Psychology

Psychology majors at Mount St. Joseph University investigate human behavior and mental processes in a discipline that employers value.

The psychology program provides excellent preparation for careers in mental health, child development, psychological research, human resources, education and more. This major is also a strong choice for students who plan to pursue graduate school in psychology or related fields, such as law, social work or physical therapy. The major focuses on the theories, research techniques, and applications of the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes, as we emphasize development of critical thinking and research skills.

Why Choose the Mount for Psychology?

NEW: Psychology Tracks!

In addition to our general psychology major, you can choose to specialize in a specific area of psychology with our psychology advising tracks. We will help prepare you for a career and/or graduate school in one of the following tracks:

Business and Psychology

Explore connections between psychology and business, with an emphasis on consumer behavior, marketing, and management. Potential careers include marketing researcher, advertising sales representative, account manager, human resources manager, consumer psychologist (MA, PhD), and industrial/organizational psychologist (MA, PhD)

Clinical/Counseling Psychology

Focuses on causes and treatments for mental, behavioral, and emotional problems. Potential careers include clinical research coordinator, case manager, certified mental health professional (CHMP), chemical dependency counselor, children’s services case worker, licensed professional counselor (MA or MS), marriage and family counselor (MA or MS), and clinical psychologist (PhD or PsyD)

Criminal/Forensic Psychology

Focuses on connections between the criminal justice system and psychology. Potential careers include victim’s advocate, corrections or parole officer, asset protection manager, criminal records researcher, police officer, forensic psychologist (MA, PhD), and lawyer (JD)

Health Psychology

Examines how psychological, social, and biological factors influence physical health. Example careers include behavioral health specialist, wellness program coordinator, clinical research coordinator, chemical dependency counselor, clinical health psychologist (PhD), public health professional (MA, PhD), primary care psychologist (PhD)

School Psychology

School psychologists work in school settings to help promote student learning and teaching effectiveness. Becoming a school psychologist requires completing either a specialist-level graduate program (typically three years) or a doctoral graduate program (often five to six years).

Sport Psychology

Explores connections between psychology and athletic performance. Potential careers include strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer, sport psychology consultant (MA), mental performance consultant (MA, PhD), and sport psychologist (MA, PhD)

Health Professions Tracks

The psychology major, with some additional courses in the natural sciences, is an excellent choice for students who plan to pursue graduate study in the following health professions:

Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Public Health

A Place Where Psychology Students Climb Higher:

MSJ Psychology seniors have won numerous regional and national awards from Psi Chi (the psychology national honor society) for presenting exceptional research at professional conferences.
MSJ Psychology students can work at a variety of co-op placements, including the #3 ranked hospital in the nation (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center).
MSJ Psychology students can shape their education by pursuing their own passions. Current projects include Autism Awareness and investigation into Misophonia.

“ In the summer before my sophomore year, I got to do a practicum at Children's Hospital and it was a really neat experience. I got to observe a clinical psychologist and their daily operations, and score the diagnostic tests they give to clients, patients, and their families. I collaborated with students from different psychology programs in the Cincinnati area. And I also got to do a project researching the link between autism and sensory processing disorder. Amber Reinert '21

“

My second co-op was at Mount St. Joseph in the Human Resources Department. In this co-op, I helped develop a mentor program for staff and faculty at the Mount, where those who are more senior can help the people earlier on in their careers. I helped developed the general idea, researched what other organizations are doing in this area, and drafted training sessions for the mentors. I also worked on projects to improve diversity and inclusion at MSJ, and researched federal work-study opportunities for students.

Lacey Bickett '21

Career and Co-op Potential

Hands-On Experience

Cooperative Education:

Students gain valuable experience with the Mount’s extensive cooperative education and internship programs. Many students receive job offers as a result of their co-op experiences. Gain valuable experience and earn money with the Mount’s extensive cooperative education program. Co-op placements have included:

Assisting with group counseling in community mental health agencies
Coordinating clinical research in local hospitals
Providing education and support to children with developmental disabilities.

Hear Hanne Driscoll describe her co-op experiences in the video below:

Senior Thesis Projects:

In our Senior Thesis course, students get to design and conduct their own research project, which they can present at a professional psychology conference where they can meet researchers from across the country and the world. This experience gives our students a competitive advantage when they apply for jobs or graduate school.

See Taylor Weber describe her thesis project.
Listen to Kory Phelps describe his senior thesis and his experience presenting it at a professional conference in the video below:

Check out some of our Psychology Seniors presenting their Senior Thesis Posters:

Research with Faculty:

Students also have the opportunity to work with our award-winning faculty on their research projects. For example, listen to Kory Phelps describe his experience conducting research with Dr. Tracy McDonough related to The Schizophrenia Oral History Project, a project that has attracted international attention:

Career Potential

A survey of our recent psychology graduates showed that 100% of them had either obtained full-time employment or were pursuing graduate study.

Our psychology graduates have had incredible success in graduate school and in a variety of bachelors-degree careers, including:

Mental health specialist
Therapeutic service provider
Clinical research coordinator
Children's center supervisor
Pretrial officer
Human resources manager
Boys and girls club director
Professional recruiter

Students have pursued graduate degrees in clinical, school, and developmental psychology, as well as social work, law, and physical therapy. Visit our Alumni Careers webpage to see examples of our graduates’ careers.

Alumni Profile:

Dr. Debra Reisinger is Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics with a joint appointment in the Division of Child Development at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Children's Hospital Child Development Center. She obtained her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina, and she completed an internship at the prestigious Kennedy Krieger Institute and a postdoctoral fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is known for her research on neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, fragile X syndrome). Dr. Reisinger believes the Mount's psychology program continuously challenged, inspired, and guided her toward her current career path in psychology. She says “the faculty were exceptionally supportive and knowledgeable,” and that she was able to develop excellent research, clinical, and practical skills in her classes, co-op, and practicum at the Mount.

PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY

Tim Lawson

Ph.D. Professor

Tracy McDonough

Ph.D. Professor and Chairperson

Jim Bodle

Ph.D. Professor

Kory Phelps

M.S., B.S. Instructor

Internationally Recognized Faculty:

Dr. Tim Lawson, Dr. Jim Bodle, & Dr. Tracy McDonough have all won MSJ’s top teaching award and Ohio magazine’s Excellence in Education award.
Dr. Lawson was recognized as one of the top psychology professors in country, winning the Robert S. Daniel Teaching Excellence Award from American Psychological Association. Dr. Lawson’s research has received international recognition and has been cited in more than 180 other publications. He is also recognized as one of the nation’s top contributors to the journal Teaching of Psychology.
Dr. Lawson & Dr. Bodle’s work on psychological critical thinking has been incorporated into the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major.
Dr. McDonough’s research with The Schizophrenia Oral History Project has been featured in The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology and several episodes of WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition. She has an international reputation for this distinctive project, collaborating with researchers in Europe and Asia.

Featured Courses

Abnormal Psychology

This course covers characteristics, etiology and treatment of psychological and emotional problems. Students will develop a basic knowledge of psychopathology, and emphasis will be placed on reviewing treatments supported by current research. Throughout the course of the semester, students will also develop foundational skills in writing academic literature reviews.

Biological Psychology

The physiological basis of behavior and mental processes. Includes neurophysiology, sense organs, neurotransmitters, and pathological maladies.

Lifespan Development

A comprehensive study of human development from conception through death. Theories and research including physical, cognitive and psychosocial aspects of development.

Cognition and Memory

In this course, students will examine the major ideas and theories regarding human cognition and memory. This will include Information Processing, Parallel Distributed Processing, Semantic Networks, Neural Networks, Fuzzy Set Theories, as well as both implicit and explicit approaches. Students will examine this material through class discussions, activities and research projects both in and out of class.

Research I and II

An introduction to psychological research emphasizing ethics and the integration of research design and statistics. Observational, correlational and survey research are explored in conjunction with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.

A continuation of PSY 375. Use of more advanced research designs and statistical methods. Includes experimental design, single-subject research, and quasi-experimental methods.

Social Psychology

The study of how we think about, relate to and influence one another. Social perception, attitudes, social influence, prejudice, aggression, and attraction are examined.

NEWS AND UPDATES

Stay up to date with the most recent psychology program news and events; visit the Department of Psychology page.

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS IN THE NEWS:

Seniors Presentations at Professional Conferences

This year, four of our seniors--Kamryn Magee, Amber Reiner, Zenbech Seifu, and Leah Falco--all had their senior thesis projects accepted for presentation at a professional psychology conference (The Southwestern Psychological Association conference)! In addition, they won the following two awards:

Zen Seifu – SWPA Student Research Competition Finalist (for being “an exemplar of high-quality student work”). Zen will present her thesis in a special Undergraduate Student Showcase session at the conference.
Kamryn Magee – Psi Chi Regional Research Award (these awards are extremely competitive; out of hundreds of undergraduate students who submit projects to the conference, only 16 of these awards are handed out). Kamryn will present her thesis in a special Psi Chi Research Awards session at the conference.

FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE NEWS:

Dr. Tracy McDonough, Ph.D. was recently interviewed for PsychCentral: The History of Schizophrenia

PsychCentral: The History of Schizophrenia

Dr. Tim Lawson was recently interviewed about his beer brewing process and awards!

Dr. Tim Lawson's Beer Brewing Journey

Dr. Tracy McDonough, the new Chair of the Psychology Department, was recently featured twice on PSYCOM.net about Can I Inherit Schizophrenia? & What is Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder?

Dr. Tracy McDonough: The New Psychology Chairperson at Mount Saint Joseph University

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