SWAGÊÓƵ

The Department of Psychology offers students a broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on community, social, and individual approaches to understanding human behavior. Students are thus exposed to a combination of theoretical, scientific, and practical approaches to solving human problems. Issues of gender, race, class, and culture are emphasized in courses throughout the curriculum. As a result of required course work and internship experiences, the department graduates students with marketable skills that prepare them for entry-level positions in social services or for graduate study in related areas. As part of this mission, the Department of Psychology offers three majors with concomitant minors in: psychology, neuroscience, and animal behavior.  Additionally, the department offers minors in Art Therapy and in Mental Health Rehabilitation.  The Mental Health Rehabilitation minor leads to a certificate from the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services in MHRT/C. 

The psychology major blends interdisciplinary work with intensive training in psychology to prepare students for a wide range of professional and academic experiences beyond college. The major draws on the extensive experience of our faculty in the areas of human development, clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, learning and memory, the biological basis of behavior and animal modeling.

An essential theme of the program is our focus on psychology as a science which is manifested through our coursework in research methodology and statistics. The faculty provides a supportive environment in which students learn the thinking skills important to reading and conducting research. Students support each other as well, working in groups on research projects that often are useful to the SWAGÊÓƵ community. For example, students have used classroom projects in research methods to investigate student satisfaction with residence halls on campus, and a second project for that same class investigated faculty knowledge of learning disabilities accommodation requirements and policies.  Coursework across the psychology curriculum includes a focus on the scientific method and how psychological science can inform real world problems and practice.

A second essential theme of the psychology major includes the required-internship or field experience work. The internship is a critical part of our students' learning. It is typically completed in the third year and must be taken for an equivalent of three credits. Each credit hour of internship is equivalent to 40 hours of work at the internship site. These experiences provide the student the opportunity to learn experientially and to explore different career directions based on a student's unique interest.  Overall, the internship is an important educational experience and it often leads to the first job after graduation for our students.  Some students elect to take a second internship (if space permits) while others students more interested in the scientific analysis of behavior may choose to take an advanced research course. This would typically entail a student writing a senior thesis or becoming a research assistant in one of the psychology department labs.

*For complete details about MHRT/C Certification see the Psychology Department webpage.

 The department offers Psychology majors the opportunity to select all of the EDU secondary education certification courses (listed below) as their open electives in order to become middle school or high school psychology teachers (grades 7-12). While providing a solid foundation in Psychology, this program includes extensive coursework in education, which, when combined with the secondary teaching internship, will meet the standards for State of Maine teacher certification upon completion of the degree program. This program is approved by the State of Maine Board of Education.

A grade point average of 2.75 in major courses is necessary to be fully admitted as psychology majors. A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all psychology courses used toward graduation. Students must also complete the University Core mathematics requirement by the end of the first year. The department strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 and PSY 285 in their sophomore year. The department requires that PSY 225 and PSY 285 be completed by the end of the junior year.

At the completion of their Bachelors Degree Program in Psychology, students will be able to: 
 
GOAL 1: Knowledge Base of Psychology: Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. 

1.1 Characterize the nature of psychology as a discipline. 
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding representing appropriate breadth and depth in selected content areas of psychology (e.g., learning and cognition, individual differences, biological bases of behavior,  developmental changes in behavior). 
1.3 Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological phenomena. 
1.4 Explain major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural). 

GOAL 2: Research Methods in Psychology: Understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation. 

2.1 Describe the basic characteristics of the science of psychology. 
2.2 Explain different research methods used by psychologists. 
2.3 Evaluate the appropriateness of conclusions derived from psychological research. 
2.4 Design and conduct basic studies to address psychological questions using appropriate research methods. 
2.5 Follow the APA Ethics Code in the treatment of human and nonhuman participants in the design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of psychological research. 
2.6 Generalize research conclusions appropriately based on the parameters of particular research methods. 

GOAL 3: Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology: Respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes. 

3.1 Use critical thinking effectively. 
3.2 Engage in creative thinking. 
3.3 Use reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments and other persuasive appeals. 
3.4 Approach problems effectively. 

GOAL 4: Application of Psychology: Understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues. 

4.1 Describe major applied areas (e.g., clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, school, etc.) and emerging (e.g., health, forensics, media, military, etc.) applied areas of psychology. 
4.2 Identify appropriate applications of psychology in solving problems. 
4.3 Articulate how psychological principles can be used to explain social issues and inform public policy. 
4.4 Apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings as these relate to everyday life. 
4.5 Recognize that ethically complex situations can develop in the application of psychological principles. 

GOAL 5: Information and Technological Literacy: Demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes. 

5.1 Demonstrate information competence at each stage in the following process: formulate a researchable topic; locate and choose relevant sources from appropriate media, use selected sources after evaluating 
their suitability; read and accurately summarize the general scientific literature of psychology. 
5.2 Use appropriate software to produce understandable reports of the psychological literature, methods, and statistical and qualitative analysis in APA or other appropriate style, including graphic representations of data. 
5.3 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly. 
5.4 Demonstrate these computer skills: use basic software programs, search the Web, use proper etiquette and security safeguards when communicating through e-mail. 

GOAL 6: Communication Skills: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats. 

6.1 Demonstrate effective writing skills in various formats (e.g., essays, correspondence, technical papers, note taking) and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching). 
6.2 Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in various formats (e.g., group discussion, debate, lecture) and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching). 
6.3 Exhibit quantitative literacy. 
6.4 Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills. 
6.5 Exhibit the ability to collaborate effectively. 

GOAL 7: Sociocultural and International Awareness: Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. 

7.1 Interact effectively and sensitively with people of diverse abilities, backgrounds, and cultural perspectives. 
7.2 Examine the sociocultural and international contexts that influence individual differences. 
7.3 Explain how individual differences influence beliefs, values, and interactions with others and vice versa. 
7.4 Understand how privilege, power, and oppression may affect prejudice, discrimination, and inequity. 
7.5 Recognize prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors that might exist in themselves and in others. 
7.6 Predict how interaction among diverse people can challenge conventional understanding of psychological processes. 

A student with a major at SWAGÊÓƵ may minor in Psychology with the approval of the Psychology Department Chair.  Major programs of study with significant course overlap with psychology minor requirements may be disallowed by the chair.   Eighteen hours of approved course work is required:

We offer qualified students the option of participating in our and graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member.

Interested students should apply for admission to the psychology major. Upon acceptance to the university, students are provisionally admitted to this major.  Upon completion of 60 credit hours (approximately the end of the second year of full-time work), student progress is evaluated by department faculty. Students will then be fully admitted upon meeting the conditions indicated in the Program Standards section below. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.