About Us
Mission Statement
The Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Counseling seeks to provide excellence in education through teaching, research, and community involvement. Our primary goal is to provide a balanced approach emphasizing theory, research, and application so that our students are prepared for a diversity of opportunities.
Through coursework, research experience, and internship opportunities, the Department provides a curriculum that is intended to:
- provide students with an overview of the disciplines of Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology and to broaden the understanding of individual and group behavior for students in all academic majors;
- prepare students for a wide range of careers in fields that value a liberal arts education with an emphasis on the behavioral and/or social sciences;
- prepare students for professional or graduate study
KQIs for the Psychology Major
KQI 1: Critical thinking competencies
[critical success factors are taken from Ennis and Norris, (1989)]
- Students will develop the ability to critically analyze theories and research for application in professional settings. Students should be able to…
- identify a problem and focus on the relevant issues.
- recognize and defend against common thinking fallacies.
- ask and answer questions that clarify and challenge existing theories, methodologies, and applications of primary areas in psychology.
- assess the credibility of a source.
- ask and answer questions that clarify and challenge personal values and belief systems.
- identify and analyze key assumptions about behavioral science.
- Students will transfer the aforementioned critical thinking skills to personal, social, and ethical domains. Students should
- have solid reasoning skills.
- recognize the value of psychology in understanding and suggesting solutions for real-world problems.
- develop an appreciation the value of psychological science in society.
KQI 2: Communications competencies
- Students should demonstrate competency in written and oral communication abilities. Students must demonstrate
- competency in their ability to independently produce written work following guidelines mandated by the American Psychological Association.
- competency in their ability to make an effective oral presentation.
- an understanding of themselves and others in a cultural context and develop interpersonal skills for diverse settings.
KQI 3: Competency in the scientific study of behavior
- Students must demonstrate the ability to apply principles of the scientific method to the study of behavior. Students will
- demonstrate competency in designing research.
- participate in all phases of research projects.
- present their research in a variety of formats.
- Students must demonstrate competency in using and interpreting quantitative methods. Students will demonstrate
- declarative knowledge of statistical concepts.
- an ability to complete statistical procedures.
- conditional knowledge of quantitative methods.
KQI 4: Professional technological competencies
- Students should show competency in using current technology relevant to the study of psychology. Students should
- be able to use computers to analyze data.
- be able to use computers to locate and obtain information.
- be able to use electronically-enhanced learning aids.
KQI 5: Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
- Students will be introduced to the ethical principles of the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association. Students must demonstrate ethical behavior in
- professional relationships.
- scholarly work.
- research and independent studies.
- internships and field placements.
KQI 6: Demonstrate sensitivity to individual differences
- Students will be introduced to information that will broaden their definition of diversity. Students must demonstrate
- an appreciation of their broadened definition of diversity into their coursework, into their classroom behavior, and into their interpretation of psychological theories and principles.
- an understanding of how diversity issues affect and/or are related to psychological functioning.
- an understanding of how diversity issues affect and/or are related to social issues and/or problems.