Psychology, B.A.

The UMF Psychology Program embraces a vision of psychology as a humanistic enterprise that facilitates personal development as well as responsible citizenship in a global community. A diverse curriculum and an eclectic faculty offer opportunities to explore a broad range of issues in the field of psychology. The Psychology Department is especially committed to the project of facilitating students’ growth as both scholars and practitioners. As a supportive community of engaged learners, the UMF Psychology Program provides an educational environment in which students (a) develop an appreciation of basic and applied psychology as a collective endeavor and (b) can explore issues of personal interest.

Major Requirements (44 Total Credits)

Students must complete 44 credit hours of psychology coursework, including four required “core” psychology courses (16 credits total) and various electives (28 credits total). Specifically:

Psychology Core (16 Credits)

PSY 101S - General Psychology Credits: 4
PSY 284 - Professional Seminar Credits: 4
PSY 400 - Research Methods in Psychology Credits: 4
PSY 484 - Senior Seminar Credits: 4
or
PSY 499 - Senior Thesis Credits: 4

Psychology Electives: 28

At least two courses (8 cr) must be at the 300 or 400 level

Additional Requirements:

All Psychology majors are also required to take a statistics course (MAT 120M or PSY 275 ).

MHRT Option

Students majoring in Psychology may elect to include coursework to become eligible for Maine state certification as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician (MHRT/C). Eligibility is based on specific coursework and completion of the BS in Psychology.

Required Courses

PSY 209 Abnormal Psychology

PSY 226 Adulthood and Aging

PSY 235 Introduction to Counseling

PSY 237 Career Counseling

PSY 305 Ethical Principles in Counseling

PSY 455 Crisis Intervention and Stabilization

and one from:

PSY 329 Child and Family Counseling and Psychopathology

PSY 349 Couples Therapy

PSY 435 Psychotherapeutic Methods

All coursework must be taken at UMF. Upon graduation from the program, the transcript will reflect MHRT/C eligible.

World Language Requirement

For specific information about world language requirements and expectations, see the General Education Requirements in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

General Education Requirements

For specific information about general education requirements and expectations, see the General Education Requirements in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

Minimum Total Credits for The Degree: 128

Learning Goals and Assessment

Learning Goals:

Facilitating an understanding of psychological theory and research.
Fostering students’ personal and professional development.
Preparing students to serve as responsible citizens in a global community.

Learning Outcomes:

Theory and Research

Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology.
Students will be able to discuss the relevance of at least three major theoretical paradigms to an issue of significant concern to individuals or communities.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the application of both quantitative and qualitative methods to an issue of significant concern to individuals or communities.

Personal and Professional Development

Students will be able to articulate a vision of psychology that represents a personal synthesis of material that they have explored.
Students will be able to articulate a clear and plausible career narrative that illuminates the potential relevance of their experiences in the psychology program to post-graduate professional development.

Responsible Citizenship in a Global Community

Students will demonstrate knowledge of at least one issue of significant community concern.
Students will be able to apply what they have learned in their psychology coursework to an understanding of this community concern.