Psychology
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Psychology addresses the fundamental premises of human behavior and the brain’s complex role in determining who we are. Students are kept abreast of the latest scientific advances and research methods in this burgeoning field. The department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in experimental psychology, as well as two specialized programs: a Bachelor of Arts concentration in clinical/counseling and a Bachelor of Science concentration in behavioral neuroscience.
The curriculum in psychology is designed to provide a strong background in the biobehavioral sciences and to prepare students for entry into graduate programs in experimental psychology, clinical/counseling psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and related fields. The course offerings reflect both the basic scientific content of psychology and its application in the clinical setting or in the business world. The department heavily stresses faculty-student interaction through laboratories and internships. A psychology club is open to all interested students, and a chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, hosts speakers and supplementary activities.
The curriculum is three-tiered. Students first survey the domain through a year-long general psychology course sequence (tier 1) and then progress through a two-semester methods sequence in statistics and research design while they broaden and deepen their understanding through lab-oriented coursework (tier 2). Students preparing for graduate or professional school are encouraged to work with faculty in a mentor-apprentice fashion no later than their third year; such work often culminates in faculty/student presentations at conferences or co-authored professional publications. Junior seminar (PSY 399) helps students prepare for the senior year as well as consider post-graduate plans. In their last year, majors design and conduct an original research project or write a theoretical review to address some unanswered question in the field under the guidance of a faculty mentor (tier 3). The conceptualization of the senior capstone project is typically proposed during the spring of the junior year. In addition to the written thesis, the results are presented in poster format during the second semester of the senior year. Senior Capstones judged by the departmental faculty to be outstanding earn honors status, and the author of one exceptional project per year can be granted the Psychology Department Senior Capstone Award.
The Virginia Conner ’85 Prize is given annually to the graduating psychology major “who has demonstrated outstanding ability and achievement in the biobehavioral sciences.” Additional senior awards are given by the department faculty for outstanding achievement and extraordinary promise in the field of psychology. Recent graduates have earned their Ph.D. or M.D. from such universities as Toronto, Columbia, Purdue, Delaware, Drexel, South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia Commonwealth.
Grants awarded to the department by the National Science Foundation and the Jessie Ball duPont Fund have provided state-of-the-art laboratory instrumentation within our renovated facility. The Daniel Z. Gibson/John A. Wagner Psychology Department Fund provides honoraria for prominent speakers. Money is also available to support student travel to professional conferences.
Teaching and research facilities include computerized labs in biostatistics, biofeedback/psychophysiology, cognition, and sensation and perception; developmental, social, and health labs with digital recording capabilities, a psychometric testing lab complete with personality and cognitive instrumentation, a neuroscience lab with histology and surgery capabilities, a computer-driven operant conditioning lab, and transcranial doppler and topographic EEG machines to map brain functioning.
Qualified students may spend a semester or longer during their junior and/or senior year in which they earn academic credit while gaining experience in the helping professions. A wide array of internship experiences in local schools and therapeutic settings are available. Students can also be trained as Wellness Advocacy Coaches who provide peer-to-peer support on campus. A junior year abroad program allows students to broaden their horizons at approved institutions; if possible, Psychology majors are encouraged to choose the fall semester of the junior year to go abroad because Junior Seminar is offered each spring.
First-Year and Sophomore Courses
PSY 111 General Psychology and PSY 112 General Psychology, the General Psychology sequence, count toward Social Science distribution requirements. PSY 111 is not a prerequisite for PSY 112; they can be taken in any order. Students interested in pursuing psychology beyond the introductory sequence should complete PSY 209 Statistics & Research Design I with Lab, by the end of their sophomore year. Many 300- and 400-level offerings have PSY 209 as a prerequisite or recommendation.
Writing in the Major Courses
PSY 309 Statistics & Research Design II With Lab and Junior Seminar (PSY 399) focus on psychological research. Together, these two courses refine reading, writing, and thinking skills necessary for performing research. Written components of these courses are specifically designed to hone students’ ability to write in APA style and create succinct research proposals.