Program Overview

Overview of Discipline

Psychology is a science that studies behavior from psychological, biological, and social perspectives.  The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience - from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental healthcare services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists.

Psychology is a science that studies behavior from psychological, biological, and social perspectives. The major and elective requirements are designed to achieve a broad understanding of the contents, concepts, and research methods of contemporary psychology in the context of a quality Liberal Arts education.

Mission Statement

The mission of the undergraduate program of the Psychology Department is to provide a useful course of study in Psychology that will enable students to obtain employment or to pursue an advanced degree. This program will accomplish the following: educate students about diverse topics within Psychology, teach critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills, provide students with opportunities to perform research, and enable students to develop professional writing and other communication skills.

Student Learning Objectives

Upon completing requirements for a major in psychology at UCCS, students should be able to:

1) display knowledge of several areas of specialization in psychology (i.e., abnormal, biopsychology, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology).
2) demonstrate skills in scientific reasoning, such as deductive reasoning and critical thinking.
3) demonstrate skills in information gathering, such as the ability to locate empirical information from sources like the library or internet.
4) demonstrate skills in writing well-organized, well-supported papers with correct punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling. In other words, they should be able to clearly convey their message in writing.
5) demonstrate ability to accurately cite and reference sources using the formatting style of the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. In other words, they should be able to use the basic components of the formatting style of our discipline.
6) display knowledge of research methodology, including data analysis and statistics, in Psychology.

NOTE:  All students in Psychology courses are responsible for reading and complying with the Student Code of Conduct, Student Rights and Responsibilities, and the LAS Plagiarism Policy.