Major in Psychology

The major in Psychology offers students the opportunity to grow in self-understanding and in the understanding of others through the study of social, developmental, cognitive, and biological perspectives. Psychology majors take core courses that provide basic knowledge of psychological theories, methods, and research techniques. Students then select a concentration in General Psychology, Expressive Therapy, Human Services, or Organizational Psychology. The program uses an applied approach to prepare its graduates to be effective practitioners at the undergraduate level or to continue on to graduate school. Utilizing a systems approach to the study of psychology, our students understand the individual from multiple perspectives of ever-widening spheres of influence: family, neighborhood, community, culture, and society. The program uses a science/practitioner model, which grounds the students in the theories and methods of psychology while teaching them how to apply these principles to effectively work with a diverse set of individuals. In their junior year, students take the community-based research sequence which allows them to understand and apply research methods and statistics to real-life research questions posed by community organizations. In the students’ senior year, they apply what they have learned as psychology majors in their senior seminar in the fall and their senior internship in the spring.

The major prepares students for careers in human services, research, and education and provides background for further training in medical or health-related fields. A minor in Counseling is available for non-Psychology majors and Psychology majors not concentrating on human services.

Pine Manor College is a private four-year liberal arts college situated on over 45 wooded acres in the Chestnut Hill section of Brookline, Massachusetts, only a few miles outside of Boston. For over 100 years, Pine Manor College has provided a student-focused education and tailored mentoring grounded in the liberal arts tradition.

Serving a majority of first-generation and low-income students, Pine Manor College promotes diversity where students from a range of linguistic, economic, and cultural backgrounds experience a personal learning environment that transforms them, preparing them for successful careers in an ever-changing world. With competencies grounded in the liberal arts tradition, our graduates enter employment and advanced studies with critical thinking skills, a commitment to civic engagement, and immediate job and long-term career opportunities.