Psychology
Overview
The department of psychology at Saint Joseph's University provides students with an understanding and appreciation of behavior and mental processes. Our major prepares students to continue toward a career in mental healthcare, become a psychological researcher, and to work in industry in a variety of jobs that require the skills we teach.
What is a Psychology Major?
The Saint Joseph's University psychology program features courses in all of the major subfields of psychology, including clinical, developmental, social, cognitive, and health psychology. The Department of Psychology also has a strong representation from faculty in behavioral and clinical neuroscience. The psychology major focuses on teaching the skills that are in high demand for psychology majors entering the workforce or continuing on to graduate education, including:
- Written and oral communication
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Abstract reasoning
- Innovation
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Research and statistical skills
Clinical Concentration
The program also features a clinical concentration, specifically designed for students interested in pursuing careers in clinical psychology, counseling psychology and related mental health fields. As part of the concentration, you will complete coursework in abnormal psychology, clinical psychology, personality, psychological assessment, developmental psychology and clinical internship.
What Can You Do With a Degree in Psychology?
A psychology degree will teach you the skills that are highly sought after by employers, such as how to understand human behavior, analyze complex data and conduct thorough research. Psychology majors have gone on to pursue careers as:
- Case managers
- Laboratory assistants
- Social workers
- Health educators
- Rehabilitation specialists
- Market researchers
- Community service managers
- Psychiatric technicians
- Career counselors
How Will Saint Joseph's University Prepare You for a Career in Psychology?
The psychology major at Saint Joseph's University is designed to give students the skills they need to immediately pursue careers in business and behavioral research. Managing and predicting human behavior is becoming increasingly important in the industry. This includes motivating employees, conflict resolution, management of human resources and market research.
The Department of Psychology offers a minor in industrial and organizational psychology, which is the direct application of psychological theory in business settings. The department is also well-positioned for training students interested in pursuing admission into graduate clinical psychology or counseling programs. Specifically, the department has four clinical psychologists on the faculty as well as a "clinical concentration” to help students who plan to work in mental healthcare settings get valuable training and experience.
Continue Your Education in Psychology
Saint Joseph's combined B.S./M.S. program in psychology offers students an exciting and challenging curriculum of study with an emphasis on experimental psychology. Current undergraduate students can start earning credits towards the Psychology M.S., allowing them to earn a master's degree in just five years. Students interested in this 4+1 program must apply to the graduate program in their junior year and be conditionally accepted before they complete their bachelor's degree.
Saint Joseph's also offers other graduate programs to help undergraduates further develop their skills in psychology after graduation to help guide and advance their careers, including: