In the SVSU Psychology program, you can study areas such as neurophysiology, sensory processes, perception, cognition and motivation. Other areas of focus include the nature of development, personality, mental disorders, cultural diversity and social influence. Core and foundational courses include biological foundations of psychology, learning and cognitive psychology, developmental psychology and personality and social psychology, as well as two related lab courses. You can also earn college credit while obtaining research experience in psychology.
Psychology (BA)
About
Do you ever wonder why people or animals behave a certain way? Do you ever wonder what they’re thinking? Are you always trying to figure out what makes them tick? As long as we have an interest in understanding the behavior and mental processes of humans and other animals, psychology will remain an important scientific field. The Psychology program at SVSU offers hands-on research experience with faculty mentors who encourage the development of professional skills not often found in other programs. In addition, students have opportunities to gain presentation and publication experience as undergraduates, setting them apart from others in their scholastic field. Recent surveys of SVSU Psychology alumni indicated that 94% of graduates found employment, with 61% of those planning to attend or have completed graduate school or professional training. With careers for Psychology graduates including scientific research, education, healthcare, industry, criminal justice, data analysis and international relations—plenty of career opportunities exist for SVSU graduates.
Cardinal Points
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94% of SVSU Psychology graduates have found employment.
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61% of SVSU Psychology graduates plan to attend or have completed graduate school or professional training.
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SVSU offers many opportunities for students to gain hands-on research, presentation or publication experience as undergraduates.
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There are 11 SVSU Psychology faculty actively involved in a vast range of research topics and they make themselves available to mentor students in their own related research interests.
Highlighted Courses
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Key Electives
Click here to see a listing of programs
Programs
Majors
Other
Complementary Minors/Majors
Beyond The Books
Research Opportunities
Faculty-mentored research opportunities include a variety of means by which students may earn college credit while obtaining hands-on research experience in Psychology, not often available in other programs.
Independent Study Experiences
Students can engage in a wide variety of independent study experiences, such as developing their own empirical project or becoming involved with ongoing empirical research—including directed readings and scholarly work conducting literature reviews.
Field Placement
Students have many opportunities to participate in field placement experiences.
Our Students After Graduation...
Employers
Midland Medical Center
Sound-a-Sleep Lab
Perspectives Therapy Services
Bayfield Assisted Living
Morley
Autism Centers of Michigan
Riverbend Rehab
Centria Heathcare
Florida International University
Local psychology clinics
Graduate Programs
Michigan State University
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ)
Oakland University
Wayne State University
Marymount University
University of Toledo
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
University of Pittsburgh
Illinois School of Professional Psychology
Career Opportunities
Law School
Peace Corp
Behavioral Technician
Data Analyst
Social Work
Counseling
Behavioral Specialist
Medical or Veterinary School
Research Assistant
Speech/Language Pathology
Criminal Justice
Sleep Technician
Human Resources Specialist
Psychometrist
- 14% job growth for psychologists, clinical psychologists, mental health and abuse counselors, and research psychologists. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- $79,010 the yearly median pay for a psychologist with a master's degree and above in the U.S. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- With a bachelor's degree in Psychology, students are ready to take on careers as psychiatric technicians, sales representatives and market researchers. Graduates are also prepared to further their education in graduate school to become researchers, clinical psychologists and mental health counselors.
- Explore helpful information covering different positions within the mental health field and insights on getting into graduate programs, visit MI Mental Health Helping Professions (created by SVSU Associate Professor Travis Pashak, Ph.D.)
Cardinal Successes
The stories below offer insight into how our students have turned their SVSU education into successful opportunities yielding real-world success.
Alissa Rutkowski Assists in planning congressional meetings & performs policy research
News
