Psychology Department

Department Faculty

David A. Washburn
Carole L. Yue

Department Goals

The psychology program consists of content areas and courses designed to provide students with breadth and depth in a fundamental comprehension of the methods used in making knowledge claims about psychological phenomena, major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings. Moreover, students are equipped with knowledge of both historic and contemporary trends in the integration of psychology and Christianity. For students majoring in psychology, the goals of the Psychology Department are:

Students will demonstrate a foundational knowledge base in the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical methodology in psychology
Students will demonstrate competency in scientific inquiry and critical thinking
Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively within a psychological science context
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the presuppositions inherent in both Christian and non-Christian worldviews and how they shape what scientific data are examined, what conclusions are drawn.

These goals are accomplished, in part, through the following sequences of courses:

a survey of modern psychology,
the methods used by psychologists in the investigation and analysis of psychological phenomena,
the theories and data of the subfields within psychology,
the foundational biblical beliefs that inform a Christian perspective of psychology.

The psychology major consists of 43 hours of coursework, 19 of which are taken from a core of psychology courses. The remaining credit hours are taken from three content areas: cognitive, clinical, and developmental/social. Additional course work may be taken in these content areas or other electives. Transfer credit for PSY 100 General Psychology is granted for equivalent classes with a “B” or higher letter grade completed in the last three years.