Psychology, Clinical/Counseling Track (BS)

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Psychology Major Mission Statement

The psychology program, in conjunction with the mission statement of DeSales University, is committed to providing students with an excellent liberal arts education within the context of Christian humanism by fostering critical thinking and competency in the subject. Through the understanding of behavior and mental processes, students gain a greater cognizance of, and respect for, human uniqueness and diversity.

Psychology Major Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate from DeSales University with a major in psychology will be able to demonstrate:

competence in explaining and applying key psychological concepts and terms;
skills in research, writing, and orally presenting findings on key issues in the field of psychology;
ability to critically analyze significant psychological theories and research results;
preparedness for a career and/or graduate school, and lifelong learning.

The psychology program, in conjunction with the mission statement of DeSales University, is committed to providing students with an excellent liberal arts education within the context of Christian humanism. The program offers an education that fosters critical thinking and competency for the workforce today. Through the understanding of behavior and mental processes, students gain a greater cognizance of, and respect for, human uniqueness and diversity.

The courses offered in the psychology program expose students to methodologies employed to address problems and issues within the discipline. These courses also provide students with the means to develop analytical and interpretative skills, and to be able to express such skills in written and oral communication. This mission is possible within the context of supportive faculty-student interactions in the classroom, seminars, and independent study courses.

The psychology program thus aims to prepare students intellectually and morally for:

1) employment in applied fields of psychology, such as counseling, human services, industry, and secondary education; 2) fields outside psychology, such as medicine (physicians, physician assistants, nurses) and the criminal justice system, 3) admission to graduate schools for continuing education; and 4) a lifelong process of learning and growth.

Psychology Core

All psychology majors, regardless of track, are required to take the following courses:

PS - 109 Introduction to Psychology Credits: 3 (first year)
CS - 105 Introduction to Computer Applications Credits: 3 (first year)
MA - 111 Probability and Statistics Credits: 3 (first year)
PS - 205 Research Design and Analysis Credits: 3 (sophomore-senior year)
PS - 206 Applied Research Design and Analysis Credits: 3 (taken the semester after completing PS 205 )
PS - 230 Cognitive Psychology Credits: 3 (junior or senior year)
PS - 240 Human Development Credits: 3 (sophomore or junior year)
PS - 265 Psychobiology Credits: 3 (sophomore-senior year)
PS - 455 Psychological Logic Credits: 3 (senior year, or completion of all prerequisites)
One from the following;
BI - 109 Biological Inquiry Credits: 3 (first-junior year; also satisfies Expanded Literacies: Scientific Inquiry requirement for psychology majors)
BI - 151 Introductory Biology I Credits: 4 (first-junior year; also satisfies Expanded Literacies: Scientific Inquiry requirement for psychology majors)

Clinical/Counseling Courses

This track is recommended for majors who want to pursue careers within the fields of clinical/counseling psychology or other mental health-related professions.

Group 1

Four from the following:

PS - 220 Positive Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 260 Personality: Theory and Research Credits: 3
PS - 275 Topics in Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 290 Psychopathology Credits: 3
PS - 370 Counseling Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 375 Hormones and Behavior Credits: 3
PS - 381 Psychopharmacology Credits: 3
PS - 390 Introduction to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Credits: 3
PS - 490 Psychology Internship Credits: 3
PS - 499 Independent Study in Psychology Credits: 3

Group 2

Two from the following:

PS - 120 Leadership Self Development Credits: 3
PS - 200 The Unseen Reality: the Psychology of Spiritual Experience Credits: 3
PS - 220 Positive Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 250 Social Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 260 Personality: Theory and Research Credits: 3
PS - 275 Topics in Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 295 Forensic Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 300 Dangerous Minds: The Psychology of Antisocial Behavior Credits: 3
PS - 320 Motor Learning Credits: 3
PS - 340 Sport Psychology Credits: 3
PS - 365 Psychological Sleuthing Credits: 3
PS - 381 Psychopharmacology Credits: 3
PS - 390 Introduction to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Credits: 3
PS - 490 Psychology Internship Credits: 3
PS - 499 Independent Study in Psychology Credits: 3

5-Year BS/MACJ Degree Program

Students who major in psychology can earn both an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) in the five-year Bachelor’s to Master’s in Criminal Justice degree program. Students in their junior year majoring in psychology and who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, are eligible to apply for admittance in the Five-Year BS/MACJ degree program. Students begin taking graduate level courses during their senior year of undergraduate study. These three graduate courses will count both towards the completion of an undergraduate degree and a Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice degree. The graduate course descriptions offered in the MCJ program can be found in the DeSales University Graduate Catalog.

5-Year BS/MBA Degree Program

Full-time students who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and have senior status may enroll in graduate courses while fulfilling the requirements for an undergraduate degree. They may register for no more than two graduate courses at a time and may accumulate no more than nine graduate credits (three courses) towards the completion of their undergraduate degree. Students may not carry an overload during a semester or session in which they are enrolled in a graduate course. Students can apply to the Master in Business Administration (MBA) Program in the Spring semester of their senior year. Final acceptance into the MBA Program occurs upon successful undergraduate degree conferral. The MBA curriculum can be completed online in 36 credits through the general MBA track. Additional tuition will be billed at the MBA rate at the time of admittance.