Majors
Psychology
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Bachelor of Arts (A. B.) or Bachelor of Science
(S. B.)
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes. At Elmira College, the psychology major is designed to
expose students to various approaches to that study.
The foundation of the curriculum for our majors rests on four
essential elements. It begins with an introductory
survey of psychology as a field, followed by a sequence in research
methodology including courses in statistics and experimental
design. Finally, this foundation is completed with a course in the
history of psychology, typically taken by students in their senior
year.Psychology majors also select from a variety of other courses
placing emphasis on specific topics such as neuroscience and
experimental methods (e.g., physiological psychology &
cognitive processes) and clinical practice (e.g., abnormal
psychology & basic counseling techniques). An
advanced seminar in a special topic in psychology or an advanced
research methods course functions as a capstone to the program,
helping students to integrate information from their previous
studies.
Many Psychology majors hope to find careers as psychologists.
Such careers typically require a doctoral degree (a Ph.D. or
Psy.D.), for which the Elmira College undergraduate major in
psychology provides an excellent base. As professionals,
psychologists work in diverse settings, including those that are
clinical (e.g., doing counseling and psychotherapy), industrial
(e.g., selecting and managing employees), and those that are
educational (as school psychologists and academic researchers).
Other Psychology majors look to careers in other areas, but find
useful the skills and information they have learned. Skills such as
scientific hypothesis testing, cultural sensitivity, attention to
multiple factors in determining behavior, working with uncertainty,
and probabilistic thinking are all learned in Psychology courses.
These skills transfer readily to careers in the sciences, allied
health professions, and the business world.
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