Welcome!
Psychology is offered in programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Science degrees. A minor is also available for students who are majoring in other fields in which a knowledge of psychology would be beneficial.
What do Psychology majors do?
Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of both humans and animals. Some psychologist are primarily concerned with learning more about human behavior through scientific methods; others are concerned with the application of psychological principles, as in psychotherapy, applied behavior analysis, and industrial psychology.
What do Psychologist do?
Some specific areas of opportunities for Psychology majors with various degrees of professional training include clinical and counseling psychology (personal adjustment of individuals as in marriage counseling), community psychology (welfare agencies or mental health organizations), developmental psychology (children's clinic or hospitals), experimental psychology (in research settings), human factors psychology (assessment of human performance), psychometric psychology (design of tests to assess individuals' abilities and interests), and social psychology (behavior of individuals).
Our Mission:
The mission of the CSULA Psychology Department is to provide students with the opportunity to excel academically and professionally by using a teacher-scholar mentoring model to teach psychology as a scientific discipline that accurately reflects the diversity of life and human experience. The department is committed to excellence in teaching, research, practice, and scholarship. Faculty members are equally committed to fostering service that promotes social justice in our local and global communities and to incorporating cultural issues in curriculum, research, and mentoring. In support of these goals the department seeks to provide a supportive, open, culturally sensitive, and collegial academic environment to its faculty and students.
Our Program Learning Outcomes:
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Theory and Content of Psychology: Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
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Research Methods in Psychology: Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
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Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology: Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
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Application of Psychology: Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.
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Values in Psychology: Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a science.
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Information and Technological Literacy: Students will demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.
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Communication Skills:Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
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Sociocultural and International Awareness:Students will recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
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Personal Development: Students will develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement.
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Career Planning and Development: Students will emerge from the major with realistic ideas about how to implement their psychological knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.
Scholarships:
The Psychology department offers several scholarship opportunities for undergraduates as well graduate students. Applications for scholarships are received only during the fall quarter. All interested applicants should obtain and turn in their application to the Psychology Department (KH C3104).
The following scholarships are available to students:
- William Hobson and Evelyn Troup Fund
- Jean and Bernard Phinney Psychology Scholarship
- Michael W. Roffe Psychology Scholarship
- Charles Wang Scholarship
For further information: contact the Department of Psychology at (323) 343-2250 or the Office of University Outreach and Recruitment at (323) 343-3178.