Psychology, Bachelor of Arts

Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the U.S. and provides a variety of opportunities for graduates. The major in psychology focuses on understanding principles of human behaviors from a bio-psychosocial model that explores areas such as cognitive, clinical and counseling, social, health, developmental, and industrial/organizational. Because of the diverse opportunities with a degree in psychology, Wilson College offers multiple options to prepare students for graduate work or immediate entrance into the workforce. Each of the options includes a capstone experience in which the student works closely with a faculty member on a project unique to them.

Students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology may continue their education in graduate school or pursue careers in healthcare, human resources, employee management, research, public relations, criminal justice, and human services, to name a few. Psychology graduates from Wilson College attending graduate school are prepared for master’s and doctoral level programs in clinical and counseling, social, cognitive, and industrial and organizational psychology. Because of the variety of career fields and options in psychology, the degree requirements allow students to tailor their educational experience to their future goals.

For more information on careers with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, see https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2018/01/bachelors-degree

To prepare students for graduate school and entrance into the workforce, all students complete a capstone experience, choosing one of two options based on their educational and career goals. In the Senior Thesis capstone experience, students design and implement a research project with the guidance from a faculty advisor. Students completing the senior thesis get the opportunity to create a research project based on their own interest, carry out that research design and collect data, analyze the data, write a formal APA-style manuscript of the research, and present the research at Student Research Day. This experience prepares students for master’s and doctoral level programs in any psychology field. The other capstone experience is the Advanced Seminar designed for students entering the workforce immediately upon graduation or applying for graduate school in applied psychological fields. The course provides students with the opportunity to explore various career and post-graduate options to further explore their goals, prepare a portfolio, and gain hands on experience in the field they intend to pursue. In addition to the capstone experience, students will choose a concentration that best aligns with their educational and career goals.

General Concentration

The General concentration is the traditional psychology degree and allows students to take a sampling of psychology courses. Students have the flexibility of choosing any five psychology electives. This allows students to either specialize within a specific area of psychology or to take courses across multiple psychological topics. The General concentration prepares students for graduate programs across any area of psychology or entrance into to the workforce.

Leadership and Organizational Management Concentration

The concentration in Leadership and Organizational Management is an interdisciplinary concentration that intersects with Industrial and Organizational psychology. “I-O Psychologists specialize in understanding human behavior at work and creating evidence-based practices to help organizations and workers thrive.”[1] Students who complete the concentration are prepared to work in various areas of business, public relations, human resource management, or continued graduate work in industrial and organizational psychology. For more information on I-O psychology, see https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/industrial

*Students interested in completing the 4+1 Masters of Organizational Leadership will need to consult with an advisor on course selection in the concentration to avoid conflicts in master’s program.

Health Care Concentration

The concentration in Health Care is an interdisciplinary concentration that intersects with health psychology. The goal is to provide a bio-psychosocial understanding of health and people’s interactions with illness, caregiving, and healthcare systems. Students who complete the concentration are prepared for careers in healthcare and human services. This concentration includes courses across the fields of psychology, healthcare and medical humanities, and the health sciences. Themes explored include how and why people participate in health promoting and health compromising behaviors, how people understand death and dying and the process of bereavement, and how different cultures may understand health.