Bachelor Of Science, Behavioral Sciences: What You Need to Know
The Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Sciences is approved to meet the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Addiction Counselor Technician (LACT) through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
Likewise, South Mountain’s BHS275: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health – 3 credits course is approved to meet the educational requirements for endorsement through the Arizona Association of Infant Mental Health, & BHS430: Concepts and Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis – 3 credits meets the educational requirements to become a registered behavior technician.
In-Person Clinical Preceptorship (Fieldwork) Requirements
The program includes two in-person learning experiences (Courses: BHS190 [80 hours] and BHS490 [160 hours]) whereby a student works directly with an experienced professional in their field.
As part of the preparation and completion of BHS190 and BHS490, students will:
- Receive a list of approved behavioral health or social service locations
- Be responsible for securing their own placement
- Complete and document clinical hours
Due to requirements within the behavioral health profession, students enrolling in BHS 190/490 should be eligible to obtain a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card and be at least 21 years of age by the time they enroll in the course.
If you are under the age of 21 or have concerns about your ability to obtain a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card, you should contact [email protected] before enrolling in BHS 190/490. With early consultation, we can help you overcome some of these challenges and avoid delays in your educational and career pathway.
Preceptorship Readiness: Preparing for BHS 190 and BHS 490
This Open Educational Resource (OER) is available to help students prepare for this supervised learning experience.
https://icarespace.com/courses/bhs-190-and-490-preceptorship-readiness/
You can access a list of our approved sites here: https://icarespace.com/clinical-preceptorship/
Students with questions or concerns regarding these requirements are encouraged to contact [email protected].
Upper Division Behavioral Health Sciences (BHS) Enrollment
Students may begin upper division coursework (300/400-level classes) only after completing all lower division requirements (100/200-level classes) or be concurrently enrolled in the last semester of lower division courses.
Students will submit an enrollment request form, located in the Canvas BHS Hub Center. Academic advisors will then enroll eligible students in upper-division courses.
All upper-division coursework (300/400 level) must be completed through South Mountain Community College.
Ready to Get Started? Take these next steps:
Admissions Next Steps
Apply to South Mountain Community College (SMCC) here.
First-time college students and recent high school graduates should submit their High School GPA, GED scores, or complete placement testing through Maricopa EdReady.
https://www.maricopa.edu/students/course-selection-placement
Financial Next Steps
After your college application is submitted, please complete the 2026–2027 FAFSA and include SMCC’s Title IV School Code: 015001.
Maricopa Community College Transfer Credits
After submitting your application to South Mountain Community College (SMCC), your Maricopa credits should transfer automatically.
Once your application has been processed, you can review your Degree Progress Report to see how your previous coursework applies to your degree requirements.
If your Maricopa coursework does not appear on your report, please contact [email protected] and request that your Maricopa transfer credits be posted to SMCC.
Transfer Credits from Colleges Outside of Maricopa
In order to know how previously completed coursework might be applicable toward your bachelor’s degree, all previously completed coursework must be officially evaluated.
Please request that all official transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the Maricopa Community Colleges be sent to:
SMCC Admissions
7050 S. 24th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85042
Approved electronic transcript services include:
- Parchment
- National Student Clearinghouse
Please note: Official transcript evaluations may take approximately 2–6 weeks to process. Evaluations may take longer during our peak periods of January, May, and August. If you have questions about the status of your evaluation, please contact [email protected].
First-Time College Students
The Cougar Kickstart Orientation will familiarize you with various campus resources, essential student tools and introduce you to our dedicated Student Affairs team. You will also build your class schedule and establish your financial plan for college.
Students with Transfer Credits: Meet with an Advisor
To help you get the most value from your advising appointment, we encourage students to complete their SMCC application and submit any transfer coursework for evaluation beforehand.
Students with prior college credits/transfer students can schedule an advising appointment (virtual or in-person) with one of our Behavioral Health Sciences (BHS) Academic Advisors:
Lauren Halstead
Josh Schwalbach
Contact Behavioral Health Sciences (BHS) advising at [email protected].
If you do not see an available appointment, we encourage you to continue checking the SMCC Advising Appointment webpage for cancellations, as appointments are typically booked two to four weeks in advance.