Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
59-60 credits
Introduction
Psychology’s attempt to understand the human condition takes many approaches. Some psychologists study brain chemistry and its relation to behavior, while others study the behavior of individuals in groups. Still others are engaged in providing counseling or psychotherapy to people who are mentally ill or who are having difficulty in coping with the demands of life. With a faculty of over 30 women and men, all of whom hold a doctoral degree; the Department offers a program of study which provides a solid foundation in the general concepts and methods of Psychology, as well as courses and programs for students in many of the more specialized areas.
The program in Psychology: Human Development is designed to provide students in the Elementary Education program with an in-depth understanding of theory, research, and application in developmental psychology, and a sound background in general psychology. The program is designed to allow students flexibility in selecting psychology courses with the assistance of their advisor.
This major satisfies the academic major requirement for teacher certification with an endorsement in elementary education and must be accompanied by the professional preparation program in elementary education. See the Elementary Education section of this catalog for program admission, completion, and teacher certification requirements.
Why Consider a Psychology: Human Development - Elementary Major?
Many of the major issues facing children and schools today – school readiness, achievement motivation, testing, classroom behavior, stereotyping, bullying, family and neighborhood stressors – are issues of human psychology. Psychology, as the scientific study of mind and behavior, will help provide answers to these problems, as well as contribute to the scientific understanding of how children best think and learn.
How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):
Pre-Major: Students intending to take PSY 301 and declare a major in Psychology: Human Development Pre-Major must first declare a Psychology Pre-Major. See the description of the BS in Psychology major for an explanation of this process.
Admissions: Contact the department to declare the major once you have completed the following requirements:
- Successfully completed or be currently enrolled in PSY 301
- Achieved a Western Cumulative GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.70 or higher
- A GPA of 3.0 in all Psychology courses taken at Western, including PSY 301, may substitute for the cumulative GPA
Grade Requirements
A grade of C (2.0) or better is required for courses in the elementary education professional program and all courses required for the endorsement.
