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Psychology

Nick McRee, Ph.D., chair

Faculty: Baillet, Downs, Guest, Julka, Pitzer

The psychology program serves the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of Portland through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Housed in a multidisciplinary department with sociology and social work, our program offers an undergraduate major and minor that prepare students for graduate work, occupations in the helping professions, and many other career paths. Our goal is to promote good scholarship and citizenship within a community of learners. To do this, we develop collaborative academic endeavors between students and faculty, and foster intellectual engagement with the field of psychology and the world at large.

Learning Outcomes for Psychology Majors

Psychology graduates of the University of Portland should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of behavior, thought, and emotion.
    1. Identify and explain key psychological terms and constructs.
    2. Draw on research and theory to inform understandings of behavior, thought, and emotion.
    3. Distinguish among theoretical approaches within the field of psychology.
  2. Think critically about behavior, question assumptions, and consider alternatives.
    1. Demonstrate an ability to recognize multiple influences on behavior, thought, and emotion.
    2. Identify relevant questions and make predictions about psychological phenomena.
    3. Critically evaluate psychological problems and controversies.
  3. Understand, interpret, and design psychological research.
    1. Distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of types of research.
    2. Identify relevant ethical and cultural issues related to psychological research.
    3. Design and implement research relevant to psychological phenomena.
    4. Distinguish between empirical and theoretical claims.
  4. Express themselves competently both orally and in writing.
    1. Craft effective reviews of scholarly literature.
    2. Give presentations that articulate psychological understandings.
    3. Integrate theory and research to make a coherent argument.

Capstone Experience

Senior seminar is designed as a capstone experience to help students integrate major contemporary psychological methods, theories, and research findings. Through intensive research, participation and discussion, students also learn skills of professional presentations. From a combination of these experiences students achieve an integration of diverse psychological theories and professional applications. Students planning on graduate study in psychology and honors students may elect to complete a three-credit senior thesis written under the direction of a faculty member separate from any particular class as their capstone experience. Psychology-sociology double majors may do a combined thesis with joint supervision.