Throughout the state of Illinois, students have an array of options to choose from to earn their undergraduate psychology degree. Regardless of whether you intend to go directly from your undergraduate program to a graduate degree program or you hope to enter the work force, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology can put you on the path to both options. Many students hope to complete their education at once. They plan to earn their Bachelor’s Degree and immediately apply to graduate programs. Other people may be limited by their schedule, their financial situation or simply want time in between. Those people may hope to apply their undergraduate degree in the work force after graduation. Throughout the state there are many colleges and universities who offer training to prepare you for whatever your academic and career goals. Illinois has a degree program for any set of aspirations.
Lewis University
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and one of only six Lasallian Universities operating in the United States. The school is located in the college town of Romeoville. Enrollment is almost 7,000 students. Lewis offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors and programs of study, 22 graduate programs, and several accelerated degree programs for working professionals. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked Lewis University as the 23rd best university in the Midwest Region of the United States. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CAS) offers students throughout Lewis University core Liberal Arts courses. The CAS is the oldest college in the university with a diverse range of majors including:
- biology
- chemistry
- physics
- computer science
- aviation
- criminal/social justice
- forensic criminal investigation
- communications
- psychology
- athletic training
- the fine arts
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Students enrolled in the undergraduate psychology program earn a strong Liberal Arts Degree with a curriculum focused on “personal growth as well as intellectual challenge.” This helps students better understand the diversity of the human experience. In this program students develop strong communication, interpersonal, leadership and teamwork skills. Psychology majors will complete the following objectives:
- Understand the broad areas of psychology including:
- biological bases of behavior
- cognition
- learning and human development
- Execute a research project using appropriate research design and analysis
- Evaluate major theoretical perspectives and research conclusions
- Apply ethical reasoning to psychological work
- Relate psychological principles to real world applications
- Demonstrate effective communication skills in various formats and for various purposes
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology for for the Middle/High School Teaching License
The Department of Psychology also offers a fully approved Psychology program that prepares students with the skills and knowledge required to teach grades 6-12 in Illinois public and private schools. This program is approved by the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education. It includes all the requirements for a major in Psychology. Psychology majors in this specialization must declare a major in Secondary Education. Meet with an advisor in the Department of Psychology and College of Education to inquire about the specific criteria and a list of required courses.
Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
Lewis University
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
One University Parkway
Romeoville, IL 60446-2200
(815) 838-0500
E-Mail: kearneed@lewisu.edu
Program Website: http://www.lewisu.edu/academics/psych/
Loyola University Chicago
The College of Arts and Sciences
Loyola University Chicago (Loyola) is a private Jesuit university located in Chicago, Illinois. The Roman Catholic Society of Jesus founded the school in 1870 as St. Ignatius College. It has grown to be the largest Jesuit University in the United States. It has a total enrollment of 15,068 and over 150,000 alumni. Loyola University has six campuses throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as an overseas campus in Rome, Italy and guest programs in Beijing, China and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Loyola has 12 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering:
- more than 70 undergraduate degrees
- 87 Master’s Degrees
- more than 30 doctoral degrees
- 26 graduate-level certificate programs
The Lake Shore Campus, which is the main campus of Loyola is located along the shore of Lake Michigan. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked Loyola as the 101st best University in the Nation. The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the Jesuit tradition of a “Transformative Education in the disciplines encompassed by the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We encourage our students to acquire, experience, and reflect on knowledge, and then decide what it means for them in terms of individual choice, action, commitment, and service to others”.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
The Bachelor of Science in Psychology curriculum at Loyola offers students a broad-based introduction to the empirical science of psychology. Psychology majors are given opportunities to learn how psychology is applied to solving individual and social problems. In addition to the Loyola Core Curriculum required by all Loyola undergraduates, majors in this field are offered training in general psychology as well as exposure to many of the sub-field areas of psychology.
Joint – Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Psychology
The Psychology Department at Loyola also offers a five-year program enabling students to earn both a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a Master’s Degree in just five years. The BS/MA program in Applied Social Psychology prepares students for careers in:
- marketing
- advertising
- criminal justice
- community intervention
- education
- survey research and other areas
Graduates of this program develop skills in:
- basic and applied research methodology
- advanced training in statistics
- a strong framework in theory and research in social psychology
Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
Contact
Loyola University Chicago
The College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Psychology
1032 W. Sheridan Rd.
Chicago, IL 60626
E-Mail: jlarson4@luc.edu
Psychology Program Website: http://www.luc.edu/psychology/bs.shtml
BS/MA Program Website: http://www.luc.edu/psychology/fiveyear_social.shtml
MacMurray College
The Department of Psychology
MacMurray College is a four-year, professionally focused private college located in Jacksonville. It is located 30 miles from Springfield, Illinois. While the school was founded in 1846 by a group of Methodist clergymen as the Illinois Conference Female Academy. The college continues to be affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education originally for women in the United States. The mission of MacMurray College is “to transform the lives of our students by providing an exceptional, liberal arts general education and courses of study that prepare graduates for professional careers, further education, and other challenges facing the human community in the 21st century”. In 2014, US News & World Report ranked MacMurray as the 53rd best university in the Midwest Region of the United States. The Department of Psychology offers both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
The BA in Psychology program seeks to introduce students to the basic framework of empirical psychology. Students are given the groundwork of psychological knowledge and research experience. The course options are varied, and cover all the major theories and schools of thought in psychology. Students majoring in psychology for either the BA or the BS degree will complete a minimum of 34 hours in the department. Students earning the BA degree in Psychology will be required to complete a Foreign Language requirement.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Many students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree will continue on in their education to work towards a Master’s or Doctoral Level Degree. Therefore, the curriculum for the psychology major corresponds closely with the basic course requirements for entrance into graduate school. Students will also have the opportunity to gain real world experience and academic credit through internships with a wide range of social service agencies. The psychology department at MacMurray uses cutting edge multimedia equipment for classroom instruction. Students may benefit from extensive interaction with faculty members both in and out of class. Students may also engage in original research and to attend regional and national professional conferences. Academic achievements of psychology students are recognized through membership in the department’s chapter of Psi Chi, the national psychology honors society. Students majoring in psychology for either the BA or BS degree will complete a minimum of 34 hours in the department.
Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
Contact
MacMurray College
The Department of Psychology
447 East College Avenue
Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Program Website:
McKendree University
McKendree College of Arts and Science
McKendree University is a private Liberal Arts College located in Lebanon. The School was established in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, and is the oldest college in Illinois. McKendree enrolls about 2,300 undergraduates and 700 graduate students from 20 countries. The institution has an affiliation with the United Methodist Church. The school changed its name to McKendree University at the start of the 2007-08 academic year. The University is made up of:
- McKendree College of Arts and Science
- School of Business
- School of Health Professions
- School of Education
In 2014, US News & World Report ranked the school as the 69th best college or university in the Midwest Region of the United States. The College of Arts and Sciences offers several undergraduate Liberal Arts majors in areas such as:
- computer science
- music
- English
- biology
- sociology, and more
Students can choose from a variety of:
- degree programs
- study abroad experiences
- pre-professional possibilities
The College of Arts and Sciences includes five academic divisions and the academic library.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Degree program is based on of the fact that psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Students focus on the development of theories and laws to understand, explain, predict and change behavior. Psychology majors will also gain a greater sense of:
- Self-awareness
- An understanding of others
- Fundamental skills relevant to behavior change.
Throughout the program students will gain the ability to express themselves in oral and written form and to think critically about human behavior, their causes, development and outcomes. Some of the major highlights of this program include:
- Internships – Students have diverse opportunities to work with a number of local companies and organizations such as: Violence Prevention Center, Trinity Services of Mascoutah, Madison County Probation, Chestnut Health, Hope Clinic for Women, Family Physicians of O’Fallon, Kathryn Klee Counseling and the Counseling Associates of Southern Illinois.
- Psychology Club – The club is open to all students with an interest in psychology.
- Psi Chi – The psychology national honor society encourages academic excellence in advancing the science of psychology.
Pi Gamma Mu – This international honor society recognizes good scholarship and promotes excellence through enriching activities, service projects, publications, guest lectureship grants, and scholarship programs.
Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
Contact
McKendree University
McKendree College of Arts and Science
701 College Road
Lebanon, Illinois 62254
Dr. Tami Eggleston
Carnegie Hall 202
(618) 537-6859
E-Mail:
tegglest@mckendree.edu
Program Website: http://www.mckendree.edu/academics/info/college/arts-sciences/social-science/psychology/index.php
Millikin University
The College of Arts and Sciences
Millikin University is a private, co-educational, comprehensive, four-year university. It offers traditional undergraduate programs in:
- arts and sciences
- business
- fine arts
- professional studies
It also offers non-traditional, adult degree-completion programs (PACE) and graduate programs in business administration and nursing. Millikin’s campus is in Decatuand serves approximately 2,400 students with a student/faculty ratio of 12:1 and an average class size of just 23 students. In 2014, US News & World Report Millikin was ranked as the 14th best college or university in the Midwest Region of the United States. The College of Arts and Sciences encourages students to “become knowledge seekers, knowledge makers, and to put their knowledge to work to transform themselves, their communities, and their professions”.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
This Bachelor of Science in Psychology Degree program provides students with an understanding of the empirical discipline of psychology. It exposes students to the breadth of the psychological discipline from its most basic level to its most interactional level. The curriculum develops students’ knowledge and skills in using the scientific method to both conduct research to understand mind and behavior, as well as deliver clinical or consulting services. The psychology major is students who plan to pursue a Master’s or Doctoral degree in Experimental areas:
- (cognitive
- learning
- industrial-organizational
- physiological
- quantitative
- social)
It also includes clinical areas such as school psychology and psychotherapy. This degree is the preferred path to a career as a practitioner, researcher, or college professor.
Accreditations
Contact
Millikin University
The College of Arts and Sciences
1184 West Main Street
Decatur Illinois 62522
(800) 373-7733
Program Website: https://www.millikin.edu/academics/cas/bs/Pages/PsychologyBA.aspx
Monmouth College
The Department of Psychology
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth is considered a selective, exclusively undergraduate four-year institution enrolling approximately 1,300 students. Students accepted to Monmouth can choose courses from thirty-five major programs, thirty minors and sixteen pre-professional programs. The school has a core curriculum for all students that promote strong majors and an integrative learning course sequence that teaches students to be innovators and creative problem solvers. Monmouth College is one of 248 National Liberal Arts Colleges (out of 2,774 four-year United States colleges) classified by US News and World Report and is included in Tier 1 of its Best Colleges Rankings. In 2014, they were ranked as the 165th best Liberal Arts College in the United States. The Psychology Department at Monmouth offers students a variety of learning benefits, including Hands-on Laboratory Experience, Classroom Experiences, Practical Experience and state-of-the-art Equipment and Facilities.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Psychology majors at Monmouth are taught to better understand the biological, developmental, and social aspects of human and animal behavior. Students in this program have gone on to a wide variety of occupations including:
- counseling
- marketing and sales
- management
- human resources
- community outreach
- social work
The BA program provides students with the necessary tools to succeed in their future career by providing intellectual and practical engagement though:
- internships
- participation in conferences
- travel
- research opportunities
Courses in this program are divided into four categories:
- Required Courses
- Foundational Courses
- Advanced Courses
- Electives.
Students will learn through both traditional classroom experiences, as well as experiential learning opportunities. One of the strengths of this program is the practical experience that students earn. This includes:
- Students unite self-discovery with the development of analytical problem solving skills
- Students learn to use problem solving, hypothesis testing, analysis and communication skills
- Psychology students have taken advantage of many of the Associate Colleges of the Midwest off-campus programs.
- Students have also benefited from having the opportunity to present the results of their research at annual undergraduate research conferences and the regional professional conference, MPA.
Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
Contact
Monmouth College
The Psychology Department
700 E. Broadway
Monmouth, Illinois 61462
Joan M. Wertz
– Psychology
Department Chair
(800) 747-2687
E-Mail: jwertz@monmouthcollege.edu
Program Website: http://www.monmouthcollege.edu/academics/psychology
There are so many different options that each student can choose a program that fits all of their goals concerning their college education. Regardless of whether you want to enter graduate school or you want to get out and work right away, you can be adequately prepared. The many accredited programs in Illinois give you the flexibility of learning online or in a classroom, part-time or full time, on the evenings or weekends. You can also choose whether a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science best fits your goals. It is important that each student take the time to choose the undergraduate psychology program in Illinois that is right for them.
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