PSYCHOLOGY

Marston Hall
206-281-2918
spu.edu/depts/spfc/

FACULTY:  Lynette Bikos, Amy Mezulis, Jay Skidmore, Dave Stewart, John Thoburn, Thomas Wall, Marcia Webb, Bev Wilson, Margaret Brown, Baine Craft, Thane Erickson, Paul Kim, Ursula Krentz, Kathy Lustyk, Les Parrott, Micheal Roe

Learn more about the School of Psychology, Family, and Community.

The science of psychology explores the nature and causes of behavior, feelings, and thoughts, as well as effective ways to maintain psychological and social health. Modern psychology constantly changes as discoveries reveal new understandings, new research possibilities, and new applications to the human condition.

Psychology provides an excellent background for careers in counseling, teaching, social service, medicine, nursing, law, business, pastoral ministry, and many other areas of work where interpersonal understanding and skills are needed. In fact, Seattle Pacific University's B.A. program allows students to obtain a double major, thereby broadening career opportunities.

Our more comprehensive B.S. program combines behavioral and natural sciences and is particularly relevant for students with interests in the more experimental and laboratory side of psychology. The B.S. program also prepares students for further study and careers in fields such as physiological psychology, health psychology, and behavioral medicine, and it is an effective major for pre-medicine students.

Seattle Pacific University’s location in an urban area provides students with opportunities to gain field experiences in mental health clinics, social-service agencies, educational institutions, hospitals, and in the business world. An internship coordinator is available to ensure a match between preparation, abilities, and interests of the student and the demands of the field experience. Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and less formal opportunities to work with psychology faculty on research projects are available to interested and qualified students.

The psychology program at SPU endeavors to accomplish four goals:

• To provide students with solid academic and experiential grounding in the theory, research, and practice of the field of psychology.
• To prepare and inspire able and motivated students to enter and contribute to the field of psychology.
• To nurture students toward valuing themselves and others as persons of worth, created in God’s image.
• To empower students to act in this world. That is, actively celebrating God’s human and non-human creation, actively showing mercy and compassion to the vulnerable, and actively challenging and changing aspects of society that deny or denigrate persons.

Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology
Requirements for the B.S. in Psychology

Admission to the Major
To qualify for admission to the major, a student must have a 2.0 minimum GPA and apply through the Psychology Department after successfully completing PSY 1180 General Psychology. A student must complete the major requirements in effect when the student is admitted to the major.

Students completing a major or minor in psychology should note the following:

• Both Relationship Development I and II (PSY 1250 and 2250) must be successfully completed with a letter grade (not pass/no credit) if a student desires to apply these courses toward a psychology major or minor.
• Students must apply for and be accepted into the psychology major before registering for PSY 2360 Introduction to Statistics.
• Students registering late are not guaranteed space in any course, regardless of their class standing (e.g., graduating senior).

Requirements for the minor in Psychology

Need to know when a course is being offered? Check the 2011-12 Time Schedule.

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