Elective Course Descriptions
Individual program pages provide course descriptions for core courses. This page provides descriptions for electives.
Advanced Electives 200-Range
The following courses revisit topics covered in core courses, but at a more advanced level, utilizing amore advanced Masters level textbook. These courses are not geared to nonhuman animals and instead address the topics broadly. These courses are available to student our graduates.
Behaviorology - 201
This course revisits the topic of behaviorology, but at a more advanced level, utilizing a more advanced Masters level textbook. It addresses the topic of behaviorology as a natural science discipline that studies the functional relations between behavior and environment.
Required Text: General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior by Lawrence E. Fraley, available through www.behavior.org.
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST, Dip.CBST, Dip.FBST, or Dip.EBST.
Approximate time required: 15 hours
Behavior and Relations - 202
This course revisits the topic of behavior and functional relations between behavior and environment, but at a more advanced level, utilizing a more advanced Masters level textbook.
Required Text: General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior by Lawrence E. Fraley, available through www.behavior.org.
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST, Dip.CBST, Dip.FBST, or Dip.EBST.
Approximate time required: 15 hours
Explanatory Fictions - 203
This course revisits the topic of explanatory fictions and explores behavior in a natural context by contrast, but at a more advanced level, utilizing a more advanced Masters level textbook.
Required Text: General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior by Lawrence E. Fraley, available through www.behavior.org.
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST, Dip.CBST, Dip.FBST, or Dip.EBST & 201.
Approximate time required: 15 hours
Concurrent Contingencies and Analytical Fallacies - 204
This course revisits the topic of concurrent contingencies and analytical fallacies, but at a more advanced level, utilizing a more advanced Masters level textbook.
Required Text: General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior by Lawrence E. Fraley, available through www.behavior.org.
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST, Dip.CBST, Dip.FBST, or Dip.EBST & 201, 202.
Approximate time required: 15 hours
Postcedent Behavior Change Processes - 205
This course revisits the topic of postcedent behavior change processes and theoretical analyses of postcedent behavior change processes, but at a more advanced level, utilizing a more advanced Masters level textbook.
Required Text: General Behaviorology: The Natural Science of Human Behavior by Lawrence E. Fraley, available through www.behavior.org.
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST, Dip.CBST, Dip.FBST, or Dip.EBST & 201, 202, 203.
Approximate time required: 15 hours
Specialized Electives 300-Range
The following courses provided a much more in depth coverage of some very specialized topics introduced in previous coursework. These courses are available to student our graduates. Courses will be added here on a regular basis.
Aggressive Behavior in Dogs – Introduction and Case Management - 300
This course Introduces students to the scope of the problem with aggressive dog behaviors, including statistics and risk factors. The course goes on to explore the role of the behavior technologist and clients in aggressive behavior cases and a basic structure for working through aggressive behavior cases, including equipment needs. The course finishes with a discussion on the liability issues for dog owners and technologists in working with dogs that exhibit aggressive behaviors.
Required Text: Course notes provided
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST (including dogs), Dip.CBST.
Approximate time required: 10 hours
Aggressive Behavior in Dogs – Prevention - 301
This course Introduces students to some important measures that may be taken to prevent the conditioning of aggressive behaviors in dogs. It discussed basic principles of prevention and then explores issues of early recognition, bite inhibition training (including what it may and may not achieve), management of dog–child interactions, the problem of tying dogs out and utilizing aversive stimulation, the benefits of puppy classes and general non coercive training. This course explains why “dominance” and other such notions are distracting and counterproductive and it provides instructions for prevention training with toy possession, handling, and food bowls some of the more commonly problematic issues in adulthood for some dogs.
Required Text: Course notes provided
Prerequisites: All courses from the Dip.ABST (including dogs), Dip.CBST.
Approximate time required: 10 hours
Proposed future courses:
Strategies and Procedures for Resolving Aggressive Behavior in Dogs
Strategies and Procedures for Resolving Separation Related Behavior in Dogs
Strategies and Procedures for Resolving Stereotypical and Repetitive Behaviors in Dogs
Strategies and Procedures for Resolving Feather Destructive Behaviors in Parrots
Enrichment in the Dog Shelter Environment