Department of
Behavioural Studies
Documentation and Academic Structure of the Department
The Department of Behavioural Studies examines observable behaviour and the environmental, social, and reinforcement conditions that shape, sustain, or change it — studied through systematic observation and controlled experiment, independent of what a person reports about their own internal mental states.
Where the Department of Psychology and the Department of Cognitive Science study mind and mental architecture, the Department of Behavioural Studies studies what can be directly observed: action, response, and pattern under specified conditions, and the principles by which behaviour reliably changes.
This document establishes the Department’s complete academic and institutional documentation architecture across seven structural layers.
Foundational Framework
Governing Field. Human Formation, examined through the discipline of Behavioural Studies — the systematic empirical study of observable behaviour and the conditions under which it is acquired, sustained, and changed.
Central Premise. Behaviour is lawful, not random: it responds in predictable ways to reinforcement, environment, and consequence, and understanding those patterns allows behaviour to be studied, and where appropriate and consented to, intentionally shaped — a power that carries real responsibility given how directly it can be used to influence another person’s actions.
Foundational Theoretical Anchor. The Department operates under the Principle of Non-Diagnostic Overreach established by the Department of Psychology, and coordinates closely with the Department of Learning Psychology (Faculty III), the Department of Social Psychology (Faculty III), and the Relational Human Formation research programme’s work on relational systems and formation sequences, which describe behaviour change within relational contexts specifically.
Programme List
The Department offers a complete academic ladder from foundational study through doctoral research.
Delivery Framework
The Department is delivered online-first, using structured cohort-based study supported by Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs for every unit, consistent with the Institute’s established production standard.
Curriculum
The BA (Honours) Behavioural Studies curriculum proceeds across four levels, numbered BH101 through BH111, following the Institute’s core pedagogical standard: scaffolded progression from structured instruction toward fully independent behavioural research and analysis.
| Level | Focus | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | Foundations of Behavioural Studies; the observation–inference distinction; introduction to reinforcement theory | BH101–BH104 |
| Level 5 | Behavioural experiment design; environmental and social influences on behaviour; ethics of behaviour change | BH105–BH107 |
| Level 6 | Independent behavioural research; capstone supervised study; specialization electives | BH108–BH109 |
| Level 7 (MA) | Advanced behavioural theory; behaviour change and Human Formation; research methods; dissertation | BH110–BH111 |
Key Pedagogical Standard. Every module moves the learner from structured instruction toward the independent capacity to design and evaluate behaviour-change interventions responsibly — no learner exits the programme able to influence behaviour without also being trained in the consent and disclosure obligations that influence carries.
Research Fields and Centres
The Department maintains the following primary research fields:
Centre for Behavioural Studies
The Department’s standing research centre, coordinating cross-domain research with the Department of Psychology, the Department of Learning Psychology, and the Department of Social Psychology.
Assessment and Ethics
Assessment in the Department evaluates a learner’s competence in behavioural research design, observation, and intervention analysis — never a comparison of the learner’s own behaviour against a normative standard of conduct.
Because the study of behaviour change confers a direct, practical capacity to influence how other people act, the Department applies a dedicated integrity principle governing that capacity.
Award Titles
Public-Facing Department Page
The Department of Behavioural Studies is where the Institute studies observable behaviour and the conditions that shape it — and trains practitioners to influence behaviour transparently, in partnership with the person changing it, never covertly. As a sibling Department of Faculty III, it studies what can be directly observed and reliably changed, with the responsibility that capability carries.
Learners join a structured academic pathway from Certificate through PhD, moving from guided foundational study toward independent behavioural research, supported at every level by the Institute’s full documentation standard: Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs.
Permanent Department Documentation Order
The permanent documentation order of the Department, restated for reference:
Delivery Framework Detail
Programme Specification I — Certificate in Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification II — Diploma in Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification III — BA Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification IV — BA (Honours) Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification V — Postgraduate Certificate in Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification VI — Postgraduate Diploma in Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification VII — MA Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification VIII — Specialized Master’s in Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification IX — MRes Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification X — MPhil Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification XI — PhD Behavioural Studies
Programme Specification XII — Professional Practice Certificate in Behavioural Analysis and Intervention Support
Summary Programme Table
A consolidated summary of all twelve programmes offered by the Department.
| Award | Abbreviation | Duration | Credits | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate in Behavioural Studies | CertBH | 6–12 months | 60 credits | ₦450,000 |
| Diploma in Behavioural Studies | DipBH | 1 year | 120 credits | ₦850,000 |
| BA Behavioural Studies | BA BH | 3 years | 360 credits | ₦2,400,000 |
| BA (Honours) Behavioural Studies | BA(Hons) BH | 4 years | 480 credits | ₦3,100,000 |
| Postgraduate Certificate in Behavioural Studies | PGCert BH | 6 months | 60 credits | ₦900,000 |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Behavioural Studies | PGDip BH | 9 months | 120 credits | ₦1,600,000 |
| MA Behavioural Studies | MA BH | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦2,900,000 |
| Specialized Master’s in Behavioural Studies | MA BH (Spec.) | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,200,000 |
| MRes Behavioural Studies | MRes BH | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,400,000 |
| MPhil Behavioural Studies | MPhil BH | 2 years (FT) / 3 years (PT) | 240 credits | ₦5,600,000 |
| PhD Behavioural Studies | PhD BH | 3–4 years (FT) / 5–6 years (PT) | 360 credits | ₦9,100,000+ |
| Professional Practice Certificate in Behavioural Analysis and Intervention Support | PPC BAIS | 6–9 months | 60 credits (practice-based) | ₦1,100,000 |
Credit Framework
The Department applies the Institute’s standard credit framework: one credit represents approximately 10 notional learning hours, inclusive of guided instruction, independent study, behavioural analysis practicum where applicable, and assessment.
| Level | Credits (Full Level) | Notional Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 (Certificate/Year 1) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 5 (Diploma/Year 2) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 6 (BA Year 3 / Honours Year) | 120–240 | 1,200–2,400 |
| Level 7 (Postgraduate/MA) | 180 | 1,800 |
| Level 8 (MPhil/PhD, research credit) | 240–360 | 2,400–3,600 |
Behavioural Intervention Ethics Principle
Because behavioural methods confer a direct, practical capacity to change how another person acts, the Department’s ethical commitments govern every module, practicum, and research activity it authorizes.
This principle governs curriculum design, behavioural analysis practicum, assessment design, and all research involving human participants across the Department, and stands alongside the Principle of Non-Diagnostic Overreach (Department of Psychology), the Principle of Developmental Research Protection (Department of Developmental Psychology), and the Principle of Model Humility (Department of Cognitive Science) as the fourth ethics principle documented within Faculty III.
Tuition Principle
Tuition for every programme is published in full above, with no undisclosed fees. Where a learner’s circumstances warrant it, the Department may offer needs-based tuition adjustment, cohort scholarships, or staged payment plans, at the discretion of the Institute’s admissions and finance offices.
Tuition figures reflect the Institute’s standard credit-based tuition model and are reviewed annually.
Final Delivery and Access Declaration
The Department of Behavioural Studies is delivered online-first to maximize access for learners regardless of geographic location, with structured cohort support, complete documentation for every module, and a clear pathway from Certificate through PhD. No learner shall be required to relocate to access any taught programme offered by this Department.
Final Structural Declaration
The Department of Behavioural Studies stands as a sibling Department of Faculty III, holding the empirical study of observable behaviour and the transparent, consented practice of changing it. Every award, module, and research activity documented above proceeds through the Department’s permanent structural chain:
This chain governs the Department of Behavioural Studies now and permanently, coordinated with, and answerable to, the Principle of Non-Diagnostic Overreach held by the Department of Psychology.