Psychology majors may choose a wide array of courses to enrich and deepen their understanding of psychology and the social and cultural experiences that shape human behavior.

Psychology majors take introductory courses and then have the opportunity to focus their studies in a variety of areas including health and biological psychology, counseling and abnormal psychology, social psychology, and research design and analysis. The culmination of the senior's work is the design and implementation of an original research project in an independently selected area of psychological inquiry.

Minor in Psychology

The minor in Psychology can be combined with any baccalaureate degree and requires 18 credit hours of Psychology courses. Please see the college catalog for specific requirements.

Graduate School

The Psychology Program's intensive research component and semester-long internship experience provide students with the skills necessary for graduate work. The research component includes an independently designed and conducted research project. The internship offers students a rich learning environment that promotes skill building, professional development, and ethical awareness.

Colby-Sawyer has an affiliation agreement to assist qualified Baccalaureate degree graduates into master's degree programs at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., and Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. Students who go on to further studies in law, medicine, veterinary practice and physical therapy can combine any Colby-Sawyer major with a course of study that will prepare them for the next academic step.

Capstone Project

Every senior completes a Capstone project, a culmination of work in their fields of study that allows them to demonstrate a deep understanding of a body of knowledge and perspectives informed by that knowledge. Students display and discuss their Capstone projects with the college community and area residents during the Susan Colby Colgate Scholars Symposium each spring. Psychology majors design a study to investigate an area of interest, conduct their study, and share their results with the college community. Recent projects have investigated the role of nicotine in attention, the effects of listening to music on memory, and the role of peer feedback on test performance.

Psychology Clubs and Organizations

At Colby-Sawyer there is a high level of interaction between faculty and students, and among students. The Psychology Majors Club has about 70 members and the Colby-Sawyer chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, has over 30 members.