Psychology
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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
With a bilingual psychology curriculum designed to adhere to American Psychological Association (APA) Standards, our Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree program will prepare you for a career in a variety of fields—from human resources and health care to sales, education, and customer service. Our Bachelor’s degree in Psychology program aims to impart a broad knowledge of psychology and the skills you will need to work with people in diverse settings. This psychology program features a flexible curriculum with online bachelor’s degree programs in psychology for working adults.
Alumni’s Jobs with a Bachelor’s in Psychology
With the help of our Career and Transfer Center, our graduates who have received a college degree in psychology have found careers in a variety of fields:
Adult and Elderly Care
Our graduates have worked with adults and the elderly. Usually, these roles involve counseling. Older individuals might need assistance with processing aging, grief, or concerns that primarily affect elderly people, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinsons’.
Children and Youth
Many of our graduates have become child psychologists. This role can be performed in schools, private practices, nonprofits, healthcare settings, or government agencies. As a child psychologist, you can specialize in different areas, such as children with learning disabilities, children who have experienced trauma at home, children with health conditions, and more.
Community Advocacy, Referral, and Social Services
Along with our social work bachelor’s program, a college degree in psychology prepares you for working in a community helping push state and local advocacy for marginalized populations.
Criminal Justice and Law
A bachelor’s degree in psychology provides students with the foundational skills needed to start a career in criminal justice. Using a critical approach to criminality and psychological factors, you too can eventually have a career as a forensic psychologist.
Education Drug, Alcohol, and Chemical Dependency
This degree can help you be on your way to having credentials in addiction psychology, and eventually prepare you for graduate-level courses in addiction psychology and chemical dependency.
Mental Health
A BA in psychology is crucial if you want to help treat others who are suffering from mental health issues, as many of our graduates have ended up doing. The courses we offer prepare you to treat clients with mental health issues, preparing you from intake onwards.
Mental Retardation
Our degree has prepared students to assist those with mental retardation. This has been done through educating parents, individual and group therapy, behavior modification, and more.
Graduate and Professional School
Many of our alumni have also gone on to graduate school to get either their master’s or doctorate in psychology, helping them to further their education and their career opportunities in the wide-ranging field of psychology and mental health treatments.
To help you succeed in this multilingual academically rigorous program, our social science faculty will provide academic advising and registration completion assistance for all BA in Psychology students accepted to upper-level courses for the program to assist all nontraditional learners. Advisors will be available Monday-Saturday during registration before the beginning of each semester.
Acceptance Requirements to the BA in Psychology Program and Upper-Level Courses:
- Completion of the College’s General Core Curriculum requirements in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences with:
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 with a grade of “C” or better in all coursework attempted;
- A grade of “B” or better in ENG 162 (Composition II), ENG 165 (Speech), and a grade of “C” or better in MAT 225 (Introductory Statistics);
- Submission of a formal application, including a 300-word statement explaining the student’s interest in the program and professional goals;
- Submission of two letters of recommendation.
Practicum in Psychology
As a student in the BA in Psychology program, you will be required to complete a Field Experience Practicum during the 16-week course PSY 450 Senior Seminar. As part of this hands-on experience, you will learn and apply skills during a semester of structured practicum experiences—completing 200 hours of supervised experience during your senior seminar (PSY 450) in locations approved by a faculty advisor. In a similar fashion to the learning goals for a social work internship, you use coursework you’ve been taught and will learn how to apply it in real-world scenarios. Practicum courses involve some classroom time in which students will discuss ethics, share learning experiences, and review skill development and proficiency.
Advanced Paraprofessional Psychologist in Domestic Violence Certificate at St. Augustine College
Advanced Paraprofessional Psychologist in Domestic Violence Certificate at St. Augustine College
The Advanced Paraprofessional Psychology certificate program in the Domestic Violence Program is designed to help students develop the essential skills to help them enter the field of psychology and support the mental health needs of survivors of abuse. With relevant foundational topics, students will gain the required knowledge to provide culturally competent and responsive treatment to children, adults, and families, especially within the Latino/a/x community that has encountered intimate partner violence.
The 1-year Certificate in psychology is bilingual, Spanish-English, and is advantageous for students, who are dual-language speakers (Spanish and English). This preparation trains St. Augustine College certificate and degree completers the ability to work in bilingual environments with bilingual domestic violence survivors, as many government social institutions currently do not offer reliable services in Spanish.
At the psychology certificate completion, students will be able to:
- Develop and implement caseworker responsibilities in Domestic Violence agencies
- Assist in case management in Child Welfare and with placement caseworkers
- Serve as a survivor’s advocate
- Work as a community organizer and officer
- Assist as social services aide
In addition, each of the courses for the psychology certification also applies as credits toward the associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. You may even find it easier to continue and obtain the certificate and the degree on this same track.
Requirements
After completing the general education requirement course during the first two years of study, students will be required to complete eight psychology-specific courses. This will allow students to complete all the required 32 credit hours in one year. Below are the courses included in this certificate:
PSY 201 – Writing for Psychology 4 credit hours
PSY 270 – Theories of Personality 4 credit hours
PSY 300 – Cross-Cultural Factors in Mental Health 4 credit hours
PSY 310 – Tests and Measurements 4 credit hours
PSY 320 – Behavioral Statistics 4 credit hours
PSY 325 – Neuro-Cognitive Psychology 4 credit hours
PSY 330 – Forensic Psychology 4 credit hours
PSY 303 – Domestic Violence 4 credit hours
Total of = 32 Credit Hours
Why take this Psychology Certificate Program at St. Augustine College?
The career outlook is very positive for Domestic Violence Counselors, including certified workers. The United States Bureau of Labor projects that the field of Domestic Violence and Abuse Counseling will grow by 19%. In the case of the Advanced Paraprofessional in Domestic Violence certificate, the average salary after graduation with the Bachelor’s degree in Psychology is expected to be between $38,576 – $46,000.
- One-year minimum career specialization program
- Prepare quickly for an entry-level position in the field
- Open the door to meaningful and rewarding experiences
- Earn college credits towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Psychology
- Small class sizes where students know each other by name
- Dedicated student support service that will help the students go through the program
- Friendly and highly qualified faculty
- The learning environment and campus life is community-oriented
- Hy-Flex teaching modality (students choose whether to attend on campus or online)
- Financial Aid is available if you qualify
Empowered to Succeed
As a graduate of the BA in Psychology program, you will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems.
- Respect and use critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes. Use reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments and other persuasive appeals.
- Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. Interact effectively and sensitively with people of diverse abilities, backgrounds, and cultural perspectives.
- Communicate effectively and demonstrate writing skills in various formats (e.g., essays, correspondence, technical papers, note taking) and for various purposes (e.g., informing, defending, explaining, persuading, arguing, teaching effective oral communication skills in various formats (e.g., group discussion, debate, lecture) and for various purposes. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills.
- Apply psychological content and skills to career goals; exhibit self-efficacy and self-regulation; refine project management skills; enhance teamwork capacity; and develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.
*The above 5 program outcomes reflect the 5 learning goals identified in the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major-Version 2.0 (2012).
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BA in Psychology FAQ:
A: This is a typical 4 year program, composed of 120 total credit hours that can be taken at your own pace. St. Augustine prides itself on being a college for adults who want to receive a higher education.
A: Yes! The Psychology Bachelor’s degree program is offered both online and in person. Our online model is a real-time live stream of the courses, giving the flexibility needed for adult learners and nontraditional students to learn completely online, in-person, or a combination of both.
A: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts growth in the field. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is valued in various business fields, such as Human Resources, behavioral health, sales, and customer service. A wide range of jobs and careers await graduates of our Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program, including positions in the following areas:
- Adult and Elderly Care
- Children and Youth
- Community Advocacy
- Referral, and Social Services;
- Criminal Justice and Law
- Education
- Drug, Alcohol, and Chemical Dependency
- Mental Health;
- Mental Retardation
- Graduate and Professional School
A: The primary difference between a BA in Psychology and a BS in Psychology is that a BA degree usually involves more liberal arts courses in your curriculum, while a BS in psychology is more focused on math and science requirements.
A: A Bachelor of Arts in Psychology prepares you to start a career in psychology. Usually, a BA in psychology allows you to immediately enter the workforce in either social services, marketing, or human resources. This bachelor’s degree in psychology helps you focus on critical thinking and analytical skills that are crucial for a career in psychology.
Associate of Arts (AA), Psychology Concentration
Our Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences degree curriculum* with a Psychology concentration lays the foundation for a career in psychology, providing you with an understanding of key psychological concepts. There is a wide range of professional paths available in the field of psychology, including human resources, business, marketing, and jobs in social services. The Psychology concentration is often a foundation for pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in the field.
*The general education core for this degree complies with the guidelines of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)
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Concentration in Psychology FAQ:
A: This 2-year Psychology program is comprised of 60 total credit hours that can be taken at your leisure. St. Augustine prides itself on being a college for adults who want to receive a higher education.
A: St. Augustine College offers an Associate of Arts degree program in Liberal Arts & Sciences with seven (7) concentrations, one focusing on Psychology.
The Psychology Concentration in our AA in Liberal Arts & Sciences prepares students for milestones after graduation, whether that’s a new career after graduation, or transferring to a Bachelor’s Degree program in liberal arts.
A: The Associate of Arts degree in psychology is ideal for students seeking to understand basic psychological concepts and explore careers in psychology or related fields. It’s also a great stepping stone for pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
A: Yes, credits earned in the Associate of Arts psychology degree program can be transferred to our BA in Psychology program or other undergraduate programs, providing a seamless pathway to a bachelor’s degree.
A: Graduates with an Associate of Arts degree in psychology find opportunities in fields such as human resources, administrative support, and sales, where understanding of human behavior is valued. It also prepares students for further study in psychology or related disciplines.
Meet the Psychology Program Director
Professor Greg Benson-Florez
Resources
Learn more about how you can receive SAC’s Bachelor’s degree in psychology below, and how St. Augustine’s programs have helped others.
Success Stories: As the number one school in Illinois in raising students’ income, and second higher graduation rate than comparable institutions in Chicago, we are proud to present a few of our outstanding students below who have stood out and demonstrated St. Augustine’s dedication to success.
Career & Transfer Center: St. Augustine is not just a college, it’s a launchpad for you and your career. Contact our staff to receive assistance related to jobs, interviews, or internships.
Community: Our community is built on inclusivity and diversity. Regardless of someone’s background, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Success Stories
Empowering students to thrive in today’s competitive world.
