Psychology

Academic Program

Mission Statement

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The field seeks to understand the biological, social, and cognitive underpinnings of behavior. In doing so, psychology examines nearly every facet of human experience, from memory, to helping behavior, to the nature of prejudice.

The psychology program at Nevada State College is dedicated to providing students with rigorous academic preparation in the science of psychology. This preparation includes the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in a variety of contexts in both written and oral formats. The department emphasizes an empirical approach to the study of psychology with a concerted focus on research methodology and the statistical evaluation of evidence. The psychology student will take courses in core areas of the field, with emphasis in the domains of social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, abnormal psychology, health psychology, and the biological roots of behavior and mental processes. The program further aims to cultivate intellectually and emotionally well-rounded students with the knowledge and skills required to achieve success in the workplace and in graduate school.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes represent the essential knowledge and abilities a student should have acquired upon graduating from the psychology program at NSC. They largely reflect intellectual growth, but a prime component of the outcomes is the confidence and ability to address pertinent real-world problems, particularly through the application of sound quantitative reasoning skills (i.e., methodological and statistical aptitude).

Content

Successful psychology students will acquire knowledge about the core disciplines in psychology along with several burgeoning subfields. The core disciplines include abnormal, biological, cognitive, counseling, developmental and social psychology. Key subfields include evolutionary, forensic, health, human factors, and sport psychology.

Critical Thinking

At its core, critical thinking is about thinking more effectively. While any college major should enhance the critical thinking of its students, psychology focuses largely on thinking better about issues that influence your daily life.

Successful psychology students will develop and hone their quantitative reasoning skills, which entails a thorough understanding of both statistical and methodological techniques. Overall, students will acquire an elaborate understanding of the research methodologies and statistical techniques needed to assess the scientific endeavors of others, to conduct research of their own, and to handle quantitative tasks in occupations ranging from business to forensic science. Students also will exercise a more thorough and sophisticated understanding of human behavior in their everyday lives.

Communication

The successful student will develop the ability to comprehend the scientific and statistical terminology employed by researchers and educators in the field of psychology. Students also will develop the ability to conduct literature reviews and write APA-style papers that would be fit for publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Finally, successful students will be well-learned in the art of presenting psychological ideas and findings in oral format.

Values

Successful students will cultivate a deep understanding of factors affecting their role as productive citizens in society, including knowledge of such topics as prejudice, prosocial behavior, leadership, and biases in person perception. The successful student also will demonstrate the ability to work well with others in a professional context and to uphold standards of integrity and ethics in accordance with the American Psychological Association.

See the Degrees Offered section to learn more about Psychology degree requirements.