The major in Psychology serves as a general introduction to the discipline of Psychology, with special emphasis on counseling psychology, preparation for undergraduate research, and preparation for graduate school.
Grand View University Psychology Research Track (GVU-PR) courses encourage students to select a topic of special interest early in the program and to study it in depth throughout several courses.
Research preparation is essential for students wishing to complete graduate education in any of the specialty areas of Psychology—clinical, counseling, industrial, developmental, experimental, neuroscience, personality, social psychology, and human perception, to name a few.
While the emphasis is on preparing students for graduate education in Psychology or related fields, this does not preclude immediate employment. Graduates of Grand View have obtained positions as psychology technicians at local hospitals, program managers in human services agencies, claims representatives in insurance companies, and other related employment.
The Des Moines metropolitan area has numerous opportunities for part-time jobs and internships while the students work to complete their degree. These contacts often lead to employment after graduation. Students work closely with their advisors to plan their program of study and maximize the educational experience.
The learning experience in Psychology at Grand View emphasizes face to face interaction with skilled instructors and hands-on learning. Internships, research training, and a curriculum designed to help students build a strong knowledge base contribute to success in both graduate school and employment.
Grand View also offers a minor in psychology.
Program requirements
Prerequisite courses:
Psychology majors must complete the following prerequisite courses:
• Freshman Composition
• Intermediate Algebra
Required Psychology courses
The major in Psychology requires 44 semester hours of course work, the bulk of which is from the behavioral sciences.
• General Psychology
• Human Development
• Social Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Applied Personality and Counseling Theories
• Techniques of Individual and Group Counseling
• Independent Study
• Cognitive Psychology
• The Psychology of Learning
• History and Systems of Psychology
• Technical Writing
• Research Methods for the Social Sciences
• Principles of Statistics
• Senior Seminar