Mission Statement
Goals & Objectives
More Information Mission Statement The Psychology Department is committed to the education of students
in understanding and appreciating the science of behavior and mental
processes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The
undergraduate program in Psychology endorses the educational
mission of Loyola College, to “challenge students to learn, lead, and
serve in a diverse and changing world.” As such, students majoring
in psychology are exposed to fundamental concepts that provide them
with a solid foundation in the discipline. Development of critical thinking
skills, an understanding of research methodology, and an appreciation
of diversity are core to the mission of the undergraduate program.
"The psychology department gives me a variety of classes to choose from,
so I can choose ones that interest me." ... undergradaute student
Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes. Students majoring in psychology are exposed to
fundamental concepts that provide them with a solid foundation in the
discipline. Development of critical thinking skills, and an understanding
of research methodology and appreciation for diversity, are hallmarks
of the undergraduate program. In addition, students are provided with
a unique degree of flexibility in selecting courses from six required
areas to best prepare them for graduate programs or careers of their
choice.
"I think the teachers in the psychology department are outstanding.
I've had great experiences with my courses. My professors have been
very knowledgeable, and I can tell they really enjoy what they are doing.
My teachers have served as role models for me." .... undergraduate
student
The psychology major is an extremely popular one at Loyola. We have
21 professors and 33 affiliates who offer a wide range of courses,
from the introductory course to field placement and advanced
research. The Department has computer facilities, a biofeedback
laboratory and faculty who are involved not only in teaching but
also research, supervision and clinical practice. The Department is
known for the strong teaching skills of its faculty; two professors
who have been recognized as the Maryland Psychological Association
for Graduate Students (MPAGS) Mentor of the Year award, two
others who have been honored as Distinguished Teachers of the
Year, and another has been designated Outstanding Teacher of
Psychology in the state of Maryland. Research activities of
psychology faculty include topics such as: gender selection,
homophobia, attitudes towards AIDS, forensics, substance abuse,
problems of children, and health psychology, to name a few. Many of
the Psychology faculty members have published widely in the above
areas. In addition, during their studies as a psychology major,
students may have the opportunity to conduct research with a
psychology faculty member; either in his or her program of research,
or their own project. Students who have had this opportunity have
presented their work at local, regional, and/or national psychology
conferences.
"The best thing about the Psychology Department is that it feels
like a tight-knit community in which everyone is generally really
fascinated about psychology." .... undergraduate student
When a psychology major reaches Junior or Senior standing he or
she may elect to pursue a field experience. This involves placement
at a nearby mental health, research, or industrial facility, where
students can obtain some hands-on experience and begin to focus
their interests within the field. The department maintains
relationships with over 100 local institutions in which students may
be placed. A special opportunity available to students maintaining a
3.5 grade point average is application to our Accelerated BA/MS
Program, Thesis Track. A student accepted into this program will
take select classes Senior year that count both toward the
undergraduate and graduate degrees. By attending classes the
summer after graduation, and remaining for the next full year, it is
possible to receive both the BA and MS in that five-year period.
"The psychology program here at Loyola is very respectable and very
informative - prepares the students well for future
employment/school." .... undergraduate student
Graduates of our program typically either seek employment upon
completion of their degree or choose to continue their education
with graduate studies. Those who seek employment find the
psychology major beneficial to careers in social service, sales,
human resources, the justice system, and research, among others.
Those seeking admission to graduate school have been quite
successful. Approximately 60 percent of our graduates continue
their education by attending graduate school in such areas as
clinical,counseling or school psychology, social work, law or
medical fields. Our majors are quite well prepared, as may be
noted by our Psychology Competency Examination results from
last year; overall, Loyola psychology majors ranked in the 75th
percentile nationally in their knowledge of the 10 areas of
psychology assessed. In addition, we have had several
psychology majors successfully compete in Loyola's campus-wide,
multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
Colloquium (UGRSC). Back to Top
Goals & Objectives
Goal 1: Mastery of Theory and Content in Psychology
Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to:
Objectives: - Describe the nature of psychology as a discipline.
- Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological phenomena.
- Explain major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural).
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding representing appropriate breadth and depth in selected content areas of psychology.
Goal 2: Research Methods in Psychology
Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and report findings. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to:
Objectives: - Describe the basic characteristics of the scientific method as it applies to psychology.
- Explain different research methods used by psychologists.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of conclusions derived from psychological research.
- Design and conduct basic studies to address psychological questions using appropriate research methods.
- Follow the most recent APA Code of Ethics in the treatment of human and nonhuman participants in the design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of psychological research.
- Generalize research conclusions appropriately based on the parameters of particular research methods.
Goal 3: Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Students will use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, a scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to: Objectives: - Use critical and creative thinking effectively.
Goal 4: Application of Psychology
Students will understand and apply psychological principles to individual, social, and organizational issues. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to: Objectives: - Describe major applied areas of psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, school, health).
- Identify appropriate applications of psychology in solving problems.
- Articulate how psychological principles can be used to explain social issues and inform public policy.
Goal 5: Communication Skills Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to: Objectives: - Demonstrate effective writing skills in various formats (e.g., essays, technical papers, theoretical papers) and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading).
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in various formats and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading).
- Exhibit quantitative literacy.
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills and/or collaborate effectively.
Goal 6: Core Values in Psychology
Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and recognize and understand the complexity of individual and societal diversity. This will be demonstrated by students’ ability to: Objectives: - Recognize the necessity for ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice of psychology.
- Demonstrate reasonable skepticism and intellectual curiosity about the causes of behavior.
- Seek and evaluate scientific evidence for psychological claims.
- Tolerate ambiguity and realize that psychological explanations will often be complex and tentative.
- Recognize and respect human diversity and understand that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.
- Understand how privilege, power, and oppression may affect prejudice, discrimination, and inequity.
- Matthew W. Kirkhart, Ph.D., Director, Undergraduate Education Back to Top
For more information contact:
Traci Martino, M.S., Program Manager
Tlephone: 410-617-2175
E-mail: tpmartino@loyola.edu
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