Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Specialization in Health Psychology
Many psychological factors impact physical well-being and medical conditions. The field of health psychology is an applied specialization in psychology focused on promoting good health and the prevention and treatment of disease and illness. Health psychologists focus on understanding how people react, cope and recover from illness, as well as improving health care delivery and improving government health policies.
The Health Psychology Specialization allows students who have an interest in both psychology and the health field which can include biology, medicine, nursing, counseling and other fields to study these two areas. A carefully selected set of courses, research and service-learning experience prepares students for careers or continued professional training in these fields.
Featured Professors
- Jodi Grace, PhD in Social Psychology, Associate Professor of Psychology
- Jeffrey Pickens, PhD in Developmental Psychology, Professor of Psychology
Career Opportunities
Health Psychologists work in health care settings, in a variety of sub-specialties including as Clinical Health Psychologists, Community Health Psychologists, Occupational Health Psychologists, and Public Health Psychologists. Student who major in Psychology, with a Health Psychology specialization, go on to careers as research analysts; social workers; substance abuse counselors; sociologists; mental health counselors; marriage and family therapists, teachers, and administrators. Many students continue professional graduate studies toward a Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree, and work in health, medicine, mental health counseling, public policy and the law.
Curriculum
List of program courses (21 Credits)
- CLP 3302 Clinical and Counseling Psychology
- CLP 4143 Abnormal Psychology
- EXP 3202 Sensation and Perception
- DEP 3103 Child Psychology
- DEP 4305 Psychology of Adolescence
- DEP 4404 Adult Development and Aging
- CLP 4314 Health Psychology
Major Electives – 9 credits
- PSY 497 Internship or PSY 496 Health Research AND
- SOP 4732 Multicultural Psychology or PSY 427 Grief and Loss AND
- SOP 3004 Social Psychology or CLP 2000 Applied Psychology
Specialization Classes – 14 credits
- SCI 306 Principles of Nutrition
- BIO 1010 Principles of Biology 1
- BIO 1010L Principles of Biology 1 lab
- BIO 230 Anatomy
- BIO 230L Anatomy Lab
- PSY 435 Physiological Psychology
