The Psychology Major

The Faculty in Psychology holds as its highest goal the aim to train students to think critically and analytically. Students will gain an understanding of psychological phenomena as they affect the individual as well as the larger social world. Within that goal, students will be exposed to normal personality development as processes, different psychological disorders and a variety of possible paradigms for such disorders as well as treatment approaches currently in use.

Students of psychology are often referred to as "scientist-practitioners" and as "generalists". In that tradition, students are trained in human development, group processes, oral communications skills, written expressive skills, and the conduct of social science research. Psychology majors are expected to develop knowledge of the statistical procedures used to analyze data and learn how to design and evaluate research in psychology. With that in mind, students will read and critically appraise journal articles within the professional psychology literature. Students will be expected to write professional papers using APA style together with appropriate citations and referencing. Finally, students will understand the ethical issues involved in the practice of psychology and in the conduct of research in psychology.

Graduates of the major are prepared for employment in a wide variety of business and human services settings. In addition, students who perform well are prepared to seek admission to graduate programs in a variety of specialized areas of psychology including clinical, counseling, school, social, and experimental psychology.

The Major in Psychology leads to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and requires 36 credit hours of study. All students must also complete the College Core composed of a selection of English, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Fine Arts, Music, Communication Arts and Foreign Language courses as well as courses in Mathematics, Science, Computer Information Science, and History. A series of Free Elective courses round out the 120 credits required for the degree.

The Psychology Major is composed of four (4) required courses and eight (8) elective courses. Courses in General Psychology, Statistical Methods in Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and the Psychology Practicum* OR an upper division elective (300/400 level course) are required of all students. (Students changing majors may substitute Business Statistics (BUSA 302) or Quantitative Methods in Business and Social Studies (MATH 108) for Statistical Methods in Psychology (PSYC 310)). Statistics, Experimental Psychology, and Practicum* constitute a three course sequence which is normally begun no earlier than the Fall of junior year.

The Major is Psychology is completed with eight (8) elective courses taken under advisement. Of these eight courses, at least five (5) must be taken at the upper division level (300/400 level courses). Students interested in pursuing further study beyond the Bachelors Degree are encouraged to take additional 300/400 level courses.

Students must apply to the Chair of the Division for permission to register for Psychology Practicum. Students must have an overall GPA of 2.50 or better, a Psychology GPA of 2.75 or better, a grade of C+ or higher in both Statistics and Experimental Psychology, and the recommendation of two (2) full-time members of the Psychology Faculty. The Psychology Practicum (PSYC 410 - 3 credits) may not be offered during Winter or Summer sessions. The Internship in Alcoholism/Substance Abuse (PSYC 411 - 6 credits) will not be offered during the Winter or Summer sessions. Students should register in the Fall semester to insure adequate time for completion.

St. Thomas Aquinas College maintains an Academic Affiliation with the following institutions:

New York University - Ehrenkranz School of Social Work
In addition to the main campus in New York City, New York University maintains its Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) program on our campus as a satellite campus of the University. Graduate students can complete their entire course of studies at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Recently, St. Thomas Aquinas College and NYU have announced an "accelerated" track for undergraduate students entering the MSW program. Under this arrangement, current STAC students would be admitted to graduate studies during their senior year (or earlier in some cases), complete a full academic load in the Fall of senior year and immediately transitioning to full-time studies with NYU during the Spring of senior year. Students would then enter graduate studies during the summer following their graduation from STAC, thereby allowing them to complete the MSW in approximately 12-16 months after the Bachelors degree.
St. Thomas Aquinas psychology majors who do well in their course of studies, who meet NYU's admission requirements, and who are recommended to NYU by the Psychology Faculty have favorable admission status. A number of graduating seniors over the past several years have been admitted to the program and performed well in their graduate studies. St. Thomas Aquinas students, therefore, have an excellent reputation for successful achievement within this program.

Marist College and Pace University
Marist College offers the Masters Degree in Community/Counseling Psychology at its main campus in Poughkeepsie and its Goshen satellite campus. Pace University offers three Masters Degrees - General Psychology, Grief and Loss Counseling, and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counseling.
High-achieving St. Thomas Aquinas psychology majors (3.0 GPA or better) may apply for admission to the graduate program prior to the completion of their Bachelors degree. If recommended by the Faculty to Marist College or Pace University and upon successful admission by the appropriate Graduate Admissions Office, students would complete three (3) years of study full-time at STAC. During the fourth year, students will spend half-time at STAC and half-time at Marist or at Pace. At the completion of the fourth year, students are awarded the Bachelors degree in psychology. Students then transition to full-time studies at Marist or Pace and, at the end of their fifth year, are awarded the Masters degree by graduate institution.

Courses in the Major
The following courses are available for study:

Introductory Level (100)