Department/Program Learning Goals

Upon graduation, a student will demonstrate competence in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of psychology
   Show familiarity with important psychological discoveries. Use psychological theories to explain or predict behavior and mental processes. Use scientific evidence to evaluate theoretical claims. Describe ways to apply psychological concepts to pressing social issues or in individual, relational, educational, occupational, or clinical contexts. Analyze complex, enduring, or controversial “big ideas” in psychology.
2. Scientific reasoning
   Find, read, and understand credible sources of psychological scholarship. Use skeptical inquiry and creative thinking to critique psychological theories and research findings. Propose meaningful research questions. Use statistical and research design concepts to test hypotheses. Analyze and interpret psychological data. Use knowledge about the scientific method to evaluate the quality of research evidence. Evaluate how well research findings apply to the world at large.
3. Ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world
   Apply the principles of research ethics, including in research with diverse or vulnerable persons or nonhuman animals. Discuss how societal or cultural developments may relate to the way psychologists theorize about behavior and mental processes. Recognize ways in which sociocultural, theoretical, or personal biases may influence the design and interpretation of research. Show sensitivity to issues of power, privilege, and discrimination, including when interacting with people of diverse abilities, backgrounds, and cultural perspectives. Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural, international, and other forms of human diversity.
4. Communication
   Communicate effectively about psychological science in oral and written formats in ways that are consistent with established standards, including with the use of information technology as appropriate. Present clear and coherent arguments, including with the display of data.
5. Professional development
   Seek and respond appropriately to feedback from educators, mentors, supervisors, or experts to improve performance. Collaborate on group projects productively. Describe how psychological science or scientific problem-solving may be helpful in the workplace. Propose self-management and self-improvement strategies based on psychological knowledge. Discuss the meaning of one’s identity as a student of psychology in terms of the field’s history and contemporary issues.