Applied Psychology - Major
For information, contact Professor Micah Sadigh, micasa@cedarcrest.edu , 610-606-4666, ext. 3715.
Program Description
The Applied Psychology major is for those students enrolled in the School of Adult and Graduate Education (SAGE) at Cedar Crest College. This major is similar, in terms of its mission, to the Psychology major offered to traditional students during the day program at Cedar Crest College. However, this major provides more flexibility in the course requirements. Also, many of the courses are offered in the evening in accelerated 7-week sessions via online or hybrid course formats. According to the United States government, the demand for those trained in the field of psychology will increase over the next decade. A Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology opens the door to one of the most challenging and rewarding professional fields today. Psychology students learn the skills they will need in order to be successful, and will also gain knowledge and abilities that are valued in many other disciplines, such as education, social work, criminal justice, business, and politics.
Mission Statement
Psychology is a diverse field that is best defined as the scientific study of behavior and experience. The mission of the psychology program at Cedar Crest College is, therefore, to provide students with a breadth of experiences that are based upon the historical, theoretical, and empirical foundation of the discipline of psychology. This foundation is consistent with the perennial basis of a liberal arts education, and is hence congruent with the college’s basic mission that focuses on scholarship and creativity. The multifarious nature of the faculty’s scholarship, as well as the multiplicity of courses taught by each of them, make the department highly distinctive and on the cutting edge of the developments in the field of psychology.
Total number of credits required by program
For the most recent and completed departmental policies and course listings, please refer to the Psychology Department website. A minimum of 43 psychology credits is required for a major in Applied Psychology. A minimum of 21 Psychology credits for the major must be taken at Cedar Crest College. At least 18 psychology credits are required for a minor in Psychology, 9 of which must be completed at Cedar Crest College. Courses transferred in for the major or minor must be taken within the last 10 years.
Program Requirements
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 a particular psychology course(s) due to the completion of an another acceptable course(s) 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 43.
Course Requirements for the Applied Psychology Major
A minimum of 43 psychology credits is required for the Applied Psychology major. A grade of C or better must be obtained in each course to satisfy requirements for the psychology major; this includes all Liberal Arts requirements. A course may be repeated (taken a second time) only once due to a grade less than a C. A student wishing to repeat a course more than one time (taken a third time) must seek special permission from the Department and the Registrar's office; permission will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances. A student withdrawal (for any reason) at any point in the course will count as taking the course; subsequently, the course from which a student withdraws could be repeated only one additional time. A student may NOT take a course (or its equivalent) more than 3 times- no exceptions.
PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology 3 credits
PSY 170 Understanding and Using APA Editorial Style 1 credit (to be taken concurrently with PSY 213)
PSY 210 Life-Span Development 3 credits
PSY 213 Introduction to Research Methods 3 credits
PSY 214 Introduction to Statistics 3 credits
PSY 215 Biological Psychology 3 credits
PSY 309 Abnormal Psychology 3 credits OR
PSY 351 Theories of Personality 3 credits
PSY 363 Senior Capstone 3 credits
ALSO 21 additional credits of Psychology electives (e.g., PSY courses) in any sub-field of psychology based on your interest.
Fulfillment of General Education and Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Requirements
Students should consult the appropriate sections of the college catalog and course schedules to determine which courses satisfy the general education and LAC requirements. The Psychology program does require their majors to satisfy some of the embedded and non-embedded requirements through specific coursework.
To fulfill the Oral Presentation (OP) requirement, a student must successfully complete a specific course outside of the Psychology Department; that is, THS 105: Public Speaking.
A student fulfills the Information Literacy (IL) requirement through the successful completion of PSY 213: Introduction to Research Methods.
A student fulfills the Technology (Tech) requirement through the successful completion of PSY 214: Introduction to Statistics. This course also counts as a Math and Logic course.
To fulfill a LAC Natural Science (SCI) requirement, a student may NOT count PSY 215: Biological Psychology. That course counts as an Applied Psychology major requirement only. However, a student may take PSY 220 Sensation and Perception with or without the lab, and fulfill a SCI requirement. Additional SCI requirements must be fulfilled through qualified courses outside of the Psychology Department.
To fulfill a LAC Math and Logic (ML) requirement, a student must successfully complete a course outside of the Psychology Department; that is, MAT 102 or higher.
To fulfill the LAC Ethics (ETH or SER) requirement, a student must successfully complete PSY 344: Professional Ethics in Psychology or another qualified course (e.g., ETL 235) outside of the Psychology Department. If PSY 344 is taken to fulfill the Ethics requirement, it may also be counted as a Psychology elective.
Other general education and LAC requirements (i.e., Writing, Global Studies, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences) must be fulfilled through qualified courses outside of the Psychology Department. It should be noted that traditional students cannot take two LAC courses from the same discipline to fulfill certain requirements. SAGE students can take two courses from the same discipline to fulfill parts of the LAC.
Note: Successful completion of these courses requires a grade of a C or better.
Psychology Department Policy Regarding OCICU Online Classes for SAGE Students
SAGE students who are in good academic standing may register for courses at other institutions affiliated with the Online Consortium of Independent Colleges and Universities (OCICU). Courses that are required for the Applied Psychology Major should be taken at Cedar Crest College, regardless of whether the class format is traditional classroom, hybrid or online. Requests to take an OCICU course for an Applied Psychology Major core requirement (PSY 100, PSY-210, PSY 213, PSY 214, PSY 215, PSY 309, PSY 351) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be approved only under extenuating circumstances. Students who want to use an OCICU course to satisfy an Applied Psychology Major elective, must receive approval in advance from the CCC Psychology Department Chair (in consultation with the student’s advisor). Filling out the on-line request form does not grant automatic permission to take that course; it is a formal request. For Psychology electives, the Department may approve courses through the OCICU, provided those courses are not available to students at Cedar Crest College, and that the course in question has been approved as consistent with the mission, vision and goals of the Cedar Crest College Psychology Department. OCICU courses are evaluated on a semester by semester basis and lists of approved courses will be maintained by the Psychology Department and are shown on the SAGE website.
Students should keep in mind that at least 21 credits for the Psychology major must be completed at Cedar Crest College in courses taught by Cedar Crest faculty. Students may take a maximum of 9 credits or 3 OCICU courses for the Applied Psychology major.
Program Outcomes
The Applied Psychology undergraduate major has 4 primary goals.
1. Knowledge Base of Psychology
Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology, especially in the areas of:
a. Learning and cognition, memory and thinking
b. Biological, including physiology, sensation, perception, comparative motivation, and emotion
c. Developmental changes in behavior and mental processes across the life span
d. Clinical and abnormal
e. Personality and social processes
f. Individual differences, measurement, methodology and psychometrics
2. Research Methods in Psychology
Describe and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis and interpretation.
3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
4. Application of Psychology
Apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.
