There are several degree and certificate options offered within Psychology at SOU including:
The Psychology Major
A major in Psychology requires a minimum of 57 credit hours in Psychology plus additional required courses from outside the major.
Learn more about the required Psychology Capstone Course (PSY 425)
Interested in declaring Psychology as your Major? Register for PSY 211: The Psychology Major.
The Psychology Minor
A minor in Psychology requires a minimum of 24 credit hours in Psychology courses including the General Psychology sequence. For more information visit Psychology Minor.
Degree Completion
Human Service Degree Completion
The Human Service degree completion program is a joint between the Psychology and Sociology Departments at SOU. Classes are conveniently scheduled at nights and on weekends in Ashland and Medford to accommodate the schedules of working students. The program is for students who:
- have completed an associate of arts degree or approximately two years of college;
- want to better understand their community and social environment;
- desire to improve their career opportunities and reach educational goals; and
- wish to enhance specific human relations skills and strengthen their ability to work effectively in social services.
Certificate in Management of Human Resources
The certificate program is a partnership with the School of Business and Communication and Psychology Departments. Students in this program provides students with specialized skills in human resource mangement.
Goals of the Psychology Department
The goal and mission of the psychology department is to prepare students to enter a changing and demanding job market and to facilitate and encourage a lifetime of learning. More than at any other time in history we are faced with global changes that require us to assist students in gaining the information, technology, and new ways of thinking and viewing the world to achieve personal and professional success. The psychology department believes that the best way to facilitate student growth and learning is to provide a solid scientific and theoretical base while teaching students to think critically, challenge accepted beliefs, and develop skills for their future. We believe it is our responsibility to provide the opportunities and tools necessary to integrate this knowledge and abilities into the students' personal and professional identity, and to provide the student with a greater understanding of the diversity, interdependence, and interrelatedness of the world.
Knowledge Skills and Dispositions for Psychology Majors
| Item | Goal Type | Description | Course mapping |
| 1 | Knowledge | Knowledge base in psychology. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in psychology. This includes explaining major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological,cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic,psychodynamic and sociocultural perspectives) | 201/202 334, 341 344, 351 353, 370 |
| 2 | Skills | Research methods in psychology. Understand, evaluate, and apply basic research methods in psychology including research design, analysis, and interpretation, as well as ethical principles of research. | 201 228/229 498/499 (research) |
| 3 | Skills | Critical thinking skills in psychology. Learn and use critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and apply scientific approaches to problems related to psychology. | 201/202 228/229 334, 370 498/499 (both) |
| 4 | Skills |
Application of psychology. Understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social and organizational issues. This includes describing the major applied areas (e.g., clinical, educational) and explaining how they address problems relating to mental health and behavior. |
201/202 |
| 5 | Skills |
Information technology and literacy. Demonstrate competence in acquiring and using scientific information. This includes using technology to access original sources, and distinguishing credible from non-credible sources. Also includes ability to work with data base construction and analysis. |
228/229 498/499 (both) |
| 6 | Skills |
Communication skills. Communicate effectively through writing and speaking. This includes writing research papers, essays, and individual or group presentations. Also included is the ability to present and interpret data from various formats (e.g., statistical, graphing) |
341, 344 351, 353 228/229 334, 370 498/499 |
| 7 | Dispositions |
Personal and career development. Develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental processes and apply effectively strategies for self-management and self-improvement. This includes identifying personal and professional values, applying psychology to promote personal development, incorporating feedback and evaluating the quality of one’s own thinking (metacognition). Identify and develop skills and experiences to achieving selected career goals. |
211 498/499 |
These items are based on the American Psychological Association’s 2007 guidelines for undergraduate psychology majors.
