
The Psychology Major
The scientific study of human behavior, covering both abnormalities as well as the
healthy development of the mind, Psychology helps us to comprehend the complex and
varied range of human experience. Students are educated according to American Psychological
Association standards with a focus on cognitive, abnormal, developmental, and social
psychology.
While Psychology majors make great therapists, that’s far from the only way to use
this degree. Understanding why people act the way they do is useful for navigating
every facet of life, especially the workplace. Graduates may work in a healthcare
setting as a nurse, help schoolchildren with learning disabilities, or even support
organizations in understanding their employees and working more efficiently as a team.
Bryn Athyn combines scientific rigor with Swedenborgian teachings to form a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of the self and the world.
This cultivates within students a deep, meaningful, spiritual and empathetic understanding
of the human condition.
Major-specific skills that will prepare you for grad school:
- Physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social fluency
- Interdisciplinary psychology skills
- Historical knowledge of psychology
- Data collection
- Analysis
Transferable skills that will prepare you for a variety of careers:
- Data
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Public Speaking
- Information management
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Active listening
Psychology at Bryn Athyn
Students in the psychology program will learn about many facets of the field, including
cognitive, social, developmental, educational, and organizational psychology. The
psychology major is ideal for students who are eager to use the scientific method
and spirituality to understand what it means to be human. Throughout the program,
you will consider questions about conscience, moral development, and free will. Graduates
will emerge with superior communication skills, collaborative abilities, and technological
fluency.
The psychology faculty is constantly redefining the major based on student interest,
including integrating new courses, developing internships, and even collaborating
with other institutions for hands-on experiences. We can help undergraduates find
their perfect niche in psychology through our hands-on approach, guiding them not
only to use their degrees in careers that make sense for each student, but also utilize
these learnings throughout their lives.
Psychology majors are given many opportunities for hands-on learning. Projects and
internships may include opportunities to work under psychologists at nearby clinics,
assist with social skills training programs for autistic children, and work with individuals
with memory problems.
Our sponsored research includes collaborations with MIT and Harvard faculty on technological
advances within the study of autism, and grants to study the effect of concussions
on education. Psychology internships place students under the supervision of psychologists
working in the field, so students will experience the real-world practice of psychology
well before graduation. We also offer internships in non-clinical settings, such as
at the Philadelphia and Montgomery County courts.
Trajectories
Here's what graduates of Bryn Athyn's psychology program have done with their degrees:
Professional:
- Clinical Psychology
- Research
- Nursing
- Organizational Psychology
- Genetic Counseling
- Public Health
- Education
- Consulting
Graduate School:
- New York University
- Widener University
- Joseph’s College
- Rosemont College
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Temple University
Our Faculty
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Fernando Cavallo Instructor in Psychology
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Kurt Frey Assistant Professor of Psychology
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Laura Nash Head of Experiential and Physical Education /Internship and Career Planning/Faculty
in Psychology
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Kiri K. Rogers Assistant Professor of Psychology and Department Chair of Psychology
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Program Forms and Resource Links