Pathways Through Psychology

Elementary school teacher reading a book to kids seated on carpet

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.

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.

The Community Psychology undergraduate certificate program 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.

Certificate Details

Education

Interested in early childhood education?
For students interested in teaching or working with preschool age children, a major in psychology is typically sufficient. Here are some pathways you can take toward work in early childhood education.

Interested in teaching elementary school?
For students interested in teaching Kindergarten through 5 th grade, the most direct route is an undergraduate major in elementary education or special education (A minor in psychology focusing on child development can help with prerequisites.) Here are some pathways you can take toward working with elementary school age children.

If you have already completed your Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or another major, you can also apply to the Master’s program in Elementary Education. Or, if you are bilingual and bicultural, consider the Master’s program in Bilingual Education.

Interested in teaching middle or high school?
For students interested in teaching students in grades 6 to 12, you will need a major in the area of specialization in which you want to teach in (a minor in psychology focusing on child and adolescent development can help 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 College of Education for teaching in middle or high school.

Common psychology course requirements for becoming a teacher include:

PSY 311U 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

Relevant and helpful coursework also includes:

PSY 410 Early Childhood Development & Education
PSY 410 Childhood Development & Education
PSY 410 Development & Education of African American Children & Youth
PSY 410 Development & Education of Latine Children & Youth
PSY 410 Development & Education of Asian American Children & Youth

To learn more, we encourage you to consult your advisor and check out the options described in the College of Education.

Become a Teacher

Industrial/Organizational (I/O) 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, 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 master's 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.

For the I/O concentration, students will choose a total of 4 courses (16 credits) from the following list of classes. 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 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

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.

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.

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.

Neuroscience Minor

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.

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 320 Social Science Research Methods 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

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.

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 472 The Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
PSY 431 Psychology of Men and Masculinities
PSY 432 Personality
PSY 454 Experimental Psychology
PSY 471 Health Psychology

Clinical/Counseling Psychology

To concentrate your undergraduate studies in pre-clinical or counseling psychology, we encourage you to take courses from the list to the right. Students interested in this concentration are encouraged to take as many of these courses as they would like. There is no set number of courses required. Please see the Course Projection Guide to see how often courses are offered.

If you are interested in pursuing a master’s or PhD program, you are encouraged to consult the websites of those graduate programs to determine whether there are specific course prerequisites for those programs.

Highly Suggested Courses:

PSY 317 Personal and Social Adjustment
PSY 350 Counseling
PSY 410 Clinical Psychology
PSY 434 Introduction to Psychopathology
PSY 410 Advanced Psychopathology
PSY 410 Marriage & Family Therapy
PSY 410 Psychology of Addictive Behavior
PSY 410 Psychology of Trauma
PSY 410 Therapy Groups & Clinical Practice
PSY 450 Psychopharmacology
PSY 464 Developmental Psychopathology

Additional Courses:

PSY 410 Psychology of Human Sexuality
PSY 432 Personality
PSY 460 Child Psychology
PSY 410 Marriage & Intimate Relationships
PSY 410 Parenting & Contemporary Society
PSY 410 Emotions

For students interested in going into master’s, PsyD, or PhD programs in counseling, social work, or clinical psychology, an undergraduate major in psychology is typically sufficient preparation. After completing the master’s, a specific licensure program would be completed in order to practice. PSU offers a Master’s in Counseling and a Master’s in Social Work.

For advising about completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, you can schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.

To learn about the Master’s in Counseling program at PSU, attend a College of Education information session

To learn about the Master’s in Social Work program at PSU, attend a School of Social Work information session.

Developmental Science

Psychology offers many courses that focus on how people develop over the lifespan, from birth to death. These courses are helpful for students interested in learning more about how to parent, teach, and support the development of infants, children, youth, adults, and the elderly. Courses in developmental psychology are also helpful for students’ understandings of their own parenting, family relationships, and developmental journeys. Courses encourage students to discover their own strengths and the many ways that they can intentionally support their own positive development, whatever their ages.

Developmental courses are required for some majors and careers, like teaching, nursing, counselling, and social work.

Developmental science is a field that focuses on how individuals grow and change over time, and how their development is shaped by their interpersonal relationships and social contexts, like families, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Our program is especially interested in the impact of societal and historical forces, such as structural inequalities and adaptive cultures, on development all across the lifespan. We have a special focus on the developmental pathways, strengths, protective factors, and resilience of children and youth from a range of backgrounds and heritage cultures.

As part of the department’s concentration in Applied Developmental Science, our courses include a great deal of information about how research findings can be used to improve and transform social contexts, like families, schools, and societal institutions, so that they better support the healthy development of children, youth, adults, and the elderly. We also encourage students to think through and critique science’s, society’s, and their own assumptions about the nature and contexts of development.

Individuals with a background in developmental psychology can go on to 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 developmental psychology. A variety of careers in educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government, for example, provide opportunities to apply expertise in developmental psychology.

For a concentration in developmental science, 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 developmental psychology, you are encouraged to consult the websites of those graduate programs to determine whether there are specific prerequisites for those programs

Foundational introductory course:

PSY 311 Human Development across the Lifespan

Courses that focus on important populations:

PSY 410 Development & Education of African American Children & Youth
PSY 410 Development & Education of Latine Children & Youth
PSY 410 Asian-American Child Development

Courses that target specific age ranges:

PSY 459 Infant Development
PSY 460 Child Psychology
PSY 461 Psychology of Adolescence and Early Maturity
PSY 462 Psychology of Adult Development and Aging

Students who find courses in developmental science interesting may also wish to consider careers as teachers or school counselors. To learn more, we encourage you to consult your advisor and check out the options described in the College of Education.

A closely affiliated major, which originated in the Department of Psychology, is the program on Child, Youth, and Family Studies.

We encourage students to actively explore a range of coursework, majors, and career options, in order to be a positive force in their own development.