Online Behavioral Health Degree :: Accredited Universities

Arizona State University’s Nicholas A. Cummings Doctor of Behavioral Health Program (DBH) prepares the master’s–level clinician or healthcare manager for the newly transformed medical care marketplace, one in which evidence–based, cost–effective behavioral interventions replace treatment that results in undercare, overcare or misuse.
Why is this transformation occurring, and how does it affect those seeking careers in behavioral health? Experts agree that behavioral modification can play a significant role in improving patient health while reducing medical costs. As a result, there is a growing demand for professionals with a behavioral health degree–master’s–level clinicians and managers who have a deep understanding of the primary care environment, evidence–based intervention, healthcare policy and financing, best business practices and more.

Arizona State University, in partnership with integrated behavioral care pioneer Nicholas A. Cummings, now offers this highly specialized behavioral health program—a Doctor of Behavioral Health—entirely online. It is available in two curriculum tracks: a clinical track and a management track. Both options are cohort based, 54 credit hour program with courses offered in 7.5 week terms.

The faculty at Arizona State University receives international acclaim, and has significant expertise and experience in behavioral health education. They blend evidence–based behavioral interventions, medical literacy, health systems, and entrepreneurship instruction in order to meet the needs of the reform–driven marketplace. Faculty strive to immerse students in collaborative relationships and graduate clinicians who will deliver and document interventions that produce clinical and functional improvement, patient and provider satisfaction, and cost savings by decreasing overuse of medical resources and lost productivity to employers.

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For those currently in a behavioral health care field, Grand Canyon University offers an EdD in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Behavioral Health. This degree is designed specifically for those who are currently licensed and practicing behavioral health professionals, including professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and social workers. In addition to these licensed professions, those who are working as school counselors, psychiatric nurses and behavioral health agency managers may also benefit from this degree program.

This doctorate program with an emphasis in behavioral health, will examine a range of subjects including; clinical supervision in a variety of behavioral health settings, how to lead across diverse global cultures, as well as studying the business agents of both the for-profit and non-profit sectors of the behavioral health industry.

The core courses in the EdD in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Behavioral Health program examines servant leadership and prepares learners to be agents of change in behavioral health organizations. Topics and coursework will examine major bodies of literature in leadership reflecting critically on existing theory and identifying appropriate applications of theory in education, business, and other organizational cultures.

For some individuals, a doctoral degree may seem out of reach. At Grand Canyon University, we have developed a program that includes an integrated dissertation process as well as a dynamic community that supports you along your doctoral journey.

Unlike many programs where learners are expected to complete a core set of specializations prior to beginning their dissertation; at GCU learners begin the dissertation process from the beginning of their program of study. From the very first course where learners are introduced to the doctoral dispositions, through subsequent residencies and milestones, scholars progressively build the skills and understanding necessary to research, write the results and, finally, defend their dissertation.

This is one journey learners will not take alone. A robust learning community supports doctoral learners along the way that includes other learners, dissertation chairs, methodologists and committee members.

GCU's formative approach to the dissertation process is supported by expert faculty, professional staff, academic counselors and distinctive resources, making the dissertation journey at GCU worth taking.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to university doctoral programs may be accepted for admission by meeting the criteria specified below:

Degree Bearing Transcripts
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Have earned a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 will be accepted with specifications.

OR

Have earned a master's from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA of 3.0 - 3.39 will be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below a 3.0 will not be accepted into the University.

Submit a Letter of Intent between 250-400 words demonstrating your ability to prepare for a doctoral journey in a reflective and purposeful way.

All entering Ed.D. learners in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Special Education, must have obtained an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree in education to be admitted into the program.

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For those currently in a behavioral health care field, Grand Canyon University offers an EdD in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Behavioral Health. This degree is designed specifically for those who are currently licensed and practicing behavioral health professionals, including professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and social workers. In addition to these licensed professions, those who are working as school counselors, psychiatric nurses and behavioral health agency managers may also benefit from this degree program.

This doctorate program with an emphasis in behavioral health, will examine a range of subjects including; clinical supervision in a variety of behavioral health settings, how to lead across diverse global cultures, as well as studying the business agents of both the for-profit and non-profit sectors of the behavioral health industry.

The core courses in the EdD in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Behavioral Health program examines servant leadership and prepares learners to be agents of change in behavioral health organizations. Topics and coursework will examine major bodies of literature in leadership reflecting critically on existing theory and identifying appropriate applications of theory in education, business, and other organizational cultures.

For some individuals, a doctoral degree may seem out of reach. At Grand Canyon University, we have developed a program that includes an integrated dissertation process as well as a dynamic community that supports you along your doctoral journey.

Unlike many programs where learners are expected to complete a core set of specializations prior to beginning their dissertation; at GCU learners begin the dissertation process from the beginning of their program of study. From the very first course where learners are introduced to the doctoral dispositions, through subsequent residencies and milestones, scholars progressively build the skills and understanding necessary to research, write the results and, finally, defend their dissertation.

This is one journey learners will not take alone. A robust learning community supports doctoral learners along the way that includes other learners, dissertation chairs, methodologists and committee members.

GCU's formative approach to the dissertation process is supported by expert faculty, professional staff, academic counselors and distinctive resources, making the dissertation journey at GCU worth taking.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to university doctoral programs may be accepted for admission by meeting the criteria specified below:

Degree Bearing Transcripts
--------------------------------------

Have earned a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 will be accepted with specifications.

OR

Have earned a master's from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with a GPA of 3.0 - 3.39 will be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below a 3.0 will not be accepted into the University.

Submit a Letter of Intent between 250-400 words demonstrating your ability to prepare for a doctoral journey in a reflective and purposeful way.

All entering Ed.D. learners in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Special Education, must have obtained an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree in education to be admitted into the program.

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The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences aims to provide students with the highest quality education by offering programs that focus on building skills in critical thinking and research that have applications for diverse communities. Using the scholar-practitioner model, the School offers a spiritually, SCU culturally and contextually relevant education programs that are designed to appeal to a divers array of learners.

The School prepares graduates in their development of a strong commitment to individual and social change through the inquiry, discovery, and utilization of their knowledge and skills to enrich and advance the lives of those around them.

The academic majors offered are designed to provide preparation for careers in human services, mental health counseling, government, and teaching, as well as preparation for graduate and professional studies.

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Counseling degree is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human behavior and how it impacts daily living for individuals, families and society as a whole. Students will obtain the essential skills and knowledge to apply behavioral science concepts, principles, skills and methods in field settings such as nonprofit mental health and social service organizations or local and state government agencies. Upon completion of the program, students may also consider graduate study in counseling, criminology, psychology, social work, sociology or other helping professions.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have completed a diploma from a U.S. high school or equivalent program.

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The Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems (Dual Degree) is designed to afford experienced nurses having completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the opportunity to develop cross-functional business management skills and leadership competences appropriate to preparing individuals in the nursing and health care fields for advanced management and executive positions.

This masters in nursing leadership and management program goes beyond patient care and studies the business side of health care by examining the costs, how to set and maintain a budget, and the management of workforce challenges. Graduates of this degree may be prepared to either fulfill an entrepreneurial goal and start their own health company or move into a leadership role within a health care organization, such as Chief Nursing Officer, VP of Patient Services, or Chief Executive Officer.

The following topics are included in the masters in nursing leadership and management: leadership theory and application, finance, accounting, economics, quantitative methods, marketing management, managerial accounting, managerial finance, operations management, and ethics in the healthcare system. Other courses examine nursing as a profession and a discipline and the role of the nurse as a vital member of the interprofessional team providing patient-centered care. Students will explore and learn to apply the theoretical foundations for nursing practice. The behavioral forces and relationships that influence organizational effectiveness and change are studied, as well as intervention strategies and application skills. Nursing and health care research and its application to nursing education, nursing practice, and the delivery of health care services will also be explored. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge into practice.

A capstone course culminates the program, which provides an opportunity for students to develop an evidence-based practice project proposal that addresses a business problem, issue, or concern in professional practice. Students identify a problem amenable to research-based intervention; search literature; propose a solution; and develop a plan to implement the solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to university graduate programs may be accepted for admission by meeting one of the criteria specified below:

Degree Bearing Transcripts
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An undergraduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program with a GPA of 2.8 or better on the degree-bearing transcript

OR

A graduate degree from an accredited, GCU-approved college, university or program

Test Scores
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If students cannot meet the GPA requirement, they may still be eligible for admission by meeting certain graduate test scores:
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT): 500
Graduate Record Examination (GRE): 1,000 combined verbal/quantitative, prior to August 2011; 300 combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011

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