Majoring in Psychology
Marietta's Psychology program sparks curiosity about human behavior and transforms it into a career that can change lives.
Marietta's Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program prepares students for various careers. The beauty of a degree in psychology is its flexibility. You might decide to conduct scientific research that helps explain human behavior and thought processes. You might choose to apply your psychological knowledge to improve people's lives. Or you might join the business world — understanding human behavior can lead to groundbreaking changes in the global business world.
While at Marietta, you'll work with award-winning professors who are passionate about psychology and who teach it through close, mentoring relationships with students. Psychology majors can collaborate with faculty and graduate students in our Social-Cognition Lab, conduct their own projects, present their work at professional psychology conferences, and compete for summer research fellowships.
Whatever path you choose, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Marietta will give you the intellectual and professional skills needed for advanced graduate training or to immediately enter a meaningful career.
"My experience at Marietta was strongly shaped by my Psychology professors. When I was looking at colleges, I chose Marietta because it felt like a place where the professors truly cared about their students and where you wouldn’t just be a random face."
Megan Hendrich ’17, MAP’19
Member and Program Manager/Research Manager
IPSOS
A group of 13 undergraduate and graduate students from Marietta College’s Department of Psychology presented cutting-edge psychological research at the Annual Research Conference of the Eastern Psychological Association in Philadelphia.
The stigma of Schizophrenia: Is mental illness like any other? Presented by Dr. Mark Sibicky, undergraduate Psychology majors Jillian Strecansky and Lindsey McCoy, and Psychology graduate student Tia Jarvis.
Well-being and health attitudes: Do personal characteristics intersect with place of residence? Presented by Dr. Kristi Barnes, undergraduate Ava Kazmierczak ’25, and graduate student Mia Wiggs ’26.
Eye-tracking behavior associated with unsupervised learning of integral-color categories. Presented by Dr. Doan, undergraduate Neuroscience student Alyssa Mays ’24, and undergraduate student Demi Mills ’25.
What You’ll Learn as a Psychology Major
We believe that psychology is a space for inspiration. We aim to enable students to boldly approach the challenges of studying human behavior, explore new intellectual terrain, and discover new ideas.
Engaging Curriculum
Our psychology students seek out a challenge and are unafraid of intellectual puzzles. From the very first year, students in the Psychology program uncover the fascinating intricacies of the human mind through classes on human sexuality and the psychology of sport.
As students advance, they are encouraged to follow their passion through various challenging elective courses that focus on topics such as the psychology of good and evil. In the final year of the program, students are encouraged to seek answers to their most burning questions through directed research.
Experiential Education
Our robust internship program allows students to explore their curiosity through real-world experiences that build skills for future career paths. Recently, our students have interned at Westbrook Health Services, Marietta Middle School, and the County Prosecutor's Office. Faculty and advisors work with students to help them find the right internships to meet their aspirations.
By graduation, psychology majors will be fully equipped to turn their passion for human behavior into a fulfilling life path through either advanced graduate research or by stepping immediately into their careers.
3+2 Psychology BA/MA Program
The Marietta College Master of Arts in Psychology (MAP) Program offers an academic curriculum in general psychology, as well as offering students the opportunity to pursue research in the areas of clinical, cognitive, social, physiological, or developmental psychology. The primary goal of the program is to provide students with a strong graduate-level foundation in general psychology. The program is designed to prepare students to pursue further education in psychology at the Ph.D. level or to seek employment at the master’s level in a related field.
The program is designed for successful completion over the course of two academic years. Additionally, a five-year combined Bachelor/Master of Arts degree program is offered. The program consists of 36 hours of courses composed of A 24-hour core of traditional academically oriented graduate courses in psychology, six hours of experiential electives related to a professional experience in psychology, and six hours of empirical thesis research, including a successful thesis defense to a two-member committee.
- Outcomes — Internships
- Westbrook Health Services
- Marietta Middle School
- County Prosecutor's Office
- Family & Children First
- Eve Inc.
- Marietta Memorial Hospital
- Child Protective Services
- Outcomes — Graduate Programs
- Marietta College — MAP Program
- University of Cincinnati — School of Psychology
- University of Towson (Maryland) — Experimental Psychology
- Xavier University – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Sam Houston State University — Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
- Ohio Northern University Law School — Juris Doctor
- Outcomes — Professions
- Cleveland Clinic
- Crisis Services & Suicide Prevention
- ICF International
- Institute for Defense Analyses
- Jefferson University Hospital
- Kent State University
- Marietta Memorial Hospital
- West Virginia Department of Human Services
- Outcomes — Undergraduate Research Topics
- The Effects of Yoga and Meditation on Mental Health
- Does Induced Mindfulness Affect Implicit Learning?
- The Effect of Taste on Moral Judgment
- Perceptions of Male Victims of Domestic Violence by Socio-Economic Status
- Free Will Beliefs and Performance on a Visual Motor Task
- Modern Day Evil Monsters: Common Misconceptions About Serial Killers
- Exploring Unsupervised Categorization of Integral-Dimension Color Stimuli
- Facilities
Mills Hall is home to Marietta College’s Department of Psychology, which consists of the Psychology and Neuroscience undergraduate programs, plus graduate programs in General Psychology and, in 2020, Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The facility includes a new human research laboratory equipped with one-way observational windows and video recording equipment for individual and group research. It also offers individual research cubicles equipped with computers and software for data collection and test administration. The Developmental Lab and Family Center allows students and faculty to conduct research with children.
FAQs
- Are there research opportunities on campus?
Yes! Students have many opportunities to conduct individual, team and faculty-led research projects, as well as present their research during All Scholars Day and at professional conferences. Mills Hall, which houses the Psychology Department, also features a human research lab that's equipped with one-way observational windows, video recording equipment, and research cubicles equipped with computers and software for data collection and test administration. The Developmental Lab and Family Center allows students and faculty to conduct research with children.
- Are there any grants or fellowships available to help pay for my research projects?
Yes! Marietta offers a number of grant opportunities to help pay for research materials and travel costs associated with presenting at professional conferences. The Career Center helps students learn about various Experiential Education Awards.