Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of thought, behavior, and experience. Many people associate psychology with psychological therapy and the practice of clinical psychology. There are also many other important areas of scientific psychology, such as cognitive, developmental, industrial/organizational, and social psychology. What these subfields of psychology have in common is the use of the scientific method to understand human behavior and apply that understanding to the development of theory and practice. Psychologists are increasingly making use of neuroscience methods and theories to understand psychological phenomena. As a profession, psychology is related to fields such as health, education, marketing, human resources, social work, and more. The principles of psychology are relevant to almost all areas of human endeavor, and the career paths of psychology students reflect this wealth of possibilities.
Degree Types: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Minor
Psychology BA

Explore Interests Related to Psychology

Leverages insights into human behavior and motivation to improve performance, enhance customer experiences, and inform strategic business decisions.

Examines human behavior, cognition, and motivation. Prepares students to design user-friendly AI systems, study human-technology interaction, and assess the psychological impact of emerging technologies.

Examines mental health, behavior, and therapeutic techniques. Prepares students to pursue careers in counseling, clinical practice, mental health advocacy, and research on psychological well-being.

Studies mental health, behavior, and therapeutic techniques. Equips students to pursue careers in clinical practice, counseling, mental health research, and developing interventions to improve psychological well-being.

Studies human behavior, cognition, and motivation. Equips students to understand audience dynamics, influence media content creation, and analyze the psychological impact of cultural and media trends.

Studies human behavior and mental processes. Equips students to address social injustices through behavioral insights, develop equitable mental health policies, and advocate for community well-being.

Examines human behavior and motivation. Prepares students to promote sustainable practices, understand public attitudes toward environmental issues, and design behavioral interventions for sustainability.

Studies human behavior, cognition, and motivation. Equips students to understand cross-cultural psychological trends, contribute to international mental health initiatives, and analyze the global impact of cultural and media trends.

Degree Options

  • Four B.S. options: Biological and Evolutionary Science, Business, Neuroscience, Quantitative Skills
  • Marketing
  • Management
  • Finance
  • Criminology
  • Advertising/Public Relations
  • Spanish
  • French and Francophone Studies

About the Program

You might like this program if…

  • You want to better understand people’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
  • You want to learn about how the brain works, how it malfunctions, and how it recovers.
  • You are interested in child development, mental health, personality, social interactions, organizations, and neuroscience.
  • You want a career as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, or other human services professional.
  • You want a broad understanding of human behavior to help you pursue a career in any of many fields.
  • Communication and Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Observation and Analysis
  • Data Application and Practical Decision-Making
  • Interpersonal and Social Skills

Coursework

  • Clinical psychology
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Industrial/organizational psychology
  • Social psychology

Out-of-Classroom Experiences

  • Bank of America and BofA Securities
  • Camp Pegasus
  • Centre Safe
  • Institute for Organizational Mindfulness
  • Strawberry Fields
  • Research labs
  • and many others based on student interests
Cambodia
Greece
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Italy
Students in CAMS/HIST 199 Roman Cities at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy in June 2022
Netherlands
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Spain
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Turkey
United Kingdom
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Career Paths

  • Business
  • Clinical/counseling
  • Forensics
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Psychology specialties
  • Public policy
  • Social work
  • Clinical Social Worker
  • Human Resources Professional
  • Advertising or Marketing Associate
  • Victim Advocate
  • Psychiatrist
  • Career Counselor
  • Probation Officer
  • Forensic Psychologist
Behavioral Health, Consulting, Education, Human Resources, Management, Psychology analysis (FBI), Research, Service (Teach for America)
  • Deloitte
  • UPMC
  • Google
  • Vanguard
  • Amazon
  • Merck
  • Penn Medicine
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
  • University of Pittsburgh

Have questions about this program?

This program is housed 

in the Department of Psychology 
at Penn State University Park and Penn State World Campus.
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