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Behavioral Sciences

Welcome to the Department of Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. Terri Earl-KulkoskyOur department includes classes and majors in Psychology, Social Work and Sociology. Our offices are housed in the Horace Mann Bond building, but we live inside the minds and hearts of our students as we work to facilitate learning about human behavior from the intellectual, emotional, and social perspectives. Our majors are often students who are interested in making a difference in individual lives, families and society. We also attract students who want to do research on human behavior, mental health issues or why societal problems exist.

Our faculty areas of expertise include child psychology, counseling skills, social research methods, violence intervention and behavior change. Students engage with professors in and outside the classroom. We believe learning is a full time process that includes class room learning, service learning, and engagement with other learners. To this end we encourage students through class projects, departmental programs, and discipline specific clubs (e.g. Psychology Club) to provide service in the local community. We encourage participation in professional conferences as both attendees and presenters. We invite our students to compete annually with other students through scholarly papers and research on behavioral science issues at the Banks-Perro-Rutland- Bellamy (BPRB) Behavioral and Social Science Colloquium.

Graduates from the major degree programs have found employment in a variety of work settings including county Department of Family and Children Services, area Mental Health Centers, School Systems, and juvenile justice programs. Other graduates have entered programs for graduate study and hold masters and doctorate degrees in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology or related fields.

Our learning community is strengthened by the fact that while we have a large number of majors, we are a relatively small program that can provide individualized attention and support during your tenure at our university. We appreciate your interest and time exploring our program online, and we hope that you will visit us, find something you like and stay for a while.

Dr. Terri Earl-Kulkosky
(478) 825-6232
kulkosky@fvsu.edu

Horace Mann Bond Building, 154
Office Number: (478) 825-6232,
Fax Number: (478) 825-6161

Janice L. Gilbert
478-825-6232, 825-6233
gilbertj@fvsu.edu

The Behavioral Sciences Department is composed of three programs, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology. The Psychology program provides quality instruction to prepare students to pursue careers in psychology and psychology-related fields. An introductory course is provided across the curriculum to most majors as a core elective for the social sciences. The Social Work curriculum is designed to prepare students for professional careers in social services, including preparation for immediate employment and graduate study. The curriculum utilizes class and field instruction to develop and strengthen the attitudes, values, skills and knowledge essential for helping to alleviate problems that impair the social functioning of individuals, groups and communities. The Sociology program provides curricula that serves as a support to behavioral and social science majors; core courses are provided to most majors that are introductory and focus on man in society and cultural diversity. The sociology major is exposed to curricula that provide a foundation for undergraduates who want to pursue careers in sociological research and teaching sociology in higher education.

Majors and Degrees

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology
  • Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Sociology

Matriculation Requirements

Minimum 2.0 GPA for all behavioral sciences majors.

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete all courses for the major
  • Pass the Board of Regents’ Reading and Writing Exams
  • Pass the Major Area Exam
  • Meet the deadline for application for graduation

Scholarships

Banks-Pierro-Rutland-Bellamy Social Science Scholarships are available to qualified student applicants. Each academic year two scholarships are awarded to prospective majors in the social sciences or behavioral sciences (criminal justice, history, political science, psychology, and social work). Each award is for scholastic achievement rather than financial need.

The Laverne E. Ford Memorial Scholarship is available to underclassmen (freshman or sophomore) that are committed to the field of social service.

The criteria for scholarship recipients are as follows:

  • An entering freshman who is majoring in Criminal Justice, Sociology or Social Work with an SAT score of 1000 or better, and a high school grade point average equivalent to a B or better.
  • Applications may also be made by undergraduates who are freshman and would like to apply for the scholarship for their 2nd (sophomore) year. They must meet the criteria established for incoming freshman, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at the University.
  • The scholarship will award up to $1,000 and is renewable for one year. An application must be made for renewal.

Internships

During the senior year, each Behavioral Science’s major is required to participate in a semester-long internship/practicum. This experience provides majors with on-the-job training. Student interns must receive a satisfactory performance evaluation from the external internship supervisor in order to complete this requirement.

Clubs and Organizations:

  • Psychology Club
  • Social Work Club
  • Sociology

Faculty:

  • Dr. Terri Earl-Kulkosky – Department Head and Assistant Professor of Social Work
  • Dr. Jerry Brenner – Psychology Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Psychology
  • Dr. Shundra Arrington-Warren – Assistant Professor of Psychology
  • Dr. Amaris Baraka – Temporary Instructor Social Work
  • Mr. Artis Brown - Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Sarah Dennis - Assistant Professor of Sociology
  • Mr. Ronald Hughley - Assistant Professor of Social Work

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