Organizational Behavior
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Online Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior familiarizes students with the main concepts revolving around the common practices of business and its constantly changing nature. With a well-rounded curriculum that focuses on the key components necessary to fully understand the various factors and best practices impacting organizational behavior, students will acquire essential knowledge in subjects such as communications, leadership and management of people and systems, factors impacting organizational behavior and change, psychological factors impacting organizations, and understanding theory and research within the field.

The BS Organizational Behavior program is designed for working professionals that would like to acquire the skills necessary to effectively work within today's dynamic organizational environments.

Designed For You

The California Coast University online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior program was designed for complete flexibility for the student. All courses are self-paced and completed 100% online.

View Program Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

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Explore The Program

The Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior degree program consists of 42 total courses.
The required courses are comprised of: 14  Core Courses > 14  General Ed Courses > 14  Elective Courses .
There are 126 total semester units in this program.

14 Core Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior (B.S.) degree program, the following 14 courses must be fulfilled. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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ID Course Name Units
BAM 225 Information Management  3

Information Management is an introductory course designed to provide in-depth coverage of essential concepts and important terminologies in the study of information systems. Topics include information management, the principles of a database management system, the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communication, Internet access, and the relationships among ethical, social, and political issues that are raised by information systems and its place in the business environment.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Define information systems and discuss the ethical, legal, and social issues related to information systems.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of technology infrastructure and explain the key concepts of of hardware, software, business intelligence, networks, cloud computing and the internet.
  • Describe and examine the various types of business information systems used in information management including e-commerce, enterprise systems, and artificial intelligence.
  • Examine best practices for strategic planning, project management, system acquisition and development related to managing information systems.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to information management.
BAM 275 Interpersonal Communication  3

Interpersonal Communication examines best practices for improving personal and professional effectiveness. For this, students will examine intrapersonal and interpersonal factors associated with success. This course will also help students develop the essential skills for self-management, working in teams, and leading groups and individuals within organizations.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Examine the factors associated with successfully understanding the self – i.e. self-awareness, values and ethics, goalsetting, and self-management.
  • Examine the factors associated with successfully understanding and working with others.
  • Evaluate the key components for building and working in teams and facilitating team success.
  • Evaluate best practices for leading individuals and groups.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to interpersonal communication.
BAM 312 Business Communications  3

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.
BAM 315 Principles of Management  3

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.
BAM 385 Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations  3

Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations provides students with a comprehensive and in-depth review of the factors related to these important issues. For this, the course will examine workplace, management, and psychological factors related to organizational, national, and global diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, students will explore best practices for managing a diverse and inclusive workforce in the global context.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Analyze the global demographic trends, legislation, and policies on workforce diversity on a global scale.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the social psychological perspectives of workplace diversity.
  • Examine best practices for managing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive workplace.
  • Examine how managing and engaging institutional diversity gives the organization a competitive edge.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to diversity.
BAM 406 Business and Society  3

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.
BAM 410 Organizational Theory and Behavior  3

3 Semester Units

Organizational Theory and Behavior offers an evidence-based management approach to organizational behavior with an emphasis on critical thinking and application. Students will examine best practices for becoming effective leaders and managers in organizations. This course will also explore emerging topics, trends, and research in the field of organizational behavior and organizational change.

Course Objectives

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

  • Define organizational behavior, key theories, theorists, and research in the field.
  • Analyze the personality factors which contribute to understanding individuals in organizations.
  • Explore the various approaches for influencing and motivating employees in organizations.
  • Examine best practices for building relationships in teams, addressing ethical issues, and creating a diversity inclusive environment.
  • Evaluate leaders as change agents and examine best practices for achieving an organizational culture.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to organizational behavior.
BAM 411 Human Resource Management  3

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.
BAM 475 Organizational Change  3

Organizational Change addresses the reality facing both small and large organizations in today’s global economy — constant change. Whether change is caused by disruptive technologies or rapid social, economic, political and environmental changes that alter existing realities, this course provides prescriptive advice, “how-to-do-it lists,” as well as up-to-date theory regarding change management. This course captures the management experience with change in order to assist all those who must deal with change across a broad cross section of the workforce, not just senior executives or organization development specialists.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Define organizational change and discuss the major theories, models, and processes of leading change in organizations.
  • Examine the importance of building, energizing, and navigating change within an organization.
  • Examine best practices for navigating organizational politics, culture, and relevant stakeholders.
  • Discuss key factors that contribute to becoming a successful change agent including action planning and implementation.
  • Evaluate organizational change processes based on research into current needs and future trends.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to organizational change.
BAM 485 Leadership  3

Leadership provides a thorough understanding of leadership principles in the context of formal organizational settings such as business corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The course is organized by level of leadership analysis and leadership theory paradigm. The course discusses the individual as a leader, addresses the individual skills of leaders, covers team leadership, and examines organizational leadership. Thus, in this course, the leadership paradigm progresses from trait to behavior to contingency to the integrative paradigm.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Examine individual leadership related to ethics, motivation, and leadership theories.
  • Examine the skills related to effective leadership in an organizational setting.
  • Describe the key components of team leadership and analyze the benefits of the various types of teams.
  • Evaluate the key leadership elements related to managing change, creating effective organizational culture, and strategically leading.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to business leadership.
PSY 180 Introduction to Organizational Psychology  3

Introduction to Organizational Psychology provides an introduction to industrial/organizational psychology and emphasizes the connections between theory and practice across the full spectrum of organizational behavior. The course covers job analysis, employee selection, and training and performance appraisal. Common worker issues are examined including motivation, job satisfaction, and stress. Group dynamics in the workplace including communication and group processes are explored, and topics such as leadership and power are analyzed as they relate to organizational structure.

Course Objectives

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

  • Define industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology, key terminology, and discuss its origins as a field of study.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical perspectives of I/O psychology, and examine applications of motivational theories to organizational problems.
  • Evaluate the elements of I/O psychology including job analysis, performance management, criterion measurement, training, development, and the role of the leader.
  • Examine best practices along with future trends related to the field of I/O psychology.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to organizational psychology.
PSY 228 Social Psychology  3

Social Psychology offers students an in-depth look at how people come to understand themselves and others in a social context, with considerable emphasis on society’s role in social psychology. Each chapter in this course will introduce students to key individuals within the realm of social psychology whose research has made a significant contribution to the field.

Course Objectives

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

  • Define the field of social psychology and describe its foundations, key terms, and theories.
  • Examine theoretical perspectives related to social psychology and research methodologies.
  • Evaluate the individual in society including stratification, self and identity, and socialization over the life course.
  • Analyze the various areas of social life.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to social psychology.
PSY 270 Learning Theories  3

Learning Theories offers a presentation of learning and behavior theory, methodology, and research relating to how and why humans and animals learn and behave as they do. The course provides a historical and theoretical foundation of learning theory that is necessary to fully appreciate modern forms of the psychology of learning. There is coverage of classic experiments, contemporary research, and real-world examples to help students confidently understand the learning process and its effect on behavior.

Course Objectives

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

  • Define learning, key terms, and major theorists related to the field. Differentiate between learning and learned behavior.
  • Examine the processes of memory storage, retrieval, and forgetting.
  • Analyze the various principles, theories, and applications of conditioning, biological influences, and traditional learning theories.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of stimulus and cognitive control of behavior and the modification of instinctive behavior.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to learning theories.
GRM 497 Research Methods in the Social Sciences  3

Research Methods in the Social Sciences provides an overview of the various research methods, research design, guidance in planning research strategy, and documentation of research data. It also explores and analyzes examples of research from many different disciplines, the development and use of computer-aided research, writing skills, and logical argumentation techniques required in the research field.

Course Objectives:

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

  • Define research, analyze its importance, and examine the different types of research design approaches.
  • Discuss the role of ethics and informed consent in research and analyze the purpose of the IRB process.
  • Evaluate the various types and characteristics of measures used in research.
  • Examine the characteristics of qualitative and experimental research design.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of research processes related to recruiting participants, organizing and analyzing data, and writing and presenting your research.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the research process.
14 General Ed. Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior (B.S.) degree program, the following 14 courses must be fulfilled. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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14 Elective Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior (B.S.) degree program, you will select 14 courses to take from the list of courses below. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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Prerequisites to Admission:

The applicant should meet the following prerequisites in order to be admitted to the program: An applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have successfully obtained a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent.

FAQ About Coursework

Required units may be satisfied in the following ways: