CSU - Psychology Undergraduate Program

The Department of Psychology offers a Bachelor of Arts degree for students interested in the scientific study of human cognition and behavior. Psychology is composed of many sub-areas. The curriculum and courses offered in the department reflect this diversity and are designed to provide a well-rounded education in psychology.

The Webster’s Tenth New Collegiate Dictionary (Merriam-Webster, 1993) define Psychology as “The Science of the mind and behavior; the study of the mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity. A Psychologist is a person who has completed doctoral training in one of the many psychology subfields (clinical, experimental, counseling, social, community, developmental, industrial/organizational, quantitative/statistics, etc.)

For many people, psychology is the “profession that understands or cures the mentally ill.” Perhaps the word “therapist” comes to mind, or you may have an image of someone lying on a couch while the therapists ask questions such as: “Tell me more about that?” or “How do you feel about that?” These images, while legitimate, represent only two specialty areas of psychology-counseling psychology and psychotherapy.

Psychology has become one of the most popular and fastest growing majors in the college/university curriculum. In 1992-1993, according to the U.S. Department of Education, universities awarded 66, 728 bachelor’s degrees in psychology. And about 16% of these degrees were awarded to students of color. Psychology now ranks as the second most popular undergraduate major, just under business administration.

If you obtain an Associate’s or Community College degree in Psychology, you will be qualified to assume a variety of paraprofessional roles in mental health and human services agencies.

A bachelor’s degree in psychology can qualify you to either assist a psychologist in a mental health or correctional center, or become a research assistant, or a psychology high school teacher.

An advanced degree, such as a Master’s degree in Psychology, can prepare you for professional jobs in sate hospitals, mental health centers, research settings, or for teaching at a community/junior college.

A doctoral degree (e.g., PhD, EdD) in Psychology requires at least 4 to 5 years of full-time study after college graduation. With a doctoral degree, you can teach at colleges and universities and independently conduct research. In addition, if you acquire from your state a license to practice psychology, then you also can have a private practice, work in a psychiatric unit in a pubic or private hospital, or direct a mental health clinic or program.

Psychology offers a range of classes that can introduce you to numerous subfields of Psychology

Developmental & Educational Psychology (Psych 2020, Psych 2000, Psych 3020)
In developmental psychology, the student studies the patterns and causes of physical and behavioral changes that occur from conception through old age. In educational psychology, students investigate learning, teaching and evaluation in the classroom. This area is also valuable to any student interested in understanding physical and mental developmental and growth.

In this area, the student learns about mental health, how it is demonstrated, what conditions promote or detract from it, and theories of personality that describe how individuals construct their responses to problems. The student is introduced to the major patterns of mental pathology, their causes and forms of treatment. Study in this area is useful for students interested in graduate work and/or careers helping people to achieve and maintain their mental well-being.

Courses in this area provide the student with a foundation in understanding theories of learning and cognition, principles of conditioning and their application in various settings. The physiological bases of behavior are also explored. This curriculum is of particular interest to students preparing to pursue an M.A. / .M.S. Or Ph.D. in the field of psychology.

Social & Industrial / Organizational Psychology (Psych 2100, Psych 3166)
In social psychology, students examine human interaction in the social environment. Industrial / organizational (IO) psychology deals with individual and group behavior at work. Some of the issues examined include employee selection and placement, leadership, communication, motivation, performance evaluation and equal employment opportunity. Courses in this area are an excellent preparation for students considering graduate studies in social and vocational psychology or entry into business

Courses included in this area will provide students with skills that will enable them to do research in real life settings such as mental health organizations, educational institutions, and businesses. Additionally, students are familiarized with various psychological tests, interpretation of test results and test evaluations.