Hands-on Laboratory Experience
- Students will complete research methods and advanced laboratory courses
- Majors are required to complete independent research projects
Classroom Experiences
- Students participate in research seminars, independent studies, and a readings course
- Practice designing and conducting studies in psychology
- Record, analyze, and synthesize results from research
- Practice counseling skills
Practical Experience
- Students unite self-discovery with the development of analytical problem solving skills
- Students learn to use problem solving, hypothesis testing, analysis and communication skills
- Psychology students have taken advantage of many of the Associate Colleges of the Midwest off-campus programs. We assist interested students in developing applied projects in local agencies, such as the Henry C. Hill Correctional Facility, the juvenile court system (probation) and Bridgeway Center (mental health facility).
- Students have also benefited enormously from having the opportunity to present the results of their research at annual undergraduate research conferences and the regional professional conference, MPA.
Equipment/Facilities
The department has well-equipped laboratory facilities housed with the other sciences in the Haldeman-Thiessen Science Center. The department has over 4,000 square feet of research space, including an animal facility for Long Evans rats and a computer laboratory (with access to the campus-wide computer network).
Career Opportunities
The psychology program is designed to provide a rich background for a variety of professions and careers. Psychologists can be found working in a variety of settings, ranging from health-care to business and industry to education and research. Many careers in psychology involve working directly with the people, i.e., licensed psychologists, counselors, teachers, and human service providers. Other career possibilities are more task or research oriented, i.e., consultants, administrators, and researchers. Some examples of fields that graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered include: administration/management, business/industry, casework, child care, employment interviewing (personnel), gerontology, health services, marketing/public relations, probation/parole, teaching and technical writing.
Graduate School Opportunities
After studying psychology at Monmouth, the majority of students continue their education at the post-graduate level. Most commonly they enter graduate programs in psychology, social work, counseling, or school psychology. Some examples of schools recently attended are: the University of Iowa (counseling; political science; law school), Northern Illinois University, University of Indianapolis, Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University, Loyola University and Eastern Illinois University.
A bachelor's degree in psychology also provides a strong foundation for further training in other fields including medicine, law, social work and business.