Bachelor of Arts Major in Psychology

The programs of study offered by the Psychology Department are designed to help the student understand the behavior of human beings and other organisms. Behavior is a complicated subject, whether it’s a high school student trying to solve mathematics problems or a puppy learning to retrieve. As a result, there are many ways to understand it. Behavioral variety is reflected in both the course offerings of our department and in the interests of the faculty. Students may study parenting, children learning moral concepts, adolescents, adults who are depressed or anxious, and people who have chronic health problems, all in one academic year. This diversity of interests and activities is tied together by the faculty’s commitment to scientific inquiry. Throughout their coursework, students learn how to answer questions about behavior through empirical research and theoretical analysis. Several objectives can be met by studying psychology at the University which includes increased understanding of behavior, career preparation, and post-graduate studies preparation. Increased Understanding of Your Own and Others’ Behavior Students interested in a liberal arts education may satisfy a desire for a better understanding of themselves and others through a major in psychology. The diversity of course, fieldwork and internship offerings provides students with opportunities to study and have first-hand experience with a wide range of human behaviors and problems. Beyond personal development, the knowledge and skills acquired from this approach to the major have application to a wide variety of activities that students may find themselves engaged in following graduation, including business, science, education, sports, and the arts. Career Preparation The department offers programs of study that provide the psychology major with psychology-related employment opportunities directly upon receiving the Bachelor’s degree. This involves specialization in a) applied behavior analysis which provides students skills to work with a variety of populations, or b) applications in business which provides students, in cooperation with the School of Business, skills in the use of psychological approaches in the personnel, training, and performance management areas of business and government. Graduate and Professional School Preparation Students interested in entering Masters and Doctoral programs in psychology or professional schools such as law and education have the opportunity to pursue an intensive series of course, practicum and research experiences that can significantly improve their chances of admission and later achievement. The program provides students with research and hands-on experience as early as the freshman year, so that by the time of graduation students may have authored or co-authored conference presentations and research papers and worked with a wide range of applied problems. Whatever objectives students may select, they find that the department provides much more than traditional in-classroom instruction. There are opportunities for direct work with children and adults in a number of community agencies, institutions and businesses. Research experience is encouraged through one or more of the several ongoing research projects, and many courses have laboratory and fieldwork experiences associated with them. As a result, students can become a part of the continuing work of psychology.