Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The Psychology Program offers the combined advantages of a strong liberal arts college and a major university. There are classes in all major areas of the psychology field. We encourage close student-faculty relationships and offer many opportunities for individualized study and research. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience: from the functions of the brain to the actions of neurons, from child development to care for the aged. In settings ranging from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists. An undergraduate major in psychology offers a student preparation for a wide variety of careers. Many majors find psychology to be an excellent preparation for such service-oriented professions as social work, counseling and guidance, special education, and management. Those who pursue graduate work in one of the many fields of psychology often seek positions in teaching and research or applied human services. In addition, the study of psychology provides knowledge and an understanding of behavior that has applications in professions such as nursing, medicine, law, teaching, business, and public relations. An undergraduate major in psychology provides preparation for graduate training in psychology, medicine, social work, allied health professions, education, business, computer science, or law. The undergraduate degree directly prepares students for careers that require knowledge and understanding of behavior, research design, and the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data. Requirements for a Psychology Major Beginning with Allport (1937), scientific psychology has historically relied on two broad complementary traditions in the study of human behavior. The nomothetic or experimental approach focuses on identifying general laws about human behavior. The idiographic approach is concerned with the uniqueness of people and focuses on differences among individuals. Although all psychology courses apply both perspectives to specific topics in psychology, subsets of psychology courses rely more heavily on one or the other; therefore, the major requirements below ensure training that reflects a balance of nomothetic and idiographic approaches. The psychology major requires a total of 30 credit hours comprised of PSCL 101 General Psychology I and PSCL 282Quantitative Methods in Psychology; 2 nomothetic courses; and 2 idiographic courses. The remaining 12 credits of elective course work can be taken as any combination of PSCL courses. Psychology majors must complete 30 hours of course work in the department.