Welcome to the Behavioral Sciences

Everything from Research to Outreach

As a Behavioral Sciences student, you’ll be at home in IWU’s newest academic building, Elder Hall. This $12.5 million, 65,000-square-foot facility houses state of the art classrooms, a place to do handson research and a counseling clinic where mocktraining sessions are held.

Like most IWU students, you’ll be itching to get some real-world exposure. Field trips to national conventions will give you the opportunity to rub elbows with experts in the field and establish professional contacts. Addictions Counseling students log 350 hours observing and gaining experience under the direct supervision of a certifi ed/licensed counselor. Social Work majors work with a range of clients during their field placements, and Psychology majors regularly work with agencies such as crisis pregnancy centers, elementary schools, health care organizations and various children’s programs.

In today’s fallen world, many struggle to find a story about a life worth living. Others struggle to find a community where they will fit, a home where they will belong. In the Division of Behavioral Sciences, you will learn how to help shape the life stories of those who are broken and distressed—and how to extend a competent helping hand in a helping profession.

Major Opportunities to Serve

The Addictions Counseling program will help you understand the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of addiction. Your coursework will be complemented by handson experience, including a visit to a Chicago rescue mission. By the time you graduate, you’ll be capable of facilitating appropriate interventions with affected individuals, families and communities.

The Criminal Justice major prepares students for work in law enforcement, probation and other court services, corrections or agencies connected with the criminal justice system. There are also career opportunities in victim assistance, paralegal/legal aid and court administration—and don’t forget related fields such as corporate security, private investigations, research, education, law school, graduate study in criminal justice or as a community service officer.

Pre-Art Therapy, a combination of Art and Psychology courses, prepares you to apply counseling skills and art skills together in a therapy setting. Art therapists work in a variety of arenas including clinical and nonclinical settings with everyone from children to adults. By using art as a means to heal and enhance life, patients can use creativity to work through a number of issues.

Psychology majors study human behavior through a biblical lens, both in and out of the classroom. After graduation, your career options include: psychologist, social worker, substance abuse counselor, professor or guidance counselor. Or consider becoming an advertising executive, marketing executive, criminologist or career counselor. Your preparation in psychology will be an asset no matter which career you choose.

The Social Work major pairs your compassion for people in need with the skills to do something about it. Social Work majors at IWU prepare to serve in a variety of social service settings ranging from community mental health and child welfare to substance abuse and corrections. You’ll be ready for beginning level professional social work practice and graduate social work education within the framework of Christian faith and philosophy.

No matter which of the fi ve majors you choose, employment is right around the corner after graduation. This division currently has more than 90 percent of its graduates employed in their desired field. Would it be because these majors offer a wide variety of career options? We think so. You can anticipate careers in school social work, agency social work, law enforcement, counseling, criminal justice, addictions, art therapy or with the FBI.

Or Double Your Degree

Why not double your opportunities by pursuing a double major or a Sociology minor? Having two degrees gives grads a strong advantage when job hunting. People-helping professionals think highly of those with knowledge in multiple subjects. If you’re going into criminal justice, for instance, add a Psychology degree and enter the mind of a criminal for an even greater understanding of a case.

Make Your Compassion Your Profession

Everywhere you look, you see desperate needs—needs that often result in tragic bondage for individuals, families and society. The stories of many such individuals are laced with pain. If you have compassion for those in need and a passion for helping others, then you can prepare yourself to help them write the next chapters of their lives. With the right combination of professional preparation and God-given grace, their pages can be fi lled with hope and redemption.

Meet Your Mentors

At IWU you’ll study with professors who are experienced professionals and have their fingers on the pulse of current social trends. Let us introduce just a few…

Dr. B.J. Fratzke chairs the Division of Behavioral Sciences and is coordinator of the Psychology Department. A veteran professor, she has taught at IWU for nearly 25 years and holds an Ed.D. from Ball State University.

Dr. James Luttrull, Jr., Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, earned his doctor of jurisprudence from Indiana University School of Law and teaches courses in the areas of courts and criminal law. He is chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the 48th Judicial Court in Grant County and has more than 15 years of trial experience.

Dr. Douglas Daugherty, Associate Professor of Addictions Counseling, earned a Psy.D. degree in clinical psychology from Indiana State University and teaches in the areas of addictions counseling, psychology and graduate counseling. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with special interests in the areas of mood, anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders.

Dr. Timothy A. Steenbergh, Associate Professor of Psychology, completed his doctorate at the University of Memphis. He has done research on developing effective assessment and treatment strategies for problem gambling. He is co-author of Problem and Pathological Gambling, a book that outlines a research-based treatment for gambling disorders.