Bachelor of Arts in Human Services

Modern living is complex due to competing desires and obligations: family, career, community and personal needs. Learning how to balance these competing claims on our attention and affections often involves making choices based on core values. This course explores answers to a variety of timeless questions so students can come to a better understanding of themselves, their desires and their obligations. Questions to be explored may include: What does it mean to live a good life? What is the meaning of life? Does life have a meaning? What does it mean to be ethical and how does one know right from wrong? What makes work meaningful? What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to be successful? What is the relationship between work, success and happiness? To whom in my life am I responsible, and what do I owe them? Drawing on religion, philosophy and literature, students examine and critique a diversity of responses to these kinds of questions, reflect on the relevance of these responses in their lives and formulate their own responses to these questions. In keeping with Merrimack College’s Catholic and Augustinian mission, special attention is paid to the Christian tradition and the life and thought of Augustine of Hippo.

The course emphasizes effective communication (oral and written), critical thinking, ethical judgment and decision-making, effective teamwork, the ability to work independently, initiative, proactive planning and real-world applications. Credits: 4

This course examines the major issues, theories and findings in the psychological study of positive emotions and experience (Positive Psychology). Emphasis is on the scientific investigation of such topics as the nature of happiness and well-being, psychological flow, savoring, love, optimism, resilience, character strengths and virtues and the meaningful life. Credits: 4

This course focuses on physical, cognitive and social-emotional continuity and changes that occur throughout the lifespan. An introduction to research and theories in human development is included. Credits: 4

This course reviews the literature and research from many disciplines to understand the concepts, principles, theory and practices of family and community engagement. These topics are examined for implementation in PreK–12 schools and communities. Skills and strategies for building systematic, integrated and comprehensive relationships and effective partnerships are explored. Students develop an understanding of diverse contexts and ethics when working with families, children, communities and PreK–12 schools.

This course examines the theoretical and philosophical foundations of the scientific method and the practice of research as it is conducted within the discipline of human development. The specific aims of this course are to guide students through the skills needed to develop a research project, to present that project in a written proposal and to choose the appropriate analytic tools to analyze and interpret data for both an academic and a lay audience. Credits: 4

This course provides an overview of local, state and national policies impacting communities and families living in them. Topics covered in this course are policy analysis, review of social welfare program eligibility, primary and secondary services and the agencies providing them. Current events and policies related to economic and political initiatives are discussed in terms of their impact on the delivery of services in both the private and public sectors. Students investigate the roots of policies and how they can impact or hinder contributions to individuals and families in the community. Credits: 4

This course focuses on issues of diversity, social justice and ethics within various educational and social contexts. Its purpose is to develop the theoretical, conceptual and pedagogical foundations for supporting issues of equity and access. The socio-historical context and the influence of the dominant culture on historically marginalized individuals and groups are examined. Additionally, the course examines the adaptive capabilities and strengths of marginalized groups and how these capabilities and strengths can be used in effective community engagement. Ethical theories and moral reasoning are employed to understand the issues inherent in supporting diversity, equity and access. Students explore their values, beliefs and behaviors that may limit their ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds — in particular, disadvantaged and oppressed persons. Credits: 4

This course is for students who are considering careers in speech-language pathology, audiology, nursing, education, human development and human service, health, exercise and rehabilitation sciences or social work. It provides students with an overview of the scientific study of communication, the nature of communication and swallowing disorders and the various disorders that interfere with communication and swallowing. Students participate in the course through recorded lectures, online discussions, video observations and online meetings with their instructor. Credits: 4

This course is for students who need to learn the applications of the International Phonetic Alphabet for use in transcribing and characterizing human speech as it varies across languages, dialects, ages and individual abilities. Students gain the skills necessary for professionals in linguistic and educational sciences as well as communication sciences and disorders. Credits: 4

This course focuses on acquisition of key language components, namely phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Students gain an appreciation for the phases of language development and understand the reasons for dysfunction and its effect on overall school achievement. The course includes a thorough examination of mild to moderate language disability, its causes and successful intervention strategies. In addition to language acquisition, students also examine the design and modification of literacy curriculum and instructional materials, as well as general education classroom environments, for students with moderate disabilities. Credits: 4

This course is for students who are considering careers in areas such as speech-language pathology, audiology, dentistry, nutrition and medicine. It provides students with an overview of human anatomy and physiology for functions related to speech production, swallowing and hearing across the lifespan. Topics related to disorders and disease that interrupt these specialized anatomical and physiological functions are introduced. Students participate in the course through online, recorded or in-person lectures, online discussions, video observations and online meetings with their instructor. Credits: 4

This course is for students who are considering careers in areas such as speech-language pathology, audiology, dentistry, medicine and performance arts. It provides students with an overview of the scientific study and application of human production and perception of acoustics. Acoustics are addressed in real contexts such as personal interaction, health, education and performance. Students participate in the course through online, recorded or in-person lectures, online discussions, video observations and online meetings with their instructor. Credits: 4

This course provides an overview of the inclusive classroom and an introduction to special education. Students gain an understanding of the challenges that students with exceptionalities encounter. The class explores topics including how disabilities are identified; the roles and responsibilities of the general education and special educators in the inclusive classroom; what steps are needed to refer students for evaluations in the special education process; characteristics of students with disabilities; general issues of evaluation approaches; and research-based accommodations and interventions, including the use of assistive technology devices and behavioral interventions. The course also explores classroom differentiation strategies for the gifted student. State and federal laws as well as an overview of local and national support agencies are also reviewed. Credits: 4

This course explores early childhood care and education. Students are introduced to the importance of individual and cultural variations in growth and development of the young child. Topics also include curriculum and pedagogy for program quality to support children’s learning. Credits: 4

This course explores the underlying theories used in designing early childhood curriculum, instruction and assessment. Students develop strategies that apply these theories to lesson development and program curriculum mapping. The course establishes strong connections between curriculum, instruction, assessment and student empowerment. Additionally, students explore concepts of play and developmentally-appropriate practices, activities and resources that reflect diversity and support child development in cognitive, social, emotional and physical domains.

This course prepares prospective directors to administer and manage a childcare center or out-of-school program. Content provides a foundation in organizational management to guide the instructional practices of teachers and support staff and establish systems for program functioning. Students learn about the director’s leadership responsibilities, professionalism and the role of personal awareness and reflection. Topics include state requirements and compliance standards for licensing, QRIS and NAEYC standards, legal and fiscal management, staffing of programs, personnel selection, training and supervision of staff, program operations and facilities management and family and community connections. Credits: 2

This course emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining a safe and collaborative learning environment for all students. Preservice teachers gain knowledge and skills to employ a variety of strategies to assist students in developing social and emotional self-regulation skills and responsible decision-making. The course also focuses on valuing diversity and motivation for students to take academic risks and challenges and establish and maintain effective routines and procedures that promote positive student behavior. Credits: 2

The course is designed to prepare and improve the early childhood professional for leadership roles in their practice. Through research and practical application, students develop the knowledge, skills and competencies in leadership and human resource development to create and guide teams in continuous quality improvement. Focus is on (a) the roles and responsibilities of leadership to enhance critical thinking for evaluating initiatives, programs and personnel, and (b) to guide human resource and development practices, policies and systems built on the norms of ethical conduct, equity in interactions and values of cultural diversity. Topics include current theories and models of leadership and leadership development; communication and interpersonal skills and conflict resolution; supervisor development; legal issues related to human resources; empowerment; motivational leadership; mentoring and coaching; initiating and implementing change; recruiting, interviewing and selecting staff; guiding principles, strategies and tools for evaluation and assessment; reflection methods; and models of professional development for staff. Credits: 4

This course introduces students to theories and principles of child development. The course addresses the application of such theories to practice, examining the biological, cognitive, social and emotional changes associated with development, from early childhood through late childhood. Students engage in an experiential learning project to further gain understanding of how children develop. Credits: 4

This course helps students build the skills to read and interpret internal and external financial reports, understand their underlying concepts, use their information in making informed decisions and understand the effects of management decisions on these reports and the financial performance of the business. Topics include the basic concepts of the accounting process, preparation of the financial statements, analysis and application of the generally accepted accounting principles used to account for the various elements of the balance sheet and income statement, accounting for manufacturing operations, cost-volume-profit analysis, relevant costing, budgeting and financial statement analysis. Credits: 4

This course explores theories of leadership, leadership philosophies and styles, as well as how leaders achieve institutional goals in an increasingly complex and challenging world. It addresses questions such as who can be a leader, society’s biases and norms about what constitutes leadership, the differences between leadership styles (i.e., collaborative, cooperative, problem-solver and hierarchical), concepts such as mentorship and sponsorship and the challenges, opportunities and obstacles faced by marginalized groups who seek leadership positions. Students examine their relationship to leadership and strengthen their capabilities through interactive and engaging assignments and activities, including Harvard’s Implicit Association Test, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Leadership Style Self-Assessment and Optional Thinking Leadership Assessment, among others. Credits: 4

Leaders as change agents necessarily drive change in an ever-evolving ecosystem. Navigation of organizational change requires leadership competencies in change management, new approaches and tools to increase leaders’ understanding of transformation and formal organizational strategies, such as structure, business processes, management systems, technology, products, services, culture and the like. This course explores change in the context of people and processes. “People” refers to the human dynamics that either influence the change or are triggered by it. These dynamics include dealing with people’s emotional reactions, turning resistance into commitment, motivation, engaging people in shaping the change, learning new behaviors or skills, changing mindsets, dealing with politics and relationships and addressing cultural implications of the change. “Process” refers to how the organization will transform and the decisions and action steps it will take along the way.

This course is a study of successful change processes and the leader’s role in creating a culture conducive to change; establishing a vision, buy-in and purpose among the influencers; and implementing sustainable, transformative change within an organization. Through the examination and discussion of change theory, case studies and change agents, this course considers effective approaches to confronting resistance and to leading change both vertically and horizontally

The COVID-19 pandemic made visible on a global scale the importance of leadership in times of crisis. Whether leaders serve in the political, business, nonprofit or social realms, crises pose new and often unanticipated challenges — and sometimes opportunities — for those in positions of leadership. This course explores how leaders proactively or reactively respond to crises, effectively communicate through their actions and behaviors, make decisions and maintain self and organizational engagement. The course also addresses the opportunities for women and people of color who may emerge as leaders during crisis moments and examines the concept of the “glass cliff” that many may face. Through case studies, the course evaluates how leaders respond to crises while simultaneously attempting to maintain trust among employees, investors, consumers, government and other stakeholders. It also considers the role of leadership style in successfully responding to and managing crises, as well as cases where leaders acknowledge their inability to act in times of crisis. Credits: 4

This course focuses on the enactment of leadership through communication. Students explore the relationship between leadership and communication. Traditional and contemporary approaches to leadership within various social contexts are examined. Special emphasis is given to how communication theory can enhance our understanding of leadership. Students engage in course-curriculum activities, including personal interviews, aimed at uncovering leadership as a product of human communication, as well as refining individual leadership potential and skills. Credits: 4

This course explores leadership in relation to principles, power and persuasion. These three elements aid leaders in navigating various leadership challenges, styles and access to positions of power and influence. Defining successful leadership is not done in isolation — it requires an understanding and close examination of what guides a leader’s assumptions, beliefs and actions in concert with their pursuit of power and their ability to persuade others, including those who are different from themselves. Learning how to maintain one’s principles, even while reaching a compromise, is a necessary leadership skill. Holding position, power and influence, and using them ethically and for the greater good, are also ideals and aspects of leadership. Persuading others to embrace workplace change, adapting an organization’s mission in an agile environment and commanding and holding attention are essential skills for leaders. Credits: 4

Evaluating and transferring knowledge in team-based environments with diverse groups of employees can be challenging. Leaders need to adapt their practices for working across multicultural, multi-gendered, multi-racial and multi-abled employees and collaborators, as well as across national borders. This course exposes students to theories of team leadership and helps them develop tools for sharing knowledge in an effective manner. Measuring team effectiveness is difficult for team-based leadership because a majority of team tasks within organizations are not quantifiable. Some of the criteria that can be used to measure team performance include: the team’s output meeting or exceeding expectations; collaboration among members enhancing each other’s capabilities; and the team experience fulfilling the personal needs of its members. Credits: 4

The world has changed immensely since the “Great Man Theory” of leadership first emerged in the late 1800s. This course addresses the theory and its persistence, the changes that have emerged since and alternative models of leadership, such as those that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in recruiting and developing leaders. Understanding the complex social symbiosis and the interdependent relationship between leaders and followers is often overlooked. This course examines various theories, such as Leader-Follower Theory, Leader Member Exchange Theory (LMX) and the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory, among others. The course uses relevant case studies to inform how leaders effectively embrace, engage and support followers and team members to achieve organizational success. Credits: 4

This course explores ethical dilemmas and contemporary problems that can arise when leaders consider the ways important and proper decision-making intersects with the needs and goals of organizations, society or the wider world. What happens when an individual’s ethics are counter to the organization’s practices or society’s values? The course includes a historical review of various leaders’ actions and the resulting consequences when confronted with an ethical dilemma. Students use case studies, their own experiences and current events to examine ethical tensions within the framework of personal goals and social outcomes. Students study popular ethical theories, strategies and solutions with a refined understanding of various perspectives and reasoning essential to good ethical leadership. From theory evaluation to ethical models, exercises and discussions, students enhance their critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of the perspectives of others. In addition, students assess their ethical framework in the context of an effective leadership model. Credits: 4