Psychology

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.

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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.

• Discover psychology requirements at SNU

“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

• Meet some of our psychology majors.

Hear first-hand how their experience in the SNU psychology program helped prepare them for their new careers and life after graduation.

Meet Psychology Major

Ryan Knuppenburg

Class of 2018

Getting involved in a relationship that was extremely dysfunctional after high school really got me interested in the topics of mental health and well-being. Educating myself was the only way for me to heal after that terrible experience. My classes at SNC have transformed my way of thinking, especially my psychology classes. . . . Read More

Meet Psychology Major

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

Still wondering if you should major in psychology?

• Find out why you should!

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

• Learn more about what you can do with a psychology major

Meet Psychology Alum

Anza Jarschke

Major: Fine Arts – New Genres, Psychology

Class of 2013

After finishing my masters in Social Justice and Community Organizing from Prescott College, I returned to SNC Tahoe to work as the Gallery Director. It's an exciting step in life to be able to come back to a place that provided me with so much at a formative time. . . . 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.

• Psychology Scholar Program and Application Information