Associate of Arts - Psychology

A diverse field of academic study and practical application, psychology deals with personal behaviors such as mental life and personal development, and how development depends on individual and cultural experience and biological variables. The emphasis of the program is to enable students to understand and apply psychological principles to everyday life situations, understand the needs or special concerns of people and the impact of certain stresses that affect human behavior.  Students investigate how humans and other species develop and adapt to everyday problems. Maladaptive behavior creates personal, interpersonal, cultural, and numerous other difficulties. Psychology explores not only how these difficulties can be avoided or removed, but is also interested in how psychology can enhance well-being.  Students will develop the knowledge that is basic to a career in areas of professional psychology, marriage and family therapy, and human services. The curriculum provides appropriate courses to support areas such as the natural sciences, mathematics, language arts, and the humanities.

Psychologists may work in academic, research, industrial and governmental settings. Many clinical psychologists are employed in clinics or in hospitals or are engaged in private practice, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Also, skills developed through a psychology program are utilized in jobs such as Marriage Family Therapists (MFT), case workers, counselor aides, sales, marketing, personnel, and management positions. The- Associate of Arts in Psychology program offers students a comprehensive education in the content and method of the discipline.  A variety of courses allow students to expand their intellectual horizons and acquire the core ideas and skills of psychology. The missions of the program are to provide a major that presents psychology as a rational science of affect, behavior and cognition; and to provide a major that fulfills the general requirements for transfer, including of the California State University transfer requirements. Two tracks are offered: the Psychology A.A. and the Psychology AA-T. Students who complete the AA-T or “associate degree for transfer” will receive “priority admission with junior status to the California State University system.”