Psychology

Bachelor of Arts

Think about it.

Whether you’re interested in why people behave and think the way they do, how social cues influence interactions, or how to effectively treat depression, anxiety, and a range of other disorders—it’s all psychology. Mercyhurst's Department of Psychology will prepare you to delve into the neurobiological, sociocultural, and emotional processes underlying human behavior. As a psychology major, you’ll build a strong foundation in the traditional areas of psychological theory and experimentation, as well as the specialized areas within the field that address human development, behavior, thinking, motivation, neuroscience, learning, emotion, and social interaction. Coursework allows you to explore the mind, behavior, and the links between them as you learn to understand and solve human problems—excellent preparation for careers both within and beyond the field of psychology.

Fast Facts

The Psychology Department is housed in Briggs Hall, which features 6,000 square feet devoted to psychology, including research space, a computer lab, classrooms, a conference room, and a student lounge. Our faculty work with students outside of the classroom in our research and counseling laboratories.

Psych majors regularly present at professional conferences, such as the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychological Conference, the Eastern Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science.

Our "Majoring in Psychology" course is unique to Mercyhurst University, providing students with the opportunity to learn about the variety of ways a Psychology degree can be used in the workplace.

1 /

Research Experience

Our students regularly work alongside faculty on running studies, analyzing data, and presenting the results.
Career Outcomes

Our grads have pursued graduate study in psychology, law, medicine, business, and many other fields, as well as careers in politics, counseling, autism support, education, and public health.
Internships

Psychology majors have completed internships with the Buffalo Bills, VA medical centers, local school districts, and residential facilities for people with disabilities.

Minors

This program requires students to take all prerequisite courses (four) and labs (two), all required courses (two) and lab (one), and at least one elective course that may or may not have a lab.

Prerequisites:

BIO 142: Cellular & Molecular Bio (3 credits)
BIO 143: Cellular & Molecular Bio Lab (1 credit)
BIO 146: Ecol & Evol Bio of Organisms (3 credits)
BIO 147: Ecol & Evol Bio of Org Lab (1 credit)
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 252: Biopsychology (3 credits)

Required:

BIO 226: Neuroanatomy (3 credits) OR BIO 450: Neurobiology (3 credits)
PSYC 352: Biopsychology: Capstone (3 credits)

Elective Courses (Choose 1):

BIO 222: Animal Behavior (3 credits)
BIO 310: Genetics (3 credits) AND BIO 311: Genetics Lab (1 credit)
BIO 334: Human Anatomy (3 credits) AND BIO 335: Human Anatomy Lab (1 credit)
BIO 344: Human Physiology (3 credits) AND BIO 345: Human Physiology Lab (1 credit)
PSYC 211: Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 225: Health Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 236: Learning & Motivation (3 credits)
PSYC 237: Memory and Cognition (3 credits)
PSYC 253: Drugs and Human Behavior (3 credits)

Psychology affects everything we think, feel, say, and do. So whether it's business, education, or political science, a psychology minor is a valuable addition to almost any degree program. Through the coursework, students gain a better understanding of human behavior and relationships, giving them better communication skills and a broader range of knowledge.

Seven courses are required for a minor in psychology including three CORE courses:

PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 291: Research Design - Lecture (3 credits)
PSYC 293: Research Design - Lab (1 credit)
STAT 120: Statistics for Research (3 credits)
Four electives in psychology

The departments of Psychology and Criminal Justice have developed a sequence of study to provide students with an interdisciplinary focus in the psychology of crime and justice. The minor is designed to complement undergraduate degrees in psychology, criminal justice, and other social and behavioral sciences. This unique course of study gives students a competitive advantage and broadens their knowledge and skills in the intersection of psychology and criminal justice. In addition to the course requirements for a Criminal Justice degree, Criminal Justice majors who seek to qualify for the Interdisciplinary Minor in the Psychology of Crime and Justice must complete these additional courses and maintain a 2.5 GPA:

Four required classes (12 credits)

Intro to Psychology (PSYC 100)
Justice in America (CRJS 101)
Psychology and the Law (PSYC 240)
Criminology (CRJS 230)

Three electives from the following list (9 credits)

Antecedents of Aggression (PSYC 350)
Personality Psychology (PSYC 201)
Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 211)
Drugs and Human Behavior (PSYC 253)
Drugs, Crime, and Criminal Justice (CRJS 220)
Social Psychology (PSYC 231)
Introduction to Corrections (CRJS 104)
Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure (CRJS 310)
Victimology (CRJS 240)
Race, Crime, and Justice (CRJS 290)
Criminal Justice Ethics (CRJS 343)

If you are a Criminal Justice or Psychology major and your required major courses are listed above, you will need to select courses from this listing from the other discipline to reach your 21 credits and at least four unique courses. Please work closely with your advisor to monitor your progress toward the minor.