Psychology

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is the study of the human mind and behavior. If you’re interested in how human beings operate, a psychology degree can grant you key insights into these questions. You’ll learn what motivates human behavior by developing your critical thinking and problem-solving skills through a multi-faceted approach to learning. Through this psychology degree, you’ll amplify your ability to conduct rigorous research, help others, and also manage people. So, the principles of psychology have applications in a variety of fields. 

Why Study Psychology? 

Most employers value the skills that are developed through studying psychology. These skills include the ability to offer analytical insights, skilled reasoning, and effective communication. Even if you choose not to pursue a career as a practicing psychologist, employers will always be interested in employees with these skill sets. For instance, many people with psychology degrees find successful careers in healthcare, human resources, management, or marketing.

Psychology can also open the doors to more specialized education. Many of those with psychology degrees can choose from a range of graduate training opportunities: 

• Clinical psychology 
• Counseling psychology 
• Educational psychology 
• Forensic psychology 
• Organization psychology 

While a degree can act as a road map for your chosen career path, the value of your degree does not solely lie in how quickly it takes you to your eventual employers. This is especially true with the study of psychology. 

Humans are a complex species with wants, needs, and behaviors that differentiate and integrate us with other animals. We can make good choices for bad reasons and bad choices for good reasons. We use language to both convince and deter, and the way we interact with each other can often define who we are as individuals. 

Psychology helps you understand this. It won’t partner every interaction you have with absolute clarity, but it can give you a window into behavior, motivations, and perceptions. It grants you perspective, which can allow you to develop closer relationships with practically everyone you meet. 

Of course, you can’t remove yourself from the psychological equation, either. Through the study of psychology and its principles, you’ll be able to identify your own hidden influences and motivations. This can make you a better communicator to friends, family, employers, and with yourself.  

What Can You Do with A Psychology Degree? 

A degree in psychology opens the door to a multitude of opportunities. Even if you choose not to pursue a master’s degree or more specialist education, you’ll find any number of careers are available to you: 

• Behavioral disorder counselors 
• Community service operations 
• Correctional treatment specialists 
• Family or marriage therapists 
• Mental health counselors 
• Probation officers 
• Rehabilitation counselors 
• Social services operations 
• Social workers 
• Substance abuse counselors 

With such a wide range of possible careers, you’ll find that your future earning potential will vary. Marriage and family therapists earn a median annual salary of around $50,000 according to 2019 survey data conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, according to the BLS, industrial-occupational psychologists earn a median annual salary of around $93,000.

As stated above, a psychology degree allows for more specialized education at the master’s and doctorate levels. As you progress through these advanced degrees, you’ll find an increased earning potential along with the increased odds of reaching high levels of your chosen career path. 

Why Rockford University? 

At Rockford University, we take a cross-discipline approach to education. We combine classroom learning from world-class educators with real-life experience alongside experts in the field. Our diverse student body also gives students the ability to learn from each other and gain an additional perspective. 

To see all that Rockford University can offer, schedule a personal visit today. You can also request additional information through our website. 

Students in the Psychology Department develop an understanding of human thought and behavior through active learning. Our interdisciplinary approach, grounded in science, research and reflection, encourages self-exploration and engagement with the community. This challenging course of study empowers students to develop to their fullest potential socially, emotionally and intellectually.

• APA Student Affiliates
• GRE Resources‌  – Contact Center for Learning Strategies for more information

PSYCH SOCIETY

Psych Society provides information regarding psychology and how it effects everyone, not just psych majors, while also offering social interaction and civic engagement to students.

PSI CHI

Psi Chi is an international honor society in psychology.  The name Psi Chi comes from the Greek words “psyche” and “cheries” which respectively imply “mind” and “hands;” in this way, Psi Chi is a psychology fellowship with the following purpose and mission adapted from the Psi Chi website:

Purpose Statement

Psi Chi is an international honor society whose purpose shall be to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.

Mission Statement

The mission of Psi Chi is to produce a well-educated, ethical, and socially responsible member committed to contributing to the science and profession of psychology and to society in general.  In pursuit of our mission we will:

• advance the science and profession of psychology
• promote an educational experience consistent with the mission
• promote ethical and socially responsible members and leaders
• define and establish an organizational structure that promotes our mission
• recognize and foster the contributions that diversity makes to the science and practice of psychology

Eligibility Requirements

Psi Chi is different than a club in that students are invited to become members if they meet certain requirements:

• be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program or a program psychological in nature
• have completed at least 3 semesters or equivalent of full-time college coursework
• have completed at least 9 semester hours or equivalent of psychology courses
• have earned a cumulative GPA that is in the top 35% of their class (sophomore, junior, or senior) compared to their classmates across the entire university or the college that houses psychology (minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale)2
• have a minimum 3.0 GPA average for psychology courses

If you have been invited to become a member of Psi Chi, you may apply here.

If you have any questions about Psi Chi, please contact faculty advisor Dr. Amy Martin, our president Rudy Vasquz, vice president Aubrey Brenz,  or secretary Sam Su. 

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Psychology students follow a progression of research courses that prepare them to design research, analyze data and discuss findings. For example, some students have examined perfectionism, optical illusions and optimism. Beyond this required course of study, there are a number of options that students can pursue individually. They may choose to be part of a small research group led by a departmental professor. One such group implemented educational programs related to health psychology in the Rockford public school system. Students may also elect to develop individual projects on their own. These various projects often result in poster and paper presentations at conferences.

As a founding member of the Tri-State Undergraduate Research Conference, Rockford University has showcased our students since 1992. Also, our students have presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association annual conference in Chicago.

FACULTY

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Harriet Rheingold Outstanding Psychology Major Award
This award is given to recognize service to the department and to the community and a commitment to learning and excellence.

Honors in Psychology
The Psychology department grants honors at graduation for creative work or distinguished scholarship in psychology to recognize seniors who excel in a special independent study project. The student must demonstrate scholarly familiarity with the literature and be able to discuss the special study intelligently in an oral examination by faculty and a specialist from outside the university. The commencement program carries the honors designation for successful honors candidates, and the student’s transcript will carry the honors designation including the specific topic of the project.

Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the National Honor Society in Psychology, founded for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. Open to psychology majors or minors who meet the qualifications, Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College and University Honor Societies and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Psi Chi members regularly present research at regional and national conferences.

For more information on scholarships relevant to this department, please visit the Academic Catalog

CAREERS AND INTERNSHIPS

The Rockford University Psychology program will prepare the student well for graduate training.

Professional careers and opportunities continue to expand for holders of graduate degrees: counseling, health psychology, clinical psychology, industrial psychology, school psychology and more. Students also can choose course work to prepare for graduate programs outside psychology leading to professional specializations in business, social work, law, public health, medicine and education. Many students continue with graduate study in preparation for teaching or research careers.

Many enter career positions in areas such as mental health, educational services, social work and personnel work. Others obtain positions in conventional business or social service settings not directly related to psychology, but in which psychological knowledge and skills may be applied.

Rockford University offers a wide variety of internship opportunities for psychology students including opportunities in substance abuse, foster care, adoption, nursing homes and preschool.

Where Are They Now?

Ericka Allen

Allen is currently working as a Case Manager/Advocate with Shelter Care Ministries.

Tasha Almond-Reiser

Almond-Reiser received her M.S. Ed in educational psychology at Northern Illinois University. While at NIU, she became a member of the Midwest Educational Research Association, in which she is a division chair. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of South Dakota. She teaches ecology of human development. As part of this course, she received a grant from the Midwest Consortium for Service Learning in Higher Education to plan a wellness fair for families of Head Start. She will also be teaching assessment in education and research methods. She recently presented a paper entitled, “Children’s kindergarten literacy as a function of childcare, parent involvement and socioeconomic status.”

Shaun Cowman, Ph.D.

Cowman received his M.S. in 2003 and finished his Ph.D. in community psychology. Furthermore, he taught as a full-time visiting faculty member in the psychology department at DePaul University for two years. He is also beginning a program of research in the area of fathers and how community resources are accessed and/or utilized to meet their needs.

Heather Snider

Class of 2003

Snider is completing her master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology at Illinois State University. She is the Enrollment and Retention Analyst at Rockford University and is also an adjunct instructor in the Rockford University Psychology department.

Stacy Tichenor

Class of 2002 (and recipient of the Outstanding Psychology Major Award, given by the department)

Tichenor currently resides in Urbana, Ill., with her husband Scott and son Alexander, where she works full time as a legal assistant for Hatch Law Firm, P.C. In May 2006, she opened Floresco Design Creations, creating decorative framing and gifts for customers throughout the United States.

Therasa Zito

Class of 1997

Zito is currently the an adjunct professor of psychology, teaching child development for Rockford University.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

As psychology majors, students will be prepared to benefit from a broad variety of experiences. Students will have a deeper understanding of the human condition as it applies to them and to their fellow humans. As liberal arts students, they will learn to organize and analyze information, to speak and write clearly, and to use numbers effectively to make a point. As psychology majors, students will learn to enrich their personal relationships with human understanding and sound social judgment.

The department of psychology offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in both Psychology and Human Development. Minors in these areas are offered as well. The department encourages its majors to enrich their understanding with one or two semesters in London at Regent’s College.

Majors and Tracks/Concentrations:

• Psychology Major, B.A. or B.S.
• Psychology Minor
• Human Development Major, Child/Adolescent Development Concentration, B.A. or B.S.
• Human Development Major, Aging Concentration, B.A. or B.S.
• Human Development Major, Life Span Concentration, B.A. or B.S.
• Human Development: Child and Adolescent Development Minor
• Human Development: Aging Minor
• Human Development: Life Span Minor

Course Requirements and Offerings

Rockford University’s psychology department offers students the opportunity to either major or minor in psychology as well as a minor in human development. More information in the Academic Catalog.

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