Bachelor’s in Psychology Degree Programs in Illinois – S-U

Illinois is home to many fully accredited undergraduate psychology programs. With so many options to choose from, students must know what their individual needs are. Each student has a variety of choices to make before beginning their undergraduate college career. Is a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts the best fit for me? Would I prefer an online Bachelor’s Degree or would I rather complete my education on campus? Do I hope to pursue General Psychology or is there an area of specialization that works better for my career needs? Do I prefer  a large university or am I more comfortable at a small college? Each one of these questions is a very relevant and important one to ask yourself before choosing a program. Fortunately, for each student there is an ideal fit school in Illinois.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

College of Applied Sciences and Arts

Southern Illinois University (SIUC) is a public research university located in Carbondale. Established in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. In addition to SIUC, other members are:

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
  • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
  • Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine

SIUC’s total student enrollment is almost 18,000. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has categorized the University as a Research University with high research activity. SIU has been recognized by the US News &World Report ranking system as a “National University,” meaning a university that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked SIU as the is 189th best National University. The National Science Foundation ranks SIU #101 among public universities in the U.S. for total research and development expenditures, and #142 among all U.S. universities. The University offers:

  • more than 200 undergraduate majors, minors, and specializations
  • 30 Doctoral Degree Programs
  • over 60 Master’s Degree Programs

The College of Applied Sciences and Arts at SIUC is dedicated to continuous evolution to better address the workforce needs in the southern Illinois region, the state, and the country while upholding the University’s mission.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Degree Program must complete two types of course requirements. The first are those courses required by the College of Liberal Arts and second are those required by the Department of Psychology. The curriculum is comprised of these elements:

  • 41 credits of University Core Curriculum requirements
  • 14 credits of College of Liberal Arts requirements
  • 37 to 40 credits of Requirements for Psychology Major
  • 25 to 34 credits of Electives

In addition to the classroom learning experience, the department of psychology also offers three options of student organizations to help aid the learning process. The goals of these programs are to:

  • Learn more about psychology and related fields
  • Involvement with faculty and practitioners in the department and community
  • Learn about opportunities of interest: Conferences, research assistant openings
  • Meet & get to know fellow students in the department
  • Gain leadership experience as an officer
  • Acquire volunteer hours
  • Get social and academic support

The organizations supported by the department are:

  • The Association of Black Psychologists which promotes the mission for “liberation of the African Mind, empowerment of the African Character, and enlivenment and illumination of the African Spirit”.
  • The Psychology Students Organization (PSA). It’s  a registered student organization open to all students interested in Psychology, regardless of their major. Students participating in this organization broaden their understanding of the field of psychology as well as related fields by participating in activities; including investigation of and learning about:
    • the field of psychology
    • volunteer work
    • fundraising efforts
    • social networking
  • Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology students.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
College of Applied Sciences and Arts
Department of Psychology
Life Science II 6502
Carbondale, IL 62901
(618) 536-2301
E-Mail Form: http://www.asa.siu.edu/about/contact-us.php
Program Website: http://cola.siu.edu/psychology/undergraduate/index.php

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

School of Education, Health and Human Behavior

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE ) is a four-year, coeducational, public university located in Edwardsville, about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as a satellite campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It is the younger and smaller of the two major institutions of Southern Illinois University system.  In 2014, US News & World Report ranked SIUE as the 47th best university in the Midwestern Region of the United States. School of Education, Health and Human Behavior has a variety of opportunities to blend classroom activities with hands-on experiential learning in a wide variety of rural, urban and metropolitan settings. Students interact with a diverse, rapidly changing and increasingly technologically based society.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The curriculum created for the BA in Psychology Degree program upholds the mission of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the School of Education. The Psychology Department works to apply knowledge and skill sets that will permit faculty and students to engage in the science and practice of psychology. The program is designed to teach, conduct research, and perform service while striving to:

  • Increase psychological knowledge;
  • Apply psychological knowledge;
  • Improve critical thinking and scientific literacy;
  • Establish research methodology and statistical skills;
  • Enhance written and oral communication;
  • Produce high-quality research;
  • Foster an appreciation of diversity;
  • Promote ethical behavior; and
  • Provide community outreach services.

Faculty offer thorough classroom, research-based, and field experiences in applied and basic areas of psychology to ready graduates for careers and graduate studies. The educational experiences are based on technologically advanced practice as well as strong ethical principles.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
School of Education, Health and Human Behavior
Department of Psychology
Campus Box 1121
Alumni Hall 0118
Edwardsville, IL 62026
(618) 650-2265
E-Mail: jejewel@siue.edu
Program Website: http://www.siue.edu/education/

Trinity Christian College

Name of College or school

Trinity Christian College is a liberal arts college located in Palos Heights, a suburb of Chicago. The school was established in 1959 by a group of Chicago businessmen who hoped to create a collegiate institution that provided students with a Christian-based higher education in keeping with a Reformed tradition. The school has regularly been ranked as a top tier college by US News & World Report and offers degrees in over 70 programs. Trinity has undergone extensive building projects over the past decade to become a modernized, technologically advanced institution. The enrollment at Trinity’s is over 1,300 students. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked Trinity Christian as the 28th best College or University in the Midwestern Region of the United States. The Psychology Department assists students in developing the theoretical insight and professional skills to enter a graduate program and to serve in a variety of psychology-related careers and professions. The program includes learning the principles of the humanistic, biological, behavioral, cognitive, and psychoanalytic approaches to psychology.

It requires a supervised field education experience.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The purpose of the BA in Psychology Degree Program is to equip students with psychological insight taught in a biblically-based Christian perspective. Students are introduced to a variety of hands-on learning experiences in psychological research and in clinical/counseling practice. Students can choose from a supervised field education or advanced research practicum experience in order to graduate. All graduates must complete the following Psychology Outcomes:

  • Students will articulate a Christian perspective on psychology
  • Students will recognize and recall basic approaches, methods, and concepts from the science of psychology
  • Students will develop skill, habits, and values consistent with the scientist-practitioner model of professional formation in psychology
  • Students will understand the psychological dimensions of human diversity
  • Students are assessed each academic year through:
    • senior and alumni surveys
    • field experience evaluations
    • a major field test
    • a portfolio
    • senior capstone projects

These determine how well the program is meeting its student learning outcomes

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Trinity Christian College
Psychology Department – Chairperson Dr. Michael DeVries
6601 W. College Drive
Palos Heights, Illinois 60463
(708) 239-4755
E-Mail: Michael.DeVries@trnty.edu
Program Website: http://tcc.trnty.edu/depts/psychology/index.php

Trinity International University

Trinity College

Trinity International University (TIU) is an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution of higher education located in Deerfield. It is made up of:

  • an undergraduate college
  • a graduate school
  • a theological seminary (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)
  • a law school

It enrolls about 3,000 students. The university also supports campuses in Florida and Chicago. The Evangelical Free Church of America operates TIU and helps oversee its function. Trinity College emphasizes a Christ-centered, biblically-based, historically rooted, mission-focused, culturally minded, and socially aware approach to learning. The college has a rich history and continues to strive to educate men and women for “faithful participation in God’s redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness, and lifelong learning”.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The BA in Psychology Degree Program curriculum includes 47 mandatory credit hours, including 26 hours from required Psychology courses and 21 hours of Psychology electives. Up to seven of the required hours may be used to meet general education requirements. Students can choose from the following area of emphases:

  • Counseling Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Organizational Leadership

Students choosing the Organizational Leadership Emphasis (OLE) will be required to complete 18 of the 21 elective hours  in the emphasis. In addition to the traditional daytime learning environment, students can complete coursework online and in the evenings. Trinity also offers students the opportunity to pursue their degree in a three-year option, as a dual degree option as well as a five year Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree option.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Trinity International University
Trinity College
2065 Half Day Road
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 945-8800
E-Mail: mheller@tiu.edu
Program Website: http://undergrad.tiu.edu/program/psychology/

University of Chicago

The College

The University of Chicago (U of C) is a private research university in Chicago. The school was established by the American Baptist Education Society with a generous donation from oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. The university consists of:

  • the College of the University of Chicago
  • several graduate programs and interdisciplinary committees organized into four divisions
  • six professional schools
  • a school of continuing education

The undergraduate programs throughout the university are among the most selective in the country. About 8.4% are accepted into the undergraduate college. Chicago is best known for the professional schools, including:

  • the Pritzker School of Medicine
  • the Booth School of Business
  • the Law School
  • the Divinity School

The university enrolls about 5,000 students in the College and about 15,000 students overall. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked UofC as the 4th best National University. The College offers undergraduate training in a variety of areas. They also provide much of the core curriculum for students throughout the university.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The BA in Psychology Degree Program works to help students understand the basic mechanisms and functions of perception, cognition, emotion, and attitudes in guiding behavior. Study in this major is made up of a broad set of topics that overlap with a number of disciplines across the social and biological sciences. The undergraduate psychology curriculum is designed to familiarize students with the research methods psychologists use. It offers a framework of core knowledge covering the major areas of psychology. This foundation allows students to examine advanced topics and subfields related to their own particular interests and goals for the major. The program serves as preparation for graduate work in psychology or related fields, such as neuroscience or education). It also prepares students interested in careers in:

  • social work
  • public policy
  • business
  • medicine

Students are encouraged to become active in ongoing research in the department. They should consult with the director of undergraduate research about their interests as early as possible.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
University of Chicago
The College
Department of Psychology
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 702-8403
E-Mail: prendergast@uchicago.edu
Program Website: http://psychology.uchicago.edu/academics/undergrad/

By carefully considering a number of questions about their needs and wants in a program, each student can find a college that best suits them. By choosing the degree, specialization, size of the school and learning format that meets your needs, you will be able to find a psychology program that serves your specific needs. Because there are so many colleges and universities to choose from, all students must weigh their needs against each undergraduate program they consider. By taking the time to evaluate your academic and career goals, you can find an undergraduate psychology program in Illinois to meet their needs.

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