As a major, psychology provides a unique educational experience of quality, breadth, and flexibility. An U.S. Department of Education survey of bachelor's degrees awarded in 1992-1993 revealed that nationally, psychology is the second most popular undergraduate degree. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to give students a comprehensive education in the discipline and the widest range of options, from baccalaureate-level positions to graduate training in prestigious universities.

Baccalaureate Level Positions

Surveys of human service agencies within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania indicate the need for baccalaureate level job candidates. For entry level positions, 96% of these facilities hire baccalaureate level graduates who comprise, on the average, 46% of the staff. Additionally, a recent study found that psychology majors are strong candidates for a number of positions in business and industry, including management, personnel, public relations, and sales. Many of our students enter these and related fields. Section XII of this Handbook describes the variety of careers available to students with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Graduate School Preparation

Historically, the department has produced a large number of students who enter graduate training. In fact, the University of Scranton ranks in the top 10 percent of comparable institutions nationally in terms of students who go on to earn doctorates in psychology. In the most recent 5 year period for which data are available, an average of 2 of our graduates receive a doctoral degree annually.  The majority of these students have received funded assistantships and other forms of financial support. Section XIII of this Handbook presents graduate school opportunities in greater detail.  When preparing for entry into graduate programs, research indicates that doctoral programs, regardless of specialization, are interested in undergraduates who are well prepared in courses selected from those that we have required and placed in our "core eight" categories.

Psychology Career Paths

Psychology is a diverse and evolving discipline. The required and "core eight" courses in the major provide the broad background necessary both for admission to a variety of graduate programs and for making a knowledgeable choice of specialty area. When a specialty area has been chosen, you can use the recommended course selections below to allow for some focused training in particular areas.  Remember, however, graduate programs typically are looking for students that possess a broad background in the field of psychology.  These recommended courses provide the icing on your educational cake.

Clinical/Counseling/School Psychology

The courses recommended here provide a synthesis of scientific knowledge, interpersonal development, and clinical experience. These courses are suggested for psychology majors seeking entry-level employment or graduate training in clinical, counseling, and school psychology.  They would also be good preparation for those considering entry into the field of social work.
These recommended courses provide a firm grounding in general psychopathology, interviewing skills, clinical assessment, and intervention strategies. In their junior or senior year, students may complete a supervised practicum in the community for hands-on experience. Additionally, students are encouraged to take one course in a targeted clinical population or a specific treatment modality. This choice can match students' personal interests and career goals.
Students keep the following recommendations in mind. The first 4 courses are presented in the general order in which they should be taken.

(1) Abnormal Psychology (Psych 225; Freshman or Sophomore year)
(2)  Clinical Psychology (Psych 360; Fall of Junior year)
(3) Psychological Testing (Psych 335; Fall of Junior year or Fall of Senior year)
(4) Field Experience in Clinical Settings (Senior year, or end of Junior)
(5) One course from the following list: (Senior Year)
- Addictions (HS 421—Don't worry about the number, it has no prerequisites)
- Abnormal Child Psychology (HD 325)
- Behavior Modification (Psych 363)
- Marital and Family Therapy (HD 234)
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Psych 361)
- Case Management and Interviewing (HS 241)
- Child Clinical Psychology (Psych 362)

Students interested in this area are encouraged to take Behavioral Neuroscience (Psyc 231).

It should be emphasized that these courses alone are insufficient for graduate training or advanced practice in psychology. These recommended courses are embedded within the psychology major in order to insure that students will be broadly trained in psychological content and methodology.

Students interested in the clinical area frequently believe they should avoid non-clinical coursework. This is an erroneous belief. The American Psychological Association (APA) requires ALL accredited graduate programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology to provide a solid foundation of knowledge in the discipline of psychology. All APA-accredited programs require their students to take at least one graduate course in each of the following areas:

	-research design
	-statistics
	-psychological testing
	-history and systems
	-biological bases (e.g., physiological,comparative)
	-cognitive-affective bases (e.g., learning, cognition)
	-social bases (e.g., social, cultural, organizational)
	-individual bases (e.g., developmental, abnormal)

An indication of the types of courses that graduate schools in clinical/counseling psychology are seeking can be seen in the following table. These data are based on a survey of 217 APA approved clinical psychology programs. These data actually underestimate the relevant percentages, because many programs simply responded that they required/recommended that applicants have a major in psychology.

Biopsychology/Physiological Psychology

Here we recommend a range of courses relevant to understanding the biological foundations of behavior. They provide the background necessary for admission into traditional physiological psychology graduate programs. The track would also enhance the prospects of those students seeking entry-level research positions in the pharmaceutical or biomedical industries.

Students interested in this area should keep the following recommendations in mind. In general, the first three courses should be taken as soon as possible in your undergraduate career. For example, Biology 141 and 142 can be taken in the freshman year. Toward this end, the Math course scheduled in the freshman year may be deferred until a later time. Students are encouraged to take Math 114 to satisfy the department's math requirement. Optimally, Psych 231 should be taken in the first semester of the sophomore year. The remaining courses need not be taken at any particular time or in any particular sequence.

• General Biology (Biology 141 & 142)
• Behavioral Neuroscience with lab (Psych 231 & 231L)
• General and Analytical Chemistry (Chem 112 & 113)
• Abnormal Psychology (Psych 225)
• Childhood and Early Adolescence (Psych 221)
• Two of the following with their accompanying labs:
  Sensation and Perception (Psych 230 & 230L)
  Conditioning and Learning (Psych 235 & 235L)
  Cognitive Psychology (Psych 234 & 234L)

Cognitive Psychology

These recommended courses have been selected for students interested in human cognition and cognitive science. These courses encompass the five traditional areas of Cognitive Science -- Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience,Computer Science, Philosophy, and Linguistics -- and are designed for students seeking both entry-level employment and graduate training in cognitive psychology, human factors, or cognitive science. The courses follow.
 

I. Strongly Recommended Courses in Psychology
	A. Psych 234 -- Cognitive Psychology & Cognitive Psychology Lab.
	B. Psych 230 -- Sensation and Perception & Sensation and Perception Lab.
	C. Psych 231 -- Behavioral Neuroscience
II. Strongly Recommended Courses Outside of Psychology
	A. CMPS 134 -- Computer Science I
	B. Phil 215 -- Logic
III. Additional, Recommended Courses
	A. Psych 221 -- Childhood & Adolescence
	B. Psych 493-494 -- Undergraduate Research

Related Academic Programs

Minors, concentrations, and double majors outside of the psychology program are possible and sometimes desirable. With careful planning, many minors and concentrations and even some majors can be combined with a psychology major by adding few, if any, additional courses. This requires careful planning and two advisors, one in each program, to ensure that all the necessary requirements will be met.

Human Development Concentration

The 30-credit interdisciplinary Human Development Concentration requires few courses beyond those associated with the psychology major, particularly for those students following the recommended courses for students interested in clinical/counseling psychology. The concentration requires the following:

1. Childhood & Adolescence (Psych 221)
2. Adulthood & Aging (Psych 222) or Introduction to Gerontology (Gero 110)
3. Abnormal Psychology (Psych 225)
4. Case Management & Interviewing (HS 241)
5. Clinical Psychology (Psych 360)
	or Counseling Theories (HS 242)
	or Introduction to Social Work (Soc115)
6. Anatomy & Physiology (Bio 201)
	or ABC's of Genetics (Bio 202)
	or Behavioral Neuroscience (Psych 231)
7. Three of the following courses with at least one course from the cultural diversity group of:
	Cultural Anthropology (Soc 234),
	American Minority Groups (Soc 224),
	Marriage and the Family (Soc 210),
	Abnormal Child Psychology (HD 325),
	Family Development (HD 224),
	Multiculturalism in Human Services (HS 333),
	Psychology of Women (Psych 237),
		or Juvenile Delinquency (S/CJ 214)
and at least one course from the applied skills group of:
			Educational Psychology (Educ 222),
			Early Childhood Education (Educ 140),
			Child Welfare (Soc 118),
			Group Dynamics (HS 341),
			Psychiatric Rehabilitation (HS 323),
			Marital and Family Therapy (HD 234),
			Marital and Family Counseling (HS 334),
			or Behavior Modification (Psych 284)
8. Field Experience in Clinical Psychology (Psych 480)
			or Internship in Human Services (HS 380)
			or Internship in Social Work (Soc 480)

Industrial-Organizational or Personnel Psychology

For students interested in personnel, or industrial-organizational psychology, a business minor is recommended.  Psychological Testing (Psych 335) is also suggested.