knowledge, skills, dispositions, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and current research in their chosen fields.
Programs of Study
Look through our programs and find the fit that’s right for you.
General Learning Goals:
The Division of Education and Behavioral Sciences offers an undergraduate education embedded within the College’s mission and core values. Through blending liberal arts with the Christian faith, faculty members provide high-quality instruction coupled with a wide range of experiences to guide students in attaining and applying academic knowledge, skills, dispositions, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and current research in their chosen fields.
The Education Programs, Early Childhood Education and Middle Grades Education, seek to guide teacher candidates in achieving the standards of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) and the “Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers” of the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)*, incorporated in the state standards by GaPSC Educator Preparation Rule 505-3-.01. In addition to the GaPSC and InTASC standards, the Education Programs seek to expose students to a biblical worldview of education and challenge them to integrate Christian faith in their educational practice.
*The InTASC standards can be found at the following web site maintained by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): https://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/InTASC_Model_Core_Teaching_Standards_and_Learning_Progressions_for_Teachers_10.html
Graduates earning a BA in Behavioral Studies with a concentration in psychology will achieve the following objectives:
- Knowledge base in psychology: Students will understand the major concepts in all courses as reflected in the required curriculum
- Scientific research in psychology: Students will apply scientific reasoning to interpret psychological data and research
- Ethical and social sensitivity: Students will utilize ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practices and consider the salient sociocultural factors.
- Professional development: Students will demonstrate psychological content and skills to career goals.
Graduates earning a BA in Behavioral Studies with a concentration in criminal justice will achieve the following objectives:
- Students will be able to read, analyze, and apply criminal justice texts, laws, cases, and research.
- Students will be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
- Students will recognize common ethics-related situations encountered by criminal justice professionals and will be prepared to respond appropriately.
- Students will be prepared to work in the field of criminal justice with sensitivity to and recognition of cultural and socioeconomic differences.
Department Faculty
Dr. Roger Byrd
Associate Professor of Social Sciences
Lisa Kelley
Part-Time Assistant Professor of Education
Barbara Reid
Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Justin Russell
Division Chair,
Assistant Professor of Education
Jessica Stovall
Instructor of Psychology
