“Juniata’s psychology professors are extremely helpful, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of them in and out of the classroom.”
—Lauren Miller ’18
PSYCHOLOGY WITH A SECONDARY EMPHASIS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
A Distinct Experience
Click on the banners below and learn more about what makes a psychology experience unique at Juniata College.
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Juniata’s psychology curriculum is influenced by the ideals of the American Psychological Association. Students gain hands-on experience by conducting empirical research or obtaining an internship (or several) that offers hands-on experience through Juniata’s network of faculty, alumni, and friends.
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Research with faculty members or develop your own project. Juniata’s psychology students regularly present original research findings at regional and national conferences including the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Eastern Psychological Association, and the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research. The David R. Drews Psychology Fund helps fund students’ travel to professional conferences.
Below are synopses of student presentations from Juniata's Liberal Arts Symposium, an opportunity each spring to present research that students and professors have worked on throughout the year.
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Thanks to the wide variety of faculty expertise, Juniata’s Psychology Department offers a diverse array of advanced courses, including Health Psychology, Aggression and Prejudice, and Evolutionary Psychology. That’s part of the reason why Juniata’s psychology program ranks in the top 35 percent of colleges in the nation for the number of graduates who complete their doctorates.
Outcomes
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- Cynthia Boo ‘17
- is enrolled in a master’s program, with a research assistantship, at the New School for Social Research in New York, NY.
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- Carissa Kelly ‘16
- is enrolled in the applied development psychology program at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education.
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- Clay Reichart ‘17
- is enrolled in the PhD program in applied organizational psychology at Hofstra University.
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- Olivia kruse ‘19
- is employed as a data analyst at Gloo in Boulder, CO.
Faculty
In the Psychology Department, 100 percent of faculty have earned Ph.D.s, and they serve, first and foremost, as professors. They are active members of national and regional psychological science organizations. One has won the Lindback Foundation Award and two others have won the Gibbel Award—both accolades honor distinguished teaching. Another is certified in school psychology in Pennsylvania. Several teach interdisciplinary courses that take students to the Colorado Plateau, China, and Ireland.
“Our psychology department works to be on the cutting edge of psychology research while providing students a comprehensive and individualized education.”
—Daniel Komar ’18
Additional Opportunities
Psychology Student Organizations: Join the Psychology Club, which conducts fundraisers for mental health charities and hosts student-faculty social events. And, be recognized for outstanding work in psychology by joining Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
Internships: Juniata has an active internship program. Our psychology students have interned at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Smithfield State Correctional Institute, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital, the Washington Center, Wediko Children’s Services, and in the clinics of psychiatrists and psychologists throughout our region. Our psychology students have also completed hands-on experiences in Mexico, Scotland, China, and England.
David R. Drews Psychology Fund: Developed by alumni donors, this fund supports students traveling to major conferences and provides annual awards to the most outstanding junior and senior psychology student.
Undergraduate Research: At Juniata, more than 60 percent of psychology students conduct research. Our students present empirical findings at national and regional conferences (e.g., American Psychological Association, Eastern Psychological Association, NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society) and, in collaboration with their faculty mentors, publish in scholarly journals. Prior projects have included explorations into human sexual attraction and how personality factors and decision-making affect political attitudes. Recent examples: Madeline Bennetti '17, “Female sexual fluidity and gaze on nude images;” DaVon Mitchell ’18, “Breaking the Silence: The Psychology of Collective Identity.”