BA Psychology

The quest to understand human behavior is the heart of psychology. Through the application of scientific principles, the psychologist searches for laws that explain human behavior and looks for ways to help people improve the quality of their lives.

Within the psychology department, students can work toward a BA and can focus study in a number of different content areas, including clinical, developmental, cognitive/neuroscience, social or quantitative psychology.

Faculty members are nationally recognized scholars and researchers as well as dedicated instructors. The department has excellent research and computing facilities and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate actively in research with their professors. Many students have coauthored one or more papers or publications with faculty members. The department also has an outstanding two-year distinction sequence, beginning in the junior year with an introduction to basic research principles and culminating in the senior year with the completion of a senior honors research project. A one-year internship experience is also available in a community hospital or agency for students with clinical interests.

While many psychology students pursue advanced degrees, interesting positions in related fields are also available for students with a BA or BS. These include positions as counselors, educators, parole officers, welfare officers and childcare and advocacy workers. A major in psychology can also provide strong preparation for careers in fields such as business, law and medicine. Students with an interest in brain function may want to consider the concentration in cognitive neuroscience, a joint major involving psychology and biological sciences. Please see the cognitive neuroscience section of this bulletin for more information.

About the University of Denver

Founded in 1864—just a few years after the city of Denver itself was founded—the University of Denver is one of the country's premier private universities. The University's 125-acre campus, a few miles south of downtown Denver, is home to more than 11,500 students hailing from all regions of the United States and 83 other countries. The University offers:

• more than 100 undergraduate programs of study.
• more than 120 graduate and professional programs.

Regardless of what they inquire, the students embark on a personal educational journey that helps them find and follow their individual purpose.

COLLABORATIVE, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Our students work closely with faculty, peers and members of the community on projects, research, and fieldwork. They cross disciplines to discover new perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. In and out of the classroom, our students learn by doing, whether they're collecting data in the field or putting theory into practice in a clinical setting.

MAKING AN IMPACT, LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY

Not only do we work to improve our immediate community, but we send our students and faculty abroad for study and research with wide-ranging impact. Just as important, we welcome students and faculty from all over the world to bring new ideas and insights to our campus. Through local and international service learning programs, our students have worked alongside communities everywhere from downtown Denver to Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond. Research led by our faculty and students has made a tangible difference in a huge range of fields, generating new medical technologies, environmental safeguards, archaeological discoveries and much more. But the most significant impact the University has is through its alumni. When they leave here, the students go on to make meaningful and lasting contributions to their professions and their communities.

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