American College of Applied Science Virtual Campus

This course will build upon the principles and methodologies of applied behavior analysis covered in ANS 3001 Animal Learning and Behavior Analysis and will focus on functional behavioral assessment (FBA), function based behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) and counseling the caregivers on plan implementation, monitoring, fading reinforcers to those occurring in the natural environment, and ongoing behavior maintenance. Students will prepare themselves to be the lead professional in the behavior intervention team consisting of the animal behavior analyst, the primary caregiver and the family or facility veterinarian. Students will learn how to use FBA caregiver questionnaires and interviewing techniques, collect A-B-C data, describe behavior in topographical terms, arrive at a hypothesis about the function of the target behaviors, develop interventions, test the interventions and graph behavioral data and trends using Microsoft Excel. Students will learn to train caregivers to implement, maintain, and continue to take data on the BIP; and finally write a final report to the veterinarian. A field project with an animal behavior case is a component of this course whereby the student will complete an FBA and BIP in the student’s community and present the data and findings to the class in a live video class meeting at the end of the semester. This is an online course.

Prerequisite: ANS 3001 Animal Learning and Behavior Analysis

This course is intended to assist students in developing the necessary skills to design and execute a research protocol. Topics include the nature of scientific inquiry, library skills, developing research questions, formulation and testing of hypotheses, experimental design, reliability and validity, statistical analysis of data and the ethical use of human participants and animal subjects in research. Experimental, quasi-experimental, single-subject design, and non-experimental designs will be studied. Professional responsibility in research will also be deliberated. Students will develop a working thesis prospectus in this course that can be used as a model, or as a final draft, for their future program thesis project. This is an online course.

Prerequisites: ANS 6030 Qualitative and Quantitative Statistics

This course sequence affords Master’s degree students the opportunity to integrate their program of study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of an original research study. Students complete the Master’s thesis independently, with the guidance of a thesis supervisory committee chairperson and committee members. Students will complete a prospectus, proposal, institutional review board (IRB) application, thesis paper, and oral defense. Submission and defense of the thesis represents the completion of the final requirement for the degree being sought. Registering for three semesters in the course sequence for a total of nine credits is required. All graduate level theses must be defended. A thesis defense, also known as an oral defense, is completed via a recorded teleconference with the student’s thesis committee members (examinee and the examiners) and is a type of final examination for a master’s candidate. Grading for the thesis sequence is as follows: 1) Accepted / pass with no corrections. 2) Must be revised, 3) Must be revised extensively and undergo the evaluation and defense process again from the beginning with the same examiners, 4) Unacceptable - the thesis is unacceptable and the candidate must withdraw from the program. This verdict is given only when the thesis requires major revisions and when the thesis defense makes it clear that the candidate is incapable of making such major revisions. Students will follow a thesis timeline contained in the school’s Thesis Manual, will report progress, and communicate with the thesis chairperson and other students in an online classroom on a weekly basis. This is an online course and a research project.

Prerequisites:
Completion of all required coursework unless waived by the department chairperson.

This course sequence affords Master’s degree students the opportunity to integrate their program of study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of an original research study. Students complete the Master’s thesis independently, with the guidance of a thesis supervisory committee chairperson and committee members. Students will complete a prospectus, proposal, institutional review board (IRB) application, thesis paper, and oral defense. Submission and defense of the thesis represents the completion of the final requirement for the degree being sought. Registering for three semesters in the course sequence for a total of nine credits is required. All graduate level theses must be defended. A thesis defense, also known as an oral defense, is completed via a recorded teleconference with the student’s thesis committee members (examinee and the examiners) and is a type of final examination for a master’s candidate. Grading for the thesis sequence is as follows: 1) Accepted / pass with no corrections. 2) Must be revised, 3) Must be revised extensively and undergo the evaluation and defense process again from the beginning with the same examiners, 4) Unacceptable - the thesis is unacceptable and the candidate must withdraw from the program. This verdict is given only when the thesis requires major revisions and when the thesis defense makes it clear that the candidate is incapable of making such major revisions. Students will follow a thesis timeline contained in the school’s Thesis Manual, will report progress, and communicate with the thesis chairperson and other students in an online classroom on a weekly basis. This is an online course and a research project.

Prerequisites:
Completion of all required coursework unless waived by the department chairperson.

This course sequence affords Master’s degree students the opportunity to integrate their program of study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of an original research study. Students complete the Master’s thesis independently, with the guidance of a thesis supervisory committee chairperson and committee members. Students will complete a prospectus, proposal, institutional review board (IRB) application, thesis paper, and oral defense. Submission and defense of the thesis represents the completion of the final requirement for the degree being sought. Registering for three semesters in the course sequence for a total of nine credits is required. All graduate level theses must be defended. A thesis defense, also known as an oral defense, is completed via a recorded teleconference with the student’s thesis committee members (examinee and the examiners) and is a type of final examination for a master’s candidate. Grading for the thesis sequence is as follows: 1) Accepted / pass with no corrections. 2) Must be revised, 3) Must be revised extensively and undergo the evaluation and defense process again from the beginning with the same examiners, 4) Unacceptable - the thesis is unacceptable and the candidate must withdraw from the program. This verdict is given only when the thesis requires major revisions and when the thesis defense makes it clear that the candidate is incapable of making such major revisions. Students will follow a thesis timeline contained in the school’s Thesis Manual, will report progress, and communicate with the thesis chairperson and other students in an online classroom on a weekly basis. This is an online course and a research project.

Prerequisites:
Completion of all required coursework unless waived by the department chairperson.