Psychology

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You will learn first-hand from outstanding professors with a wide range of expertise, including experimental psychology, child psychology, counseling, cognitive psychology, and biological psychology.

Why Study Psychology at The College of Idaho?

C of I students regularly work with faculty members conducting research. Psychology students at C of I often present their findings at local, regional, and national research conferences. 

The major in psychology is designed to prepare students for a variety of career choices including graduate and professional training. Many psychology majors who do not want to become psychologists choose to major in psychology as a chance to acquire many skills valued in today's job market or to just learn about themselves. For example, you will learn critical thinking through studying psychology. You will also learn to apply statistics and systematically solve problems—skills much in demand in our changing world. Psychology majors must also learn to work independently and on group projects. As seniors, each student majoring in psychology will be required to design and coordinate a research or applied project, in the lab or in the field, constructing a complete review of one question of interest.

Psychology is a diverse and exciting field which currently grants advanced degrees in more than 50 areas of study. A few examples of skills a minor in psychology will potentially provide students include helping a business owner better deal with customer complaints, helping teachers provide classroom experiences that maximize learning, training medical personnel to understand ways to help patients comply with prescriptive advice, providing theater performers tools to improve their performances through understanding the foibles of human (mis)behavior, and many others. Those who minor in psychology will learn to understand research findings and report them to others and how to accomplish systematic problem solving. 

For those not seeking a graduate degree, psychology offers a variety of highly useful skills and an introduction to human behavior that will serve well in a variety of careers. For those wishing to pursue graduate or professional training, we recommend that the student consider where they want to go to graduate school, what their ultimate goal—research vs. application, for example—and what their strengths and weaknesses are. In any case, each student is encouraged to carefully choose his or her advisor as an important first step toward success.

Career Opportunities for C of I Psychology Students

A psychology major or minor enables you to acquire skills valued in a wide range of professions. For those wishing to pursue a career requiring graduate education in psychology, The College of Idaho's faculty will advise you on your options for graduate school opportunities, pursuing a career in research or applied psychology, and your ultimate goals.