Undergraduate Training and Research

Undergraduate Training and Research Image

Undergraduate Degrees in Psychology

The field of psychology is consistently growing and adapting to issues that are important today, and the classes in the Undergraduate program reflect that. Whether studying for a BA or a BS, going into an industry, or continuing their academic studies, the undergraduate classes in the psychology department prepare students for what is next by looking at real-world applications. Students get a foundational basis for the field of psychology while learning to apply their knowledge to their specific area of interest. The undergraduate BS Degree can even be completed completely online.

Psychology, like most sciences, has many different dimensions and sub-disciplines. Each of these disciplines contributes to our overall understanding of what humans do in various situations, as well as how and why they do it. With this in mind, the Psychology department has several concentrations to help students augment their knowledge in a specific area, and expand the application of those degrees. For those students who are not majoring in psychology but wish to still learn, there are a variety of minors to help apply psychological areas of interest to their primary degree.

The Psychology department has a strong commitment to teaching the basics of research and giving students the opportunity to engage in research at every level.  Undergraduates in psychology are presented with many opportunities to develop their research skills through coursework and by working in labs that are conducting real-world, cutting-edge advancements under psychologists at the top of their field. While working in these labs, they will get to take part in research that has real-world impact and may be given the opportunity to develop their own studies based on the data they are collecting.

Undergraduate students looking for a research assistantship should look into the OSCAR program. This program helps students fund research opportunities, and many psychology majors have taken advantage of this in order to further their research. We also have our own honors program and students who are accepted to pursue honors in the major can work on their own research projects under the guidance of a faculty member.

The proximity to Washington, DC affords students many opportunities to do real-world research, and see the different fields of Psychology in action. In addition, highly talented students might be invited to join Psi Chi, the international honor society for psychology.