BA/BSc in Psychology
North Central College
Key Information
Campus location
Naperville, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 42,866 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* tuition fee
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Why pursue a psychology degree at North Central College?
You'll explore your interests while gaining valuable hands-on experience when our dedicated faculty work with you on individualized projects. You'll connect on-campus data at our Schwab Psychology Research Center or in our treadmill or sleep labs. You'll be pushed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that psychologists use daily in their careers. You're bound to find the perfect off-campus internship- or two or three- among the hundreds of social service agencies and businesses nearby.
You can also:
- Present findings of your original research at regional and national psychology conferences.
- Apply for a Richter Grant which equips you to travel anywhere in the world your studies take you while you pursue your psychology degree requirements.
- Use your senior seminar to explore topics such as eating disorders, substance abuse, bullying, criminal justice, illusions, memory disorders, persuasion, and humor.
- Join Psi Chi—the international honor society in psychology.
- Join Psychology Club—open to all majors and minors in psychology.
Curriculum
Psychology, BA
As a member of the social sciences, psychology seeks to understand the causes and consequences of human and animal behavior by employing the methods of scientific inquiry. Given this general orientation, the psychology program at North Central College provides students with a sound background in the methods used to understand behavior. Students receive an overview of several key areas within the discipline: Developmental, Biological, Cognitive/Learning, Personality/Abnormal, Social/Cultural Diversity, and Applied. In addition, students explore at least one topic in depth through a capstone experience: senior seminar, senior thesis, internship, or community engagement project.
Major Requirements
- PSYC 100 - Psychology: Science of Behavior
- PSYC 250 - Statistics
- PSYC 255 - Research Design and Experimentation
- PSYC 293 - Careers in Psychology and Neuroscience
Perspectives
One course from each of the following:
Developmental
- PSYC 210 - Child Development
- PSYC 220 - Psychology of Adolescence
- PSYC 230 - Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
- PSYC 235 - Lifespan Development
Biological
- NEUR 200 - Behavioral Neuroscience
- NEUR 280 - Drugs and Behavior
Learning/Cognitive
- PSYC 340 - Learning
- PSYC 345 - Cognitive Psychology
Personality/Abnormal
- PSYC 320 - Personality
- PSYC 324 - Abnormal Psychology
- PSYC 325 - Child Psychopathology
Social/Cultural Diversity
- PSYC 240 - Social Psychology
- PSYC 310 - Cultural Psychology
Study Abroad (semester or May term experience)
Applied
- PSYC 205 - Educational Psychology
- PSYC 270 - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- PSYC 350 - Clinical Psychology
- PSYC 360 - Psychological Assessment
- PSYC 385 - Health Psychology
Capstone
Four credit hours from one of the following:
- PSYC 490 - Seminar
- PSYC 495 - Psychology in the Community
- PSYC 497 - Internship
- PSYC 498 - Senior Thesis
Additional Requirements for the BA Degree
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language.
Career Opportunities
A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge and skills in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work globally to solve problems and lead. Our undergraduate programs have groomed psychologists, social workers, therapists, and more to pursue their passions and excel in their field of psychology.
Internships
Recent psychology graduates have interned at:
- Youth services, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Chicago
- Child and family programming, DuPage Children’s Museum, Naperville
- School operations, school district 45, Villa Park, Ill.
- Occupational therapy, Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley Region, IL
- Human resources, WeatherTech, Bolingbrook, Ill.
- Juvenile investigations, DuPage County Dept. of Probation & Court Services, Wheaton, Ill.
- Mental health services, DuPage County, Wheaton, Ill.
- Adult bereavement, Fox Valley Hospice, Geneva, Ill.
- Respite services, Metropolitan Family Services, Wheaton, Ill.
Careers
Recent psychology graduates have been accepted at:
- Counselor
- Social worker
- School psychologist
- Clinical psychologist
- Family therapist
- Human resources specialist
- Recruiter
- Community recreational programmer
Recent psychology graduates have entered the fields of:
- Counseling
- Social Work
- School Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Family Therapy
- Human Resources
- Recruiting
- Community Recreational Programming