Psychology
About Our Program
Our psychology program uniquely covers the entire spectrum of the human mind and behavior from community psychology to biopsychology and everything in between. With a foundation in experimentation, you’ll ask the age-old question, “Why do people think and behave the way they do?”
In our interactive classrooms, you’ll explore behavior and the mental process as you play the role of a juror in Psychology of Law, examine milestones across the lifespan in Developmental Psychology, and explore the belief behind Bigfoot’s existence in Psychological Science and Critical Thinking--just to name a few of your nearly 30 course options.
In the research lab, you’ll work side by side with your faculty mentor to explore a topic that piques your interest. Students have examined topics like memory, social cognition, sleep, coach-athlete relationships, and virtual reality.
As one of the most applicable disciplines, psychology can be utilized in many careers. Graduates from our program have pursued careers in counseling, social work, business, school psychology, law, and medicine.
Learning Experiences to Prepare for Your Career
From hands-on research to applied learning experiences, you’ll gain the practical skills needed for a wide range of psychology-related careers and opportunities.Research
Dig deeper into psychology topics or pressing issues through research, either during the semester or as part of a paid summer fellowship. Recently, our students have conducted studies on memory and trauma, nanoparticles, learning, virtual reality, infant communication, coach-athlete relationships, sleep and hoarding, and juror decision-making.
You might even get to investigate the effects of remote learning like Alexandria Szabo ’24. While working with professor Serge Onyper, she’s conducting research on Zoom fatigue and how remote learning impacts sleep, physical activity, and mental well-being.
Senior Year Experience (SYE)
Turn your passion into a project with a Senior Year Experience. For example, Gabby Diaz ’21 combined her interests in psychology, global studies, and public health to conduct a year-long research project. With the help of professor Cathy Crosby, she examined international students' sense of community at American college campuses by conducting focus groups to determine if their culture played a role in how they cope with a crisis.
Internships
Learn by doing in a real-world environment. Our majors intern and conduct research with a wide range of organizations, including:
- Syracuse Veteran Affairs Medical Center
- Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center
- Hands of Hope
- Curley Company
- Syracuse Behavioral Health Care
- Camp Baker
- Butler Hospital
- Harpswell Coastal Academy
- Praytell Agency
- Rose Hill Treatment Center
Volunteering
You can also gain experience while making a difference through service work. Students studying psychology have volunteered at:
- Reachout, a local crisis hotline.
- Renewal House, an agency that provides support for victims of domestic violence.
- Canton Bear Packs, a garden share program that connects St. Lawrence county with locally-grown food.
Study Abroad
Choose from more than 30 semester-long programs offered in more than 20 international locations, including Australia, London, and Austria.
Among the 150+ clubs and organizations at St. Lawrence, you’ll find many that our majors are involved in, including:
- Healthy Minds Network
- Pre-Health Club
- Self Care Club
- Active Minds
- American Chemical Society
- Environmental Action Organization
- Spectrum
- The Advocates Program
- Asian Student Union
- Adaptive
- Habitat for Humanity
- PLEN
- Her Campus
- Singing Saints
- Dance Ensemble
Why St. Lawrence for Psychology
Graduate Programs
St. Lawrence students who studied psychology have pursued graduate programs at:
- SUNY Albany School of Social Work
- Pennsylvania State
- University of Maryland
- Syracuse University
- Northeastern University
- New York University
- Boston University
- University of Denver
of St. Lawrence graduates majoring in psychology are employed or continuing their education within a year
1 of 8
Natural science disciplines you can study at St. Lawrence; unlike other institutions, our program covers the entire spectrum of psychology-- both the natural and social sciences
Student to Faculty Ratio
Careers
St. Lawrence students who studied psychology have pursued careers as:
- Mental Health Counselors
- Social Workers
- Educators
- Account Executives
- Brand Managers
- Fundraising Officers
- Research Analysts
- Psychiatrists
- Law Enforcement Officers
- Behavioral Interventionists
- Human Resource Representatives
More Program Information
Program Requirements & Courses
Explore psychology major requirements, as well as electives and combined study options.
Complementary and Related Programs
If you’re interested in psychology, you might also like these programs.
Psychology Faculty
Our faculty are environmental, social, clinical, and sport psychologists, neuroscientists, and biologists. Outside of the classroom they’re musicians, jugglers, gardeners, musicians, and animal lovers.
Community-Based Psychology
In our seminar-internship course, you’ll focus on the community aspect of psychology as you put your education into practice. Students have interned at local non-profit organizations and hospitals like Head Start, United Helpers, Maplewood Nursing Home, and substance abuse-related treatment settings.
Every Aspect of Psychology
We pride ourselves on offering courses that cover the field of psychology. Study brain and behavior, sensation and perception, learning, development, personality, abnormal psychology, and social behavior. Explore the application of psychology through sport, community, clinical, cultural, legal, and environmental psychology.
Effects of Chewing Gum
What kind of research happens here? A team of psychology students joined forces with their professor to find out if chewing gum helped improve the cognitive ability of students. They found that chewing gum moments before an exam (but not during) helped improve a student's performance. Their research has been cited in scientific journals and major media outlets.
Psychology Stories
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We’re excited to learn more about you, tell you more about our interdisciplinary academic programs, show you around our beautiful campus, and help you navigate your college search.
Apply to St. Lawrence
We’re looking for curious students who are eager to make a difference. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and consider all aspects of your application and what we learn about you.