ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµ

Psychology

Contact

Dr. Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour
jstiegler@une.edu

Degree name
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology
Sections

Mission

The Psychology program at ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµ is committed to advancing the scientific discipline of psychology through student-centered teaching, hands-on research, and internship opportunities. Our goal is to prepare students to become psychologically literate citizens with the skills necessary to engage in research and practice. We aim to advance scientific knowledge, solve real-world problems, and improve our communities. We accomplish this goal by combining hands-on classroom instruction by experts in a variety of psychological disciplines with on-campus research experiences, and local internship opportunities that prepare students for a broad range of career options. The curriculum in our major has been structured to provide students with exposure to core concepts and skills in psychology, while also enabling them to identify a minor and focus their studies on a sub-discipline such as mental health, psychology, education, business, and research. With a psychology degree from ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµ, our program and alumni are advancing their education in post-graduate degree programs, and/or pursuing careers in clinical/counseling, health, education, law, business, and government.

Major Description

The ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµ Psychology faculty work closely with students to advance the science and professional practice of psychology by promoting our discipline and training our students as a partner in advancing scientific knowledge and developing innovative solutions to important life problems both locally and globally. It is our goal to cultivate ethical and socially responsible individuals who have a well-developed capacity for synthesizing information, are strong critical thinkers and communicators, respect and enhance diverse people, cultures, perspectives, and are stewards of the planet. We believe these skills are necessary for students to pursue a life of intellectual curiosity, to contribute positively to society, and compete in a rapidly shifting and complex workplace.

The Psychology program faculty represent a diverse range of specializations. As such we are advancing the field in areas ranging from behavioral neuroscience to lifespan development, mental and behavioral health issues, cognitive and memory processes, and social relations. We not only provide training for specific pursuits within our own field (e.g., mental healthcare providers researchers), we provide critical instruction to those pursuing careers in numerous other disciplines (e.g., education, nursing, medicine, social work, business/industry, law). Within this broad range of pursuits, we aspire to certain core values that connect us as a faculty. As a program we value:

  • The importance of the scientific approach as a means of understanding human behavior, human development, mental health, cognition, and social interactions.
  • The teacher-scholar model through the pursuit of scientific research as both a teaching tool and a practice that advances the field of psychology and improves the quality of life and the planet.
  • Psychological literacy among our students is achieved through active, engaged applied learning experiences in the classroom, laboratory, and internships that go beyond content and lead to the development of data analytical skills critical thinking skills, information literacy as well as oral and written communication skills.
  • An open, supportive and collegial environment that embraces diversity in all of its forms and promotes global citizenship, integrity, and ethical behavior.

Finally, students completing a psychology major may elect to complete a minor area of study as well. Faculty advisors work with each student to help them identify a minor that will help them to achieve their future goals. For example, many of our majors plan to provide counseling services after graduation and elect to complete a minor in either mental health rehabilitation or art therapy (both minors offered within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences). Other students may have an interest in applying their knowledge of psychology in an education or business setting after graduation and may decide to pursue a minor in the Edu