Psychology & Neuroscience

The Department of Psychology & Neuroscience offers a BA in Psychology and a BS in Neuroscience. The department also offers a five-year BA/MA degree program (HEGIS 2001) in Psychology. In addition, the department offers a minor in drug and alcohol abuse studies, a minor in psychology, and an interdisciplinary minor in neuroscience.

Faculty

Chair: S. Wong-Goodrich; Professors: P. Oswald, K. Zaromatidis; Professors Emeriti: P. Greene, P. Jirik-Babb; Associate Professors: B. Cesario, O. Huk, K. Kim, N. Naqvi, J. Theodore, S. Wong-Goodrich; Assistant Professor: B. Ring; Clinical Lecturer: M. Skelly

Objectives

Psychology as a science aims to predict, control, and explain human behavior. The programs in psychology involve the student as a researcher in this process.

Goals

The psychology department has identified several goals for its students. Students who complete a major in psychology will demonstrate:

• Fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings, and be able to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems.
• An understanding of scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods.
• Ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity.
• Competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills.
• The ability to apply psychology-specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation.

The BA in psychology is designed to provide students with the opportunity to customize their courses to align with their specific interests and career goals. Students enrolled in the BA in psychology degree program complete nine credits in required psychology courses and choose the additional 15 credits from a list of courses covering various topic areas in the discipline. The BA/MA dual degree program enables the motivated student to obtain the BA and MA degrees in just five years. All programs prepare students for graduate work and careers in diverse fields.

Other Options

The Capstone Experience

All students complete a capstone course in their senior year. Students may avail themselves of the opportunity to participate in internships in conjunction with PSY 496 , or they may choose to complete independent research projects by taking PSY 491 .