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Career Preparation

The Psychology faculty help students prepare for their future careers and assist them in tailoring college to their individual goals. We do so in multiple ways, including individual advising by psychology faculty, a career development seminar, research experiences, for-credit internships, and teaching assistantships.

Individual Advising

Psychology majors are assigned the same psychology faculty advisor from their sophomore through senior year. This approach enables advisors and advisees to know each other better over the years. (All freshmen are advised by the CAS Academic Advising Center.)

Career Development Seminar

PSYC 390 is a 1-credit seminar during the junior year devoted to applying information on academic planning, career development, and graduate school. The course provides factual information on academic planning to psychology majors; dispenses essential information on preparing for graduate school and obtaining employment; and clarifies realistic career goals.

Research Experiences

The Psychology faculty strongly encourages students to engage in research as part of their academic experience. This recommendation applies to all students, independent of your particular interests and aspirations.

The Psychology Department provides 4 avenues for faculty-sponsored student research.

  1. All students may volunteer as a research assistant without academic credit.
  2. The Faculty/Student Research Program (FSRP) enables undergraduates to conduct research and receive transcript recognition. 
  3. Students may enroll in Undergraduate Research in Psychology (PSYC 493 and 494), for both academic credit and transcript recognition. 
  4. Students may conduct research and write a thesis as part of the Honors Program.

For-Credit Internships

Psychology majors may complete for 3 credits the Field Experience in Clinical Settings (PSYC 480) or Field Experience in Applied Settings (PSYC 481). The former is offered every Fall and Spring semester, the latter typically offered only in the Spring. Approximately half of all psychology majors will complete a credit-bearing field experience.

Teaching Assistantships

The Scranton Psychology Department prides itself as a leader in experiential education and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).  Part of that movement involves junior and senior psychology students serving as Teaching Assistants (TA). In fact, more than one-third of our majors do so. 

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