Goals and Objectives

The psychology department strives to acquaint students with research findings and theories in numerous areas. This goal is accomplished with a curricular structure that ensures students take courses that survey the myriad processes influencing behavior. The department further strives to instill in students a basic science orientation and develop their ability to evaluate and conduct research. The psychology department also recognizes that many students are seeking careers in human services and other applied fields. It thus offers a variety of courses that examine how psychological principles can be applied to human behavior as a means of promoting human welfare.

Program

Required courses which fulfill general education requirements are PSYC 101 General Psychology and
PSYC 201 Behavioral Statistics.

Required core courses include 
PSYC 110 Psychology Colloqium, 
PSYC 205 Research Methods,
PSYC 265 Social Psychology, 
PSYC 305 Learning and Motivation, 
PSYC 315 Psychological Measurement and Evaluation, 
PSYC 355 Physiological Psychology and 
PSYC 401 History and Systems.

Required core area courses - choose one of the two options in each area:
PSYC 236 Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence
or PSYC 336 Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging
PSYC 310 Memory and Thinking
or PSYC 350 Sensation and Perception
PSYC 320 Personality Psychology
or PSYC 325 Abnormal Psychology

In addition to fulfilling the general education and core psychology requirements, majors must take three additional elective courses (total of 36 credit hours). These courses can be taken from any area in psychology. If PSYC 101 and/or 201 are not used to fulfill general education requirements, they can count toward the required 36 major hours.

Faculty

The psychology department consists of eight full-time professors who teach and advise within the academic program. Each department member is a specialist in a different area and all are active in research and/or other scholarly activities.

Why Major in Psychology?

Psychology is one of the most popular majors on the UW-River Falls campus. This popularity can be traced to several factors. First, the training psychology majors receive in research, theory and application is valued by employers across a wide range of occupations. As a result our majors find work in diverse careers. Second, the psychology department has a reputation for excellence in teaching and developing student-oriented programs. Examples of these programs include active internship opportunities, Psychology Society (a social organization), and Psi Chi (a national honorary program). Finally, the program provides an outstanding foundation for graduate work. As a result, a significant number of our majors pursue graduate work in psychology or related fields.