Grace College Introduces 11 New School of Behavioral Sciences Degree Concentrations

Grace College Introduces 11 New School of Behavioral Sciences Degree Concentrations for its psychology, criminal justice and counseling majors for the fall 2021 semester. These concentrations will provide specialized training for in-demand occupations in behavioral sciences.

“After our program review last year, we recognized that there is an increasing population of students looking for specialized degrees in the behavioral science disciplines,” said Dr. Kevin Roberts, dean of the Grace School of Behavioral Sciences. “We believe these concentrations will enhance the overall academic experience of our students and prepare them to meet some of the most urgent needs emerging in the field,” said Roberts.

The new Behavioral Sciences degree concentrations include addictions counseling, child and family counseling, law enforcement, social sciences, clinical and integrative health, sports psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and child life psychology. There will also be general concentrations for each major to allow students to gain exposure to a variety of topics.

“I’m particularly excited to launch the clinical and integrative health care psychology concentration,” said Roberts, who has done extensive research in integrative health. “Studies are showing that life expectancy drops significantly when individuals battle both mental and physical health issues, and I think we are going to see a significantly increasing emphasis on having licensed counselors in primary care offices in the future,” he predicted.

Dr. Kelly Arney, chair of the School of Behavioral Sciences and professor of criminal justice, is eager to see the law enforcement concentration roll out.

“A large majority of our current criminal justice majors are looking to go into law enforcement, so I foresee that concentration being a popular one,” said Arney. “The recent past has demonstrated the importance of having qualified professionals in law enforcement roles, and it’s exciting to think about preparing the next generation of highly-competent and skilled law enforcement here at Grace,” she said.

For more information about the Behavioral Sciences degree concentrations visit www.grace.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/ and click on the psychology, criminal justice, and counseling web pages.