Psychology info sheet

PSYCHOLOGY

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The Dordt Difference Psychology will train you to understand human behavior and mental life so you can help restore people to wholeness. At Dordt, we believe that people are created in the image of God and are made up of different dimensions—biological, emotional, social, spiritual. We will challenge you to think about what it means to be human, helping you understand how psychological research can show us more about how God created us—and help us live whole and healthy lives.

Our program emphasizes faith, community, and service. You’ll find that a strong sense of community develops between students and professors as we share classes, meals, movie nights, and field trips to graduate schools or mental health hospitals. As your insights and skills grow, we will encourage a commitment to service in the community by participating in service learning, volunteer, and field experiences.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT “As a school psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, I am often reminded of how much I appreciated my time at Dordt College, especially for the encouragement to look beyond the typical view of education. Although I completed my fair share of worthwhile papers, projects, and presentations, I most value Dordt for providing a place and comprehensive perspective to refine my abilities to think critically and to analyze and synthesize virtually any topic area and issue inside and outside my current area of study.”

Lynn Edwards Price, Class of ’09

OUR MISSION STATEMENT The psychology department seeks to disciple servants of Christ through a biblical and psychological understanding of persons.

For more information about our program go to www.dordt.edu/academics/ programs/psychology.

THE PROGRAM Dordt offers a strong major and minor in psychology. Our program will prepare you for both graduate training and careers related to psychology.

You will begin our program with a broad introduction to the field of psychology, which includes learning professional skills and attitudes. As you progress in the program, you will learn to evaluate psychological theories, interpersonal problems, and social issues from a Christian perspective so that you begin to gain insights on how to best serve in and transform our world.

As a psychology major you’ll participate in field experiences that help you apply and develop what you have learned in the classroom. You’ll explore careers, develop and evaluate your skills, and reflect on how your faith shapes your work.

Many students participate in semester-long, urban internships through the Chicago Semester program, where you can intern in hospitals, homeless shelters, welfare agencies, or businesses.

Whether you are interested in counseling or other areas of psychology, you will be mentored by professors who are experienced teachers, counselors, and researchers.

As a prospective psychology major, we encourage you to take high school writing, speech, and mathematics courses to develop your communication skills and problem-solving abilities. For a broader understanding of the nature of human beings, we recommend courses in psychology, human development, sociology, human biology, and literature.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Whether they enter human service careers or graduate programs, our psychology alumni consistently report feeling well-prepared by our program.

Human service agencies look for graduates who have the foundation in human understanding we offer.

Students graduating with a psychology degree from Dordt can expect to find positions as drug and alcohol abuse counselors, child care counselors, psychiatric behavior technicians, group workers, and camp counselors, among many other types of positions.

Students who wish to pursue a professional career in counseling or in college-level teaching find that the Dordt psychology major provides a strong foundation upon which to begin graduate training.

Our graduates hold advanced degrees in areas such as clinical psychology, school psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and neuroscience. Some of our alumni have also attended medical school, law school, seminary, and graduate programs in social work, nursing, and occupational therapy.

THE FACULTY Mark Christians, Ed.D., University of South Dakota. Mental health and personal development

Mark.Christians@dordt.edu

Luralyn Helming, Ph.D., University of South Dakota. Academic motivation, math anxiety, ability grouping Bruce Vermeer, Psy.D., Biola University. Geriatric neuropsychology, dementia, clinical practice issues For more information, go to www.dordt.edu/academics/programs/psychology/faculty.shtml.

September 2015

Luralyn.Helming@dordt.edu Bruce.Vermeer@dordt.edu