A flexible, elective-heavy degree
What comes to mind when you think of psychology? A lot of people think therapist, psychiatrist or social worker. However, psychology is a diverse science as well as a helping profession. Because psychology is such a broad topic, the psychology major at PSU allows you to explore psychology broadly and to focus on specific areas of psychology that interest you. Having a broad education in psychology is important no matter what field of psychology you plan to work in and the major at PSU aims to offer that diversity in the curriculum.
In pursuing elective coursework, you can choose among different Pathways Through Psychology that focus your studies on specific areas and applications of psychology, including Community Psychology, Education, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Research Methods, Neuropsychology/Neuroscience, and Social Psychology.
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Community Psychology
Community psychology focuses on relationships between individuals and their society and communities. Community psychologists aim to understand and appreciate the attitudes of individuals and their quality of life through their relationship with the community. PSU offers classes that are specific to this branch of psychology as well as classes that overlap.
Completion of the Community Psychology Undergraduate Certificate Program requires requires students to take a community psychology survey course and a two-term senior capstone course focused on applying community psychology principles in field-based settings. In addition to these required courses, students have some flexibility to select two additional courses from four community psychology-related course clusters (Individual Psychology, Social and Group Dynamics, Developmental Processes, and Human Diversity). Alternatively, they may complete additional community psychology research or fieldwork supervised by program faculty to fulfill the remaining credit hours.
Further details on the certificate are available here.
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Education
For students interested in teaching in preschool or elementary school, a major in psychology is typically sufficient. For students interested in teaching at the middle/high school level, you will need a major in the area of specialization in which you want to teach in (a minor in psychology helps with prerequisites), or enough credits to justify that specific department’s requirements. After completing the bachelor’s, a specific licensure program would be completed through the Graduate School of Education.
Common psychology course requirements for becoming a teacher:
- PSY 311: Human Development
- Courses that target specific age ranges, depending on the grade you're interested in:
- PSY 459: Infant Development
- PSY 460: Child Psychology
- PSY 461: Psychology of Adolescence and Early Maturity
- PSY 462: Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
Note: Actual requirements depend on the specific teaching program you are applying to
For advising in psychology, you can schedule an appointment with an academic advisor. Many of the Developmental faculty in the department are also well acquainted with the GSE process and may be of help during their respective advising office hours.
The GSE also offers graduate training in Counseling. To become prepared for licensure as a counselor, students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology can choose a specific counseling specialization offered in the Graduate School of Education.
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Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology applies psychological principles and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving productivity and the quality of work life. It includes topics such as employee motivation, leadership, stress and well-being, personnel selection, workplace diversity, and training. The concentration in I/O Psychology may be particularly attractive to students interested in jobs related to human resource management, are interested in going on to graduate training in I/O Psychology – or who simply want to understand more about the workplace.
Many persons with sufficient training in I/O psychology – typically a Masters or Ph.D. – help organizations with staffing, training, and employee development. Others work as management consultants in a variety of areas such as strategic planning, quality management, and coping with organizational change.
Course Requirements for a Concentration
Students will choose a total of 4 courses (16 credits) from the following list of classes to satisfy the undergraduate concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. PSY361 and PSY362 are both required. Two additional 400-level classes would then be selected based on course availability and the student’s interests.
Required classes (8 credits):
- PSY 361: Introduction to Industrial Psychology
- PSY 362: Introduction to Organizational Psychology
Elective classes (Choose two - 8 credits):
- PSY 410: Diversity in the Workplace
- PSY 410: Professional Safety
- PSY 410: Positive Psychology in the Workplace
- PSY 410: Work, Stress & Health
- PSY 445: Employee Development
- PSY 448: Psychology of Work Motivation
- PSY 478: Leadership and Group Effectiveness
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Interdisciplinary Neuroscience
Interdisciplinary neuroscience explores the relationship between our brains and behavior from multiple perspectives, including psychology, biology, speech and hearing sciences, social science, systems science, direct community engagement and the arts. Memory, attention, perception, language, feeling, and decision making in social contexts all depend on brain structure and function. People in this field examine how the underlying physiology of the nervous system relates to individuals’ psychological and behavioral processes.
Those with training in interdisciplinary neuroscience can pursue a variety of careers. Many individuals, particularly with graduate training, may conduct research in both laboratory and clinical settings, and work in academic, business, healthcare, art and policy making environments.
Recommended Courses
Portland State offers an undergraduate minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, involving students, faculty and courses from multiple departments, including Psychology, Biology and Speech & Hearing Sciences. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in neuroscience, you are also encouraged to consult individual graduate program websites to determine whether they require any specific, additional prerequisite courses.
You can learn more about minor course requirements here:
Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor
PSU students have a long-standing passion for brains and have sought many opportunities to enrich their neuroscience education as undergraduates. They’ve studied the intricacies of both brain and behavior in psychology and biology courses, worked in labs at OHSU, participated in the NIH BUILD EXITO and McNair scholars programs, presented research at the Society for Neuroscience, brought learning outside college classrooms via the active PSU Neuroscience Club and let knowledge serve our Northwest community through interdisciplinary neuroscience outreach as volunteers with the non-profit NW Noggin.
LEARN MORE: STEAM Ahead: A new interdisciplinary neuroscience minor at Portland State!
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Research Methods
Research methods is an important area of psychology as it deals with how to answer research questions and test hypotheses through the application of rigorous and appropriate research design and data analysis.
Individuals with training in research methods can go on to have a variety of careers, as an understanding of conducting research is a large part of jobs in many fields. These fields are not limited to just psychology. They include areas such as marketing, public health, program evaluation, business, and technology, for example. Additionally, for those interested in pursuing graduate degrees in psychology or careers in research labs, a strong background in research methods is essential.
Recommended Courses
For a concentration in research methods, there is no set number of required courses. Individuals interested in this area are encouraged to take as many of these courses as they would like. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, you are encouraged to consult the websites of those graduate programs to determine whether there are specific prerequisites for those programs.
- Stat 243/Stat 244: Introduction to Probability and Statistics I and II
- PSY 321: Research Methods in Psychology
- PSY 399: Computer Applications in Statistics
- PSY 433: Introduction to Psychological Testing
- PSY 454: Experimental Psychology
- PSY 495: Psychological Measurement
- PSY 497/597: Applied Survey Research
- PSY 498/598: Field Observation Methods
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Social Psychology
Social Psychology is a field that focuses on how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behavior are interacted by an individual’s environment and interactions with others. Social psychologists focus on studying behavior in relation to one’s social environment. This environment includes one’s perceptions of their actual social context as well as the imagined or implied social context. Additionally, social psychology includes the studies of interactions among individuals and how social expectations and norms can influence behavior.
Individuals with a background in social psychology can go onto a variety of careers. With a graduate degree, individuals can pursue positions as researchers or faculty members at academic institutions. However, a graduate degree is not necessary to use one’s knowledge of social psychology. A variety of careers in educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government, for example, provide opportunities to apply expertise in social psychology.
Recommended Courses
For a concentration in social psychology, there is no set number of required courses. Individuals interested in this area are encouraged to take as many of these courses as they would like. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in social psychology, you are encouraged to consult the websites of those graduate programs to determine whether there are specific prerequisites for those programs
- PSY 310: Psychology of Women
- PSY 342: Self, Attitudes, and Social Influence
- PSY 343: Social Relationships and Groups
- PSY 410: The Psychology of Race and Gender in Sport
- PSY 410: The Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
- PSY 431: Psychology of Men and Masculinities
- PSY 432: Personality
- PSY 440: Group Process
- PSY 454: Experimental Psychology
- PSY 471: Health Psychology
- PSY 497: Applied Survey Research
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