Psychology
Psychology is a relatively new science that deals with age-old questions: namely, the way
human beings and other living creatures behave and the reasons for their behavior.
Like other fields, psychology is organized into subject-matter areas, each with its own methods of
study and focus of concern.
• Behavior analysis is the study of experimental science of
organism behavior. In applied behavior analysis, behavioral
principles are used to solve human problems.
• Clinical or abnormal psychology is concerned with
factors that contribute to maladjusted behavior along with
processes and techniques to modify that behavior.
• Cognitive psychology is the study of human cognitive
processes, including attention, information processing,
memory, and language.
• Developmental psychology examines human development
physically, emotionally, intellectually, and morally, from the
womb through old age.
• Educational psychology focuses on the child and how
he or she interacts within the educational environment.
This can involve differences in learning, motivation, group
behavior or personality. It also includes teacher selection
and training.
• Psychology of learning studies the learning processes with
emphasis on the respondent, operant, and observational
learning processes. The psychology of learning is one of the
cornerstones of scientific psychology.
• Psychology of personality concerns itself with the
processes that make each person unique. Many of the most
well-known theoretical statements about human behavior,
from Sigmund Freud and others, are part of this branch.
• Physiological psychology probes biological and
physiological reasons for behavior. For instance, it looks
at the relationships between emotions and the brain and
nervous system.
• Social psychology examines human interaction. It
is concerned with attitude development and change,
obedience and social conformity, group dynamics,
interpersonal attraction, and more.
Employment Opportunities
Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in psychology often are
able to find work directly related to their major, primarily in
the social service field. In addition, psychology graduates are
often attractive candidates for entry-level positions in fields
outside of psychology. The knowledge of human behavior,
as well as the research, writing and critical thinking skills of
psychology graduates make them competitive applicants for
positions in fields such as advertising, business, healthcare,
customer service and sales. The thoughtful selection of a
college minor can increase the attractiveness of the bachelor’s
degree holder to potential employers.
Many students with undergraduate degrees in psychology
continue their education by earning graduate degrees. The
career outlook for individuals with a master’s degree in
psychology is bright, as they are increasingly employed in
business, nonprofit organizations and industry, depending
upon the area of specialization. Students who earn a doctoral
level degree are often employed as faculty members at colleges
or universities, where they teach undergraduate and graduate
students and maintain active research programs. Doctorallevel psychologists are also employed in business, industry, and
mental health settings or may have a private practice.
Degree Options
The Department of Psychology in the College of LibralArts
and Social Sciences offers Bachelor of Arts and Honors
degree programs in psychology, as well as minors in general
psychology, developmental psychology, and applied behavior
analysis.
The Bachelor of Arts degree program in psychology provides
preparation for graduate study in applied, clinical and
experimental areas of psychology. It is also appropriate for
students seeking paraprofessional employment in the social
For more information about this program, go to
www.ysu.edu, click on Colleges, then College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at:
Telephone: 877-468-6978 • 330-941-2000 • Video Phone: 866-757-1353 • Fax: 330-941-3674 • E-mail: [email protected]
(see following page)
www.ysu.edu
YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
services field or an entry-level position in management,
business, customer services or sales.
PAGE 2
Honors
If you are interested in the Honors degree program in
psychology, see a departmental advisor for requirements for
eligibility.
For undergraduates, YSU has both a Psychology Club and a
chapter of Psi Chi, the national undergraduate psychology
honorary. Each year, the outstanding psychology student and
undergraduate research project are honored.
Undergraduate Fieldwork and Research
Curriculum Overview
The psychology curriculum places a strong emphasis on
the development of research skills. All psychology majors
complete a two-semester senior thesis project under the
direction of a faculty advisor. These student research projects
may lead to presentations at local, regional or national
conferences. In addition, students have the opportunity to
actively participate in faculty research projects.
Coursework toward the Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology:
General Psychology
Research Methods and Statistics 1 & 2
Senior Thesis/Honors Thesis
Psychology majors also have the opportunity to gain valuable
experience through fieldwork placements with area social
service agencies and other entities.
Faculty
Faculty members of the Department of Psychology have
diversified professional backgrounds and are known for their
research, publications, and contributions to community service
organizations.
YSU maintains a faculty-student ratio of 1:20, among the best
of state-affiliated universities in Ohio.
Accreditation
Plus at least one course from each of the following areas:
Clinical
Abnormal Psychology
Personality
Social/Developmental
Social Psychology
Child Development
Adolescent Development
Learning/Cognition
Psychology of Learning
Cognition/Lab
Physiological
Physiological Psychology
Youngstown State University is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission and a member of the North Central
Association.
Facilities
Modern classrooms and laboratories are available to
psychology students in DeBartolo Hall. These well-equipped
facilities include a new state-of-the-art psychophysiology
facility, an electromagnetically isolated room for recording
neural activity, a surgery room for investigating brain-behavior
interactions, a vivarium, and a one-way mirrored observation
room to observe children.
Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at:
Telephone: 877-468-6978 • 330-941-2000 • Video Phone: 866-757-1353 • Fax: 330-941-3674 • E-mail: [email protected]
www.ysu.edu