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1. What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Psychology, as a field, is both applied and academic. That is, psychologists study behavior and mental processes, and they apply psychological knowledge to solve problems in everyday life.
2. Which courses should be taken during the first year of study?
The program guide for the psychology major recommends that the first semester of the first year of study include the following courses: First Year Seminar, PY 101 Introduction to Psychology, CC 100, CC 101, and Philosophy and Theology LAI courses.
Core Curriculum & Experiences >>
We recommend the following courses for the 2nd semester of the first year of study: PY 122 Lifespan Development, CC 102, Fine Arts and History LAIs, and an elective of your choosing.
These courses are at an appropriate level for first-year students, and they prepare you for future courses as well. However, the psychology major is flexible enough to allow some variation in when specific LAI courses are taken.
3. What are recommended courses for psychology minors?
We have three psychology minors: general psychology minor, counseling minor, and human development minor. Each minor requires 18 credits* in psychology, including PY 101 Introduction to Psychology.
The counseling minor requires 9 of the 18 credits to be in counseling psychology courses, such as PY 380 Family Counseling, PY 403 Counseling the Aged, Sick & Dying, PY 414 Counseling for Alcohol/Drug Addiction, PY 430 Crisis Intervention, and PY 488 Domestic Violence Seminar. PY 285 Introduction to Counseling is a required first course for the counseling sequence.
The human development minor requires 9 of the 18 credits to be in human development courses, such as PY 205 Child Psychology, PY 206 Adolescent Psychology, PY 207 Adult Development, PY 308 Psych. of Exceptional Child, and PY 404 Death & Dying. PY 122 Lifespan Development is a required first course for the human development sequence.
*For students enrolled at Carlow prior to Fall 2011 the general psychology minor requires 21 credits.
4. When are courses offered?
Some courses are offered each term (fall and spring) for students enrolled in the day program: PY 101, PY 122, PY 205, PY 206, PY 285, PY 290*, PY 430.
Other courses are offered each spring term: PY 209, PY 230I, PY 270, PY 306, PY 308, PY 325, PY 340, PY 352, PY 404I, PY 450, PY 488.
The following courses are offered each fall term: PY 203, PY 205, PY 207SL, PY 218, PY 219, PY 265, PY 280, PY 308, PY 320.
*PY 290 Elementary Statistics is always offered in the Fall in the day program and always each spring in the evening program. Additional daytime sections are also sometimes offered in the spring.
5. Can I specialize in a particular area of study?
We have two concentrations for psychology majors: Counseling Concentration and Human Development Concentration. For detailed information on the concentrations, click on the program guides detailing each.
6. How can I get involved in the department?
A variety of extracurricular, academic, employment, and research opportunities are available within the department. Students conduct their own research in our upper-level research courses. We offer Field Placements at the various clinics and agencies in the Pittsburgh area. Each year, a Research Team comprising faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students in psychology collaborate on a faculty member’s research project. Faculty and students also frequently engage in service events, community outreach, and scholarship activities resulting in local and national conferences. Below is a listing of these opportunities.
- Psych Club
- Research Team
- Supervised Research
- Independent Study
- Work Study
- Tutoring
- Collaborative research projects with faculty
- First Year Seminar Facilitator
Please contact the Department at 412-578-6366, or Stephanie Wilsey, PhD, the Program Director at 412-578-6394 or via email at sawilsey@carlow.edu for information regarding these opportunities.
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