Department of Psychology

The Pennsylvania State University has campuses at 23 different locations throughout the state. Although the largest psychology department and graduate program are located at the University Park campus, psychology faculty are also located in the Commonwealth College and at other locations. This chart provides information about Psychology programs at all Penn State locations.

Psychology at All Penn State Campuses

*"First two years" = Students at these campuses change to other campuses to complete the 3rd and 4th years of Psychology degree programs.

Capital College

Penn State Harrisburg
Major: PSYCBS
Minor: None

    The Psychology major emphasizes the scientific study of human behavior in areas such as cognition, development, learning, physiology, personality, and social processes. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary to be good consumers of scientific information. Experiential and applied courses allow students to develop their research and counseling skills.

    The Psychology program prepares students for careers in local, state, and federal government, and human service, applied behavior, human resources, and related fields. The Psychology program also provides the background for graduate education at both the master's and the doctoral level.

    The Psychology major offers two options. The option in Experimental Psychology is a traditional psychology program and provides a strong background for students who intend to pursue graduate study in any area of psychology. This option is strongly recommended for students who plan to undertake doctoral work. Students who want a traditional education in psychology but who do not plan on graduate study might also choose this option, in which case applied experience can be obtained by using elective credits to take internship and other applied courses. Assisting faculty members with their research is strongly encouraged for students who choose the Experimental Psychology option.

    The option in Psychological Services provides training and experience in entry-level psychological services in order to facilitate the transition into the workforce following graduation. This option is recommended for students who do not intend to pursue doctoral work and who plan to work directly with people in the areas noted above. Students who choose the Psychological Services option can enhance their scientific and research expertise by using elective credits to take experimental psychology courses and by assisting faculty members with their research.

    Both options are available to daytime students at the Harrisburg campus. Due to limited opportunities for evening internships, only the Experimental Psychology option is available to evening students at the Harrisburg campus. The Psychological Services option is available to students at the Schuylkill campus in a primarily daytime program.

Go to the Harrisburg's Undergraduate Psychology Page

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Penn State Schuylkill
Major: PSYCBS
Minor: None

    The Psychology major at Schuylkill emphasizes the scientific study of psychology, including areas such as abnormal psychology, cognition, developmental psychology, learning theory, physiology and social psychology. Knowledge of research methods and statistics are developed in the study of psychology.

    Undergraduate Psychology students typically prepare for careers in human services fields, applied behavioral fields or human resource management. The Psychology Program is also designed to prepare students for graduate education.

    Research is encouraged in the program. The curriculum is designed to develop analytical thinking and critical thought to accurately interpret research. In addition, applied or hands-on courses are available for students aiming to develop their clinical and counseling skills. Assisting faculty members in conducting research is strongly encouraged.

    For a B.S. degree in Psychology, a minimum of 122 credits is required.

Information about Baccalaureate Degrees At Schuylkill 

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University College

Penn State Beaver
Major: APSCCBA
Minor: PSYCC

     The Penn State Beaver Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology degree is a four-year program. The 127-credit program provides an attractive option for students who are interested in a liberal arts degree but who wish to acquire practical skills for the job market.

    This degree is designed to provide a high-quality, relevant, integrated, skills-based program of instruction in the basic theory, methodology, and application of the discipline of psychology. The program features both active and collaborative classroom experiences in addition to intensive internship experiences in which the psychology learned is applies in a setting related to the student's chosen concentration.

    Students can choose from two different tracks within the major, allowing them to prepare for the career they want. The B.A. in Applied Psychology is a unique program of study, featuring non-traditional learning and intensive internship experiences.

    The degree is most appropriate for students who wish to develop a set of applied scientific and human relations skills that will prepare them for entry-level employment in a wide range of government and private human service organizations and agencies, and in business and industry. The degree provides preparation for graduate or professional school in business, human services, law, or the social sciences. Additionally, the degree is suitable for students who wish to continue in their studies of psychology in graduate school

Applied Psychology at Beaver

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Penn State Delaware County
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

    Although Delaware County does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Delaware County

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Penn State DuBois
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

     Although DuBois does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Du Bois

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Penn State Fayette
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: PSYCC

    Although Fayette does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Fayette

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Penn State Greater Allegheny
Major: APSCCBA
Minor: PSYCC

     Penn State McKeesport students can now earn a four-year degree in applied psychology. This 127-credit B. A. program combines the advantages of a liberal arts degree in psychology with the development of practical skills easily applied to a variety of government, social service, business and industry occupations.

    A key way in which students learn and apply these skills is during the required 12 credits of internship experiences. The degree is also suitable for students who wish to continue in their studies of psychology in graduate school, or who are interested in graduate or professional school in business, human services, law, or the social sciences.

    We will offer two separate career tracks within the APSYC degree program. The Business/Human Resources/Training and Organizational Development track emphasizes skills and knowledge related to the business sector. Graduates would be qualified for entry-level careers in human resources, corporate training, management, and marketing.

    The Community Mental Health/Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation track emphasizes skills and knowledge that would prepare graduates for entry-level careers in government and private social service agencies as assistant case managers, assistant therapists, and assistant counselors.

    Students choose major and elective courses, as well as internship experiences, to provide the Career Track emphasis they desire.

Applied Psychology at Greater Allegheny

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Penn State Hazleton
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

 Although Hazleton does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Hazleton

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Penn State Mont Alto
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

Although Mont Alto does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Mont Alto

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Penn State New Kensington
Major: APSCCBA
Minor: PSYCC

    Penn State New Kensington now offers the Applied Psychology (APSYC) baccalaureate degree, the newest bachelor's degree that can be completed entirely at this location.

    The program consists of 127 credits in the area of Applied Psychology. The program develops practical skills easily applied to a variety of government, social service, business and industry occupations.
 
    Penn State New Kensington will offer two separate career tracks within the APSYC degree program. The Business/Human Resources/Training and Organizational Development track emphasizes skills and knowledge related to the business sector. Graduates would be qualified for entry-level careers in human resources, corporate training, management, and marketing.

The Community Mental Health/Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation track emphasizes skills and knowledge that would prepare graduates for entry-level careers in government and private social service agencies as assistant case manager, assistant therapists, and assistant counselors.

    The degree provides preparation for graduate or professional school in psychology, business, human services, law, or the social sciences. The program also requires that students learn and apply skills during 12 credits of internship experience.

    Additional information about this program as well as the bachelor's degrees in Business,  Information Sciences and Technology, Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Nursing is available by calling the Admissions Office at Penn State New Kensington at 1-888-968-PAWS.

Applied Psychology at New Kensington

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Penn State Shenango
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

Although Shenango does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Shenango

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Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

Although Wilkes-Barre does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Wilkes-Barre

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Penn State Worthington-Scranton
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

Although Worthington-Scranton does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at Worthington-Scranton

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Penn State York
Major: First Two Years*
Minor: None

Although York does not offer a major in Psychology, students can start a major or minor in Psychology and transfer to another Penn State campus to complete their degree.

Academic Programs at York

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Penn State Abington College
Major : PSSBA & PSSBS
Minor : PSYAB

    Building on the interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary strengths of Penn State Abington, the Psychological and Social Science degree are designed to respond to the demand for programs emphasizing the social and behavioral sciences leading to an understanding of human behavior and its influence upon society as well as the influence of social forces on individuals. The program is distinguished by its interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary course work and required field experience. The BA provides a broad theoretical foundation social and psychological theory as well as the opportunity to engage in supervised field experience. In addition to a greater emphasis on science and quantitative research skills, the BS degree requires the completion of senior thesis.

Psychological and Social Sciences at Abington

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Penn State Altoona College
Major: PSCBA and PSCBS
Minor: PSYAL

    The Psychology minor at Penn State Altoona is designed for students who want to learn about behavior, normal and   abnormal, how it is studied, and its relation to applied areas. Students are encouraged to conduct research with members of the faculty and/or take a practicum in an applied setting. Graduates are equipped for various positions in human service agencies, industrial settings, or laboratories. Others go on to professional school, e.g., medical school, law school, or to continue their training in psychology working toward a master's or a doctoral degree.

Psychology at Altoona

Psychology Department at Altoona

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Penn State Berks College
Major: APSYCBA
Minor: None

     The B.A. in Applied Psychology offered by Penn State Berks College meets the needs of the majority of psychology students, providing them with a bachelor's degree with a major in Applied Psychology in the liberal arts tradition. The emphasis of this degree program will be on preparing students for direct employment in settings related to psychology. The program will also provide preparation for graduate study in psychology as well as other areas including business, human/social services, and law.

    Students can choose from three different tracks within the major, allowing them to prepare for the career they want. The B.A. in Applied Psychology is a unique program of study, featuring non-traditional learning and intensive internship experiences. Graduates of this program can be expected to gain employment in a variety of fields related to the social and behavioral sciences or business.

    Thank you for visiting Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College. For more information about our Applied Psychology program, please contact program coordinator Henry Patterson at hop1@psu.eduor 610-396-6197.

Applied Psychology at Berks

Penn State Lehigh Valley College
Major: APSYCBA
Minor: None

     The B.A. in Applied Psychology offered by Penn State Lehigh Valley College meets the needs of the majority of psychology students, providing them with a bachelor's degree with a major in Applied Psychology in the liberal arts tradition. The emphasis of this degree program will be on preparing students for direct employment in settings related to psychology. The program will also provide preparation for graduate study in psychology as well as other areas including business, human/social services, and law.

    Students can choose from three different tracks within the major, allowing them to prepare for the career they want. The B.A. in Applied Psychology is a unique program of study, featuring non-traditional learning and intensive internship experiences. Graduates of this program can be expected to gain employment in a variety of fields related to the social and behavioral sciences or business.

Thank you for visiting Penn State Lehigh Valley. For more information about our Applied Psychology program, please contact program coordinator Peter Behrens at pjb4@psu.edu or 610-285-5013.

Applied Pscyhology at Lehigh

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Penn State Erie Behrend College
Major: PSHBA & PSHBS
Minor: PSYCH

    Psychology is the science of human thought and behavior. The study of psychology prepares students for a wide variety of careers in business, government, education, child development, gerontology, or mental health services. Many students choose to further their education in graduate programs at the master’s or doctoral level.

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College offers both the B.A. and B.S. degree in psychology (124 credits) as well as a psychology minor (18 credits). The B.A. degree includes additional study in foreign languages and is ideal for those wishing to travel abroad or work in cross-cultural psychology, international business or as a bilingual school psychologist or counselor. Students that chose the B.S. degree select from two options. The General (Science) option requires 21 credits of math or science courses and allows the students to build a minor. This option is designed for those interested in fields such as health sciences, medical school, neuroscience, or physical therapy. The Business option requires 21 credits in business related courses such as management, marketing, human resources, labor relations, or management information systems. Students can select broadly from these areas or instead focus on one area and also earn a minor. Students in this option are well prepared for work in the business world or may pursue graduate study in industrial organizational psychology or human factors engineering. Many students in this option also choose to continue their education in the AACSB accredited MBA program offered at Penn State Behrend.

In our 12 credit psychology core sequence, each student works with a faculty mentor to develop and carry out a research project in their area of interest. Students write a paper for our Behrend Psychology Journal and present their work at a conference such as the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Research Conference or the Penn State Behrend Sigma Xi Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference that is held each spring. Funding is available for undergraduate research grants in the academic year and in the summer. Many of our students work with faculty in our full time research labs on topics such as workplace satisfaction, cognitive neuroscience, program evaluation, and reducing peer aggression in the schools.

Students also have many opportunities to earn while they learn right on campus. Positions are available at The Penn State Behrend Psychology laboratories, The Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation, The Knowledge Park at Penn State Erie, and the Penn State Behrend Child Care Center. Many of our courses have service learning components where students gain hands-on experience applying their skills in community settings. Students are also encouraged to complete an in-depth internship experience (3 -12 credits) in their senior year in a local company or organization.

Undergraduate psychology at Erie Behrend

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Penn State University Park (Liberal Arts)
Major: PSYBA & PSYBS
Minor: PSY

    Psychology is one of the largest departments at Penn State University, both in terms of number of faculty and number of undergraduate majors. Use our web site to find out why Psychology is an excellent choice as a means of fulfilling general education requirements, as a minor, a major, or as a career.

Undergraduate Psychology at University Park

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This page was last updated on 08-05-05.