Introduction to the V.U. Psychology Department
I.
Greetings! On behalf of the students and faculty in our department, welcome
to VU!!! We hope that you will have a great experience studying and living in
our community, and want to do everything we can to make things that way!
II. Introductions: faculty, students
A. Experimental Faculty--primarily
oriented to teaching and research
- Dr. Daniel Arkkelin:
Social & Environmental
- Dr. Kieth Carlson: Cognitive
- Dr. David Rowland: Biopsychology
- Dr. Angela Vernon: Animal
behavior
- Dr. Jennifer Winquist:
Social & Industrial/Organizational
B. Clinical/counseling
Faculty--oriented to both clinic and teaching/research
- Dr. Stanley Hughes: Child
and adolescent clinical
- Dr. Jim Nelson: Adolescent
and adult clinical
- Dr. David Simpson: Counseling
- Witness Jani: Counseling
C. Adjunct Faculty-contribute
several courses each year
- Dr. Stewart Cooper: Director
of VU Career Development & Counseling Center
III.
What is psychology, or how can I make a living and do something worthwhile
and interesting at the same time?
- Teaching and Research: usually requires a doctoral degree
- Business: bachelors or masters degree
- Clinical/counseling or education: masters or doctoral
degree, though opportunities do exist for the BA/BS degrees
People
generally orient themselves in 1 or 2 of these tracks. This starts to make a
difference in the courses you take about your junior year
The
time frame for graduate degrees is 2-3 years for masters, 4-5 years for masters
plus doctorate.
Click the link on the left for the Psychology Majors Student
Manual for more information about career opportunities.
IV. The psychology program at VU
Your
adviser is available to help you with all aspect of your program in and out
of the department, including your eventual search for a job or graduate school.
Use this resource!!!
A. Psychology courses: To see planning checklists, click: BA
and BS
We
offer both BA and BS degrees. Requirements are slightly different. The BS is
generally recommended if you are planning on graduate school, but there are
important exceptions to this.
Initial
courses in the psychology department:
- General psychology
(PSY 110), preferably with the lab (PSY 111)
- The Statistics/Methods
sequence: Statistics (PSY 201), Methods (PSY 202)
An introductory course
in your track:
- For business: Social (PSY 125) or Organizational (PSY
265)
- For Clinical/counseling: Abnormal (PSY 235)
- Upper-level Experimental/lab courses are taken
after the statistics/methods sequence
Other important parts of your psychology program
- Independent
Study/Independent Research, usually in Junior Year
- The apprenticeship/field
experience program, usually in the Junior Year
- The practicum/placement
program, usually in the Senior Year
- Graduate school application
and preparation, beginning in the Junior Year; taking the GRE; the importance
of advising and recommendation letters
- Job searching
Special
Opportunities in the VU Psychology Department--earn money & gain valuable
experience!
- PSY
111 Lab Teaching Assistants
- PSY 201 Statistics
Tutors
- Upper-level Lab Assistants
- Animal Care Assistants
B. The rest of your program:
General education
- See
the planning sheets in the Student Guide.
- In
general, the majority of classes you take during the first two years are general
education courses, including Freshman Core or CC Core
- However, each semester
you take at least one course because it interests you, not just because it
“meets a requirement!”
Choosing a minor or second major
- Pick
a major or minor that is interesting, complements your major and career/graduate
school choice
- If chosen early
enough, a double‑major is doable within the normal four‑year course
of study
- Students in
the BS degree have some limitations on the types of minors they can choose
- Common minors
or second majors with psychology are: Art, Biology, Education, Music, Philosophy,
Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, Theater, Theology or Pre‑Seminary,
Gender Studies, Human Aging, and Liberal Arts‑Business.
Overseas study
- An
excellent experience
- Best
done in the first semester of your Junior year
- Program include
Cambridge, Reutlingen (Germany), Hangzhou (China), Puebla (Mexico)
V. Student life:
- Psychology Club
- Psi Chi, National Psychology Honorary Society
VI. Fall events and advising
-
Freshman picnic: TBA - watch for announcements
- Departmental preregistration and advising: TBA - watch
for announcements
- Carreers & Graduate
school Info Night: TBA - watch for announcements
VII.
What to do next?
- Go
to your classes! Study! Get involved and have fun!
- If you have any questions
or problems, make an appointment to see your advisor!
- Come to the Fall events!
VIII. Need Help or Information??? Contact ...
- VU Psychology Department Website
- Terri Hendle (Dept. Secretary)
- Dan Arkkelin (Dept. Chair)
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Additions and corrections for this page may be directed to 
