Applied Psychology

Earn your degree more quickly through our online, in-class, and hybrid courses.

The applied psychology major at Cedar Crest College is specially designed for students enrolled in our School of Adult and Graduate Education (SAGE)—that is, students who have not just graduated from high school or transferred to Cedar Crest as an undergraduate.

As an applied psychology major at Cedar Crest, you will learn the theories and methods behind the study of human and animal behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This major is similar to the psychology major offered to traditional students at Cedar Crest; however, the applied psychology major provides more flexibility in terms of course requirements and timing: Many of the courses for this major are offered in the evening in accelerated 7-week sessions via online or hybrid course formats. Like traditional students, SAGE students will have access to Cedar Crest’s state-of-the-art labs and experienced faculty.

In keeping with Cedar Crest’s liberal arts tradition, the applied psychology major emphasizes:

• Developing critical thinking ability
• Enhancing communication skills
• Improving awareness of ethical and global issues
• Developing students’ personal value systems

As an applied psychology major at Cedar Crest, you will:

• Work one-on-one with our experienced faculty members, each specializing in a different area within psychology
• Learn foundational theories and methodology of the field, including the value of experiments, observations and surveys
• Receive professional feedback from faculty, enabling you to perform at the highest level
• Have the opportunity to receive research training in state-of-the-art laboratories
• Develop a variety of complementary skills in areas such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, and leadership through class presentations and other assignments

You will also be encouraged to:

• Participate in an internship or engage in fieldwork that allows you to experience psychology in the working world, as well as to clarify your career goals
• Integrate psychology with other disciplines by adding another major, minor or concentration (Because psychology examines how and why people act, think and feel, the applied psychology major is particularly useful when combined with other disciplines such as education, criminal justice, communication, business, dance and art.)

Click on the boxes below to learn about the program and course requirements related to this major.

Program Requirements

Applied Psychology Major Advising Sheet (PDF)
NOTE: You can print out a copy of this sheet to fill out by hand, or save it to your computer and fill out electronically!

Any student desiring to declare applied psychology as a major must have a cumulative grade point average at the college of at least 2.00.

• PSY 100 is a prerequisite to all other psychology courses.
• PSY 100/200 level courses are for 1st/2nd Year Students
• PSY 300 level courses are for 3rd/4th Year Students
• Double majors who are exempt from taking PSY 213 and PSY 214 due to completing accepted research methods and statistics courses in their second major must meet the minimum credit requirement in psychology by substituting electives. The minimum number of credits in psychology in order to be awarded the major is 39.

Course Requirements

 

A minimum of 40 psychology credits is required for the applied psychology major. A minimum of 18 psychology credits for the major must be taken at Cedar Crest College. A grade of C or better must be obtained in each course to satisfy requirements for the applied psychology major; this includes all liberal arts requirements.

• PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology, 3 credits
• SPS 170/171: Understanding APA Editorial Style, 1 credit
• PSY 213: Introduction to Research Methods, 3 credits
• PSY 214: Introduction to Statistics, 3 credits
• PSY 229: Introduction to Biological Psychology, 3 credits OR NEU 200: Introduction to Neuroscience, 3 credits
• PSY 250: Life-Span Development, 3 credits
• PSY 309: Abnormal Psychology, 3 credits OR PSY 351: Theories of Personality, 3 credits
• 21 additional psychology elective credits (in any or all sub-fields of psychology based on your interest).