Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Program Description

Psychology is the study of the mind, behavior and experience. The department's historical roots in humanistic psychology have evolved to include contempory topices such as health and wellness, mindfulness, ecopsychology, optimal development, and multi-cultural competence. Psychology is an extremely diverse field that attracts people with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, and skills. Our goal is to empower students with the psychological knowledge and practical skills that will enable them to be effective agents of change in the world.

The department offers a general B.A. in psychology. Students must complete four required courses that cover psychological research methods and statistics as well as a course that captures the department's historical emphasis on humanistic and transpersonal psychology.

• Holistic courses focus on the whole person by developing knowledge and skills integral to personal health and growth, such as self-reflection, self-awareness and creativity.
• Clinical / Counseling courses develop knowledge and skills in understanding and helping others as well as health-promoting behaviors.
• Developmental courses investigate changes in people over the life span and explore how this knowledge can be used in applied settings such as parenting, education, and community life.
• Social / Personality courses focus on how individual differences among people and the social context in which they live shape their emotions, thoughts and behavior.
• Cognitive / Biological courses explore the physiological and biological foundations of human experience, as well as the mental processes involved in learning, memory, perception, and problem solving.