Department of Psychology

Website: https://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/arts-sciences/departments/psychology/index.html

Faculty

Professor Cynthia Turk, PhD, Chair
Professor Jericho Hockett, PhD
Professor Michael McGuire, PhD
Associate Professor Linzi Gibson, PhD
Associate Professor Dave Provorse, PhD
Assistant Professor Julie Boydston, Phd
Assistant Professor Tucker Jones, Phd

Mission

We promote the value of psychological science through a personalized, quality education that helps students to create a more fulfilling life, prepares them for future careers, and builds stronger communities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Psychology students at Washburn University, upon graduation, are expected to be able to achieve the following outcomes:

• Students will use various technologies (e.g. computers, statistical software packages, empirical databases) to find, describe, evaluate, and apply key concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and overarching themes in psychology.
• Students will use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, scientific literature, and the scientific method to solve problems, explore, evaluate, and draw logical and objective conclusions about psychological phenomena.
• Students will engage in ethically and socially responsible behaviors to express the need to tolerate ambiguity, articulate an understanding of/respect for diversity and individual differences and their roles in psychological theory and research, and to explain the importance of civic engagement for psychology.
• Students will skillfully communicate about psychology in written and oral forms to use discipline-specific conventions and formats and to manage interpersonal communication in groups or teams.
• Students will apply psychological principles to personal and professional growth to make informed career decisions, to identify and pursue realistic career/graduate education paths, to take practical career steps, and to practice professional integrity.

Departmental Distinction

Psychology majors with a GPA of 3.7 or higher in all Psychology classes are eligible to graduate with departmental distinction.

Departmental Honors

Psychology majors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all Psychology classes are eligible for departmental honors by demonstrating superior research skills or scholarship. To graduate with departmental honors in psychology, students must complete one of the four options outlined in the Departmental Honors Worksheet.

• Option one requires the student to complete PY 390 Directed Research, produce an Honors Thesis based upon their study, and defend it before a faculty committee.
• Option two requires the student to complete two unrelated Washburn Transformational Experiences in Psychology (e.g., an internship and empirical project; two empirical projects with separate data collection).
• Option three requires the student to complete PY 336 Internship, publicly present their internship experience and related scholarly research, and provide significant service to the Psychology Department.
• Option four requires the student to complete PY 390 Directed Research and present the results of the study in a forum off campus (e.g. Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association).

Students are encouraged to begin these projects no later than the first semester of their senior year. More information about honors is available from a departmental advisor.

Psi Chi

The national honorary psychology society, Psi Chi, is represented at Washburn University by a chapter chartered in 1968. Membership is conferred each year upon advanced psychology students whose grades in psychology meet the prescribed national and local requirements.

Independent Work in Psychology

The department encourages all interested and qualified students to pursue a program of independent work in psychology by participating in one or more of the following three courses.

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It is generally recommended that a student should have completed at least 15 hours in Psychology, including PY 251 Research Methods in Psychology, prior to enrolling in any of the above courses.

Interested sophomores, juniors, and seniors are required to arrange independent work with their departmental advisor during the semester prior to enrolling in these courses.

Sport Psychology

Students interested in Sport Psychology should meet with either the Psychology Department Sport Psychology advisor (Dr. Provorse) or an advisor in the Kinesiology Department to obtain a list of courses which prepare students to meet application eligibility requirements for graduate programs which offer training leading to careers in Sport Psychology.

Programs

Please see the Graduate catalog for additional information regarding the department's graduate program:

• Master of Arts - Psychology

Course Offerings