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About the Department

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» 2006 University Graduate Review Web site

The Department of Psychology at WMU offers one undergraduate degree in Psychology and four graduate degrees, including master's degrees in Behavior Analysis and in Industrial Organizational Psychology and doctoral degrees in Behavior Analysis and Clinical Psychology. The undergraduate curriculum provides broad training in psychology, the scientific study of behavior. Principles of science are applied to the study of a full range of behavioral phenomena. These principles include objective measures of behavioral phenomena, systematic observation and experimentation to test hypotheses, and emphasis on critical interpretation of results and standards of evidence. Behavioral phenomena include the obvious examples of motor responses but also include verbal behavior, cognitions, emotions and physiological phenomena, all phenomena that require special considerations to objectively measure and scientifically study. The undergraduate curriculum covers a broad range of topics including, but not limited to, mental health problems, human development, learning, memory and language development. Undergraduate students are required to participate in a practicum experience in which they apply psychology concepts to real world behavioral problems. The undergraduate program is designed to prepare students for careers in psychology-related fields (e.g., human services, rehabilitation, developmental disabilities) and to provide a science-based foundation for those wishing to pursue graduate study in psychology or other professional fields in which a psychology background is relevant (e.g., medicine, law, business).

The graduate programs in psychology are designed to provide professional preparation in psychology for persons interested in assuming positions in a range of settings including academic institutions, research, human resource and performance management, mental health service delivery or community service settings. Each of these graduate programs has a pervasive natural science orientation and a strong emphasis in behavior analysis theory, an approach that focuses on the interaction between behavior and the social and physical environment as a primary influence on the acquisition, shaping and maintenance of complex behavior. Each graduate program requires training in a set of core principles that involve behavioral and cognitive-behavioral theory, research methods, systems management, and legal and ethical issues. Building on these core principles, each graduate program focuses on specialized applications and unique techniques for specific applications and settings (e.g., mental health problems, autism, developmental disabilities, performance management in business and school settings, safety and health related behaviors. The programs encourage student involvement in instructional programming, the delivery of service in community agencies and the conduct of laboratory and community-based research. Department Faculty are committed to quality education for undergraduate and graduate students and engages in continuous assessment activities designed to constantly improve the quality of its instructional programs. The goals of the Department are intended to be coordinated with, and be supportive of, the professional and academic mission of Western Michigan University. Program activities are coordinated with various community agencies, providing continual interaction between the Department and community settings.

The granting of a graduate degree in Psychology by Western Michigan University is not considered a basic right for all students admitted to the program; the degree must be earned by the student. It is incumbent upon each student to demonstrate competence within each required aspect of the curriculum as they acquire the skills to assume a role as a professional psychologist. This challenge goes well beyond passing courses, and the act of matriculating in a program is considered evidence of an agreement to accept this challenge. It is the student's responsibility to demonstrate mastery of each competence required in the student's area of specialty.

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