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About

Undergraduate programs in psychology are pre-professional in that they are designed to introduce students to a wide knowledge base in the field and to prepare them for further training.

The B.A. degree in psychology is recommended for students who wish to become psychologists and are planning to gain admission into graduate programs. In addition, this degree is recommended for students who desire to combine psychology with another academic discipline.

Goals / Objectives / Outcomes

THE GOAL

The goal of the undergraduate psychology programs is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that prepare them for further training and education in specialized fields of psychology. The learning outcomes emanating from this major goal are grouped into two major categories:

• Knowledge, skills, and dispositions consistent with the science and application of psychology, and
• Knowledge, skills, and dispositions consistent with both a Christian and a liberal arts education.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

These outcomes are realized by providing opportunities for psychology students to become effective in the following roles:

1. A caring person
2. An informed and passionate learner
3. A scientific thinker, and
4. A committed pre-professional.

These outcomes then lay the foundation for pre-professional excellence and constitute the core objectives of the undergraduate psychology programs.

The conceptual framework incorporates the following proficiencies:

1. As a caring person, the psychology pre-professional will evidence knowledge, skills and dispositions by:
   • Demonstrating the ideals of compassion and justice, along with the belief that all individuals are created in the image of God and thus have unique, inherent value
   • Recognizing and respecting diversity, and demonstrating personal integrity
   • Considering in decision-making the influence and importance of environmental contexts; familial, social, academic, religious, and cultural
   • Advocating and emulating the example of Christ-like service
2. As an informed and passionate learner, the psychology pre-professional will evidence knowledge, skills, and dispositions by:
   • Demonstrating an awareness of nurturing environments and psychological services and programs
   • Demonstrating understanding of central concepts in the major subfields of psychology
   • Demonstrating understanding of how individuals develop within and across the lifespan
   • Demonstrating understanding of the foundations of psychopathology and mental health and wholeness
   • Using technology appropriately to enhance communication and individual learning
3. As a scientific thinker, the psychology pre-professional will evidence knowledge, skills, and dispositions by:
   • Demonstrating intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making
   • Using theory, based on scientific research, to enhance practice
   • Using the scientific method to pose and answer real-world psychological questions
   • Becoming an informed and critical consumer of scientific research
4. As a committed pre-professional, the psychology pre-professional will evidence knowledge, skills, and dispositions by:
   • Collaborating with peers and consulting with faculty and other professionals
   • Demonstrating understanding of the legal and ethical responsibilities in the field of psychology
   • Participating in opportunities to achieve excellence and broaden psychological horizons
   • Recognizing the value of health and a commitment to a lifestyle of wellness
   • Demonstrating appropriate communication skills

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements: In order to be admitted to an undergraduate program in psychology, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Regular Admission to Southern Adventist University: The student must be admitted to the University under Regular Acceptance.
• Admission to Psychology Timeframe: Admission to the Psychology program must be satisfactorily completed as part of the coursework required in PSYC 380.
• Application and Statement of Intent: The student must submit an application, including a Statement of Intent essay, explaining why he/she chose psychology as a major and serving as a self-assessment of how the student feels he/she meets the core objectives and expected proficiencies of the program's conceptual framework: caring person, informed and passionate learner, scientific thinker, and committed pre-professional.
• Adviser Recommendation: The student must submit an SEP-based (Psychology) academic adviser recommendation. The recommendation is to include signed evidence by the adviser and advisee that they have discussed the applicant's academic program.
• Minimum GPA: For admission to the B.A. Psychology program, the minimum GPA required is 2.75.
• Required Course: In order to be considered for this program, students must have completed General Psychology with a grade of B- or better.

Program Specific Info

PSYC 491, Psychology Practicum, should be started during the junior year.

Students will be expected to provide their own transportation for individual field and practicum experiences unless a lab fee has been assessed for cohort-based field experiences.
Students required to perform field or practicum experiences will accept personal responsibility for their learning and professional behavior. Each student contracts to abide by policies of the School of Education and Psychology.

Requirements

Graduation Requirements

During their last academic year in the undergraduate program, students are required to write a major position paper and take the Psychology Major Field Test.

• The senior thesis is a self-assessment of how the student has met the core objectives and expected proficiencies of the program's Conceptual Framework: caring person, informed and passionate learner, scientific thinker, and committed pre-professional. This paper is part of the capstone course, Senior Seminar in Psychology, and will be read by at least two faculty members.
• The Major Field Test (MFT) in psychology is administered as part of the required experiences of the capstone course, Senior Seminar in Psychology. The results from the six areas assessed in the Major Field Test will be utilized as benchmarks in the Psychology Unit Plan and Assessment Review.