Psychology Major
Psychology is an academic discipline that enables its students to better understand human behavior. The Psychology degree program is designed to provide a comprehensive undergraduate education in this field, leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. The student will receive a broad exposure to developmental, social, cognitive, clinical, and physiological areas of Psychology, as well as specific training in research methodology and statistics. Original student research is also fostered and encouraged during the undergraduate experience. The program is intended primarily as an excellent foundation for entrance to graduate school in any area of psychology, but also provides a good background in the science of human behavior for students seeking careers in management in public and private sectors, or seeking an undergraduate major in this area for a variety of other reasons.
If you are interested in pursuing the Psychology Major you can speak with a Faculty Advisor. Currently, the Psychology major is not impacted, and is open to all students.
Psychology Chair:
Dr. Nicholas Von Glahn, email: nrvonglahn@cpp.edu
To learn more about the Major
- Follow the link to Cal Poly Pomona University Catalog to see the specific course requirements and course offerings
- View the current year’s curriculum and roadmaps
- To get an overview of the Major, view the orientation slides for Freshman or Transfer Students.
- Speak with a Psychology Faculty Advisor
Psychology Learning Outcomes
The Psychology major educates students by enhancing their understanding of behavior and its biological, emotional, social, and cognitive roots and effects.
The Psychology (P) major's specific instructional goals and objectives are the following:
Students will understand and participate in the generation of knowledge through the scientific process. Specifically, students will be able to:
- Describe the basic facts and concepts related to research design in psychology.
- Independently design and conduct a simple theoretically based or practical psychological research study, including generating their own research questions.
- Accurately analyze and interpret data generated through their own studies or those of others, in order to come to an appropriate conclusion.
- Respect and appreciate the need for scientific data to inform the practices of psychologists.
Graduates will understand traditional and contemporary discipline-based knowledge, and will be able to access future knowledge. Specifically, students will be able to:
- Identify, describe, and classify the major theoretical perspectives and key concepts used in psychology (e.g., those included in most introductory psychology texts).
- Identify and describe the major specialties and historical trends in psychology.
Graduates will be able to communicate empirical and theoretical information effectively when generating knowledge or when using knowledge in applied settings. Specifically, students will be able to:
- Conduct and write a review that summarizes part of the psychological literature.
- Explain the rationale, procedures, results, and conclusions of a research project by writing a paper in APA format.
Graduates will be able to use the knowledge base provided by the discipline to foster their own well-being and life-long intellectual pursuits. Specifically, students will be able to:
- Draw upon current theories to explain the nature of behavior, emotion, and mental processes.
- Apply psychological theories, concepts, and methods to real-life situations and practical problems (for example, using mnemonics to improve memory).
- Understand the influence that variables such as race, class, sexuality, and gender may have on mental constructs and behaviors.