All Students Complete Four Semesters of Research
In addition to our core content courses that cover all major areas of psychology, a centerpiece of the major is how it builds students’ critical thinking, scientific literacy, and communication skills. These skills are scaffolded, starting with MA141 Statistics and PY142 Research Methods (typically freshman year), PY242 Experimental Psychology I (typically sophomore year), and PY342 Experimental Psychology II (typically junior year). Finally, in their final year, psychology majors complete a yearlong senior seminar course (PY490-PY491). Senior psychology majors either complete an 8-hour/week internship in an area of career interest or complete a year-long research project working one-on-one with a full-time faculty member.
Many of our undergraduate students present their work at professional conferences and/or publish in scholarly journals. Psychology majors are engaged throughout their four years in experiential learning outside the classroom, requiring you to work in groups, develop original ideas, solve problems, conduct scholarly library research, and actively participate in the professional world.
State-of-the-Art Facilities include:
- Research control software
- Portable EEG system
- Eye-tracking system
- Video-tracking software for behavioral analysis
Research with Faculty in the areas of:
- Animal learning
- Academic outcomes, student wellbeing, stress and mental health
- Critical thinking
- Drug use, abuse, and addiction
- Neuroscience
- Social behavior and personality
- Therapy factors
- Visual attention
Data-Collecting and Information-Gathering Research Projects
Representative Senior Theses
- A Review of the Role of Trauma on Memory: Future Changes for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Challenges of Mothers with Severe Mental Illness in Parenting: Outcomes for Children
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An Emerging Treatment of Reactive Attachment Disorder
- The Effect of 5-HT3 Antagonist Bemesetron on Cocaine- Inducted Place Preference in Rats
- Effects of Transformational Leadership on Workplace Relationships, Performance, and Employee Satisfaction
- How Child Life Services Psychologically Benefits Hospitalized Children
- The Influence of Parental Involvement on Latino Students’ Academic Achievement
- The Negative Long-Term Effects of ADHD Medications and Safer, More Effective Alternative Therapies
- Social Support and Adherence to Physical Therapy Programs
Undergraduate Internship Areas
- Art Therapy
- Behavioral Health Care
- Business Relations
- Criminal Justice
- Crisis Counseling
- Educational Aide
- Family Therapy
- Hotline Counselor
- Human Resources
- Mental Health Care
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- School Counseling
