The Department of Psychology offers an undergraduate major leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, a minor program, course options for General Education requirements and electives, service courses for other majors, and three graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree.

The B.A. degree in psychology is an excellent background for graduate school and many careers. Our students have been accepted into prestigious, nationally recognized Ph.D. programs and many have gone on to master’s degree programs. The psychology major provides the basis for a career as a psychologist or mental health worker. Typically, those professions require a Ph.D. or M.A. degree. Also, medical personnel, executives, lawyers, and business professionals often earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology before they obtained advanced degrees. Psychology graduates leave Humboldt with a number of highly marketable skills such as the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data, write reports, exhibit interpersonal skills, and communicate effectively. An undergraduate degree is also helpful in many health and mental health positions, and for careers in areas such as college admissions, human resources, management training, survey research, customer relations, and more.

Our M.A. degree program in Academic Research allows undergraduate students to apply during their junior year and complete their M.A. degree in a 5th year (their B.A. plus one year). Students select an emphasis in Neuroscience, Social and Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, or Behavior Analysis. More information on the 5th year blended Master’s program can be found on the department webpage.

The Psychology Club is open to all students who have an interest in psychology, and works closely with Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology majors. We have a local chapter of Psi Chi. The department is known for friendly relations between faculty, staff and students. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor, and office hours and informal contacts with professors are readily available. The department staff includes an Administrative Support Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator, and Test Librarian. The department office is open year-round during regular business hours.

Special Facilities:

• Research labs for neuroscience and social, developmental, cognitive, clinical and community psychology
• psychological test library
• interviewing and counseling rooms with video equipment and one-way mirrors
• a community counseling facility staffed by graduate students and supervised by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
• opportunities for observation and research at the Child Development Lab, a demonstration preschool run by the Child Development Department
• opportunities for supervised volunteer experience in the community