Bachelor’s in Psychology Degree Programs in Connecticut – Q-U

Throughout Connecticut, more and more colleges and universities are offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology as an excellent option for a Liberal Arts Education. An undergraduate degree prepares students for employment or graduate studies in psychology. It also prepares graduates for many other areas of study and practice. A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology provides a basis for a career in social work, education, business, medicine, law, government, and many others. With a continued rise in employment with an undergraduate psychology degree, Connecticut’s many academic institutions offer students a variety of options to earn a psychology degree.

Quinnipiac University

The College of Arts and Science

Quinnipiac University a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university Hamden, Connecticut. Quinnipiac University consists of three campuses, the Mount Carmel and York Hill campuses in Hamden and North Haven Campus in North Haven. The College of Arts and Sciences is a strong learning community that “places an emphasis on the acquisition of content knowledge and intellectual skills, the cultivation of an interior life and personal ethics, and the development of a strong sense of civic and global engagement and responsibility. We foster deep, reflective learning as a means to prepare students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world”. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked Quinnipiac #11 amongst all public universities in the northern region of the United States.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The mission of the Department of Psychology is to introduce students in the major to the broad field of scientific psychology while offering an education in the true liberal arts tradition. Many students enter the undergraduate psychology program with the incorrect assumption that psychology consists largely of clinical psychology.  Many students are surprised to learn that it includes many other specialties, such as:

  • industrial/organizational
  • developmental
  • cognitive
  • physiological and more

The curriculum in this BA program consists of several vantage points of psychology as a natural science, as a social science and as an applied science. This allows graduates of the program to better appreciate the complexity of the field. The department offers preparation for admission to graduate and professional schools and employment after graduation. The program offers concentration areas in Human Services or Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience – Natural Sciences Track

Behavioral neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that studies brain and behavior in a multidimensional and integrative manner. The BS in Behavioral Neuroscience degree program emphasizes the interaction between the psychological and biological foundations of behavior. Behavioral neuroscience majors choose one of two tracks (natural science or psychological science) based on academic and career goals and interests. The natural science track is a science-intensive program. It provides training to students who have primary interests in the biological sciences as applied to psychology and behavior. Students will be prepared for entry to graduate programs or employment in behavioral neuroscience and related fields.

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience – Psychological Science Track

The psychological science track of the BS in Neuroscience is a science-intensive program that provides preparation for students who have primary interests in the biological sciences as applied to psychology and behavior. Upon graduation, students will be prepared for entry to graduate programs or employment in behavioral neuroscience and related fields. Students completing the psychological science track must complete requirements for the University Curriculum, a science core, a biology and chemistry core, and a psychology core.

Accreditations
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
Quinnipiac University
The College of Arts and Science
275 Mount Carmel Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06518
(203) 582-8200
E-mail: admissions@quinnipiac.edu
https://www.qu.edu/schools/arts-sciences.html

Sacred Heart University

The College of Arts and Sciences

Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a Roman Catholic university located in a suburban section of Fairfield, Connecticut. In 1963, Reverend Walter W. Curtis founded Sacred Heart, the then Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University was the first Catholic university in the United States to be staffed by laypersons. SHU is the second-largest Catholic university in New England, behind Boston College. It offers more than 40 degree programs to over 6,000 students at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.  Sacred Heart was included in The Princeton Review‘s Best 371 Colleges in 2010. Additionally, US News & World Report ranked SHU #33 amongst public universities in the northern region of the United States.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program must complete the following Learning outcomes in order to graduate:

  • Be able to articulate the most important contributions of each of the major schools of thought in Psychology.
  • Display the ability to think critically in assessing various psychological theories and empirical findings.
  • Communicate effectively both orally and in writing about their own and others’ research findings.
  • Be able to identify, gather, and synthesize appropriate background information for empirical research projects.
  • Demonstrate comprehension and facility regarding research methods and statistical analysis skills.
  • Participate effectively in working relationships with other students and instructors.
  • Understand the major ethical issues in psychological research with humans and animals.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of different cultural perspectives.
  • Participate in service-learning projects with appropriate reflection on the experience.
  • Identify how the Psychology major has influenced his or her personal growth, life choices, and career development.

Accreditations
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
Sacred Heart University
The College of Arts and Sciences
5151 Park Avenue
Fairfield, CT 06825
(203) 371-7999
E-mail: osullivank6@sacredheart.edu
http://www.sacredheart.edu/academics/collegeofartssciences/academicdepartments/psychology/majorinpsychology/

University of Saint Joseph

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) is a Roman Catholic comprehensive institution of higher education and an undergraduate women’s college with a coeducational graduate program. It is located in West Hartford, Connecticut, and was founded in 1932 by the Sisters of Mercy of Connecticut. The School of Humanities & Social Sciences teaches skills rooted in liberal arts to promote success in an increasingly connected and technologically advanced world. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked University of Saint Joseph #95 amongst all public universities in the northern region of the United States.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The Psychology program at USJ provides students with the knowledge, framework, and skills necessary to pursue a career in:

  • counseling
  • behavior analysis
  • criminal justice
  • education
  • health care
  • social services
  • government
  • business
  • industry, and more

Students can choose from a concentration in Autism/Applied Behavior Analysis or Criminal Justice/Mental Health. Students also have the choice of the following accelerated options to complete their BA degree more quickly.

  • Transfer credits
  • Credit-for-life experience
  • Credits by standardized exams
  • Intensive courses in winter, spring, and summer
  • Courses that apply to both undergraduate and graduate degrees (seniors only)

Accreditations
Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
University of Saint Joseph
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences
1678 Asylum Avenue
West Hartford, Connecticut 06117-2791
(860) 232-4571
E-mail: spowers@usj.edu
https://www.usj.edu

Southern Connecticut State University

The School of Arts and Sciences

Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) is one of four state universities in Connecticut. It’s located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven. Founded in 1893, it is the third-oldest campus in the Connecticut State University System. The School of Arts and Sciences provides students with the foundations of existing knowledge in the disciplines comprising:

  • humanities
  • fine arts
  • social sciences
  • physical and biological sciences

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Students wishing to pursue a BA in Psychology must declare their desire to become a psychology major. Students must then be accepted in the program in order to receive permission to take PSY 300, which is a prerequisite for required upper-level courses. Students must have a grade of “C” or better in courses counted toward the major. The general academic psychology major requires completion of 38 credit hours in relevant courses. The program also provides training in the experimental methods of scientific psychology. It also provides an understanding of the dynamic factors underlying human behavior and personality. The program emphasizes the values of a liberal education. Flexible elective offerings permit students to pursue areas determined by their interests.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Specialization in Mental Health

Students who choose the Mental Health concentration must complete 41 credits that provide an introduction to issues, problems, and resources in the mental health field. This BA program consists of coursework more specific to the mental health field. It’s highlighted by a field practicum and seminar taken concurrently during the senior year. Each student is given a specific field placement, which consists of a minimum of 150 hours of experience in a mental health setting. Upon completion, students will have satisfied the requirements for the BA degree in psychology and the concentration in mental health. The concentration provides background for graduate study leading to careers in:

  • school
  • counseling
  • clinical psychology

Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Specialization in Research

The Research concentration requires 39 credits and an additional 12 credits in cognates. The program emphasizes skill development in the research process and is highlighted by two senior-level lab courses, which focus on:

  • testing
  • evaluation
  • data collection
  • analysis

Courses have been chosen for their value in preparing for the research job market in psychology and related disciplines. They are also preparation for graduate study. Upon completion, students will have satisfied both the requirements for the major in psychology and the concentration in research.

Accreditations
American Counseling Association’s Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Council on Academic Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE/AAMFT)
National Association of School Psychology (NASP)
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
Southern Connecticut State University
The School of Arts and Sciences
Engleman Hall A112
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515
(203) 392-5468
E-mail: breese@southernct.edu
http://www.southernct.edu/academics/schools/arts/departments/psychology/undergraduate/index.html

Trinity College

The Department of Psychology

Trinity College is a coeducation, private liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it’s the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and known as one of the Little Ivies. The Little Ivies is a loosely-defined group of small, selective American liberal arts colleges. These institutions are typically historical, socially and academically elite, small, exclusive, and academically competitive liberal arts colleges located in the northeastern United States.  In 2014, US News & World Report ranked Trinity #36 amongst all Liberal Arts Universities in the United States.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The Psychology Department offers  more than 40 different courses from Cognitive Psychology, Child Development to Development and Culture, each year. In addition to this diverse range of electives, the basic curriculum covers a coherent structure of:

  • core courses
  • advanced courses
  • specialized courses

Core and advanced courses deliver basic theory as well as methods of investigation. Advanced courses provide deeper discussion and critical analysis of theoretical and research issues in the field. Trinity’s Psychology Department emphasizes interdisciplinary study and collaborates with other departments, including:

  • engineering
  • biology
  • philosophy
  • educational studies

These areas help to provide psychology majors with a larger context

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree program must fulfill the flowing learning goals in order to graduate:

  1. Become critical readers of complex texts.
  2. Develop research and analytical skills.
  3. Learn and practice effective strategies for working both independently and collaboratively.
  4. Develop the ability to communicate clearly, coherently, and effectively in written and oral expression.
  5. Acquire quantitative skills.
  6. Develop scientific literacy.
  7. Cultivate the ability to make informed ethical judgments.
  8. Acquire knowledge of diverse cultural traditions and global perspectives.

Accreditations
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
Trinity College
The Department of Psychology
300 Summit Street
Hartford CT 06106
(860) 297-2000
E-mail: Dina.Anselmi@trincoll.edu

University of Bridgeport

The Department of Psychology

The University of Bridgeport (UB), is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university. It’s located on the Long Island Sound in Bridgeport. The University is known for its uniquely diverse student population, currently ranking as the 11th most racially diverse national university in the country by U.S. News & World Report. University of Bridgeport students come from 80 countries and 46 states. In 2010, the percentage of students graduating who had participated in an English as a foreign or second language (ESL) program was one of the nation’s highest at 5 percent.

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology students must complete all of the following:

  • Have learned the pre-history and the history of Psychology including the evolution of its main issues, topic areas, methods, and applications.
  • Know the major perspectives in Psychology including Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Humanistic Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience.
  • Understand the lifespan approach to human biological, cognitive and psychosocial development.
  • Be able to provide examples of the major forms of psychological research including such correlational methods as naturalistic observation, surveys, case studies, and archival research.
  • Understand basic data organization, presentation, and analysis including both inferential and descriptive statistics.
  • Understand characteristics of psychological research including the limitations of correlational research, experimental biases, placebo effects and ethical issues regarding human subjects.
  • Be able to critically evaluate the psychological research presented in the popular press.
  • Be able to relate key psychological concepts and theories to their own personal lives.
  • Understand how key psychological concepts and theories are applied in clinical, medical, educational, human services and corporate settings.
  • Understand connections between Psychology and such other disciplines as Philosophy, Biology, Sociology, Religion, and Human Services.

Psychology majors may opt for one of two tracks:

  • Track A (Applied Psychology) prepares students for immediate employment in psychology-related fields, education, and business. This track is for students seeking a broad education in Psychology that includes several applied psychology courses. Students graduating from this track may go on to work as an employment interviewer, job analyst, labor relations specialist, personnel administrator, psychiatric assistant, social worker, public relations worker, student activities officer, corrections officer, or in some other allied vocation.
  • Track B (Basic Psychology) is for students who wish to pursue graduate work leading to the Master’s or Doctorate degrees in Psychology. This track is tailored for students who are interested in empirical research and who aspire to a career in counseling, research, or academia. Both tracks require 12 Psychology courses (36 semester hours).

Dual Degree – Bachelor of Science in Human Services and Psychology

A Double Major in Psychology and Human Services is an outstanding opportunity for an innovative  interdisciplinary experience. The Psychology and Human Services programs share similar goals – with slightly different emphases. Both programs provide students with a solid foundation in psychological, social and developmental theory. Students in both programs also complete a fieldwork experience and a senior capstone paper. Students may earn a double major in Psychology and Human Service by completing the concentration requirements for:

  • Psychology (36 credits)
  • the concentration requirements for Human Services (42 credits
  • an additional 6 credits in general electives and the University Core requirements (36 credits).

Accreditations
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
University of Bridgeport
The Department of Psychology
126 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(800) 392-3582
E-mail: admit@bridgeport.edu

Whether you are looking for a large university or a small college setting, Connecticut’s many collegiate institutions offer an education for each individual student. More and more of these schools are now offering students the flexibility of completing some or all of their coursework online. This allows working individuals, parents, individuals with disabilities, military personnel and many other people the opportunity to earn their degree. Throughout the state, more colleges are implementing Distance Learning features in either fully online, hybrid or web-enhanced programs. For individuals hoping to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, the time to pursue higher education is now.

For more Bachelor’s in Psychology Degree Programs in Connecticut