The School of Behavioral Sciences strives for excellence in the advancement of the behavioral sciences and in promoting mental health and service to society. The goal is to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the lives of people in diverse communities around the world. The School is committed to a pursuit of humanistic thought and action, multicultural understanding, academic excellence, and lifelong learning.
Degree & Certificate Programs
Dean Profile
Melanie Shaw, PhD
Melanie Shaw, PhD has spent the past two decades teaching and serving in faculty and administrator roles in online higher education settings. She has trained faculty to develop and deliver courses online, conducted research on topics related to nontraditional education, and is involved in strategic leadership relative to the vision for online education. She is the author of several books, articles, and chapters including: An Evaluation of Student Outcomes by Course Duration in Online Higher Education; Establishing an Online Professional Development Community to Promote Faculty Engagement and Excellence; Distance Learning Courses: A Survey of Activities and Assignments; and Online Course Activities: A Survey of Assignment and Assessment Types. She is the winner of the Wagner Award for Outstanding Instructional Support and the Online Learning Consortium’s Effective Practice Award.
Melanie received a PhD in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Teaching, a M.Ed in Education Administration, and a MS in School Counseling. She received her BS in Liberal Studies and Music. She holds teaching certificates in online teaching, elementary education, and school counseling.
Faculty Mentors
The faculty mentors in CalSouthern’s School of Behavioral Sciences are skilled and experienced clinicians as well as dedicated, responsive and highly qualified educators.
They are available to support your learning and mastery of the course content. And, equally important, they will help you utilize the concepts you learn and apply them to resolve challenges commonly faced in clinical practice today.
CalSouthern provides instruction that enables dedicated, independent learners to gain the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in their career. The low tuition/payment structure ensures that learners graduate debt-free which is a HUGE deal in today’s world of unreasonable tuition rates and financial aid debt. I especially appreciate how CalSouthern understands that students like me, a single parent with a full-time, demanding career, may have difficulty keeping up with assignment deadlines. They are understanding and supportive and allow course extensions. I truly would not want to complete my PsyD degree anywhere else.
– Lori VanValkenburg, PsyD
Explore Recent News
From the School of Behavioral Sciences
How Online Learning Can Provide Practical & Quality Education
Since joining CalSouthern after 28 years at Irvine Valley College (IVC), President Glenn Roquemore, PhD, has been able to focus…
Candid Observations by CalSouthern President Glenn R. Roquemore
President Glenn Roquemore, PhD, came to CalSouthern in early 2020 after 28 years with Irvine Valley College (IVC), the last…
CalSouthern Thrives on Five Proven Tenets of Online Learning
Did you know experts are predicting that as many as one-quarter of the 5,300 post-secondary schools in the U.S. won’t…
CalSouthern Continues its Distance Learning Outreach in Pakistan
You could call it the ultimate example of distance learning. California Southern University, the school that helped pioneer distance learning…
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Accreditation & Approvals
California Southern University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), which is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Regional accreditation is the most highly respected and recognized form of accreditation in the United States, and it provides students with a number of important benefits and opportunities. www.wscuc.org
Please visit the Accreditation & Licensure page to learn more.