Psychology and Neuroscience

Department Chairperson: Dr. Mary Jean Lynch
Psychology and Neuroscience Faculty

Mission Statement

The mission of the Psychology and Neuroscience Department is to prepare students to function as curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful individuals in their personal and professional lives. All of the courses emphasize evidence-based reasoning and application with a strong ethical framework. Each course will develop students’ skills in gathering information, critically evaluating that information, seeking creative ways to use that information and communicating conclusions to a diverse range of audiences. Emphasis is placed on developing students who understand diverse perspectives, are culturally aware and socially responsible and appreciate the complex causes of human behavior.

Degrees offered: B.A. and B.S.

Psychology

As a member of the social sciences, psychology seeks to understand the causes and consequences of human and animal behavior by employing the methods of scientific inquiry. The focus is on psychology as both a basic and applied science, and the goal is to provide psychology majors with strong scientific thinking skills. Faculty developed the curriculum following the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0 which emphasizes the development of the following knowledge and skill areas:

Basic information from the major subfields in psychology
Scientific inquiry and critical thinking, including research methods
Key ethical and social responsibility issues in a diverse world
Multiple approaches to written, oral and electronic communication tools
Career and other professional options (graduate school) following graduation

After completing the major, students will be prepared to use psychological knowledge and skills to flourish professionally and personally.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the structure, function, evolution, development and pathology of the nervous system in relation to behavior and mental processes. Individuals working in this area examine issues from the micro (including molecular and cellular bases of neuronal function, nervous system structure, how systems of neurons process information) to the macro (how these functions are linked to behavior and give rise to conscious experience) level. Based on the recommendation of the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience and Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, faculty developed the curriculum to emphasize the development of the following knowledge and skill areas:

Basic neuroscience knowledge
Critical and integrative thinking
Oral, written and electronic communication skills
The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience
Society’s biomedical, economic and ethical challenges that limit scientific enterprise today

Neuroscience Major information

Students will receive a B.A.or B.S. major by choosing to take courses from either the behavioral or molecular track. Students may not choose both tracks, and the tracks are not intended to be different majors.
B.A. and B.S. degree requirements may not double dip with courses taken as part of the major.

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

Neuroscience

Psychology