Psychology Awards Ceremony
May 4th, 2009

The annual Psychology department awards banquet was held on Monday May 4th. MORE

MUPC 2009
Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference

The 44th annual MUPC (Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference) was held on Saturday April 18th, 2009 on the campus of the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, MN. This one day annual conference promotes undergraduate research in the field of psychology. The conference featured oral and poster presentations of undergraduate research. St. Olaf Students who presented at MUPC are: Alyssa Zuehl, Amy Belfi, Amy Kasch, Ananya Mukhopadhyay, Ann Kemen, Anna Crouch, Christina Hodge, Courtney Payne, Daniel Plunkett, Danny Elchert, Diana Musoke, Emily O'Brien, Eva Pesch, Hanna Dielman, Heidi Seitz, Jake Kurczek, Kameko Halfmann, Nick Barry, Nikki Marvin, Sarah Bain, Vanessa Brown, Ellie Holtz, Betsy Volkman, Derek Bauer and Jill Humble.

Exciting changes in the Psychology Department Major Requirements

 

In this year of analog-to-digital TV conversions, the Psychology Department is also preparing for an imminent change and upgrade in service.

At the end of the current semester, we will no longer offer the .25-credit course Investigative Explorations in Psychology (Psychology 126). In its place, we will begin teaching History and Methods of Psychology (Psychology 130), a course that will serve as an exciting new foundation for the psychology major. Psychology 130 will offer a laboratory learning experience like Psych 126, but it will be integrated into a lecture/discussion course worth 1.00 credit. In addition, Psych 130 will include information about the history of the areas covered in the labs, incorporate statistical and quantitative reasoning more effectively than in Psych 126, and promote socialization and community building among majors through early career exploration.

Psych 130 will not have any GE credits attached to it, but all majors will still be able to earn NSL/SED credits in our 200-level courses -- Psychology 235, 236, and 237. Most current majors have already taken Psych 126; if you have not, we encourage you to register for Psych 130 next year.

The basic changes in the major are as follows:

a) psychology majors will be required to take 11.00 courses (10.00 Psychology + 1.00 Statistics) rather than the current 12.25 courses (9.25 Psychology + 1.00 Biology + 1.00 Soc/Anth + 1.00 Statistics).

b) psychology majors will be required to take 1.00-credit Psychology 130 in place of the .25-credit Psychology 126 lab course.

c) psychology majors will be able to choose which two of the courses in the Natural Science Content Core they wish to take: Sensation & Perception (Psych 235), Conditioning & Learning (Psych 236), Cognition, Learning, & Memory (Psych 237), or Biopsychology (Psych 238).

PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR ADVISING WORKSHEET
If you entered ST. Olaf before Fall 2009
CLICK HERE

If you entered St. Olaf
Fall 2009 or after
CLICK HERE

We hope that you will feel free to get in touch with any member of the department. We would love to talk with you about our new course and plans for the major!

 

 

 

St. Olaf Psychology: The Search For Understanding
People study psychology for many different reasons:

  • an interest in research and scientific discovery
  • a desire to understand and serve others
  • a desire to enhance their effectiveness in a variety of other fields

Many of our graduates go on to receive advanced degrees in a variety of psychological subfields (e.g., clinical, counseling, cognitive, developmental, learning, physiological, and social psychology, in addition to various areas of cognitive science, neuroscience, and primatology). Others find their major serves them well in the study of law, medicine, education, economics, or theology. Those who work in industrial research, business, or personnel also find a psychology major is good preparation for the challenges they face.

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