Psychology Major

Professors DiLillo, Hall
Associate Professors Brandt, Smith
Assistant Professors Bailey, Bunnell, Henderson, Modica

The department provides a broad spectrum of courses in psychology useful to both students with a general interest in the field and those interested in pursuing graduate or professional training. Although the overall emphasis of the department is to provide students with a broad background in the scientific aspects of the discipline, students also acquire skills necessary to apply that knowledge. Students can focus their study on one or several areas of psychology ranging from the social and intellectual development of the person to the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders, from operant and Pavlovian analyses of behavior to models of human thought processes, from the microscopic analysis of brain circuits to the mechanisms of long-term memory, from the behaviors of persons in isolation to group behavior in organizations, from the biological bases of visual perception to the therapeutic means of treating people with schizophrenia. One-on-one work with a faculty member is strongly encouraged for each major, either in empirical research or in an apprenticeship.

Course prerequisites in Psychology are largely handled through our tiering system. With a few exceptions, courses in Psychology are categorized into three tiers. Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 110 ) is the only Tier 1 course and, as such, has no prerequisites. Tier 2 courses are those that are appropriate for students to take early in their psychology careers, while Tier 3 courses are appropriate for more advanced students.

PSYC 210 is a course that teaches statistical theory and techniques that are used in psychological research. Because of significant content overlap, students may not receive credit for PSYC 210 and credit for any other statistics course (i.e., MATH 105 , MATH 200 3 , or MATH 230 ). When PSYC 210 serves as a required prerequisite for another course in the department, MATH 105 , MATH 200 3 , or MATH 230 will satisfy the prerequisite requirement. Students intending to major in psychology are encouraged to take PSYC 210 as opposed to any of the other statistics courses. A maximum of one freshman honors tutorial may count as a Tier 2 course for the purpose of determining eligibility to enroll in Tier 3 courses. For a comprehensive list of the prerequisites for each course, see the course listing later in the catalog.

Learning Objectives

Students who graduate with a psychology major will be able to

Describe and apply key concepts, principles and overarching themes from each of the major’s distribution areas
Effectively communicate psychological knowledge to audiences of varying levels of scientific expertise
Critically evaluate claims involving psychology and psychological science
Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice

Major Requirements

A minimum of nine units of credit in psychology.

The major consists of three core courses: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 110 ), Quantitative Methods (PSYC 210 ) (or MATH 105 , MATH 200 3 , or MATH 230 ), and Research Methods (PSYC 310 ). A minimum of 6 additional elective units of credit in the department are required with at least one unit of credit from each of categories A through E listed below. The remaining unit(s) can be from any category. Credit/no entry courses will not count toward the major. Students must complete a minimum of five of the major courses at Ohio Wesleyan. Research Methods courses taken at other institutions will not be counted in place of PSYC 310 . Students are encouraged to take the required statistics course at Ohio Wesleyan rather than transferring a course from another institution for this requirement, as courses taken at other institutions often do not provide adequate preparation for PSYC 310 .

Group A: Neuroscience

Group B: Thinking and Adaptive Behavior

Group C: Psychology Across the Lifespan

Group D: Social Aspects

Group E: Psychological Health

Tier 2

The following ten courses comprise Tier 2. In order to enroll in these courses, students must complete Introduction to Psychology with a grade of C- or better.

Note(s):

Checklists for the major and both minors can be found on the department’s website.

All psychology courses except PSYC 210 , PSYC 310 , and PSYC 420 will serve partially to fulfill Group I (Social Sciences) distribution requirements for graduation.