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Psychology

Contact

Ramapo College Office of Admissions

McBride House 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ 07430

p: (201) 684-7300
e: admissions@ramapo.edu
f: (201) 684-7964

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Psychology examines a broad variety of questions, such as how our capacities and personalities develop, how the brain works, how we relate to one another, how we organize and process information, how we experience emotions. The field of psychology is diverse and interdisciplinary, and therefore there are many subfields in psychology.

Psychology also has applications in many areas, including schools, the workplace, health, business, law and much more. Research and practice in psychology involves understanding and solving problems in the real world through the analyses of behavior in school and work settings, assessment and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders, and the enhancement of mental, physical, and social well-being.

Our Psychology Program provides students with the workplace skills sought by employers in the 21st century, across many fields; a strong academic foundation that prepares them for advanced study in a wide range of fields; and the knowledge, skills, and abilities that will enhance their personal lives and well-being. Our program is distinctive in that all students complete an applied experience through fieldwork internships and/or independent research.
Visit the program website for more information about our program and the many opportunities for students: https://www.ramapo.edu/sshs/psychology/



Classes you can take:

At Ramapo, the Psychology Program is organized into eight areas (referred to as categories), all of which investigate critical aspects of the brain and human behavior. The categories allow students to examine and develop knowledge and skills in the primary subfields of the discipline: social, developmental, cognitive/neuroscience, and personality/abnormal and socio-cultural psychology. All students complete one course in each of the eight categories, which offer students flexibility and choice so they can explore personal interests. Students also complete Introduction to Psychology and three core courses (Statistics, Research Methods, Data Analysis) aimed at developing critical thinking, research, quantitative, and communication skills. In Category 7, students engage in an applied experience via fieldwork internships or independent research.

The Psychology curriculum includes courses on many interesting areas, including Social Psychology, Workplace Psychology, Learning, Cognition, Perception, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Theories of Personality, Cross-Cultural Psychology, the Psychology of Gender, Neuropsychology, Statistics, Forensic Psychology, and many more. See Requirements of the Major for a complete list of courses. A minor is available.

See Full Program Requirements

Career Opportunities

Most Ramapo graduates are employed or in graduate school within 4 months following graduation. According to the American Psychological Association, “20 to 25 % of the more than 100,000 students who earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology each year go on to graduate school — and not necessarily in psychology.” Many of our graduates successfully pursue graduate education in a variety of fields including psychology, social work, law, health and medicine. The majority of undergraduate psychology majors successfully establish careers in a broad range of fields immediately after graduation.

Ramapo graduates have found employment in settings such as community mental health centers, counseling services, substance-abuse programs, geriatric facilities, probation services, and schools for special education. Other opportunities lie in the fields of advertising, consulting, consumer research, criminal justice, education, environmental policy, evaluation research, human factors engineering, marketing, personnel, and product planning.

Sample Job Titles and National Salary Ranges

Job TitleSalary Range
Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists$56,650 - $135,460
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists$64,920 - $108,530
Psychologists, All Other$32,840 - $121,120
Sociologists$50,350 - $171,080
Urban and Regional Planners$39,160 - $118,800
Marriage and Family Therapists$54,930 - $99,150
Healthcare Social Workers$46,110 - $82,380
Psychiatric Technicians$26,870 - $59,260

* Sources of Information: United States Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020). For more information about careers and assistance in making your career plans, please contact Career Services (cahill@ramapo.edu) or visit www.ramapo.edu/careercenter/.

Hands-On Learning

A hallmark of the Ramapo psychology program is its fieldwork component where you’ll gain hands-on, applied experience that connects the classroom with the real world, In fieldwork courses, you can work in a mental health or educational agency in the community such as a school for special needs children.

Ramapo psychology students have had co-op placements at organizations such as the Housing Authority of Bergen County, Hackensack University Medical Center, First Children’s Learning Services, New Jersey State Police, the Red Cross and International Justice Project.

You’ll also get to work in psych labs on campus and have opportunities to do research with faculty members. Recent years’ research includes studying child development, neuroscience and phenomenology.


Psychology Minor

Students may add a minor in Psychology to supplement their major and create a unique educational profile. Students in Social Work, Nursing, Elementary Education, Sociology, and Biology frequently add a minor in Psychology. To complete a minor in Psychology, students take Introduction to Psychology, 1 class from any three Psychology course categories, and 1 additional Psychology course for a total of 5 Psychology courses. See Requirements of the Major for the complete list of courses.