B.A. in Psychologie

Siena's psychology program prepares students for entry into graduate programs and/or careers in academic and professional psychology. It also provides an excellent background for entry into fields such as law, business, and the health professions.

Siena’s psychology program focuses on skill development necessary for careers in the helping and health professions. Here, you’ll develop strong critical thinking, scientific reasoning, communication, and micro-counseling skills, as well as experience in research and data analysis.

Studying psychology at Siena

As a psychology major at Siena, you’ll take a wide range of courses in child, adolescent, and adult psychology, as well as courses in personality, abnormal and physiological psychology, perception, testing, and research methods. You’ll also get plenty of hands-on experience in laboratories and internships, as well as through independent research and opportunities to collaborate on faculty research.

Our psychology faculty

At Siena, you’ll learn from faculty who are experts in their field. Their expertise spans the spectrum from clinical and counseling psychology to cognitive, experimental, and school psychology. Our professors are also active in research interests that include romantic relationships, bullying and school violence, health psychology, and stereotypes and prejudice.

Life after Siena

Siena’s psychology graduates have had considerable success in competitive graduate programs, including those at the University of Connecticut, Seton Hall University, St. John’s University, SUNY Albany, and Lehigh University. Our alumni also have launched successful careers in psychology practices, counseling centers, human resources departments, colleges, and school systems.

"I loved the interactive psychology professors and enjoyed the conversations we had because they cared about our opinions and thoughts." Ellen Lowndes '13

Program Highlights

• Faculty with expertise in a variety of psychology fields including clinical, counseling, cognitive, social and school psychology.
• Critical skill development, including: Critical thinking, scientific reasoning, information literacy, written communication, oral communication, microcounseling skills, empirical research method, as well as data analysis and interpretation.
• Students may opt to complete independent research via our advanced research class or by completing an honors thesis.

Requirements for the Major (31 credits)

• PSYC100 - General Psychology 3 credits
• PSYC260 - Social Psychology 3 credits
• PSYC300 - Research Methods in Psych I 4 credits

AND

• PSYC200 - Child Psychology 3 credits

OR

• PSYC205 - Adolescent Psychology 3 credits

OR

• PSYC210 - Adult Development 3 credits

AND

• PSYC215 - Theories of Personality 3 credits

OR

• PSYC220 - Abnormal Psychology 3 credits

AND

• PSYC240 - Learning 3 credits

OR

• PSYC340 - Human Cognition 3 credits

AND

• PSYC350 - Physiological Psychology 3 credits

OR

• PSYC355 - Sensation and Perception 3 credits

AND

• PSYC310 - Tests and Measurements 3 credits

OR

• PSYC400 - Research Methods in Psych II 3 credits

OR

• PSYC490 - Seminar in Psychology 3 credits

Psychology electives ( 6 credits)

Auxiliary courses (7 credits)

• ATDV110 - Statistics for Social Science 3 credits
• BIOL140 - Gen Biology for Social Sci 4 credits

Courses in Computer Science and the other social sciences are recommended. Students who plan to attend graduate programs are strongly encouraged to take Research Methods in Psychology II (PSYC—400).

Psychology majors are encouraged to work closely with their faculty advisor in planning academic programs consistent with their interests and career goals.

Success Stats

• The freshman retention rate is 91%
• For the Class of 2013, 100% of graduates are employed or in graduate school
• One in three psychology students participate in an internship
• Only 1% of undergraduate psychology programs have a nationally certified school psychologist on the faculty… and Siena is one of them!

Employers of our Graduates and Student Internship Sites

• Aeropostale
• Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls
• Behavioral Health Recovery Center
• CDPHP
• Center for Child Study
• Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Coolidge Unified School District
• Ellis Medicine
• Equinox Domestic Violence Services
• Fortitude Sport Psychology Counseling
• Hope House, St. Mary’s Promise Program
• Human Resources Associates
• Keller Williams
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• New York City Department of Education
• New York State Society of Orthopedic Surgeons
• North Colonie Central School District
• Northeast Parent and Child Society
• Parsons Child and Family Center

Where our Alumni Get Graduate Degrees

• Boston University
• Columbia University
• Ithaca College
• New York University
• North Carolina State University
• Northeastern University
• Pace University
• St. John’s University
• University of Connecticut
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts
• University of Pittsburgh

Job Titles of Recent Graduates

• Actor
• Analyst
• Attorney
• Behavioral Health Case Manager
• Business Analyst
• Campaign Manager
• Chemical Dependency Counselor
• Executive Director
• Human Resource Manager
• Producer
• Owner
• Realtor
• Registered Nurse
• School Counselor
• School Psychologist
• Social Worker
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• Teacher

A Siena education is an education with soul. Located in Loudonville, New York—just 10 minutes from the state capital of Albany—the Siena experience is built for a new generation of leaders eager to create a more just, peaceful, and humane world. It empowers them through a transformative journey of intellectual, spiritual, and personal discovery.

At Siena education isn’t something you get, it’s something you get to do. With 40 majors, 80-plus minors and certificates, and prestigious joint-degree programs in liberal arts, science, and business, Saints have over 1,200 unique ways to reach their personal and professional goals. But that’s just the beginning. Our 3,000 Saints engage personally with top scholars in a dynamic, customized learning environment. From internships to research to service, they get real-world experience now, not later. The result: sought-after graduates prepared to succeed in an ever-changing global society.