Our Focus
emphasizing behavior, mental processes, and emotion using scientific methods and applying such study for the promotion of human welfare
comprehension and evaluation of psychological research presented in the popular press
understanding the role of theory in psychology
developing research skills and examining the role of evidence in psychology
analyzing the dynamics of the human person as an individual, a member of a family, of a group, and of a community
Your Talents
You’ll enjoy Abbey’s psychology major if you:
are fascinated by the human person as well as group, family, and marriage dynamics
are a good listener
are comfortable with empirical data
recognize the inherent self-worth of the human person as created by God
want to help others with their problems
enjoy thinking logically and scientifically
Our Approach
Belmont Abbey College’s psychology bachelor’s degree program is an excellent starting place for anyone hoping to build a career in psychology.
Majors in the department will:
be familiarized with APA style, research techniques, and how to conduct a credible psychological study
develop knowledge, skills, and values consistent with the science and application of psychology
critically evaluate the production, interpretation, and application of psychological research to understand the human person and promote human welfare
understand the philosophical and historical background of psychology
embrace opportunities for practical professional experiences and career exploration
Your Purpose
With a Psychology bachelor’s degree from Belmont Abbey College, you will be able to pursue a variety of career opportunities, including:
Counseling
Psychiatrist
Social work
Clinical, forensic, or engineering psychologist
School or sports psychologist
Teaching
Behavior Tech
Law Enforcement
Sales
Human Resources
Psychologists are ubiquitous in a vast number of career fields, from counseling to clinical psychology to social work. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology is widely practical because knowledge of the way humans think is useful in any line of work. Some of these careers do require a graduate degree and professional license.
The Abbey Difference
In accordance with the Catholic, Benedictine, and liberal arts traditions, the Psychology Department supports students’ learning of the cumulative knowledge base and methods central to psychology within a framework of ethical principles and integration of knowledge. Our commitment is to educate the whole student effectively, integrating the intellectual, behavioral, spiritual, and emotional aspects inherent in the scientific study of behavior, mental processes, and emotion, and the application of psychological science to the promotion of human welfare. Regardless of the career path taken by our students after graduation, our goal is to enable them to think clearly and act with integrity in their professional, public, and personal lives.
Highlights of your experience
Biological Psychology: In addition to learning fundamental physiological principles that underlie normal and disordered behavior, mental processes, and emotion, students engage in a well-informed critical and civil discussion of how bio-psychological knowledge and principles can be used ethically to understand and influence a wide range of problems. In addition to two exams, students do an assignment on differences in sex development such as Turner Syndrome and Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) and short multimedia presentations on cutting edge topics such as sensory substitution devices or deep brain stimulation.
Special Topics: We regularly offer Special Topics courses. Recent offerings have included Cultural Psychology, Research on Financial Literacy, and Psychology and Film.
Social Psychology: This is a very popular course for psychology majors and minors and students from other majors. Students examine psychological theories and research that shed light on group behavior and the effects of social environments on individual behavior. Specific topics include cognitive attribution, conformity, gender roles, interpersonal relationships, and prejudice. Assignments may include not only exams and papers and class participation but also an analysis of a popular film.
Program Requirements
B.A. in Psychology
In addition to the other Core Curriculum requirements, the following are specific core requirements:
PC 201 Introduction to Psychology
MA 135 or higher (a prerequisite for PC 300)
Major requirements:
PC 215W Science and Practice of Psychology
PC 225 Integration of Psychology
PC 300 Statistics for Psychology (Fall)
PC 301 Developmental Psychology
PC 307W Research Methods for Psychology (Spring)
PC 308 Theories of Personality
PC 360 Social Psychology
PC 407 Testing and Assessment (Spring)
PC 410W/411W/412W Senior Capstone (Fall of senior year)
PC upper-level electives (18 hours)
Other Courses :
An internship is encouraged (1-6 hours)
General elective hours (13-18 hours) (Taking a Minor is encouraged)
B. S. in Psychology
In addition to the other Core Curriculum requirements, the following are specific core requirements:
PC 201 Introduction to Psychology
MA 135 or higher (a prerequisite for PC 300) (N.B.: MA 151 is often a prerequisite for students taking CH, PY, MA courses)
Major requirements:
PC 215W Science and Practice of Psychology
PC 225 Integration of Psychology
PC 300 Statistics for Psychology (Fall)
PC 301 Developmental Psychology
PC 305 Biological Psychology
PC 306 Cognitive Psychology
PC 360 Social OR PC 308 Theories of Personality
PC 313 Abnormal Psychology
PC 307W Research Methods for Psychology (Spring)
PC 407 Testing and Assessment (Spring)
PC 410W/411W/412W – Senior capstone (Fall of senior year)
Two PC upper-level electives
Other Courses :
BI, EV, CH, PY, SC300, or MA courses beyond core requirements (8 hours)
An internship is encouraged (1-6 hours)
General elective hours (14-19 hours) (Taking a Minor is encouraged)
