About

Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. Psychology has three facets: it is a discipline; a major subject of study in colleges and universities, a science; a method of conducting research and of understanding behavioral data, and a profession; a calling that requires one to apply special knowledge, abilities, and skills to solve human problems.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Psychology is to maximize student potential and success through scholarship, leadership, and community involvement. Our expert faculty will provide students with hands-on, personalized, and inclusive education that is tailored to their individual goals and interests.

The Department will actively support the University and College’s efforts to achieve the institution’s various goals of providing broad-based education, fulfilling its commitments to the community it serves, engaging in multidimensional evaluations and assessments, and ensuring the institution’s continued vitality.

The Department will accomplish its mission in an environment that will promote close and lasting relationships among students and faculty.

Vision Statement

The SRU Psychology Department will excel as a caring, professional, and scientific community of life-long learners connecting with the world.

What can I do with this degree?

There are many jobs available in a variety of work environments. All of the following occupations require a B.S./B.A.in psychology. This list is not exhaustive. There are many more occupations for undergraduate psychology majors than we have space to list on this page. Let us help you to plan for your future.

HUMAN SERVICES: Social and Community Service Manager, Employment Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Health Educator, Community Outreach, Individual and Family Services, Delinquency Prevention, Psychiatric Assistant, Human Resource Manager, Family Service Worker, Psychiatric Aide, Veteran's Advisor, Community, Emergency, and other Relief Services, Community Relations Officer, Psychiatric Technician, Director of Volunteer Services, Veterans Contact Representative, Residential Child Development Specialist.

BUSINESS: Training and Development Specialists, Public Relations Representative, Occupational Analyst, Marketing Manager, Career Information Specialist, Marketing, Personnel, and Management positions, Technical Writer, Data Base Design Analyst, Management Analyst, Human Resource Advisor, Employee Relations Specialist, Personnel Worker, Personnel Recruiter, Vocational Counselor, Training and Placement Supervisor.

EDUCATION: School Social Worker, Preschool Teacher, Preschool Education, College Admissions, Academic Counselor, Alumni Relations, Fund Raising, Vocational Rehabilitation, Affirmative Action Officer.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Probation Officer, Correctional Treatment Analyst, Rehabilitation Advisor, Substance Abuse Counselor, Criminal Investigator (FBI and other), Corrections Officer, Juvenile Justice Liaison, Juvenile Justice Caseworker, Police Officer, Polygraph Examiner.

HEALTH AND RECREATION: Speech and Language Pathologist, Art Therapist, Community Health Worker, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Psychiatric Aide, Residential Youth Counselor, Conservation Resource Manager, Social Worker Specialist, Recreational Therapist.

COUNSELING SERVICES: Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities, Life Skills Counselor, Individual and Family Social Services, Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors, Behavior Disorder Counselor, Rehabilitation Counselor, Substance Abuse Counselor, Psychological Stress Evaluator, Intake Specialist, Art Therapist, Group Therapy Facilitator, Community Outreach Specialist, Gerontology, Employment Counselor, Occupational Therapist.

Shadow-A-Psych-Student Program

Arrange to visit with a Psychology major for a day. See what Psychology classes are like, what the student's involvement in clubs and organizations is like, and how they spend their time as a Psychology student. This is a great way to check out the university and the Psychology program and see if it is for you.

Contact Dr. Jennifer Sanftner-McGraw to set up a date and time for your visit!

Student Success

The SRU Psychology Department awards the following honors to students each year: Student Scholar Award, Service and Leadership Award, Student Research Award, Scholar Athlete Award, Student Psyche Award. Many of our students receive departmental, university, state and national awards and scholarships every year.

2013-14 Psi Chi Awards

Student Scholar Award: Michelle Mullins
Service and Leadership Award: Michelle Mullins & Hannah Malloy
Student Research Award: Melanie Seymour & Sarah Falkowitz
Scholar Athlete Award: Angelica Bagwell
Student Psyche Award: Gwen Kildoo

University Awards

Norton Undergraduate Research Scholarship: Melanie Seymour
The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Melanie Seymour & Conner Smith
Outstanding Senior Woman Award: Michelle Mullins
Student Woman of Distinction: Melanie Seymour
APSCUF SRU Scholarship Award: Christie Gribschaw

External Awards

APSCUF State Scholarship Award: Conner Smith

Where are they now?

Michelle Mullins (B. S., 2014) Grad student (Ph.D.) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Wayne State University.

"My SRU education gave me a broad base of experience to apply to classes and research. There were so many opportunities to get involved outside of class. Whenever I had a problem, I was able to go to a faculty member for help. The faculty helped me find my path within psychology, develop my research, and served as a much-needed support system in the application process. Their help enabled me to gain admission and a teaching assistantship at Wayne State."

Matt Buck (B. S., 2012) is completing an MA in Community Counseling-Addiction in the Counseling and Development program at SRU.

"My Psychology education prepared me very well for graduate school. The coursework gave me a solid foundation for my graduate classes. The structure of the courses and different ways I was evaluated also prepared me for graduate level challenges. The faculty were very kind and professional yet laid back enough to make you feel comfortable. My advisor, Dr. Massey, helped me tremendously from my first year and she and other faculty were very helpful with talking about different graduate programs that might fit me best."

Department Compliance Policy

Psychology students are required to meet the following requirements

Grade Point Average: Students must maintain a minimum PSYC GPA of 2.5 in order to remain in the program. The PSYC GPA is calculated based on all Psychology courses taken at SRU. If the PSYC GPA falls below 2.5, students will be placed on probationary status within the department, and will be given one opportunity to raise it to a 2.5 the next time they take one or more Psychology classes. Once probationary status is initiated, it remains until graduation. Thus, if the GPA falls below 2.5 again, the student will not be given an additional semester to bring it back up. Students will be dismissed from the Psychology Major if they fail to raise the GPA after the initial probationary period, or if it drops again at any point. All dismissals are permanent and students may not work their way back into the major. Students are not permitted to register for Internship (PSYC 450), Senior Integration Seminar (PSYC 485), or Research Practicum (PSYC 430), or to graduate without the minimum GPA.

Course Grades: Students must earn a minimum grade of "C" in Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 105), Introduction to Behavioral Statistics (PSYC 221), and Experimental Psychology/Lab (PSYC 325/326) in order to progress in the program. Students who do not earn the minimum grade in these courses will not be permitted to enroll in subsequent courses requiring one of these courses as a pre-requisite. Students must also earn a minimum grade of "C" in Elementary Statistics (MATH 152) in order to register for Introduction to Behavioral Statistics.

Repeating Courses: Students may repeat PSYC 105, PSYC 221, and PSYC 325/326 only one time, and repeated classes must be taken at SRU. If the course is not passed the second time around, the student will be dismissed from the Psychology Major.

Dismissals: All dismissals are permanent and students may not work their way back into the major.

Psychology

About

Mission Statement

Vision Statement

Psychology

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