Why do humans behave in the way that they do? How can we use psychological science to improve the human condition and encourage everyone to thrive and lead happy productive lives? The Undergraduate Psychology Program strives to develop in its students a deep knowledge and understanding of human behavior to improve the lives of individuals in our diverse and ever-changing society.

The undergraduate program offers a range of classes for students seeking to fulfill general education requirements, to satisfy their curiosity about human behavior, or those who have selected psychology as a major or minor. The diversity of required and elective courses provides students with opportunities to study and have first-hand experience with a wide range of human behavior and problems. Adopting an applied focus, the Psychology program strives to prepare students for careers in and out of the field of psychology through its broad approach, which includes principles and theories in psychology, methodology, laboratory, and applied courses.

In addition to the traditional in-classroom instruction, the internship class encourages students to be active in the community by providing opportunity for direct work with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of community-level agencies. The research classes in the program encourage students to design, conduct, evaluate and present their own research studies, while lab courses provide hands-on experience.

As an integral part of the on-campus traditional undergraduate Cástulo de la Rocha College of Health and Community Well-Being, the psychology major is also offered at our Kern County Region and Naval Base Ventura County locations and through the Campus Accelerated Program for Adults, which offers weekend, accelerated evening, and online classes.

Course Highlights

The vast and diverse course offerings include an introduction to the field and its career options, including: statistics, research methods, experimental design, development across the lifespan, multicultural sensitivity and understanding in a socio-cultural context, as well as how the brain and behavior are inseparably bound together. Students further learn how to conduct their own research projects in the culminating course, Experimental Psychology.

Program Mission

The mission of the psychology program is to prepare undergraduate students for their academic, professional, and personal futures by providing them with a well-balanced undergraduate education in psychology covering theory, research, and practice.

Program Goals

The faculty have identified five program goals and key learning outcomes expected of our psychology major. These goals and explicit performance outcomes correspond to those set forth in the guidelines proposed by the American Psychological Association in 2013 for designing effective undergraduate learning in the field of psychology.

Students graduating with degrees in psychology will:

1. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings, and will be able to discuss how psychological principles apply to problems in life.
2. Develop skills in scientific reasoning and problem solving including effective research methods and experimental design.
3. Develop ethically and socially responsible behavior in both diverse professional and personal settings.
4. Demonstrate competence in writing, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
5. Develop skills in the application of psychology-specific content, self­-reflection, project-management, teamwork, and career preparation.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Describe key concepts, principles, and themes in psychology; develop a working knowledge of various content domains; and describe applications of psychology.
2. Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena; demonstrate information literacy; engage in integrative thinking and problem solving, interpret, design and conduct psychological research; and incorporate sociocultural factors in psychological science inquiry.
3. Apply ethical standards to evaluate science and practice; build and enhance culturally competent interpersonal relationships; and adapt values that build community at various levels.
4. Demonstrate effective writing; exhibit effective presentation skills; and interact effectively with others.
5. Apply psychology content to career goals; exhibit self-efficacy and self­-regulation; demonstrate project management skills; enhance teamwork capacity; and develop meaningful professional direction.