B.A. in Applied Behavioral Sciences: Turn Your Experience Into a Degree

One of the first degree-completion programs of its kind, offered since 1978, NLU's Applied Behavioral Sciences degree is built for working adults ready to turn professional experience into a bachelor's in behavioral science, leadership, and human dynamics, fully online.

  • Offered Since 1978
  • Prior Learning Credit Accepted
  • Degree Completion for Working Adults
  • Online and Flexible

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Why Choose NLU for Applied Behavioral Sciences?

Since 1978
One of the first degree-completion programs of its kind

Decades of building a program around working adults, not traditional students.

Your Experience Counts
Prior learning and professional credit accepted

Shorten your time to graduation with what you already know.

Online and Flexible
Built around your work and life

Finish your bachelor's without stepping away from your career.

Many Careers
Corporate training, HR, social services, leadership

Behavioral science applies across nearly every field.

Teaching Option
An accelerated MAT pathway to an Illinois license

Move into K-12 teaching within the same degree.

Get Started Today

Program at a Glance

When established?
Since 1978
One of the first of its kind
How to start?
90 QH Min
A transfer-friendly degree-completion program
What format?
Online
Flexible scheduling for working adults
What focus?
Human Behavior
Leadership, relationships, and organizations

What You'll Learn

  • Apply behavioral science to real organizational challenges
  • Understand and resolve conflict in groups
  • Lead, train, and develop people effectively
  • Conduct applied research in your own workplace
  • Customize your degree to your career direction
  • Add an Illinois teaching license through the MAT option

Full Course List

Research
Research methods and fieldwork compiled into a comprehensive report.
Human Behavior
Understanding behavior from multiple perspectives.
Conflict
Resolving conflict for individuals and groups.
Leadership
Leadership and organizational communication skills.
Applied Research
Two research projects applied to your own professional context.
Specialization
Coursework aligned to your specific career direction.

Next start: September 21, 2026 — seats filling fast.

Admissions Requirements

  • A minimum of 90 quarter hours of transfer coursework
  • Online application at nl.edu (no application fee)
  • Prior learning and professional experience credit accepted
  • An advisor evaluates your credits and customization options
  • Fully online, built around a working schedule
Request Info
Proven Since 1978

One of the first degree-completion programs of its kind, designed for working adults from the start, nearly 50 years of doing this well.

Your Experience Earns Credit

Prior learning and professional experience translate into academic credit, shortening your time and cost to a degree.

A Path Into Teaching

An accelerated MAT option lets you earn an Illinois teaching license within the same degree, a route into K-12 education.

Where Will Your Degree Take You?

$67,650
Median, human resources specialists (BLS, May 2024)
Corporate Trainer
Human Resources Specialist
Social Services Coordinator
Organizational Development Consultant
Case Manager
Team Leader or Supervisor

ABS graduates apply behavioral science to real organizational challenges, improving how teams work, how organizations communicate, and how individuals grow. The career reach is intentionally broad: corporate training, human resources, social services, law enforcement, and organizational leadership.

Many paths are open; human resources specialists, one common destination, earn a median salary of $67,650 (BLS, May 2024). For those drawn to the classroom, the accelerated MAT option adds an Illinois teaching credential within the same degree.

Get Started Now

How to Apply in 3 Simple Steps

  1. Request Information

    Submit the form above. An NLU advisor will reach out within one business day.

  2. Connect With an Advisor

    Your advisor evaluates your prior coursework and professional experience for transfer credit and walks you through customization and the MAT option.

  3. Apply and Start Classes

    Submit your application at nl.edu with no application fee. Next start: September 21, 2026. Your advisor guides you through every step.

Get Started

Take the First Step

No commitment required. An NLU advisor will reach out within one business day to evaluate your credits and map your path to a degree.

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  • Offered Since 1978
  • Prior Learning Credit Accepted
  • Degree Completion for Working Adults
  • Online and Flexible

*Salary data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Human Resources Specialists (SOC 13-1071), May 2024. Career paths span multiple categories.

**Program history and structure: National Louis University B.A. in Applied Behavioral Sciences program materials (offered since 1978).