Data-Gathering Research Projects

A centerpiece of our major is our core course sequence, typically taken during the sophomore and junior years. The four core courses (learning, neuroscience, social, and personality) all contain labs in which our students design and execute original, data-gathering research studies. Many of our undergraduate students present their work at professional conferences and/or publish in scholarly journals. All students also are required to take courses in statistics and research methods.

Senior psychology majors either complete an 8-hour/week internship in an area of career interest or complete a year-long research project working one-on-one with a full-time faculty member. Thus, our students are embedded throughout the four years in experiential learning outside the classroom, requiring them to work in groups, develop original ideas, solve problems, conduct scholarly library research, and actively participate in the professional world.

Representative Senior Theses

• A Review of the Role of Trauma on Memory: Future Changes for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Challenges of Mothers with Severe Mental Illness in Parenting: Outcomes for Children
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An Emerging Treatment of Reactive Attachment Disorder
• The Effect of 5-HT3 Antagonist Bemesetron on Cocaine- Inducted Place Preference in Rats 
• Effects of Transformational Leadership on Workplace Relationships, Performance, and Employee Satisfaction
• How Child Life Services Psychologically Benefits Hospitalized Children
• The Influence of Parental Involvement on Latino Students’ Academic Achievement
• The Negative Long-Term Effects of ADHD Medications and Safer, More Effective Alternative Therapies
• Social Support and Adherence to Physical Therapy Programs

Undergraduate Internship Areas

• Art Therapy
• Behavioral Health Care
• Business Relations
• Criminal Justice
• Crisis Counseling
• Educational Aide
• Family Therapy
• Hotline Counselor
• Human Resources
• Mental Health Care
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistant
• School Counseling