With a BA in Psychology, graduates can qualify for positions requiring an understanding of human behavior in public service, education, or business. The undergraduate Behavior Analysis Certificate qualifies students for positions requiring the application of behavior analysis to children with developmental disabilities
Psychology is the scientific study of human and animal behavior, cognition, and emotion. It is a broad discipline that includes both basic research and the application of research findings to everyday life. The Sacramento State Psychology Department offers an undergraduate program in General Psychology and graduate programs in Counseling Psychology, General Psychology (with specific emphasis on Psychology Doctoral Preparation), and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, students may choose course work, fieldwork, and research experiences that allow them to emphasize such areas as Clinical/Counseling, Cognitive, Developmental, Industrial/Organizational, Social, Personality, and Applied Behavior Analysis.
Students planning to attend medical (allopathic or osteopathic), dental, pharmacy, veterinary, or optometry school are not required to complete a particular undergraduate major. In fact, most health professional schools state that students can be admitted after completing 90 semester units of college credit that includes a set of specified courses. However, the reality is that most students who are accepted to health professional schools earn a bachelor’s degree prior to admission. A majority of students applying to health professional schools major in biological sciences or chemistry. However, the most important criterion in selecting a major is that you have a real interest in the field.
The academic area of study in Health Science is part of the total program of the College of Health and Human Services. Students pursue a concentration of courses leading to a degree with specialization and job skills applicable to community settings, health care administration, occupational health and safety, and other health related fields. The faculty continues to support the idea of broad based professional preparation such that graduates will have wider appeal in the job market.
Students can expect to be involved, both in class and field experiences, in areas that deal with significant issues such as health care costs, consumer related issues, drug related problems, sexuality related matters, non-intentional injury causes and prevention, and other personal, occupational, and community health and safety issues as well as management, business and administration skills in the health care administration option.