At its core, behavioral science is the study of human behavior. It can be applied to many different career paths including management, data analysis, counseling, consumer science, law enforcement, and healthcare. Programs in this field may be broad in scope or may focus on a specific application.

Master-level studies involve specialized study in a field of research or an area of professional practice. Earning a master’s degree demonstrates a higher mastery of the subject. Earning a master’s degree can take anywhere from a year to three or four years. Before you can graduate, you usually must write and defend a thesis, a long paper that is the culmination of your specialized research.