General Psychology

The general psychology major is excellent preparation for either clinical/counseling work or nonclinical work in such areas as industrial organization, higher education, and/or laboratory research work. It also provides solid undergraduate preparation for future graduate studies in psychology or related social sciences like the field of social work. Through this major, students will not only learn content material in psychology, but will also acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills in interactive classroom experiences with professors and experiential learning opportunities in the community.

Program Details

Program Overview

If you are interested in working in a non-clinical work area such as research, higher education or industrial organization, the psychology major with an emphasis in non-clinical theory and practice is for you. The program will prepare you for graduate studies in psychology.

Program Concentrations

This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.

Advanced Psychological Sciences

Concentration Overview

This concentration includes foundational classes in psychological theory, research, and content areas.

Courses in this Concentration

Psychology in the 21st Century

Concentration Overview

This concentration enhances students’ general knowledge of the various disciplines within the field of psychology, including human development and identity, and issues surrounding health and wellness.

Courses in this Concentration

Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.

Program Coursework

The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.

Program Outcomes

Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding in selected content areas of psychology including (1) developmental changes in behavior and mental processes across the life span, (2) clinical/counseling psychology, (3) biological bases of behavior and mental processes, and (4) diversity issues in psychology.
Students are able to explain, compare and contrast, and describe advantages and limitations of the major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural).
Students are able to design and/or conduct basic research studies to explore psychological questions.
Students develop and use critical thinking skills to verify psychological concepts and to challenge claims that arise from myths, stereotypes, or untested assumptions. Students recognize the necessity of ethical behavior in all aspects of psychology.
Students learn to recognize and respect human diversity.

Liberal Arts Core

Liberal Arts Core - The Liberal Arts Core Curriculum is rooted in the Liberal Arts and our Franciscan heritage. It is designed to create a framework to develop knowledge, skills, and responsibilities necessary to educate students so that they will be prepared to contribute to the world guided by a concern for issues of justice and ethical behavior.

LEADERSHIP: 4 credits

Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)

FOUNDATIONAL LITERACIES/SKILLS: 12 credits

Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
Writing for the 21^st Century (3 cr.)*
Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
Language & Culture (3 cr.)

*For ‘Writing for the 21^st Century’ (English) and ‘Quantitative Problem Solving’ (Math), you may need additional courses depending on your placement.

CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Choose one (1) course from each broad theme. Course options can be found in the course catalog or on the academic advising page. Broad themes are:

Narratives of Identity (3 cr.)
Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.)
Social Tensions (3 cr.)
The American Experience (3 cr.)
Approving the Better Things (3 cr.)

Professional Core

Culminating Experience

Giving students a culminating experience as well as practical work experience, the Professional Core is a graduation requirement for every Stritch student in a bachelor’s degree program. This bachelor’s degree program includes completion of the Professional Core consisting of three courses:

Pre-Internship
Internship
Capstone

Internship Insights

Students gain direct experience through internship experiences. Placement sites may include:

Autism Intervention Milwaukee
Pediatric Psychology Associates
The Walker's Point Youth and Family Center
Port Washington School District
Milwaukee Mind-Body Wellness
Ozaukee Community Therapies

Students also have the opportunity to present research posters at professional conferences and to work with faculty on faculty-directed research projects. Psychology student organizations including Psychology Club and Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, provide students with valuable leadership experiences outside of the classroom.

Psychology at Stritch

Hear from Carole Hetzel and Gal Dahan about our Psychology program

Stritch Students Presented at 2022 MPA Conference

Psychology students Tricia Zimmerman, Gal Dahan and Sabhia Uyaner were invited to the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on April 21 to present at the 2022 Midwestern Psychology Association Conference. They presented their research project, "Students Inadequately Trained and Less Engaged in Online Courses Due to Covid-19" from their Research Methods course.

Midwestern Psychological Association

The Midwestern Psychological Association hosts annual meetings that provide insights and opportunities to share psychological research findings throughout various areas of psychology. The meeting brings together leading psychologists from around the world to present topics in current psychological science, workshops with teachings of psychology, research methods, statistics, and discussion groups to share ideas and interests.

Learn More About MPA

Psi Chi Chapter at Stritch

Cardinal Stritch University is one of the many institutions to offer a Psi Chi Chapter. Members of Psi Chi use this opportunity to build relationships between faculty and students outside of the classroom- throughout involvement in the community and support each other’s educational journeys.

Join Psi Chi Member Benefits

What can you do with a psychology degree?

Employment for individuals with degrees in psychology is expected to grow 14 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth for clinical, counselling, and school psychologists is projected to grow 20 percent from 2014-2024, and 19 percent for industrial-organizational psychologists (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).

This is good news for those who plan to pursue graduate school in psychology. For those who are interested in beginning their careers immediately after completing their four-year degree, psychology is a versatile major regarding employability in occupations such as Human Resource specialists. Law enforcement personnel, victim advocacy, research assistants, college admission counselors, and registered behavior technicians (RBT).

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Learn more about what having a psychology degree has to offer at the American Psychological Association website.

Career Options Learn More About Psychology

Contact admissions or the program faculty with questions about this program.

Admissions