Psychological Science
Psychology is the study of human thought and behavior. Its goal is to contribute to human welfare by developing an understanding of why people do what they do. Psychologists study the entire range of human experience, from infancy until death, from the most abnormal behavior to the most mundane, from the behavior of neurons to the actions of societies and nations. The field of psychology is split between experimental psychologists for whom science comes first and clinical/counseling psychologists who employ a wider variety of approaches to the study of the mind.
While clinical and counseling psychology comprise a large and important part of the field, there are also a large number of experimental psychologists who employ scientific methods to study basic cognitive, social, and developmental processes and their applications to a wide variety of fields such as public health and safety, law, business, education, public policy, criminal justice, and environmental issues. At WPI, teaching and research emphasizes the scientific approach to psychology exclusively.
The Department of Social Science & Policy Studies offers a major in psychological science for students who want to:
- pursue graduate work in experimental psychology
- prepare for careers in:
This major is also for students who are double majoring and expect to be employed in a technological field, in which a second degree in psychology will give them a career advantage. For example:
- computer science major interested in
- mechanical engineering major interested in human factors design
- biomedical engineering major interested in neural imaging
- management major interested in organizational behavior
Students majoring in psychological science will study a core of courses giving them a broad overview of psychology and specific understanding of cognitive psychology, social psychology, and experimental methods and design. Then, they will choose from a wider set of offerings to develop their personal plan of study, potentially focusing on psychological approaches to cognitive skill development, cross-cultural understanding, history of science, environmental problem solving, group processes, education, and behavior in work settings. Finally, they can use their core knowledge to specialize in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, animal behavior, human factors, organizational behavior, and philosophy, or a specialization of their own design.
The psychology research interests of SSPS faculty include judgment and decision making, psychological dynamics, creativity and innovation, risk perception and communication, stakeholder and policy maker interactions, individual differences in cognitive style, the psychology of environmental problems, security policy making, and the effect of computer simulation on learning. We will offer MQP opportunities to students in these and other areas of interest to students. The Psychology Major Program Review Committee will consist of Professors Doyle and Wilkes.
Degree Requirements
| Requirements | Minimum Units |
| 1. Psychological Science (Note 1) | 3 |
| 2. Psychological Science and/or Related Courses (Note 2) | 1 |
| 3. Other Social Science (Note 3) | 1 |
| 4. Basic Science, Computer Science, and/or Engineering (Note 4) | 5/3 |
| 5. Mathematics (Note 5) | 4/3 |
| 6. Electives (Note 6) | 1 |
| 7. MQP | 1 |
NOTES:
Curriculum Guidelines For Psychological Science
Recommendations for complying with the program distribution requirements (10 units) are described below. To earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Psychological Science, students must complete 15 units of coursework. In addition to the requirements below, one must complete the Humanities and Arts Requirement (2 units), the Interactive Qualifying Project (1 unit), free electives (5/3 unit), and physical education (1/3 unit).
Psychological Science (3 units)
Students can choose from among the following 12 courses in psychological science:
In addition, students may arrange to take Psychology Courses offered at other Worcester Consortium schools. ISPs can also be arranged on a variety of psychological topics.
Psychological Science and/or Related Courses (1 unit)
Students may choose to take additional psychological science courses from the above list or choose from among the following list of courses in other departments that are closely related to psychological science and/or have significant psychological content:
Other Social Science (1 unit)
Students fulfill this requirement by taking 3 courses with an SS prefix that are not included in the Psychological Science course list. This includes courses in system dynamics, economics, sociology, political science, public policy, and law. No more than two of the courses may be at the 1000-level. Students are encouraged to focus their effort by taking multiple courses in a single social science discipline.
Basic Science, Computer Science, and/or Engineering (5/3 units)
Must include 1/3 unit in Biology and 1/3 unit in Computer Science. BB 1001 and CS 1101 or CS 1102 are recommended. Students may use the remaining 1 unit of work to complete additional courses in biology or computer science or to explore other science and engineering disciplines.
Mathematics (4/3 units)
Must include 2/3 of calculus and 2/3 unit of statistics. MA 1021, MA 1022, MA 2611, and MA 2612 are recommended.
Electives (1 unit)
Electives must be approved by the Psychological Science Program Review Committee. Students are encouraged to use these electives to obtain background for upper level courses on the Related Courses list.
Major Qualifying Project (1 unit)
The MQP is expected to provide an integrative capstone experience in psychological science.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: March 17, 2008 10:38:38