Oct 11, 2024  
Gordon College Academic Catalog 2024-2025 
  
Gordon College Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Psychology (B.A.)


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The Psychology Program seeks to graduate individuals with intellectual maturity and Christian character, who show a deep understanding of the actions, feelings and thoughts that relate persons to their physical, social and spiritual contexts, prepared for a life of service and leadership.

Concentrations are offered in the department to help students clarify their interests and discern their calling. They allow students to gain greater depth in their education in those aspects to which they feel most called. Callings can change of course, and it is for this reason that we emphasize that one can do any career from any concentration.

Required courses


Thirty-eight credits are required for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree. These credits must include the following courses, plus one of the concentrations below.

Concentrations


A concentration is required with a maxium of two concentrations allowed, with the exception of General Psychology, which is a stand-alone concentration. Concentrations are designed for students with particular interests. 

  - This concentration is designed for those interested in counseling, clinical, and social service careers.

  - This concentration is designed for those interested in a broad range of careers including research, biotech, artificial intelligence, and user interface consulting. Students may not declare both the Cognitive Neuroscience concentration and the Neuroscience minor offered by the School of Science and Health.

  - This concentration is designed for those interested in a broad range of careers including education and child-focused clinical service, human resources, counseling, and school psychology, with focus on human development within a social context.

  - This concentration is designed to develop a broad understanding of the human person in all their dimensions and to produce graduates who can work in any of a broad range of settings.

Internship


Psychology has a robust internship program, with opportunities for internships for junior and senior psychology majors. Students interested in an internship talk with their advisor, who shepherds them through the internship process. During the semester in which they wish to intern, students sign up for PSY 425 - Internship Experience and PSY 426 - Internship Seminar. With the help of the internship coordinator, students are expected to have an internship in place before the semester starts, during which they are able to get extensive experience (120 hours, i.e., 10 hours for each of 12 weeks) in their area of interest.

Notes


Students considering graduate work or specific vocational objectives should consult with department faculty, especially their advisors, in choosing their concentration and electives. The department encourages students to take courses outside the department in areas that extend their understanding of human experience and nonhuman behavior or improve their ability to use and apply psychological knowledge.

The department offers an extensive internship program in which students work under supervision in an off-campus setting (e.g., school setting, crisis center, district court). The purpose of the program is to help students learn to apply their academic knowledge in a practical setting. This program is an elective option which upper division majors are encouraged to take, even it it does not meet major elective credit. See course descriptions for PSY 425  and PSY 426 .

Minors for Psychology Majors

Psychology majors may choose a departmental minor in any other major in the College (e.g., computer science) or in an interdisciplinary area (e.g., peace and conflict studies, prelaw, environmental studies). Requirements for departmental minors are listed under the appropriate major; other minors are listed under Interdisciplinary Minors. Psychology majors may not declare any of the psychology minors (General Psychology, Clinical Psycholpogy, Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Development).

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