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Overview |
Atlantis Program |
What Is Psychology?
Psychology is the study of the behavior and thought processes of humans and animals (normal and abnormal). It includes the psychological, social, and biological processes related to that behavior. There are three facets of Psychology: It is a discipline, a major subject of study in colleges and universities. It is also a science, a method of conducting research and of understanding behavioral data. Finally, it is a profession, a calling that requires one to apply special knowledge, abilities, and skills in order to solve human problems.
UC Psychology Program Outcomes
The Psychology Department has developed the following five broad outcomes students are to meet:
- Students will demonstrate the ability to understand, use, and apply the scientific method.
- Students will understand the core fields, paradigms, and theories of psychology.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the skills that are representative of academic and applied psychology.
- Students will develop professional written and oral communication skills according to the American Psychological Association standards.
- Students will develop an understanding of the ethical standards in academic and applied psychology.
Each of the above program outcomes must be achieved at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. To accomplish the above outcomes, the psychology faculty suggests students complete the following plan: SSCI 203, SSCI 315, SSCI 320, and SSCI 452. In addition, psychology majors complete outcomes within eight courses in psychology including: PSYC 101, PSYC 212, PSYC 342, PSYC 373, and PSYC 451. Three remaining elective psychology courses complete the plan.
- Students complete outcomes within a sequence of courses (SSCI 203, SSCI 315, PSYC 451, PSYC 452) that provide a very strong grounding in experimental design and analysis.
- Students are encouraged to complete PSYC 498, an internship, that is relevant to their career goals.
- Students can select elective courses from such diverse areas as psychology and the law, cognitive, personality, abnormal, human sexuality, clinical psychology, and advanced social psychology.
- Psychology Club and Psi Chi (the Psychology Honorary) sponsor programs on interesting topics such as eating disorders, autism, graduate school admission, and career opportunities.
Psychology 498 provides opportunities for individually supervised research or field experiences for junior and senior psychology majors. Variable credit may be earned when students contract for hours and supervision at placement sites. UC psychology majors have completed internships at the following agencies/institutions. Other sites may be selected.
- Beacon Partial hospitalization Program
- Thomas Memorial Hospital
- The Children's Home Society of WV
- Family Services of the Kanawha Valley
- Goodwill Industries
- Highland Psychiatric Hospital
- Patchwork
- Various high school counseling centers
- YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program
- YWCA Sojourners Shelter
In general, becoming a psychologist involves earning a doctoral degree; however, career opportunities are available at the bachelor's and master's levels. Career opportunities for Ph.D.IPsy.D. psychologists include working as teachers, researchers, service providers, administrators, and consultants. Such psychologists work in independent practices, in academic or educational settings, in hospitals and clinics, in business, government, or other human service settings. For those who choose not to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology, the following are some of the fields that graduates with master's or bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered:
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Business and Industry |
Health Services Public Relations Personnel Probation and Parole Psychiatric Assisting |
Research Assisting Teaching Technical Writing Therapist (M.A. or M.S. required) |
UC Psychology graduates have pursued advanced degrees at institutions such as:
| Austin Peay State University Ball State University California University of PA Kent State University Marshall University Morehead State University Murray State University |
North Carolina State Ohio State University Spalding University University of Alabama University of Hartford University of Illinois University of Kansas |
University of Maryland University of New Haven University of Scranton West Virginia University Wright State University Xavier Univesity (Ohio) |
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA, founded in 1892 and incorporated in 1925, is the major psychological organization in the United States. The purpose of APA is to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare. The site provides a wealth of information for those interested in the discipline of psychology.
American Psychological Society (APS)
The APS is a nonprofit member organization formed in 1988 to advance scientific psychology and its representation as a science at the national level. Dissemination of psychological research is one of the primary goals of APS. The website provides information on the most recent advances in psychological research and links to associated sites.
Martha S. Spiker, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator
Professor of Psychology, B.A. (1977),
West Virginia University;
M.S. (1980) and Ph.D. (1984), Ohio University.
mspiker@ucwv.edu
304.357.4772
Dr. Spiker's teaching interests include introduction to psychology, personality, cognitive psychology, statistics, physiological psychology, and experimental psychology. Her research interests include factors influencing jury decisions and teaching strategies.
Professor's Bookshelf
- Career Paths in Psychology: Where Your Degree Can Take You. (1997).
Edited by Robert Sternberg. - Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate
School in Psychology. (1993). American Psychological Association. - Great Jobs for Psychology Majors. (2001). J. Degalan (author). VGM Career Books.
Michael J. Bayly, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology.
B.S. (1982) University of Maryland;
M.A. (1987) and Ph.D. (1988)
University of Kansas.
mbayly@ucwv.edu
304.357.4774
Dr. Bayly's teaching interests include social psychology, life span psychology, psychology and the law, and advanced social psychology. His research interests include psychology and the law, eyewitness testimony, social cognition (the cognitive processing of social information), and teaching effectiveness.
Anna Laliotis Bayly, M.S.W.
(1987) University of Kansas;
ACSW (1991).
abayly@ucwv.edu
304.357.4774
Teaching interests include abnormal and clinical psychology.
Blogging in the Atlantis Program
UC psychology student Jessica McGuire writes about her experiences studying abroad at the Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities in Poland as one of the bloggers on theucexperience.com.
