Department of Psychology

Overview

The goals of the psychology department at Wheeling Jesuit University are to provide a strong curriculum that will help you learn the most current and empirically sound principles of behavior; to equip you for success in a variety of graduate programs and employment settings; to offer you opportunities for experience in human service, research and other psychology-related internships; and to help you realize the many ways through which psychology can address human social/ethical concerns. All of our efforts are grounded in the Ignatian tradition of the pursuit of excellence in the context of service among others.

Why choose Wheeling Jesuit University?

In keeping with the Jesuit tradition of education, the emphasis is on you as you develop intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually. The person is always at the center of what we do. Through internships, research and coursework, we help you discover your talents and learn how best to use them in psychology.

You will have access to more than $250,000 worth of equipment for supporting your studies and research. Our students regularlyattend research conferences where they present their work, and have their projects published. Our job is not done until you are ready for the next step. Many students are offered employment right after college, following their internships. About two-thirds of our students go directly to graduate school-in a variety of different fields.

The evidence for how our majors are taught and able to perform comes from the Psychology ETS Exam (a standardized psychology exam). Wheeling Jesuit requires students to perform within the top 15 percent nationally on this exam as a pre-requisite to graduation. Recent graduates have scored in the top 1 to 2 percent nationally, placing Wheeling Jesuit among the best universities for studying psychology.

In addition to pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, you may take coursework in specialty areas within the department. These areas of concentration include:

• Mental Health Sciences - Enhance your readiness for graduate study in several fields, such as medicine, counseling, nursing, social services, pharmacology, psychiatry and special education. You also witt be prepared for immediate employment in a number of human service agencies.
• Behavioral Psychopharmacology - Enhance your eligibility for employment or further study in fields such as pharmacy, medicine, biology, nursing, psychiatry, physical therapy, sports medicine, athletic training and other health-related industries or occupations.
• Cognitive Neuroscience - This concentration reflects the field's inherently interdisciplinary nature by combining strengths from several academic departments, such as psychology, biology, chemistry and philosophy. Enhance your readiness for graduate study in several fields, such as medicine, biology, philosophy, nursing, pharmacology, law, psychiatry, criminal justice, biochemistry, special education and physical therapy.
• Advanced Statistics and Data Management - Offered in conjunction with IBM, lnc., this certificate provides you with an integrated academic and practical background in statistical analysis and data management.