Psychology

Office: W357 Thompson Hall

(716) 673-3129

Dr. Catherine Creeley, Chairperson

Email: psychology.department@fredonia.edu

Website: http://www.fredonia.edu/department/psychology/

Our department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, as well as minors in General Psychology, School and Counseling Psychology, and Industrial-Organizational Psychology.  Our curriculum is aligned to the learning standards and guidelines for undergraduate studies in psychology recommended by the American Psychological Association.  Our curricular requirements ensure that students explore the many subdisciplines of psychology to have broad exposure to the field, while also providing flexibility. Students may specialize their degree by taking advanced elective courses offered by specialists in those fields.

Our university prides itself on being student-centered and the Psychology Department exemplifies that achievement.  Students may learn and apply skills outside of the classroom through our Internship Program, Mentoring Program, Teaching Practicum, and student research opportunities. We have an active Psychology Club and a chapter of the Psi Chi honor society. Our department also provides opportunities for students who wish to study abroad.

Students perform internships in clinical, school, counseling, and forensic settings, as well as work with organizations and family support/social services agencies. Our Mentoring Program pairs advanced students with new students in the program to build supportive relationships to help all students succeed. Several students each semester learn about teaching and serve as learning assistants in our Psychology Lab course. We also encourage students to participate in their peer’s human research studies, volunteer in a research lab, conduct empirical or library research with faculty members through independent study, be mentored by faculty in conducting their own original research, or complete an Honors Thesis. Many students have co-authored published articles and presented the results of their research at local, regional, and national conferences.

The department recognizes superior student performance with the Psychology Merit Award, the Donald John Lehr Endowment, the Dr. Daniel C. Krawczyk Exemplary Award, the Elizabeth Scarborough Psychology Scholarship, the Kara Grace Hall Memorial Scholarship and the Bruce Klonsky Psychology Award.

Our graduates have gone on to enjoy rewarding careers with mental health agencies, schools, hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment centers, as well as business careers such as sales, management, and human resources. The Psychology program at Fredonia provides a solid foundation for advanced degree work, with many majors continuing on in their education to earn graduate degrees in school psychology, social work, developmental psychology, counseling psychology, and human factors engineering.

Interested persons are encouraged to contact the department chairperson for additional information.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Department of Psychology is to provide a comprehensive undergraduate education in Psychology to its majors, expose interested non-majors to the discipline of psychology, and offer courses that support the campus general education program (CCC or Fredonia Foundations), and programs in other majors. Students are required to sample from a variety of core courses that span the discipline of psychology and to acquire a firm foundation in research methods and data analysis. Qualified students are able to apply their content knowledge, research, and clinical skills through internship and independent study.

Student Learning Outcomes

The psychology department has selected a subset of intended student learning outcomes from the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for the Undergraduate Major (2013). The learning outcomes are tied to each required course in the major. The department's five intended student learning outcomes are:

1. Knowledge Base in Psychology: Majors will demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings in psychology.

2. Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking: Majors will engage in scientific reasoning and critical thinking, including effective research methodology in solving problems related to behavior and mental processes. This includes psychology information literacy and interpreting, designing and conducting basic psychological research.

3. Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World: Majors will develop ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings, including development of values that build diverse communities.

4. Communication: Majors will demonstrate competence in writing, oral and interpersonal communication skills.

5. Professional Development: Majors will apply psychology specific content skills, including effective self-reflection, project-management skills, and teamwork skills to develop career and graduate school readiness.

Requirements for Transfer Credit

• For a transfer course to be counted toward the minimum hours required for a major or a minor, the course must be evaluated as equivalent to a course taught in the Department of Psychology.

• For a major, a limit of 12 transfer credits may be counted towards the 35 required, i.e., a minimum of 23 credit hours must be taken in the department at Fredonia.

• For a minor, a minimum of 9 credit hours must be taken in the department at Fredonia.