Psychology

The Psychology Program exposes students to the current theories and research in the field, emphasizing the importance of the scientific approach to the study of human behavior and mental states. The curriculum fosters communication skills and critical, scientific thinking about psychological issues. Students in the Psychology program have the opportunity to gain applied experience through supervised counseling skills training, directed research, independent study, and internships. Students in the program will be prepared for graduate education or entry into occupations which utilize knowledge of human behavior, such as counseling, education, law, medicine, and business. 

Students who decide to major in Psychology will have comprehensive exposure to the discipline as well as the concentration to gain additional knowledge and skills related to specific areas of psychology. There are six options for Psychology majors: 

The General Psychology Concentration encourages breadth of study and allows flexibility in course selection that provides a general knowledge of human behavior and psychological functioning that is useful in many types of careers. 

The Clinical/Counseling Psychology Concentration is for students who wish to have a career in the human services. This option offers basic counseling and clinical theory, supervised applied skills training and internship experience and prepares students for employment with various agencies or for graduate study in any of the clinical or counseling fields. 

The Experimental Psychology Concentration emphasizes the scientific aspects of psychology, including theory, research methodology, statistical and laboratory skills. This option prepares students for Ph.D. study, and/or careers in primary or applied research (e.g., government or industrial research labs). 

The Child and Adolescent Development concentration provides opportunities to focus on various aspects of development from infancy through young adulthood, including social and cognitive development, parenting, developmental disorders, and adverse and protective experiences.  Students are required to complete an internship or practicum. This option prepares students for graduate study or employment in fields with children, teens, and/or emerging adults.

The Industrial/Organizational Concentration is for students interested in careers where psychology and business intersect. Such fields include advertising, marketing, human resource management, and human factors engineering. The program prepares students for graduate study or careers in business and industry.

The Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Concentration prepares students to incorporate horses into experiential therapies and be eligible for certification as an Equine Specialist Professional through the Equine Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA). 

Art Therapy is an expressive therapy that uses creative art-making processes to improve someone’s mental and emotional health. We offer pre-preprofessional pathway for those wishing to pursue a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy.. 

Upon completion of this program a student is able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the theories and research findings in the core sub-disciplines of the field, including Neurological, Developmental, Social, Clinical/Abnormal, Cognitive/Experimental, and Personality Psychology
2. Demonstrate the ability to discriminate between Scientific (Empirical) and non-Scientific evidence or sources of information
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the Experimental Method and how it's interpretation differs from Non-Experimental methods
4. Form an opinion on a psychological issue and defend that position with relevant empirical evidence
5. Demonstrate a basic competence in generating a research hypothesis and a research design based upon a critical review of relevant literature
6. Demonstrate the ability to communicate about psychological issues through oral presentations and discussions
7. Demonstrate the ability to communicate about psychological issues through written papers or poster presentations
8. Demonstrate the ability to conduct a thorough literature search on psychological issues or topics