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.

 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 2.25 is necessary to be approved to add a major in Psychology, Animal Behavior, or Neuroscience, and to add a minor in Psychology, Animal Behavior, Neuroscience, Art Therapy, or MHRT/C. Double majoring or majoring and minoring within the Department of Psychology may be possible for a student.  However, students interested in this option should do so with close consultation of their academic advisor to ensure that a substantial degree of overlap between the two areas does not occur.

 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. See Undergraduate Academic Policy also.

At the completion of their Bachelors Degree Program in Psychology, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, historical trends, and empirical findings in psychology and the ability to apply these to behavioral problems.

2. Demonstrate scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods (e.g., design, data analysis, and interpretation).

3.  Recognize and/or employ ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity. 

4.  Demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal skills, including in the context of a psychological project.

5.  Apply psychology-specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project-management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation.

A student with GPA of at least 2.25 and a major at SWAGÊÓƵ may minor in Psychology with the approval of the Psychology Department Chair.  Declarations must occur prior to the completion of the first semester of the junior year.  Major programs of study with significant course overlap with psychology minor requirements may be disallowed by the chair.  Students declaring a minor in Psychology will not be allowed to double-dip credits across the minor and either major or core requirements (unless no other options are provided by the major, minor, or core requirements).  A minimum of eighteen hours of approved course credit with a minimum grade of "C-" in each course is required for the minor in Psychology as follows:

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.

Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program.  Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at SWAGÊÓƵ in order to count as exact equivalents.  Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives.  All courses completed must be no older than five years.  Other restrictions apply.  See Undergraduate Admissions also.

See Undergraduate Admissions.

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.