Psychology
Associate of Science (AS)
Online Degree Program

Introduction to Business introduces the business world and the contemporary environment in which it operates. How business operations are managed and organized will be explored and the basic ideas of marketing processes and consumer behavior will be discussed. Additionally, students will become aware of the changing face of business, with its current technological and management information system advances.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the types of ethical and social responsibility issues that affect the contemporary business environment.
• Explain how businesses, operations, and people are organized and managed.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of marketing, including marketing processes, consumer behavior, customer relationships.
• Explain the financial issues facing business today, including money, banking, securities and investments.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the utilization of information technology within a business environment.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the introduction to business course content.

Principles of Marketing examines the various functions of modern marketing including the market, product and price systems, distribution structure, and promotional activities. The course covers services, nonprofit and for-profit organization marketing including the planning, implementation, evaluation, and control of the marketing effort. Ethics in marketing and socially responsible global marketing are also explored.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and describe the multiple factors related to the field of marketing.
• Analyze the various types of market opportunities.
• Examine concepts related to product, pricing, and distribution decisions.
• Demonstrate an understanding of promotion and communication strategies.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to marketing.

Business Communications covers the fundamental dimensions of communication: language and behavior. Alternatives for conveying messages are discussed. The course also covers, in detail, the various channels and media for business communication, with guidelines for effective and successful use of each.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the foundations of business communication and analyze why it is important.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of effective business communication and the writing process.
• Describe best practices in finding, evaluating, and processing information to effectively plan and write formal reports and proposals.
• Discuss how to develop and deliver effective business presentations with the use of slides and visual media.
• Assess the importance of writing employment messages, and describe best practices for interviewing for jobs.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to business communications.

Principles of Management serves as an introduction to the discipline of management. It is designed to integrate the accepted theories in the area with real world applications to provide students with the basic knowledge and skills needed for managing others. This course begins with a discussion of the current issues in management and then proceeds to cover the traditional functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. By the end of this course, students should have an understanding of the needs of modern public and private organizations, including emerging national and international trends.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Examine the role of managers in organizations, and identify the value of studying management.
• Describe managerial challenges and issues relating to ethics, diversity, and social responsibility.
• Demonstrate an understanding of management functions including planning and managing strategy.
• Examine organizational structure and human resources in relation to managing, organizing, and leading individuals and teams within the organization.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to management.

Business and Society explores both market and nonmarket components of the business world. While interrelated, managers must understand how the market and nonmarket environments interact and address those issues to achieve superior performance. To do this, the course combines the disciplines of economics, political science, and law to provide students with a deeper understanding of the complex managerial issues involved. The focus is on strategy and its implementation within the context of social, governmental, and legal constraints.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and discuss key concepts related to the role and concept of social responsibility in the business world.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the factors impacting corporate governance, the relevant stakeholders, and organizational behavior in relation to social responsibility.
• Examine the interrelationship and impact of government on business and the related laws, regulations, and politics impacting each.
• Explain the importance of ethics in relationship to corporate social responsibility and the issues impacting ethical behavior.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to business and its role in society.

Organizational Theory and Behavior emphasizes the relationships among individuals, groups, organizations, and society. It presents a dynamic, systems approach to understanding and facilitating work relationships. Emphasis is given to the interaction of individual values, attitudes, needs, abilities, traits, and motivation within teams and organizations.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and define organizational behavior and assess the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
• Examine the concepts of ethics, diversity, attitude, emotions, personality, and motivation of the individual within organizations.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of group behavior and key factors influencing group behavior.
• Examine best practices for creating an organizational culture.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to organizational behavior.

Human Resource Management explores the fundamentals of human resource management and its significance to a company’s success. Examined, in detail, are HR functions such as recruitment, retention, appraisal, compensation, labor relations, development, and current trends in the field. Practical skills-oriented concepts and techniques are highlighted throughout the course, as is the emphasis on building and maintaining an engaged and productive workforce.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and define human resource management, and describe major trends and best practices related to the field.
• Demonstrate an understanding of staffing and training issues related to human resource management.
• Develop an understanding of compensation plans and total rewards.
• Recognize the importance of employee and labor relations, social responsibility, ethics, and risk management as they relate to the field.
• Identify the issues of managing human resources on a global scale.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to human resource management.

Small Business Management presents an overview of entrepreneurship, including launching a new venture, managing an ongoing venture, financial planning, taxation, and other topics specific to entrepreneurs. Students will learn the necessary elements to successfully start, run, and manage a small business and be able to apply those concepts and ideas within their business careers, even if they do not choose the entrepreneurial route.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the basics and challenges of small business management including its role in the U.S. economy.
• Recognize the importance of strategic planning and early decisions in small business management.
• Describe key principles of financial and legal management.
• Explain aspects of marketing in small business in relation to products and services.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to small business management.

Operations Management introduces the theory and practice of operations management and explores the systems approach to tie information together. The course explores issues in operations strategy, development, and implementation. Students will be able to apply various management tools, such as inventory management and supply-chain management, to effectively contribute to managing business operations.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and define operations management and assess why it is important to businesses.
• Develop an understanding of product design and process management.
• Demonstrate an understanding of best practices related to process performance improvement, utilizing business forecasting, capacity planning, inventory management, and supply chain design.
• Analyze important issues relating to operations management including location, project management and trends influencing the field.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to operations management.

Introduction to Criminal Justice aims to provide students with a general understanding of the criminal justice system’s response to crime in society. It is important to note that the general theme of this course involves the delicate balance between community interests and individual rights that criminal justice decision-making requires. This theme will be explored by examining the criminal justice process in some detail, focusing on how the system is structured to respond to crime.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and define the study of criminal justice and examine the history of crime in America.
• Demonstrate an understanding of policing, its history, purpose, legal aspects, and challenges.
• Describe the process of adjudication including court systems, criminal trial and sentencing.
• Discuss the practice of corrections including probation, parole, prisons and jails, and examine future trends.
• Examine special issues in criminal justice related to globalization, juvenile justice, drugs and crime, terrorism, and multinational crime.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to criminal justice.

Criminal Investigation aims to provide students with an overview of the criminal investigation field. Course topics include the fundamentals of criminal investigation, follow-up investigative processes, methods for obtaining information, and how to approach the investigation of different types of crimes.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and define the study of criminal investigation and discuss the foundations of criminal investigation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of follow-up investigative processes and analyze the legal issues involved.
• Discuss best practices for obtaining information through interviews, interrogations, criminal intelligence and surveillance operations.
• Examine the various types of crimes related to people, property and national security.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to criminal investigation.

Procedures in the Justice System covers the fundamental principles and procedures employed in the investigation of crimes. The course connects criminal procedure cases to the real world through innovative instruction and encourages critical thinking. This course is designed to help students develop a working knowledge of the steps of investigation, beginning with the initial security of the crime scene and concluding with the presentation of evidence and proper testimony in court in such a way as to make the concepts easy to apply to any state’s specific procedural laws.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the foundations of criminal procedure and define the exclusionary rule.
• Examine the various components of search and seizure.
• Demonstrate an understanding of criminal procedures including interrogations, confessions, and identification procedures.
• Describe the different elements of formal proceedings.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to procedures in the justice system.

Forensic Science explores the forensic investigation process and procedures. Students will learn how to identify, gather, and analyze multiple types of evidence through contemporary case studies. This course is designed to make the subject of forensic science comprehensible to a wide variety of students who are, or plan to be, aligned with the forensic science profession.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define forensic science and criminalistics including commonly used terms and key concepts.
• Examine factors related to the various types of evidence related to forensics.
• Describe and examine best practices of collection and preservation of evidence.
• Assess the role of forensic science in terrorism including aspects of cybercrime, computer forensics, cyberterrorism, classification of explosives, and detecting weapons of mass destruction.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to forensic science.

The United States Health Care System course is designed to introduce students to the organization, structure, and operation of the nation’s health care system. This course aims to help students effectively identify their present and future roles as consumer, provider, manager, decision- maker, and analyst. The class examines an overview of the health care system, causes and characteristics of health service utilization, the nature of wellness and disease, individual provider settings, financial and nonfinancial resources used and needed, and measurement of quality of care.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define health and healthcare, key terminology, and analyze the role and process of healthcare in America.
• Describe aspects of employment in healthcare delivery including key personnel and required education and training.
• Examine the various delivery systems in healthcare and discuss related legal, ethical, and political issues.
• Analyze issues in the healthcare industry regarding research, cultural competency, and international applications.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the United States healthcare system.

Essentials of Managed Health Care focuses on health insurance as it impacts the management of healthcare organizations. This course provides a systematic overview of the history of managed healthcare and health insurance in the United States, types of health plans and available payers, the provider network, utilization management, quality management, accreditation, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, and laws and regulations in health insurance and managed care.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Discuss the major forces shaping health insurance and managed care today.
• Examine the basic elements of health benefits coverage and provider payment options.
• Describe the basic components of utilization management for medical services.
• Explain the Medicare and Medicaid benefit structures.
• Identify key state and federal laws and regulations governing managed care.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the essentials of managed care.

Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness promotes an awareness of the dimensions and complexities involved in interactions between health professionals and patients from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. It examines different cultural perspectives regarding health, illness and health care that exists within American society by demonstrating traditional health beliefs and practices among selected populations. Emphasis is placed on the importance of having culturally competent health care professionals to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and describe the importance of cultural and linguistic competence in healthcare.
• Examine the various health domains including health, healing, and familial traditions.
• Analyze trends in healthcare and describe current issues and barriers to healthcare.
• Discuss health care problems in various demographic groups.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to cultural diversity in health and illness.

Medical Law and Ethics explores the study of medical ethics, or applied ethics, for healthcare professionals who often face dilemmas that are not experienced by the general population. The fast-paced growth of medical technology has made the study of ethics even more relevant. The study of bioethics, or biomedical ethics, refers to moral dilemmas due to advances in medicine and medical research. Since medical law and ethics are often interrelated, students need to have a clear understanding of both in order to protect themselves, their employer, and the patient. The study of ethics includes many questions for which there is no one answer.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define medical law, ethics, and bioethics and examine why it is important to study them.
• Examine the legal environment of healthcare including the legal and court systems and essential laws for healthcare professionals.
• Describe issues related to the healthcare environment regarding liability, confidentiality, and the physician-patient relationship.
• Demonstrate an understanding of medical ethics and describe future trends in healthcare.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to medical law and ethics.

Consumer Behavior explores not only the act of buying, but it also investigates how having—or not having—a product, service, idea, or experience affects our lives, how we view ourselves, and how we view others. This course examines consumer behavior as an ongoing process and includes discussions about current marketing trends—how consumers and technology have affected marketing, and how new marketing has affected consumers and their social environment.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the foundations and process of consumer behavior, and discuss the main perspectives on research in consumer behavior.
• Examine the internal influences on consumer behavior.
• Analyze the factors that lead to consumers choosing and using products.
• Evaluate consumers in their social and cultural settings.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to consumer behavior.

Advertising and Promotions will allow students to see a collective picture of integrated marketing communications. Focus is placed on business-to-business marketing concepts, international marketing discussions, brand management, and various advertising and promotional tactics. This is an integrated approach with a solid advertising core.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe and examine the foundations and role of advertising, promotion, and marketing.
• Analyze the communications process and examine the role of consumers, ad agencies, and other marketing communication organizations.
• Evaluate objectives and budgeting for integrated marketing communications programs and describe the process of development.
• Demonstrate an understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and control in measuring program effectiveness.
• Examine regulations, global applications, social, ethical and economic issues related to advertising and promotions.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to advertising and promotions.

Marketing Management presents marketing management as a core business activity involving everyone in the firm, not just the marketing department, and is structured to improve individual, unit, and organizational performance as it continually adapts and adjusts to the marketplace of the 21st century. Topics covered include: the major challenges facing marketing today; virtual, digital, and social marketing management; analytics, metrics, and measurements available through new technologies; customer-centric and service marketing orientations; branding and brand equity; and global, ethical, legal, and sustainable marketing practices.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and examine issues currently impacting marketing management (i.e. global, ethical, sustainable, strategy, planning, and competition considerations).
• Discuss best practices for using information to drive marketing decisions.
• Evaluate the essential role of the product experience in marketing.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the key elements of pricing decisions and delivering the value offering.
• Examine the role of promotion and advertising in communicating the value offering.
• Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to marketing management.