Psychology
(Printable version)
Are you attracted to careers devoted to helping others live more satisfying lives? Then the psychology major is an excellent choice. You’ll gain skills, knowledge and understanding of the human experience to assist individuals and groups through difficult life situations. These situations include drug abuse, domestic violence, behavioral and emotional programs, as well as cognitive and physical disabilities.
Why UW-Eau Claire
Through small classroom discussions, hands-on learning and research projects, UW-Eau Claire will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to seek an advanced degree or a psychology-related career.
Excellent facilities
UW-Eau Claire has excellent facilities, including state-of-the-art human and animal laboratories, rooms equipped for group or individual experiments, and behavior observation rooms with videotape equipment.
Helping others
Many students select volunteer, for-credit, or paid work experiences that allow them to help others, gain skills and explore interests related to psychology. Examples of such experiences include: service learning projects that enable you to work with specific populations, such as survivors of domestic abuse, and school-age children, or older adults involved in campus programs, such as Counseling Services’ peer counselors, or the Center for Awareness of Sexual Assault
(CASA); employment through an area hospital, the Eau Claire Academy, or other businesses/organizations. Many services in the area recruit applicants through UW-Eau Claire’s Career Services.
Hands-on experience
Students also gain hands-on experience at our on-campus counseling center and off-campus locations such as a center for the developmentally disabled, a treatment center for children with emotional disabilities, halfway houses and a crisis intervention service.
Campus Autism program
The Campus Autism program at UW-Eau Claire brings together psychology students and families with children with autism to offer intensive behavioral intervention. Professional therapists emphasize teaching communication skills and intervention techniques, and educating caregivers about how to help their child make progress. Student therapists provide personalized treatment services in a fun teaching environment. Approximately 20 UW-Eau Claire psychology majors work with children through the program.
Majors
Psychology
- liberal arts
- Behavior Analysis
Minors
Psychology- liberal arts
Course work
In addition to a variety of general education courses in communications, social sciences, natural sciences and humanities, all psychology majors and minors are required to take the following core courses in psychology:
- General Psychology
- Psychology as a
Discipline and
Profession
- Statistics
- Research Methods
- History and Systems
- Senior Research
Seminar
Elective courses within the major may be organized around students’ interests and career goals. The department offers courses in the following areas: clinical/counseling, developmental, social, personality, behavior genetics, evolutionary, physiological, motivation, cognition, learning, language, gender, and the applied areas of behavior analysis, education and aging.
More advising information
Our graduates
Many UW-Eau Claire psychology majors continue academic study and obtain graduate degrees so that they can work as academic or practicing psychologists. Psychology students are also well prepared to pursue a variety of careers in diverse fields immediately following graduation because of having developed the skills that employers identify as highly desirable.
Places you’ll find recent graduates:
- Program Coordinator,
Alternative for People with
Autism, St. Paul, MN
- Child Life Specialist, Mayo
Clinic, Rochester, MN
More career information
Department contact information
Lori Bica
bicala@uwec.edu
715-836-5733
Course Requirements:
- Psyc 281 Intro to Behavior Analysis and Therapy
- Psyc 312 Experimental Analysis of Behavior
- Psyc 390 Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis
Supervised Experience:
- Psyc 480/481 Internship in Applied Behavior Analysis (six months of supervised experience)
Certification Examination:
Certification is awarded after successful completion of the National Certification Examination.
