A. Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It is much more than the study of people with bizarre behavior. Psychology is a much broader discipline than most realize; its field of study encompasses all influences on thought and behavior: learning experiences, brain function, genetics, peer pressure, societal norms, personal motivation, parental influences, thought processes and the list goes on. It is a vast and diverse field, and because it synthesizes so many other areas, it has been called "the essential science." Its strongly interdisciplinary nature makes it an excellent liberal arts major.

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A. Here is a breakdown of the work contexts of professional psychologists:

Academic 34%

Clinical 24%

Private Practice 22%

Industrial 12%

Schools 4%

Other 4%

Here is a list of the areas of specialization in psychology:

Clinical and counseling psychology is the most widely practiced specialization psychology; clinical and counseling psychologists diagnose and treat people with psychological problems. These psychologists may work in academic institutions and health care settings such as clinics, mental health centers, hospitals, and private practice.

Community psychology focuses on providing accessible care for people with psychological problems. Community-based mental health centers are one means of providing such services as outreach programs to people in need, especially those who traditionally have been underserved by mental health professionals.

Experimental psychology covers several areas all having to do with conducting research on and teaching about a variety of basic behavioral processes such as learning, sensation, motivation, memory, problem-solving, etc. They work in academic settings, usually supervising research of graduate students working on advanced degrees but may also be employed by industry, and government.

Developmental psychology is concerned with all the influences on a person from conception to death. Researchers focus on what is expected at each stage of the lifespan and the lifelong consequences of factors such as parenting style, temperament, and attachment.

Social psychology deals with how people interact with each other and how they are affected by their social environment. Topics include social influence, attitude formation and change, attraction between people such as friendship and love, prejudice, violence, and aggression.

Personality psychology/psychometrics focuses on the relatively enduring traits and characteristics of individuals, the factors that make each individual unique and that all people have in common. Researchers develop tests to measure different aspects of personality.

School and educational psychology are both concerned with children's learning and adjustment in school. They are employed by schools to test and assess students abilities. They are also found in Psychology and/or Education Departments of universities, government agencies and the corporate sector analyzing employees' skills and designing and implementing training programs.

Industrial/organizational psychology deals with the work place, focusing on both the workers and the organizations that employ them. They are concerned with organizational structure and change, workers' productivity and job satisfaction. They aid in selection, placement, training, and development of personnel.

Cross-cultural psychology examines the role of culture in understanding behavior, thought, and emotion. Cross-cultural psychologists compare the nature of psychological processes in different cultures, with a special interest in whether or not psychological phenomena are universal or culture specific.

Human factors psychologists work in industry to design devices and workplaces that are safe and easy to operate. They are primarily found in industry.

Neuroscience and physiological psychology deal with the physiological basis of behavior, typically focusing on the brain. These researchers may do basic research or work on rehabilitation from brain injury.

Behavior Genetics, Comparative or Evolutionary Psychology focuses on the genetic and evolutionary bases of behavior.

A. The psychology program at Samford provides the student with a comprehensive foundation of knowledge about psychology. At Samford, we take a research oriented approach to understanding psychology. Our courses are based on scientific studies of behavior and mental processes, and all majors are required to take a two semester sequence on research methods. The exact courses a student takes, however, is flexible and depends on the student's interests and career goals. We expect students to take an active role in selecting their courses and shaping their educational experience. Examples of different selections of courses for different career goals can be found after the course descriptions in this packet.

The Department of Psychology at Samford offers only the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree and has no graduate level programs.

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Q. If I major in psychology, what will be the primary emphasis of my studies?

A. Psychology courses at Samford are designed with an emphasis on both content and critical thinking as part of a liberal arts curriculum. Most psychology courses deal with the important theories, concepts, facts, methods and ethical issues within major areas of psychology. All Psychology majors take a two course sequence on research skills that teaches them to conduct and critically evaluate behavioral research. As part of this sequence, students carry out an original group research project. Students also have the opportunity to conduct individual research projects, serve internships in professional settings, and discuss current research articles with faculty as part of the curriculum. Every year we send students to present research papers at regional and local conferences. Abstracts of two such papers can be found later in this handout.

Training at the undergraduate level will not make you a "psychologist" and the focus of the program is not on preparation for a specific career like accounting. You will, however, gain a greater understanding of behavior that is applicable in almost any career.

A. In deciding whether to select psychology as your major, you should consider what it is that you expect from your undergraduate education. If you want a highly interdisciplinary liberal arts degree with exposure to a broad variety of subjects, psychology may be the right major for you. If you want a degree that will prepare you for graduate work in psychology or related field, then psychology would again be a good choice. If, however, you want a major that offers training for immediate entry into a specific career, you will be more happy with a major other than psychology.

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A. There are approximately 80 students majoring in psychology, making it one of the largest major on campus. Popular minors and double majors with Psychology include Biology, English, Religion, Spanish, Communication, and Sociology.

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A. A listing of the psychology major requirements and courses is included in this packet. In addition to these courses, you must complete the core curriculum and general education requirements which involve courses in humanities, writing, religion, math, lab science, physical education, and world languages. You are encouraged to take a wide variety of courses. Samford offers opportunities for study abroad, internships, and volunteer experiences.

Most of the survey courses you will take as a freshman and sophomore involve larger classes. Laboratory courses such as foreign language and science will be smaller. Honors lasses will also be smaller. Over the course of you college career, class sizes drop as begin to take advanced courses on more specialized topics.

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A. Yes, you will need to complete a course of study in a foreign language as part of the general education requirements. If you have previous knowledge of a foreign language, you will take a placement test during orientation and this will determine the first course in which you will enroll at Samford. You are required to complete the equivalent of four semester hours in a single language.

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A. The Department of Psychology offers no scholarships. You may seek financial aid that is available to all students in any discipline. Interested students should inquire about grants, loans, and university-wide scholarships in the Office of Financial Aid.

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A. The Psychology Club is an organization offering membership to anyone interested in psychology. The club sponsors guest speakers on psychological topics and social events. Samford also has a chapter of Psi Chi, the psychology national honor society. You can obtain more information on either organization from Dr. Goldstein, the faculty advisor at (205) 726-2118 or jlgoldst@samford.edu.

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A. A psychology major can prepare you for a wide range of careers. There are three general career paths chosen by psychology majors at Samford: 1) pursuit of a career in psychology or related field; 2) pursuit of graduate or professional study in fields other than psychology; 3) career entry after the baccalaureate degree in a non-psychology field.

The demand for people to work in human service areas is high and will continue to be so. Pursuing a career in psychology with an undergraduate degree is possible, but most workers in this field pursue an advanced degree either immediately or after gaining work experience. This graduate work can be in psychology or a related field. For example, students interested in clinical or counseling can choose to pursue graduate degrees in social work, public health, pastoral counseling or marriage and family counseling as alternatives to a graduate psychology program. While most people think about the clinical or counseling field, there are many other areas of psychology to consider as a career: industrial/organizational psychology, human factors or school psychology for example. Students interested in these fields, and we have had many, might pursue graduate work in business or education.

Psychology is also a good pre-professional major. Our majors often combine psychology with law, medicine, ministry, education, occupational or physical therapy, business, etc. A knowledge of psychology is useful for admission and practice in many professional careers.

Finally, psychology is an excellent liberal arts major and, even if you choose not to pursue a career in psychology per se, it will give you useful and marketable skills for any job involving human interaction. An article describing non-psychology jobs for psychology majors can be found at the end of this packet. Some common careers for B.A.s in psychology include residential treatment counselor, psychiatric technician, social worker, public relations, marketing and market research, manager, human resources officer, personnel manager, sales representative, real estate agent, and flight attendant. Your psychology training will give you an appreciation for all the influences which affect behavior and the ability to critically evaluate behavioral research. Both are highly marketable skills.

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A. The Psychology program's emphasis on research skills and experience along with internship opportunities make Samford graduates highly competitive for even the best graduate programs. If you decide that you wish to pursue advanced study in psychology, you should see your advisor as soon as possible to plan a course of study that will prepare you and make you competitive for admission.

Samford graduates with majors in psychology have earned advanced degrees from such institutions as University of Alabama, Notre Dame, University of Georgia, Tulane, Psychological Studies Institute at Georgia State University, Florida State University, Mississippi State, Auburn University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Memphis, University of Southern Mississippi, Southern Seminary, Southwestern Seminary, Indiana University, University of Tennessee, University of Virginia, University of Texas at Arlington, Purdue University and Princeton Theological Seminary.

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A. The Departments of Psychology and Sociology share a lab space which is equipped for computer controlled experimentation and behavioral observation. We do not have facilities for animal research, but we do have contacts with researchers at UAB for students who might be interested in animal research.

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A. To answer this question, one must understand that Samford is both a college of the church and a liberal arts college. This means that Samford supports and upholds the Christian tradition while also promoting open enquiry and the free expression of ideas. We do not see these activities as contradictory. Rather, we believe that freedom intellectual inquiry is necessary to develop a mature understanding of the Christian faith that need not be sheltered, but has the strength and resilience to function in the real world. Therefore, Samford faculty are not required either to adhere to or promulgate a particular Christian dogma. In the Department of Psychology, we teach psychology as a scientific discipline based on open, objective enquiry. As faculty, we are supportive of the Christian mission of the college. This manifests itself as intellectual humility, serious consideration of moral and ethical issues, and an emphasis on service to others. In this way we promote the intellectual, personal and spiritual growth of our students.

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A. Many of our majors are interested in this field. There are a number of programs at both colleges and seminaries that offer graduate training in either Christian counseling or pastoral counseling, and we have placed graduates in many of them.

Even though many students come into Samford with this ambition, only a small percentage are truly suited to this calling. Many students claim an interest in Christian counseling without really having a clear understanding of what the term means. Does this mean that you will only treat Christians? Does this mean that you want to help people be good Christians because good Christians never develop mental problems? Does this mean that you will only use biblical teachings for therapy? Does this mean that you want to counsel people on matters of faith, but you don't want to be a minister? First, therapists are rarely in a position to choose their clients based on their religious beliefs. Second, Christians are not immune to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or anxiety disorders. Christians can be neglectful or abusive spouses and parents. The department believe that a good therapist understands the full range of causes and treatments for mental disorders. A good Christian counselor is a good counselor who is open to and supportive of a person's religious beliefs. Therefore, one needs to have a good grounding in psychology before one can be a good Christian counselor. There are good Christian counseling programs out there, as well as many bad ones. If you want to pursue a degree in Christian counseling, you need to check the accreditation of the program to make sure it will qualify you for licensure. You must also understand that this will likely limit your career options to Christian counseling settings. On the other hand, there is nothing to prevent you from attending a secular counseling program and then integrating Christian teachings into your therapy.

Pastoral counseling trains one to work within a church setting. Most seminaries offer programs in pastoral counseling and it is considered a form of ministry. These programs do not usually qualify you for licensure as a therapist. To become licensed, you usually have to attend an accredited program in counseling, clinical psychology, social work, or marital and family counseling. Many seminaries now offer degrees in social work or marital and family counseling that are accredited.

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There is a lot of overlap between the two programs, especially in the area of child development, and many majors in one program take courses in the other. There are differences, however. One difference is that Psychology is broader in scope, encompassing fields such as neuroscience and cognition. HDFS focuses more on the relational context of human development and problems. Psychology is more science and research oriented while HDFS takes a more practical, applied approach, especially on marital and family issues. Interested students should take courses in both to see which program better suits their interests and career goals.