Our Values

Our values for the undergraduate psychology program include working closely with students to help them develop a deep understanding of the major themes, conflicts, and perspectives within the discipline, as well as the ability to employ, critically evaluate, and shift among various psychological perspectives when required. Our courses strive to help students apply psychological concepts to life outside the classroom. Our curriculum also helps students develop awareness of how culture and history have shaped the discipline and affected its practitioners. We support students in gaining clarity about their own identities, values, aspirations, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. The program also supports undergraduate students to understand major career areas in psychology and gain an intimate knowledge of their own inclinations and vocations toward a particular area of work in service of the common good. Finally, we seek to help students strengthen their capacity to read, write, and speak effectively, especially with regard to psychological issues and ideas.

We seek to achieve the following outcomes for all psychology undergraduate majors:

  1. Knowledge Base in Psychology: students will be able to
    • articulate and employ the major perspectives of psychology including biological / neuroscientific, behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytic, critical, humanistic, and transpersonal/contemplative;
    • critically evaluate and shift among the major perspectives when required;
    • apply psychological concepts to personal, social, and professional life;
    • demonstrate understanding of the ways socio-cultural/historical factors have shaped the discipline and affect its current practitioners.
  2. Communication: students will be able to
    • demonstrate effective writing skills, especially with regard to psychological issues and ideas.
  3. Discernment, Vocation, and Mentorship: students will be able to
    • articulate their values, aspirations, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses;
    • describe preferred career paths based on their inclinations and vocations toward an area of work in service of the common good.