Psychology

Program Information

At Chestnut Hill College, Psychology is one of the largest and most comprehensive majors offered. In addition to a B.A. degree, students can pursue both masters and doctoral level studies right here at the College. Also, for the most exceptional and committed students there is a combined program which allows one to receive a B.A. in Psychology as well as an M.S. in Counseling at an accelerated pace. In all Psychology disciplines, students will learn from some of the best minds in the field, all of whom bring years of teaching and fieldwork experience to their classrooms.

Psychology is the discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes and how these processes are affected by an organism's physical state, mental state and external environment. Its early beginnings emanate from philosophy, natural science, and medicine. Today, undergraduate study of Psychology is very broad, including courses related to biology, individual psychology, theories of counseling, and the study of the effects of sociocultural surroundings on human behavior.

Requirements

Click here to download the Undergraduate Catalog for more information on the Psychology program.

Honors Program

Students who qualify with a 3.2 career GPA and 3.5 major GPA, who are of junior or senior standing, who have completed at least four psychology courses and who rank in the top 35% of their graduating class, may be invited to join Psi Chi, the National Psychology Honor Society, an affiliate of both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society.

Internships

There are numerous companies and mental health institutions in the Philadelphia region in which Psychology majors have an opportunity to pursue internships in their junior or senior years. In fact, it's not uncommon for an internship to lead to full-time employment after graduation.

After Graduation

Considering that understanding human nature and behavior are integral to all aspects of people's endeavor, there are many opportunities to apply what is learned in Psychology.

Often, undergraduate majors go on to earn graduate degrees in specific areas to work in a variety of fields according to their interests and talents. Clinical psychologists and counselors are able to practice therapeutic techniques in hospitals, mental health clinics or services, in colleges or universities, research laboratories, or in private practice.

Some psychologists choose to concentrate on research endeavors and find academic institutions where they can focus on an area of interest, such as human development, psychological testing, physiological psychology, or industrial/organizational psychology. In industry, law or other settings, psychologists can be consultants on organizational problems, environmental issues, public policy, consumer issues, advertising, sports or survey research and opinion polls.

The opportunities to find a meaningful and interesting future using training in psychology are numerous, varied and interesting. These include: