Major

Major in Psychology with Concentration in Mental Health and Pre-Clinical Counseling (13 Courses)

Program

The Major in Psychology with a Concentration in Mental Health and Pre-Clinical Counseling is designed for Psychology majors with a particular interest in clinical or counseling psychology or clinical social work. The concentration lays a solid foundation in coursework, research, and field experiences to help students decide if they wish to apply to a graduate program and obtain licensure to practice in a clinical field (e.g., Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Social Work, etc.). Students will pursue coursework, applied work, and research emphasizing clinical psychology as a science, and the best practices for diagnosis and treatment within the scientific paradigm. Students will be prepared for entry level positions related to the field of psychology, and also prepared for entry into graduate study in areas such as social work, counseling, school psychology and clinical psychology. Courses will include Psychological Disorders, Internship in Psychology, and an advanced seminar in Clinical Psychology.

Advising Tips

Although 13 courses are required for the major, students can take up to 14 psychology courses.
Students may begin to explore the major by taking PSY 101, or any course that counts toward the major without a prerequisite (PSY 216, PSY 210, PSY 253, PSY 290). Students entering with AP credit for PSY 101 should plan to take PSY 216 in their first year.
Students must complete the research courses in the sequence of PSY 224, PSY 225. We recommend students take the courses in consecutive semesters unless they study abroad. PSY 225 is a prerequisite to PSY 390 and PSY 391, which may be taken as upper-level electives.
At least one course from each cornerstone is offered every semester. More than one cornerstone course can be taken at the same time.
Advanced courses (300+) allow students to go into greater depth in the field and may have course prerequisites (most 400 level capstone seminars are offered either in the fall or the spring and students need to plan ahead).
PSY 301 Internship in Psychology is currently only offered in the spring semester. Students are encouraged to take this course in the spring of the junior year to help guide career planning for entering the workforce or graduate school. This course required planning in the prior fall and permission by the chair to enroll.
Students may take an independent study (PSY 399) to gain more research experience. If this course is used to fulfill the upper-level elective requirement, the topic and mentor must be approved by the department chair.
ABA courses count as elective courses (PSY 253 is a prerequisite to all ABA courses).
To maintain the academic integrity of the major, transfer courses are approved under strict conditions. Students should consult with the department chair before registering for courses outside the day school of Assumption University.

To What Careers Does a Major in Psychology with Concentration in Mental Health and Pre-Clinical Counseling Lead?

The websites of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science offer a wealth of information about the current state of the field and career paths.

Current topics:

Career paths:

Learn more about ABA:

https://www.abainternational.org/about-us/behavior-analysis.aspx

Join the psychology club or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Required Courses (10 Courses)

All the below courses are required. In addition to these, concentrators will need to take one additional Psychology elective to complete the Psychology major. It is highly recommended that interested students declare this major by the end of sophomore year.