Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

On this page:

• Why Choose Psychology?
• Careers
• Real-World Experience
• Academics and Curriculum
• Admission
• News
• Learning Outcomes
• Contact Information

Why Choose Psychology?

In this program, you'll study diverse topics in psychology and develop valuable skills including applying psychological theory, communicating effectively, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting statistical information. You will study topics like abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, human development, human sexuality, and social psychology. Coursework covers the development and testing of the theories in these areas, as well as how they are applied to real-world situations.

This program is designed to prepare you for a variety of careers including administration, advertising, community relations, human resources, human services, marketing, research, education, and more. You will also develop valuable skills including how to apply psychological theory, communicate effectively, collect and analyze data, and interpreting statistical information. This degree program also provides a foundation to continue your education in many graduate programs.

Careers

Graduates in psychology can go on to work in the arts, business management, conflict mediation, consulting, counseling/therapy, criminal justice, education, engineering, human resources, government, marketing, the military, public service, rehabilitation, sales, social policy, sports, and many others. Our graduates have gone on to graduate school, as well as careers with the Ohio Department of Social Services, to work on opioid addiction prevention and strategies in Ohio, and the Mercer County Board of Developmental Disabilities. We also encourage students to take an introductory course in psychology careers that will allow them to explore different careers in the field.

View the psychology program profile for sample occupations, average salary, and employment projections. 

Real-World Experience

We arm our students with the knowledge and experiences they need to transition from student to professional. Students gain hands-on experience through a variety of community-based programs, service-learning opportunities, internships, and research projects. You will participate in field experiences like interviews at nursing homes, as well as opportunities to participate in research with a faculty member or supervised independent research.

We also work to arm you with skills that will translate to any career field or graduate education choice. You will develop excellent communication and writing skills in your courses and learn proper research methods, learning how to conduct research and how to look for what is important. Ultimately, you will learn to take complicated scientific information and turn it into something that is valuable and easy for the general population to understand. No matter what job or career you choose, the ability to take in data, process it, and report that information in useful way will benefit you.

Academics and Curriculum

View Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program information, degree requirements, and graduation planning strategy in the Academic Catalog.

• Graduation Planning Strategy (GPS)
• Course Descriptions

Practicum

The Practicum in Psychology is a three-credit-hour independent study opportunity that may be available to some students.

• Additional Information
• Independent Study Approval Form

Admission

Review the admission requirements and complete the admission application. Identify whether you will be majoring in psychology.

If you are a current student and wish to change majors, go to the WINGS Express major/minor change request form and change your major.  If you are an undecided/exploratory student, talk to your advisor about majoring in psychology.

News

Lake Campus stresses importance of student research opportunities

When Josh Ricker, a psychology instructor at the Lake Campus, began to notice a lack of research opportunities for his students, he decided that something needed to be done.

More News

Learning Outcomes for Psychology Majors

Below you will find:

1. A set of Learning Outcomes adapted for Wright State students from recommendations of the American Psychological Association (APA).
2. A set of goals (or action items), which we have named the Wright State 8, to guide our Psychology majors along a successful path to graduation and a future career.

NOTE: These statements of accomplishable goals are designed to be used by you in developing a resume for future job and graduate school applications.

Consistent with the learning outcomes identified by the American Psychological Association, as a Psychology Major, you have learned each of the below skills.  Each skill below can be a line you add to your resume.

Knowledge of human behavior

• Understanding of thoughts, motivations, and feelings of individuals and groups
• Knowledge in how to assess human behavior and respond appropriately in work and non-work situations

Strong research skills

• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data
• Ability to critically evaluate published and non-published information
• Ability to problem-solve
• Experience in using available resources to define goals, identify problems, and develop potential solutions

Strong ethical principles

• Familiarity with ethical principles relating to work practices
• Familiarity with ethical principles relating to the protection of information, including how to safeguard privacy and confidentiality

Ability to communicate information effectively both verbally and in written form

• Can communicate information in a concise and clear way
• Can communicate technical (including statistical) information clearly to non-specialists
• Can translate data into easily interpreted graphs and figures

Ability to work effectively in teams, both as a member and as a leader

• Can work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds
• Experience in taking initiative on group projects
• Can follow directions or an established protocol
• Responsive to positive or negative feedback

Strong self-management skills

• Ability to define and achieve goals in unclear situations
• Ability to develop and complete projects from idea conception through final presentation of results or work products
• Ability to manage multiple, simultaneous demands relating to school, work, and family

Wright State 8

Action Items for Every Psychology Major

• WS8-1: Identify and define your professional and personal goals related to psychology
• WS8-2: Develop an elevator speech to describe your interest in psychology to others
• WS8-3: Be a critical consumer of psychological information
• WS8-4: Apply basic stats and research methods to real-world issues
• WS8-5: Speak and write both clearly and persuasively
• WS8-6: Dedicate time and talent to a professional organization (e.g. Psi Chi, Psych Club, MPA)
• WS8-7: Complete 2-3 learning experiences (e.g. Independent research, internship, volunteer with psychology agency)
• WS8-8: Develop professional mentors and role models

Contact Information

Dave Hochstein, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
419-586-0346
dave.hochstein@wright.edu