Questions and Answers about Psychology at DePauw

Overview: The Psychology department at DePauw University consists of faculty members representing diverse areas of Psychology such as clinical, developmental, social, industrial/organizational, learning, cognitive, and physiological. Committed to the importance of teaching, the faculty have won several teaching awards and are readily accessible to students.

• What does studying psychology involve? 
• Ten courses are required for the major, including the introductory
  course, courses in statistics and research methods, and a senior
  research course. Various minors are available, each requiring five
  courses. Students are encouraged to take substantial work (e.g., a
  minor or minors) in other departments such as Sociology and
  Anthropology, the physical and natural sciences, Math and Computer
  Science, Economics, Communications, etc.; selection of these courses
  depends on the area of interest in Psychology and the student's career
  plans.

• What will a major in psychology prepare me to do? 
• A student should not think of a major in Psychology as occupational
  training. To function as a professional Psychologist, one must obtain
  a graduate degree in the field; about ten percent of our graduates
  follow this route. Another twenty percent use their degree as a
  background for other graduate work, such as Law or Medicine. Thirty
  percent go into business settings, and the remainder pursue a variety
  of careers, often in social service areas. Students with a degree in
  Psychology find employment in mental health agencies, personnel
  departments, advertising agencies, financial institutions, management
  trainee programs, etc.
  
  While many Psychology majors will not enter a career in Psychology, we
  believe the department's curriculum has much to offer those students.
  Many of our courses offer a useful perspective on human behavior,
  while others provide training in statistical analysis (including
  computer use), research design, and technical report writing. The
  senior research program offers opportunities for improving skills in
  problem solving and in the presentation and defense of ideas. All of
  these skills transfer readily to public service, business and various
  other settings.

• Will I get a chance to do anything hands-on in psychology while I'm at DePauw? 
• Yes. We believe experience is a very good teacher as well as a means
  of determining what career you want. Several courses include
  laboratories or projects that give students a taste of what
  Psychologists (and other professionals) do. There are also
  opportunities for field experience in local public service agencies,
  or to do research with a professor. Students are encouraged to arrange
  at least one Winter Term in a professional setting to try out their
  tentative career plans.

• How successful are psychology majors? 
• This question is easiest to answer in regard to graduate school
  success. DePauw is ranked fifth in the country among 867 four-year
  private undergraduate institutions as a baccalaureate source of
  Ph.D.'s in Psychology; in Indiana, we're only slightly behind Indiana
  University and Purdue--schools twenty times larger than we are. On
  campus, the department is a large source of students going to law
  school. While success in other areas is difficult to measure,
  interviewers from many business and agencies have made a point of
  welcoming interviews with Psychology majors. If you have additional
  questions, call (765) 658-4566 to talk to a a psychology professor.