Psychology Major with Applied/Clinical Counseling emphasis
Our psychology program emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, experiential learning opportunities, and the development of skills that promote human and animal welfare. Students can expect to learn to interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research throughout their time at Stritch. The psychology program will prepare students to immediately begin their career upon graduating or attend graduate school to earn advanced professional degrees.
Psychology at Stritch
Hear from Carole Hetzel and Gal Dahan about our Psychology program
Gal Dahan, '23
Clinical Psychology Major
The Limitless Curriculum allows me to focus on what I am interested in pursing in the future.
Jalin Stallworth, '24
Psychology and Criminal Justice
The Limitless Curriculum has helped me accommodate my needs and wants to provide me with everything that can help me have a successful future. The flexibility allows me to learn mind-blowing material from the variety of courses.
Nicole Greenwood, '21
Psychology major with a minor in health and wellness
Employers look for prospects with field experience. I received common feedback from graduate schools and jobs that they were impressed with the amount of research projects that I participated in. The curriculum is not just providing you with an array of undergraduate experiences, but equipping you to excel in the next stages of your life.
Sabiha Uyander, ‘21
Psychology major with a minor in communications
The Limitless Curriculum is a great opportunity for students to embrace their passions and enhance their personal careers because you are choosing for yourself and what you want.
Dinah Aming'a, '22
Double major in Psychology and Theater
The new curriculum ensures that my passion for acting and helping people can be turned into a career. Theater and Psychology were meant for me, and I wouldn't change that for the world. My advice for students looking at either major is to be ready to learn and expand more than what the classroom teaches you. Be thirsty for knowledge and you will enjoy psychology and also being a performer.
Program Details
Program Overview
If you are interested in working with people in a counseling and mental health area, the psychology major with an emphasis in applied/clinical counseling is for you. This program will prepare you for graduate studies in psychology.
Program Concentrations
This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.Concentration Overview
This concentration includes foundational classes in psychological theory, research, and content areas.
Concentration Overview
This concentration provides students with applied skills in the area of counseling and psychotherapy.
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
- Applied Statistics
- General Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Psychological Research Methods and Advanced Statistics
- Applied Research
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Cross Cultural Psychology
- Psychology and Law
- Psychopathology
- Counseling and Psychotherapy
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
LEADERSHIP: 4 credits
- Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
- Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)
- Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
- Writing for the 21st Century (3 cr.)*
- Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
- Language & Culture (3 cr.)
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
- Pre-Internship
- Internship
- Capstone
Career Opportunities for Psychology Majors
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.
Psi Chi Chapter at Stritch
Cardinal Stritch University is one of the many institutions that offers a Psi Chi Chapter. Psi Chi is the international honor society in psychology. Psi Chi members build relationships with faculty and other students outside of the classroom- throughout involvement in the community and support each other’s educational journeys.
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.
Contact admissions or the program faculty with questions about this program.
Carole J. Hetzel
Faculty - Psychology
