The Psychology major at Bethany is designed to introduce you to the science of individual and group human behavior. An emphasis is placed upon the history of Psychology, giving you a firm foundation on the theories and methods psychologists have developed. If you are interested in learning about where, what, why, and how of human behavior, this is the major for you!

Bethany's Christian focus helps you to develop an understanding of human behavior in relationship to the Christian faith. The liberal arts aspect of the major fosters an appreciation of the interconnections between Psychology and other fields of study, providing you with the problem-solving skills and critical thinking techniques necessary to be successful in life.

Our Psychology graduates have successfully gained employment in agencies working with individuals with physical, developmental, and/or psychological disabilities, as well as within the criminal justice system and business settings. Close to half of our graduates have gone on to pursue graduate training.

What makes the Psychology Major at Bethany unique?

• You have a chance to study human behavior from a Christian perspective.
• We provide a core curriculum that covers the essential elements of the broad field of Psychology. At Bethany, you don’t have to worry about taking a course that will be outdated before you graduate. Our major prepares you to confidently step into employment or graduate training within the field of Psychology.
• We offer a unique course that helps you to identify your individual God-given strengths within the field of Psychology and sets the stage for you to attain a career based on those strengths. In this course, you meet individually with the professor to set goals and objectives for your professional development.
• We provide a capstone course that helps you to connect all of the courses within our major into one coherent picture that is meaningful to you based on what you have learned as a Psychology major. This course concludes with a final paper presentation, wherein you share and defend your understanding of the field of Psychology.
• You are encouraged to participate in the multiple internship and volunteer opportunities we have arranged with agencies off campus. Such experiences help you to gain the necessary skills and contacts necessary for a job or graduate training in Psychology. Such experiences will also help you to decide exactly what job or graduate training is best for you given your individual strengths.
• You have our commitment that as a Psychology major, you will be prepared for graduation. Our program is designed to provide you with experiences necessary to identify and achieve your personal and professional goals. Our relatively small size allows us to get to know you as an individual and subsequently guide you toward success not as we define it, but as you define it. For some, this means landing a great job and for others an acceptance at a top-notch graduate program. Whatever your dreams and goals, Think Psychology at Bethany.

Major objectives

Bethany Lutheran College student majoring in Psychology will meet the following objectives as they fulfill requirements for the BA degree. These objectives correspond to the objectives set forth by the American Psychological Association (2007).

• Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in Psychology.
• Students will understand and apply basic research methods in Psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
• Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, spiritual, social, and organizational issues.
• Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and behave in accordance to the code of ethics within the dicipline of Psychology.
• Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
• Students will emerge from the major with realistic ideas about how to implement their psychological knowledge and skills in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.
• Students will demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.
• Students will recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
• Students will develop insight into their own and other' behavior and mental processes and apply strategies for self-management and self-improvement.