Psychology Major/Minor

Recent graduates are employed as researchers, professors, counselors and therapists, ministers, managers, business leaders, and are found in a variety of public and private business and organizational enterprises that serve a broad spectrum of society.

B.A., Psychology, 32 hours B.A., Sociology, 34 hours Minor in Psychology, 21 hours
8.3., Psychology. 44 hours Minor in Sociology, 18 hoursordion content 1.

All five faculty members have earned a Ph.D., the highest academic degree possible in their respective fields. Department faculty offices are located on the second floor of the Weber Center.

On average, over 130 Olivet students major in psychology annually, while over 20 students major in sociology. In addition, each year over 40 students minor in psychology and over 50 minor in sociology. Consequently, nearly 250 students major or minor in the behavioral sciences (comprising 10% of the undergraduate student body).

Students who are juniors or seniors often design and conduct research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. These projects routinely lead to presentations at Olivet’s annual scholar week, at Chicago’s ACCA symposium or at other professional meetings. The department oversees a lab and funding specifically designated for faculty and student research.

We offer four undergraduate classes in counseling (PSYC 461,467, and 474). Those who take these classes have the opportunity to develop therapeutic skills in our counseling lab, which was originally designed to train master’s level counseling students. Both the number of counseling classes we offer and access to a graduate-level lab are unusual for undergraduate psychology programs.

Although not required, student may opt to take a formal practicum experience. This usually involves placement in an agency or business in the local area, plus regularly meeting as a group with the professor leading the class. Many of our placements are mental-health related, but we also have had student whose practice have been in other areas, such as human resources or animal behavior.