Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Psychology is the study of how the mind works. A psychology major opens the door to the fascinating world of human thought, emotion, behavior, and motivation. It gives us new insight into why we do what we do!
A major in psychology is also a major asset in the workplace – especially if you want to persuade, supervise, teach, or communicate.
What to Expect as a Psychology Major
Our minds are the drivers of our behavior, so psychologists study behavior as a window into the mind. As a psychology major, you’ll explore human behavior in many ways. You will learn about human development, social psychology, neuroscience, learning, cognition, perception, counseling, and abnormal psychology.
Learning to do research is another key part of your psychology degree. As a psychology major, you’ll study statistics, experimental methods, and experimental psychology. You’ll conduct your own original psychology experiment from beginning to end, then analyze and present your findings. Some people may still think of psychology as a “touchy feely” practice, but that’s not accurate. The techniques that let you “connect with your emotions” come from careful research.
You’ll also get practical experience with the therapeutic side of psychology. Psychology majors at SNU intern with local organizations which offer mental health and substance abuse treatment, grief counseling, equine therapy, and domestic violence services.
“What is beneficial about the Psychology department is its willingness to challenge your emotional and interpersonal intelligence. Psychology isn’t just about the emotions and thoughts that go through your brain, it’s WHY you have those thoughts.” – Teresa Rafello ’16
Hear first-hand how their experience in the SNU psychology program helped prepare them for their new careers and life after graduation.
Teresa Rafello
Class of 2016
I chose to major in Psychology because my personal experience got me interested in how we let ourselves think, why we accept difficult situations, and how we work toward viable solutions. I've been challenged on many levels in the program, and it's fine tuned my focus and determination to amazing levels. My senior research project has been the most strenuous journey of my academic career but it has paid off - all the students in my senior experimental design course have been accepted to present our research at the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference in May! . . . Read More
Angel Gonzalez
Class of 2017
My inspiration is always to inspire change, acceptance, and holistic thinking. I want to challenge people's perspectives and my own biases. . . . Read More
Still wondering if you should major in psychology?
Research Experience
Every psychology major at SNU designs and conducts at least one original research project from start to finish. Three courses guide students through learning about, preparing for, and completing independent research in psychology. Students review journal articles in the area they are interested in. They make a hypothesis, and design an experiment to prove or disprove it. They conduct their experiment, then use statistics to analyze their results. Finally, they write up their results for publication, and present them at the SNU Psychology Research Fair and at conferences.
SNU at UCLA’s 2017 Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
Our psychology majors present at top-tier regional conferences. Recently, they have presented at the undergraduate research conferences at Stanford and UCLA. SNU student research has been published in the Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences, Student Pulse, and the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal.
“The emphasis on research in the Psychology Program motivates students. The faculty provide a level of support beyond any reasonable expectation to aid students in achieving their goals, whatever they may be.” – Sarah A. Fricke ’15
Professional Preparation
Sierra Nevada University offers popular graduate school preparation workshops for students who want to continue on. These discuss how to choose a graduate school in psychology, the best application strategies, and surviving life in – and after – grad school. Help with both the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) tests is also included.
Our psychology degree students graduate well qualified for graduate education and careers in their field. Recent alumni have gone on to post-graduate programs at Carleton University, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Northern Arizona University, and Prescott College.
“The world of psychology is huge. You can do almost anything under the sun, so having professors who specialize in very different fields really helps us narrow down what we want to study in grad school.” – Katie O’Hara ’16
Maggie Burns
Major: Psychology
Class of 2014
One of my jobs as the Psychology Department intern at SNC was to help with student advising, which got me interested in college prep and planning for high school students. Now I'm getting my MA in Counseling with an emphasis in school counseling, and a PPS (Pupil Personnel Services) credential for counseling K - 12. . . . Read More
The Psychology Scholar Program
Get on a fast-track to your professional future. Work with your dedicated faculty mentor to build outstanding qualifications in your chosen psychology specialty. Get extra experience as an intern with a local psychologist, school counselor, or researcher. Expand your academic skills as the teaching assistant in an SNU psychology course. The Psychology Scholar Program is limited to five incoming freshmen each year. Apply early for priority consideration.