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Psychology

Overview

School of Arts and Sciences  /  Psychology

Psychology helps us shine light on different ways of thinking.

When you study in the Psychology Department, you are choosing much more than job training; you are choosing to explore a variety of perspectives on and ways of making sense of the world in which we live. As a psychology major, you will develop a firm foundation in the science of psychology that you can apply to a wide range of careers.

Courses in this Major

Students enjoy a wide range of interesting and unique courses including:

PSY 220: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

This course is an introductory course surveying the principal forms of mental disorders, with emphasis on causes, symptoms, and treatment. An analysis of the program of maladaptive behavior and the study of certain personality and behavior patterns.

PSY 230: INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

This course offers a study of the application of psychological principles and theories to organizational settings. Topics examined include research methodology, employee selection and assessment, leadership, motivation, job satisfaction, and characteristics of the workplace that affect employee and organizational well-being

PSY 245: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

This course addresses selected topics in the area of forensic psychology. The focus of the course will center on the theory, science, applications, and practices of psychology in the criminal justice system. Topics will include police and investigative psychology, family forensic psychology, psychology of crime and delinquency, legal psychology, expert witness testimony, and issues related to corrections.

PSY 260: SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Students will be introduced to concepts in sport psychology. Issues of individual athletes, athletic teams, and sport psychology interventions are discussed. Students are introduced to conceptualizing and presenting sport psychology issues and interventions

PSY 360: HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

This course is an overview of key topics, theories, and issues in Health Psychology. Topics include stress, eating, exercise, coping, and the effect of individual traits and psychological/social processes on health. Previously, this special topics course focused exclusively on stress. It has been extended to reflect trends in the fields of psychology and managed care. The intent is to help students become more prepared for entry into graduate school, medical school, or a professional setting.

PSY 415: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

How do we acquire, store, retrieve, and use knowledge? This course investigates how we make sense of our experience by examining classic and contemporary theory and research in human information processing, the representation and organization of knowledge, and the use of higher cognitive skills. Topics may include attention, perception, memory, imagery, language, problem solving, creativity, reasoning, and decision making.

More courses can be found in the course catalog.

From 2016 – 2026 the number of job opportunities in psychology are expected to increase 14%

— Bureau of Labor Statistics

Blaze Your Own Path

Career Paths

Students seek a bachelor’s degree in psychology for many reasons. Our Psychology Department focuses on training students in scientific thinking that can be applied to a wide variety of topics. This allows for a flexible skill set that can be applied to many settings, and allows students to adapt to the ever-changing job market. The breadth of the faculty expertise allows the student with an unsure path to explore many aspects of the field. Our graduates have utilized the program to their full advantage, and find themselves working for noteworthy employers such as:

  • National Institutes of Health
  • Federal Prison System
  • United States Air Force
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

A degree in psychology can also take you places other than a therapist’s office. Our students have explored careers in:

  • Sales
  • Marketing
  • Labor
  • Personnel and training
  • Business
  • Education

Career Paths

Career Paths

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Research

There are many opportunities for students to become involved in research. Department faculty have active research programs in areas such as clinical, cognitive, developmental, industrial/organizational, and social psychology, as well as in the fields of counseling and marriage and family therapy.

You can become involved in research in our department in a variety of ways. You can do research with an individual faculty member, assist a graduate student with a project, become part of a faculty member’s research team, or, once you have the necessary coursework and experience, conduct a study of your own under a faculty member’s direct supervision. Students who have conducted research in our department have presented their findings at national conferences as well as a variety of conferences hosted by La Salle.

Research

Research

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Graduate School

For students who want to explore a career as a psychologist, professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist, an advanced degree and licensure are required. After leaving your undergraduate studies at La Salle, you’ll be prepared to take the next steps in your journey.

La Salle is home to two distinctive master’s degree programs that will move you forward in your career. These programs include:

  • M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • M.A. in Professional Clinical Counseling

In addition, we offer a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. Other universities our graduates have studied at include:

  • Columbia University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School

Graduate School

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I am an Explorer

David J. Falcone, Ph.D.

David J. Falcone, Ph.D.

David J. Falcone, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology.  He studied at the University of Dayton before moving on to Western Illinois University where he received a master’s degree in psychology.  Subsequently, he attended the University of Kentucky to attain a doctoral degree in psychology.  His major areas of interest in research and teaching have changed over […]

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David J. Falcone, Ph.D.

David J. Falcone, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology.  He studied at the University of Dayton before moving on to Western Illinois University where he received a master’s degree in psychology.  Subsequently, he attended the University of Kentucky to attain a doctoral degree in psychology.  His major areas of interest in research and teaching have changed over the years, and have included questions in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and personality. After almost 40 years of teaching at La Salle, he now thinks of himself as a generalist, and reads and studies in a variety of areas with the aim of bringing a deeper story to his classroom. His personal life includes volunteer work and performances as an acoustic-fingerstyle guitarist and vocalist in the Philadelphia area.

Beyond the Classroom

Clubs
Clubs

Get active and enliven your student experience

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Clubs

La Salle offers a wide variety of clubs to meet the needs of our student body. With over 120 clubs and organization our campus is buzzing with student activity.

Psychology majors may be interested in joining:

Psychology club

Psychology Club is a club that works to connect individuals who are interested in psychology. Meetings are held to discuss various opportunities and information about graduate school.

Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society

This is an honor society for students to recognize their excellence in psychology. Joining Psi Chi will allow psychology students many professional opportunities and information about graduate school and advances in the field of psychology.

Explore all 120 Clubs and Organizations >

Annual Showcase for the Science of Psychology and its Application
Annual Showcase for the Science of Psychology and its Application

Celebrate and interact with the psychology community on campus

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Annual Showcase for the Science of Psychology and its Application

In 1979, La Salle University celebrated the 100th anniversary of psychology by awarding honorary degrees to three prominent psychologists: Anne Anastasi, Frank Barron, and Neal Miller. That same year, Frank Barron, an internationally known expert on creativity and an alumnus of La Salle, delivered the first in a series of Grimes Lectures. The Grimes Lecture honors Brother Vincent Grimes, F.S.C., Ph.D., founder and first Chair of La Salle’s Psychology Department and founder of the Counseling Center at La Salle University.

Since then, the department has continued the tradition by inviting a prominent member in the field of psychology each year to deliver the lecture. Previous lecturers have included Arnold Lazarus, Stanley Milgram, Neal Miller, Howard Gardner, Laurence Steinberg, Susan Fiske, Sarah Pressman, Roy Baumeister, and others.

Prior to the lecture, undergraduate and graduate students exhibit their latest research in a poster session. Following the poster session, the department presents the Dondero Award, given in honor of Brother John P. Dondero, F.S.C., to an alumnus or alumna of one of La Salle’s Psychology Department programs. The recipient must be active in the field in which the science of psychology is applied, have a record of distinguished service in the field, actively promote opportunities for individuals to develop their full potential, and provide a role model to others in the field through his or her accomplishments. The presentation of the Dondero Award is followed by the Grimes Lecture.

The annual Showcase takes place each spring.

Diversity Forum
Diversity Forum

Promote and discuss diversity among peers and professors

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Diversity Forum

The Diversity Forum is a Psychology Department event that aims to increase awareness and share knowledge with regard to diversity of culture, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographical location, physical and mental ability, nationality, age, and language through social science. The first Diversity Forum was held in 2011, and since then it has become an annual event held on La Salle’s Main Campus.

Attendance is free and open to the community. The evening begins with a poster session exhibiting students’ research that explores variables related to diversity. This poster session is followed by a guest speaker and/or panel. The evening concludes with a Poster Awards ceremony to honor exemplary student projects.

92% of graduates are employed, volunteering full-time through service programs or pursuing additional education full time within one year of graduation.

100% of full-time psychology faculty at La Salle hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field.

Ranked in the Top 25, Most Transformative Colleges and on the “Best Colleges for Your Money” list.

Listed Top 4% nationally in 10-year earnings by Georgetown's Center for Education and the Workforce.

More Information About This Major

Major Requirements

Course Catalog

Scholarship Information

American Psychological Association

Faculty Directory

Have You Considered?

Majors
  • Criminal Justice
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders: 4-Year (B.S.)
  • Nursing
  • Public Health
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