The Department of Behavioral Science
Department Head: Dr. Eyal Gamliel
This study program awards its graduates a B.A. degree in Behavioral Science which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education.
Department Objectives
To offer students a rich, interesting, diverse and inter-disciplinary study program that includes psychology, sociology and anthropology at a high academic level, enabling students to continue on to graduate studies in universities in Israel and abroad, while realizing their intellectual potential.
To allow students to accrue field experience, supervised by professionals in the field and academics at the college.
Department Characteristics
The Behavioral Science faculty is comprised of people who combine academic teaching with active research or with practical clinical work in the field.
The Department's methodological program is among the best in the country. The program is built systematically and modularly so that students receive well based in-depth knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics. Our graduates stand out relative to other undergraduate graduates as far as their knowledge of methodology.
Studies include high level practical courses which are accompanied by academic and professional supervision. The combination of academic content-related courses and practical courses allows students to develop intellectually alongside their exposure to contemporary information and treatment methods.
Students serve as faculty members' research assistants. Department graduates manage the two research laboratories that currently exist on our campus: Prof. Ada Zohar's personality and psychopathology research laboratory and Dr. Eyal Gamliel's experimental psychology research laboratory.
Study Content
Study and Experience
This unique program joins the fascinating intellectual experience with the instilling of practical knowledge. Second year students obtain practical experience through various in treatment or organizational frameworks, with emphasis on psychology or sociology/anthropology, in accordance with their chosen track. The practical experience is conducted in day centers for the elderly or mentally ill, hospitals, prisons, boarding schools, schools and more.
Seminar and Practicum
Seminar: Each third year student takes a research seminar, according to the track he/she has chosen. Examples of seminar subjects: Nature and Nurture in Psychopathology, Decision Making, Motivation and Persuasion in Advertising, Health Behaviors, Organizational Changes and Technology Assimilation. The seminar papers subsequently serve as calling cards for the students and some are also used as the basis for scientific publications in international journals.
Practicum: All third year students take one of the practicum courses, according to the track he/she has chosen. These practicum courses are high level supervised practical experiences that allow students to express their ideas, talents and creativity. For example, students work with: troubled immigrant youths, patients in a psychiatric emergency room, women in detention centers, educational, treatment and activist non-profit organizations.
Psychology Track
The psychology track is comprised of the B.A. courses required by Israeli universities for a dagree in psychology, as well as elective courses that deepen students' knowledge of the various areas of psychology. The track combines challenging academic study with practical clinical field experience, accompanied by close supervision.
Among the Study Subjects
Among the study clusters are courses in Psychopathology, Personality Theories, Perception, Neuropsychology, Learning, Cognitive Psychology, Medical Psychology and more. Elective courses include Criminal Psychology, Dreams, The Psychology of Immigration, Self Management, Coping and Health, Sports Psychology, Organizational Psychology.
Seminar and Practicum
Students in the track may choose among a number of seminars, during the course of which they conduct research in various fields: Nature and Nurture in Psychopathology, Changes in Healthy Behaviors or Judgment and Decision Making. Students choose a practicum that focuses on clinical work with patients in mental health clinics or psychiatric hospitals or with immigrant children and youths suffering from mental or medical problems within the framework of various wards in general hospitals. The practicum allows students to formulate a psychologist's professional ethics, gain experience related to the components of the treatment relationship and the supervision process, which is one of the central processes in a psychologist's development during his/her professional life. Practicum students work with patients, receive on site professional supervision and participate in activities at the practicum site.
Continued Education and Entering the Employment Market
Continued Education: many of our graduates continue on to graduate or doctoral study programs in various institutions such as The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Haifa University, Bar-Ilan University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College, The College of Management and universities in the U.S.
Graduates have been accepted into various fields of study: clinical psychology, medical psychology, rehabilitative neuro-psychology, psychodrama, bibliotherapy, art therapy, family therapy, clinical criminology, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, organizational psychology, organizational consultancy and development, cognitive psychology, social work, special education, learning disabilities, educational counseling, research psychology, social psychology, gerontology, medical sciences and more.
The Employment Market: psychology track graduates are employed in a variety of fields of therapy and para-therapy, in the realms of organizational psychology and consultancy, in human resources companies and more. Examples of jobs our graduates have had: a rehabilitation hostel manager, manager of the volenteer program of a mental health organization, employment with a high school dropout prevention project, counselor coordinator in an emergency shelter for children.
Sociology and Anthropology Track
The Sociology and Anthropology track provides an educational basis and instills a sociological-anthropological manner of thinking, the essence of which is observation and asking questions regarding social phenomena and creating tools with which to study them. The track is comprised of sociology and anthropology B.A. courses required by universities as well as elective courses that provide students' with more in-depth knowledge of the various fields. Studies combine theoretical courses, methodological courses and practical field experience. Social involvement and the ties between academia and the community are emphasized.
Among the Study Subjects
Sex and Gender; Ethnicity and Nationality in Israel; Collective Memory, Myth and Identity; Social Protest and Civil Society; Negotiation; Human Resources Management; Sociology of Organizations; Health in the Information Age; Sociologists in the Field; Assimilating Information Systems and Communications into Organizations; Immigrant Identity and Culture and the Absorbing Society.
Seminar and Practicum
Students in the track may choose among a number of seminars, during the course of which they conduct research in various fields, such as Creative Persuasion and Motivation Processes, Myths and Social Memories. Students may choose to conduct their practicum in conjunction with organizations that work toward social change in various contexts (environmental protection, drugs, road safety, school violence, family violence, relationships with the "other" and stereotypes of the "other", foreign laborers, poverty, violence in sports, economic and social aspects of immigration and more) or choose a practicum that deals with bringing about change within organizations and organizational consultancy.
Continued Education and Entering the Employment Market
Thanks to their multi-disciplinary nature, track studies open up a variety of options.
Continued Education: Graduates have entered graduate studies in
Public Administration (Bar-Ilan University), Communications (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Social Work (Haifa, University and Tel Aviv University), Education (Tel Aviv University, Beit Berl, Seminar Hakibbutzim College), Gerontology (Haifa University), Employment Studies (Tel Aviv University), Organizational Behavior (Bar-Ilan University), Criminology (Haifa University, Bar-Ilan University), Sociology (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Haifa University, Tel Aviv University), Biblio-therapy (Haifa University) and more.
Our alumni survey showed low rates of unemployment and many students who work in fields related to their area of studies.
The Employment Market: Many graduates continue their community activities in community centers and local authorities or in senior positions within organizations that further social change such as Elem (Youth in Distress), "After", Israel Anti-Drug Authority, in departments that are responsible for community activity within industrial companies, etc. Other graduates have entered the field of information systems integration into organizations, organizational consultancy to hi-tech companies, building content for portals, community work to reduce the digital gap (in local authorities and community centers), in cellular phone training departments and more.
Graduates Survey 2007
93% of the graduates are employed, in a variety of fields.
47% of the graduates continued on to further education. Among those graduates, 49% pursued graduate degrees.