Daemen University has received approval from the New York State Board of Regents to amend its charter and master plan to offer academic doctorates.  Daemen will be offering its first Ph.D. program in Behavioral Science, further elevating the institution’s academic portfolio. 

Daemen currently offers 78 baccalaureate degrees, 35 master’s degrees, and four professional and clinical doctorates.  While Daemen has offered professional doctorates for over two decades, the Behavioral Science Ph.D. — one of only two programs of its kind offered in New York State — represents the university’s first academic doctorate. 

"This is a major step forward for Daemen as an institution because the Ph.D. is considered the highest degree that can be awarded in the United States,” said Daemen President Dr. Gary A. Olson. “Now that Daemen’s charter allows for the conferral of the Ph.D. degree, we hope to develop more Ph.D. programs in other disciplines in the future.” 

“The addition of the Ph.D. program in Behavioral Science is a natural expansion of Daemen's master's program in Applied Behavior Analysis,” said Dr. Lisa Rafalson, founding dean of the College of Health, Human Sciences, and Business. “The program focuses on developing leaders and social scientists who can apply behavioral science across diverse systems, settings, and populations. In addition to the core classes, the program will have three concentration areas in teaching, behavioral health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The 56-credit program will be offered in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Qualified applicants for the program must possess a master’s degree in behavioral analysis from an accredited college or university and have a 3.4 GPA or higher. 

The new Ph.D. expands Daemen’s graduate portfolio, and sets the stage for future programs across its three colleges: College of Health, Human Sciences, and Business; Scott Bieler College of Health Professions; and College of Arts, Sciences, and Education.