BA Psychology

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

SUNY Polytechnic Institute, New York’s premier public polytechnic, provides an innovative and affordable higher education for students interested in science, engineering, technology, business, healthcare, and other liberal arts offerings for a well-rounded approach to experiential learning. Our commitment to a hands-on education situates students with both the academic structure customary of undergraduate study and unique opportunities for training and cutting-edge research, ultimately providing learners an unmatched education targeted for success in our fast-changing world. SUNY Poly students enjoy public school tuition with benefits that many small, private institutions boast, including small class sizes, individualized learning experiences, and a tight-knit community.

The Program

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. Psychologists aim to discover the reasons behind why each of us thinks, acts and feels the way we do, and then use those reasons to forecast behavior and improve the human condition. With an emphasis on empirical research, our classes focus on how emerging studies in psychology improve basic knowledge and provide practical applications to everyday life and real-world situations.

The curriculum in psychology includes core classes in Principles of Psychology, Statistical Methods, Research Methods in Psychology, Analytical and Research Writing, and a capstone course entitled Senior Seminar in Psychology. Beyond these requirements, our program offers a flexible and diverse array of classes in psychology. Combined with our practicum and supervised research opportunities, we have specially designed our curriculum to allow students the opportunity to focus on classes and applied learning experiences that are particularly relevant to their goals and career aspirations post-graduation.

As majors progress through the curriculum, they take intermediate courses across the main subfields of psychology, including social psychology, developmental psychology, clinical/abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology and neuroscience. As juniors and seniors, students in the major can then choose which advanced upper-division courses they take as they prepare for graduation.

Collectively, our program at SUNY Poly develops the practical skills and advanced knowledge students need in order to contribute to the field of psychology in the 21st century.

Hands-on Learning

Our program provides opportunities for students to gain hands-on learning experiences in the field of psychology. We have a newly renovated human-subjects laboratory with state-of-the-art testing equipment to help students with their research. Students that participate in independent study and supervised undergraduate research coursework develop skills in human subjects testing and experimental design, data collection and statistical analyses, and professional writing and presentation. Our program also offers practicum/internship opportunities to juniors and seniors each spring semester, where students spend 10-12 hours/week working in professional psychology and mental health settings.

Graduate and Career Opportunities

Our recent alumni have been admitted into master’s degree programs in Counseling, Social Work, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Business Administration, as well as doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, and Neuroscience.

Graduates with a BA in Psychology also have the opportunity to pursue a number of career paths immediately after graduation, including employment in mental health, human services, social work, counseling, personnel administration, marketing, research and statistics, teaching, and business. Our alumni tell us that they gained many valuable skills as part of their academic preparation at SUNY Poly, including research, community outreach, program development, case management, social services, mental health counseling, crisis intervention, psychotherapy, statistical analysis, professional writing, public speaking, customer service and more.

What you’ll learn

I. Psychology Core Requirements

• PSY 100: Principles of Psychology

• P SY 310: Research Methods in Psychology

• P SY 493: Senior Seminar in Psychology

II. Statistics and Writing Core Requirements

• STA 100: Statistical Methods

• COM 308 Analytical & Research Writing

III. Intermediate Coursework: Clinical-Developmental-Social Cluster:

• PSY 220: Life-Span Developmental Psychology

• P SY 222: Abnormal Psychology

• P SY 242: Social Psychology

• PSY 331: Psychology of Personality

Cognitive-EvolutionaryNeuroscience Cluster:

• PSY 262: Learning and Motivation

• P SY 270: Cognitive Psychology

• PSY 280: Evolutionary Psychology

• PSY 355: Behavioral Neuroscience

IV. Elective Upper-Division Coursework

Examples:

• P SY 352: Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• P SY 360: Perception

• P SY 377: Health Psychology

• P SY 405: History of Psychology

• P SY 410: Forensic Psychology

• P SY 420: Parenting and Culture

• P SY 470: Psychological Testing

• P SY 477: Principles of Counseling

Access the SUNY Poly catalog at https://webapp.sunypoly.edu/undergradcatalog/ for specific courses and program requirements.

Our Campus

Located in Utica, NY, on hundreds of wooded and landscaped acres, SUNY Poly’s campus is a beautiful living and learning environment. Students live in our modern, spacious residential complexes, including the new Hilltop Hall, SUNY’s first zero-net carbon residence hall, and enjoy an expanding array of student-focused facilities that include our state-of-the-art Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing, Student Center, and Wildcat Field House. Life on campus is enriched by a wide variety of events and activities, including the Wildcats’ championship-winning intercollegiate athletics program, our Wildcat Esports team, and a weekly agenda of intramurals, concerts, comedians, and more. Students can join one of the dozens of clubs and organizations or start one with a group of friends who share an interest.