Psychology
Dr. Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour
jstiegler@une.edu
Mission
The Psychology program at UNE is committed to advancing the scientific discipline of psychology through student-centered teaching, hands-on research, and internship opportunities. Our goal is to prepare students to become psychologically literate citizens with the skills necessary to engage in research and practice. We aim to advance scientific knowledge, solve real-world problems, and improve our communities. We accomplish this goal by combining hands-on classroom instruction by experts in a variety of psychological disciplines with on-campus research experiences, and local internship opportunities that prepare students for a broad range of career options. The curriculum in our major has been structured to provide students with exposure to core concepts and skills in psychology, while also enabling them to identify a minor and focus their studies on a sub-discipline such as mental health, psychology, education, business, and research. With a psychology degree from UNE, our program and alumni are advancing their education in post-graduate degree programs, and/or pursuing careers in clinical/counseling, health, education, law, business, and government.
Major Description
The UNE Psychology faculty work closely with students to advance the science and professional practice of psychology by promoting our discipline and training our students as a partner in advancing scientific knowledge and developing innovative solutions to important life problems both locally and globally. It is our goal to cultivate ethical and socially responsible individuals who have a well-developed capacity for synthesizing information, are strong critical thinkers and communicators, respect and enhance diverse people, cultures, perspectives, and are stewards of the planet. We believe these skills are necessary for students to pursue a life of intellectual curiosity, to contribute positively to society, and compete in a rapidly shifting and complex workplace.
The Psychology program faculty represent a diverse range of specializations. As such we are advancing the field in areas ranging from behavioral neuroscience to lifespan development, mental and behavioral health issues, cognitive and memory processes, and social relations. We not only provide training for specific pursuits within our own field (e.g., mental healthcare providers researchers), we provide critical instruction to those pursuing careers in numerous other disciplines (e.g., education, nursing, medicine, social work, business/industry, law). Within this broad range of pursuits, we aspire to certain core values that connect us as a faculty. As a program we value:
- The importance of the scientific approach as a means of understanding human behavior, human development, mental health, cognition, and social interactions.
- The teacher-scholar model through the pursuit of scientific research as both a teaching tool and a practice that advances the field of psychology and improves the quality of life and the planet.
- Psychological literacy among our students is achieved through active, engaged applied learning experiences in the classroom, laboratory, and internships that go beyond content and lead to the development of data analytical skills critical thinking skills, information literacy as well as oral and written communication skills.
- An open, supportive and collegial environment that embraces diversity in all of its forms and promotes global citizenship, integrity, and ethical behavior.
Finally, students completing a psychology major may elect to complete a minor area of study as well. Faculty advisors work with each student to help them identify a minor that will help them to achieve their future goals. For example, many of our majors plan to provide counseling services after graduation and elect to complete a minor in either mental health rehabilitation or art therapy (both minors offered within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences). Other students may have an interest in applying their knowledge of psychology in an education or business setting after graduation and may decide to pursue a minor in the Education or Business Department. The psychology degree can be customized to a student's interest and career aspirations by adding any of the minors offered by the University of New England.
Our goal is to ensure that as students leave the major they have developed not only knowledge consistent with their interests, but also applied skills that will assist them as they move forward into careers or additional educational opportunities (e.g., graduate school in psychology, graduate work in other allied health fields).
Curricular Requirements
| CAS Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| One (1) of the CAS Core Required SGA courses must be PSY 250 – Lifespan Dev in Context | 3 |
| All EXP courses for the CAS Core Requirements must be outside of the Psychology program | Variable |
| MAT 120 – Statistics is encouraged to fulfill CAS Math Core Requirement | 3 |
| Total CAS Core Credits | 42–46 |
| Psychology Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 205 – Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 225 – Psychology Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 255 – Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 285 – Research Methods | 3 |
| PSY 300 – Psychology Internship I | 3 |
| PSY 350 – Theories of Personality | 3 |
| PSY 365 – Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 380 – Learning/Conditioning and Behavior Modification or PSY 384/384L – Animal Learning and Behavior | 3–4 |
| PSY 383 – Memory and Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 405 – Special Topics Seminar | 3 |
| Three (3) open PSY or NEU electives (at the 200 level or higher) | 9 |
| Program Minimum Required Total Credits | 42-43 |
| Open Elective Courses (needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Required Total Credits | 120 |
|---|
Elective Course Options
| Program Elective Options | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 212 – Positive Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 215 – Psychology of Gender | 3 |
| PSY 226 – Motivation & Emotion | 3 |
| PSY 235 – Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 236 – Mental Health & Society | 3 |
| PSY 245 – Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 252 – Forensic Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 254 – Cultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 275 – Intro-Tech in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 290 – Developmental Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 295 – Listening/Communication Skills | 3 |
| PSY 305 – Special Topics | 3 |
| PSY 310 – Children and Stress | 3 |
| PSY 316 – Psychology of Consciousness | 3 |
| PSY 318 – Community Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 325 – Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 335 – Comparative Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 345 – Sports Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 362 – Animal Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 364 – Soc and Emotion Dev in Childhood | 3 |
| PSY 370 – Drugs, Society, and Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 375 – Trauma and Health | 3 |
| PSY 400 – Psychology Internship II | 1–12 |
| PSY 410 – Theory/Res/Pract Couns Psych | 3 |
| PSY 430 – Intro to Art Therapy | 3 |
| PSY 450 – Fourth-year Thesis | 3 |
| PSY 486 – Adv Research in Psychology | 1–9 |
| NEU 205 – Introduction to Neurobiology | 3 |
| NEU 205L – Introduction to Neurobiology lab | 1 |
| NEU 306 – Behavioral/Cognitive Neuro | 3 |
| NEU 306L – Behavioral/Cognitive Neuro Lab | 1 |
| NEU 410 – Neurobiology of Mental Illness | 3 |
Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Psychology can complete a double major with Psychology and Secondary Education or a major in Secondary Education and a concentration in Psychology. For more information, see the Secondary Education catalog page.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
Academic and Technical Standards
A grade point average of 2.25 is necessary to be approved to add a major in Psychology, Animal Behavior, or Neuroscience, and to add a minor in Psychology, Animal Behavior, Neuroscience, Art Therapy, or MHRT/C. Double majoring or majoring and minoring within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences may be possible for a student. However, students interested in this option should do so with close consultation of their academic advisor to ensure that a substantial degree of overlap between the two areas does not occur.
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all psychology courses used toward graduation. Students must also complete the University Core mathematics requirement by the end of the first year. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 and PSY 285 in their sophomore year. The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences requires that PSY 225 and PSY 285 be completed by the end of the junior year. See Undergraduate Academic Policy also.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of their bachelor's degree in Psychology, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, historical trends, and empirical findings in psychology and the ability to apply these to behavioral problems.
- Demonstrate scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods (e.g., design, data analysis, and interpretation).
- Recognize and/or employ ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity.
- Demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal skills, including in the context of a psychological project.
- Apply psychology-specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project-management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation.
Minors
A student with GPA of at least 2.25 and a major at UNE may minor in Psychology with the approval of the assistant academic director. Declarations must occur prior to the completion of the first semester of the junior year. Major programs of study with significant course overlap with psychology minor requirements may be disallowed by the Director or Assistant Academic Director of the school. Students declaring a minor in Psychology will not be allowed to double-dip credits across the minor and either major or core requirements (unless no other options are provided by the major, minor, or core requirements). A minimum of eighteen hours of approved course credit with a minimum grade of "C-" in each course is required for the minor in Psychology as follows:
| Psychology Minor Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 150 – Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Four (4) other Psychology courses at the 200 level or higher (may not include PSY 225, PSY 250, PSY 285, or PSY 300; should not double-dip with other major, minor, or core requirements) | 12 |
| Minimum Required Total Credits | 18 |
Honors Program
We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their major advisor.
Transfer Credit
Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five years.
Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.