Goals and Objectives

The goals of the Psychology curriculum focus on educating students in the methodology, content, and application of psychological science.

Goal 1: Theory and Methodology in Psychology

Students should:

• Understand the role of psychology as a discipline that uses an empirical approach to knowledge; and
• Use, respect, and value skeptical inquiry, critical thinking, and the scientific approach to understanding behavior.

Knowledge areas students will study/learn:

• Basic research methods and ethics
• History and systems and philosophy of science 
• Data analysis and interpretation 
• Scientific and critical thinking 
• Scientific writing and communication.

Goal 2: Mastery of Content (Discipline Specific Knowledge)

Students should be familiar with:

• Core theoretical approaches and research findings that reflect a biopsychosocial understanding of behavior; and
• More in-depth theoretical approaches and research findings within at least one subject area in psychology.

Core knowledge areas students will study/learn:

• Biological foundations of behavior
• Psychological foundations of behavior
• Social and cultural foundations of behavior
• Biopsychosocial development across the lifespan.

Goal 3: Application of Knowledge and Scientific Method

Students should demonstrate the application of psychological theory, methodology, and findings to:

• An understanding of the whole person, as an individual and as a member of a larger community, society, and culture; and
• The promotion of social justice in these contexts.

Psychology Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Psychology curriculum, students will demonstrate knowledge of the history, foundations, content, and analytical skills of psychology in their ability to:

1.  Demonstrate knowledge of the history, foundations, content, and methods used in Psychology, specifically in the following areas:
   
   1. Learning and Cognition
   2. Biological Psychology (including Neuropsychology, Sensation and Perception, Comparative, and Ethological Psychology)
   3. Clinical, Abnormal, and Personality Psychology
   4. Developmental and Social Psychology
2. Demonstrate an increased appreciation and understanding of the importance of a scientific approach to understanding human behavior
3. Demonstrate an ability to analyze and critically evaluate the biopsychosocial components of behavior
4. Demonstrate an ability to apply critical thinking in order to
   
   1. understand psychological principles
   2. evaluate scientific research, including research presented in the media
5. Demonstrate written communication skills on psychological topics
6. Demonstrate oral communication skills on psychological topics
7. Demonstrate an ability to apply psychological principles, including the consideration of ethics and social justice, to contemporary problems/issues
8. Demonstrate an ability to identify ethical issues and apply ethical principles to research in the following situations:
   1. when conducting research
   2. when evaluating research
9. Demonstrate competency in the following aspects of research methods:
   1. locate and understand past research
   2. formulate a hypothesis based on past research 
   3. design research to test a hypothesis 
   4. use statistical software to analyze research data
   5. write complete manuscripts in APA style

Major Requirements

A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in all courses for the major.

Students may not register for any Psychology course for a third time without the written permission of the Psychology Department Chairperson and the Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.

Psychology Model Four-Year Plan

The normal course load is 15 semester hours (5 classes). By following the model below, a student will complete all lower division core requirements by the end of the sophomore year as well as most major prerequisites. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.