Psychology and Social Relations Major
The bachelor of arts in psychology and social relations (PSR) is a unique integration of course work from psychology, sociology, and anthropology that provides the student with a broad-based exposure to theories and methods, as well as a wide range of current topics and issues in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The PSR major is a joint program between the Departments of Psychology and Sociology.
In addition to the more traditional approaches to psychology and sociology, there are two unique elements to this program. First, the major emphasizes multi-disciplinary methods, the human life span, global perspectives, culture, and student initiative in program development. Second, the approach to learning about these areas is based on an interactive connection between academic and applied learning.
The focus of the major reflects the interests and expertise of the faculty in the Departments of Psychology and Sociology. Ultimately, the major helps students to master a broader range of material that allows them more flexibility in future career choices. Specifically, the students will develop a foundation of inter-disciplinary methods that will provide them with a wide array of tools and skills as researchers and problem solvers.
A two-semester sequence of the social-cultural context of the human life span gives a foundation to those who will be working with a wide range of human services. It also provides an important context for exploring the impacts of race, class, culture, and gender on society.
Global Perspectives
As with the sociology major, issues of global perspectives are critical. Important political, economic, social, and technological advances during the second half of the twentieth century have completely transformed the face of the globe. We live in an interconnected age in which people around the globe participate in an increasingly uniform economic and cultural order.
To better understand our society, this new world order and its impact on the individual, we must comprehend the sources and forces of globalization.
Culture
An understanding of culture is also critical to the PSR student. To understand our society and our lives, we must understand our culture. And, with the expansion of globalization we are constantly in greater contact with other cultures. Therefore, we need to understand cultures beyond our own. For us, cultures are the ideas and processes that have shaped and been shaped by modern and postwar society: industrialization, modernization, urbanization, the rise of mass communication, the disintegration of communities, the increasing commodification of cultural life, and our understanding of abnormal and deviant behaviors.
Student initiative in program development is also a goal of this major. The PSR major will have flexibility to select internships and a variety of electives that will help them develop a stronger foundation or specialization in a given area.
Academic and Applied Learning
Another unique aspect of this program is that the approach to learning is based on an interactive connection between academic and applied learning. We begin by developing a foundation of traditional approaches. Students are required to take basic courses that help ground them in the disciplinary perspectives of psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
In addition to introductory level courses in each of the disciplines, there are three courses from psychology and three from sociology that help build these perspectives.
One of these is a sociological theory course that helps students to frame their questions and to understand their personal and societal assumptions. Students then take a two-semester sequence of methods that help ground and guide the student in their growth and development as a social scientist. The methods courses help to examine questions that arise from theory. In this context students are exposed to quantitative and qualitative methods. Content courses such as Personality Theory, History and Systems, Deviance, and a series of electives reflect the fundamental ideas, theories, and methods of the various disciplines.
Students are also expected to develop experiential learning skills. Experiential learning is the process of gaining knowledge by being directly involved in real life situations. Students begin this process through the inclusion of experiential learning projects in courses as early as the introductory courses in the disciplines. Students are formally introduced to experiential learning in their junior year when they undertake their first internship. This internship will help students explore applications of psychology, sociology, and anthropology to the real world, and enable them to begin career explorations. By their senior year students will have completed a second internship in an area that is selected by the student to enhance future professional or academic experiences.
