Western's Bachelor of Science in psychology program is designed to offer a major or minor in the College of Arts and Sciences curriculum and provide a foundation in concepts and principles for those planning to pursue graduate study. As a psychology major at WMU, you will study general psychology, behavior analysis and child psychology before moving into theory and methods courses that serve as the foundation to WMU's natural-science approach to psychology. Beginning with the fall 2021 semester, this program also will be available fully online with some courses offering regularly scheduled synchronous meetings as well as some fully asynchronous courses.
At WMU, you are able to customize the program to fit your interests and goals. Elective courses may be concentrated in one of several areas including, among others:
- Child psychology
- Behavior analysis
- Clinical psychology and counseling
- Organizational psychology
- Management of health-related behaviors
- Drug use and abuse
This program will provide you with
- A natural science orientation that emphasizes empirical evidence in relation to child development, abnormal behavior, workplace psychology, autism, forensic psychology, global sustainability, education, gerontology, neuroscience and more.
- Strong components in experimental and applied behavior analysis that have earned the department an international reputation.
- Practicum opportunities to work directly in organizations that hire graduates with a psychology degree.
Beyond the classroom
Our program will allow you to gain real-world experience. As a psychology student, you will be required to complete a field study or lab that will provide you with the opportunity to apply what you've learned in a realistic setting. Western's Department of Psychology also offers many opportunities for you to help with research projects by participating as a subject or research assistant. You’ll also have the opportunity to join student organizations such as Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, or the Student Autism Alliance of Michigan.
After you graduate
Designed with industry feedback, WMU's psychology program will prepare you for a number of careers. Recent WMU graduates with degrees in Psychology are working as a:
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Psychologist
- Organizational consultant
- Researcher
- Counselor
- Caseworker
- And many more
Among the organizations they work for are:
- Nonprofit organizations
- Government agencies
- Private practice in psychology
- Private practice in behavior analysis
- Business organizations
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Human service settings
Where is this program offered?
- Kalamazoo
- Online