Psychology

Faculty

James P. Buchanan, Ph.D., Chair
Brad A. Alford, Ph.D.
Bryan R. Burnham, Ph.D.
J. Timothy Cannon, Ph.D.
Thomas P. Hogan, Ph.D.
Christie Pugh Karpiak, Ph.D.
Barry X. Kuhle, Ph.D.
Jessica M. Nolan, Ph.D.
John C. Norcross, Ph.D.
Carole S. Slotterback, Ph.D.

Overview

Psychology provides a unique educational experience of quality, breadth and flexibility. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to give students a balanced education in the discipline and the widest range of career options, from baccalaureate entry-level positions to graduate training in prestigious universities. According to a recent independent study, the number of the University’s graduates who have gone on to receive doctorates in psychology has placed us in the top 10% of comparable institutions nationally.

Psychology majors are required to take PSYC 110 , PSYC 210 , PSYC 330 with lab, PSYC 390 (fall, junior year), and PSYC 490 -PSYC 491 (senior year). Students also take a minimum of five courses from the following list with at least one course in each group: Physiological Processes (PSYC 230 , PSYC 231 ), Learning Processes (PSYC 234 , PSYC 235 ), Social-Developmental Processes (PSYC 220 , PSYC 221 ), and Individual Processes (PSYC 224 , PSYC 225 ). Students are free to choose from any of these or the remaining Psychology courses to fulfill the four additional course requirements in the major. Completion of any combination of two optional laboratory courses and advanced topics seminars will constitute an elective Psychology course. Students are encouraged to take PSYC 493 -PSYC 494 : Undergraduate Research in their junior or senior year.

The Psychology Department encourages students to tailor their programs to their own needs and interests. For example, students interested in marketing, personnel, or industrial-organizational psychology may elect a business minor and recommended courses in Psychology. Interdisciplinary programs, such as the Human Development Concentration, and dual majors with a number of other departments are also available. Students should consult their advisor and the Psychology Handbook for recommended courses, both major and cognate, tailored to their interests.

To avoid duplication of course content, Psychology majors may not register for the following courses: HS 242: Counseling Theories, HS 293: Research methods in Human Services, and HS 323:Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Students who wish to declare a minor or a second major in Human Services should consult their advisors and the chair of Human Services with regard to the above course restrictions.