Penn State York Adds Psychology Degrees for Fall 2015

Penn State York has added two psychology degrees for fall, a bachelor of arts in psychology and a bachelor of science in psychology, which can be completed in their entirety at the campus. The B.S. in psychology offers options in business and science. The new degrees bring the total number of four-year programs available at the campus to 10.

“Psychology is a vast scientific discipline, and in addition to applied and clinical psychology (the traditional, public view of “psychology”), both the B.A. and B.S. psychology degrees expose students to other areas of inquiry, including the biological bases of behavior, learning and cognition, social and personality psychology, and developmental psychology,” said Mark Casteel, PhD., associate professor of psychology and program coordinator for the new degrees.. “Our psychology programs will provide an in-depth and well-rounded baccalaureate degree for those students who want to go immediately into the workplace, and will also provide an excellent foundation for those students wishing to pursue graduate work,” said Casteel.

Casteel, who has taught at the campus for more than 26 years, also noted that these new degrees are an excellent complement to York’s existing program in human development and family studies, especially for those students who want to explore areas of psychology that go beyond the traditional areas of counseling and clinical psychology.

Students completing the B.A. in psychology must show competency in a foreign language and take additional courses in the liberal arts. This degree provides students with a basic background in psychology as well as a broad liberal arts foundation, including competence in a foreign language. This major prepares students for careers in clinical settings, social service agencies, research institutes or businesses. Students may also go on to graduate school or professional school in psychology, human services, or business.

Students completing the B.S. in psychology do an option in either science or business, along with some additional supporting courses. This degree also prepares students with the basics in psychology, and also offers options to prepare them for specific career goals. The Science Option offers course work in anthropology, biology, bio-behavioral health and chemistry. This option is suited for careers in biological, developmental and clinical psychology. The Business Option offers course work in business, leadership and marketing and prepares students for careers or graduate study in business, human resources, marketing, or organizational psychology.

A minimum of 124 credits are required for graduation, and both programs have the same core psychology requirements. Psychology classes, and the broader array of liberal arts courses, help students in this major develop important skills in areas such as critical thinking, research methods, statistics, and writing. Course work also helps students enhance their analytical and computer expertise. At York, students can participate in a cognitive psychology research fair on campus. There are also additional undergraduate research opportunities with faculty available to York students.

For more information on York’s new psychology degrees, please visit the website at http://www.yk.psu.edu/Academics/Degrees/34268.htm or contact Casteel at mac13@psu.edu or (717) 771-4028.

Those interested in applying as a first-year or transfer student should contact Penn State York Admissions at ykadmissions@psu.edu or call (717) 771-4040.

Penn State York offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of students of all ages. York offers the first two years of more than 160 Penn State majors, ten baccalaureate degrees, seven associate degrees, six minors, a master of education degree program in teaching and curriculum , and a variety of continuing education programs both credit and noncredit. The campus also offers Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation courses for high school students. Visit the website at york.psu.edu to learn more about the campus.

In addition to academic programs, the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (The Pullo Center) at Penn State York, a state-of-the-art theatre facility, offers a variety of free and ticketed programs for the campus and community. Learn more about The Pullo Center at www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu or call (717) 505-8900.

Email this story to a friend Facebook Twitter