Psychology

The psychology program at Illinois College is grounded in the scientific exploration of human behavior and provides an excellent foundation for graduate study or success in a variety of careers.

Highlights

  • A brand new, state-of-the-art Crispin Hall opened in August 2023, providing the latest technology and learning spaces for STEM majors at Illinois College.
  • The neuroscience concentration is housed within the psychology major and will connect you to faculty who are leaders in their fields and will mentor and guide you. 
  • Working with faculty experts, you will receive individualized attention and advising in a liberal arts community to pursue the course of study that best serves your career goals.
  • You will experience exceptional learning opportunities outside of the classroom — over 90 percent of psychology majors complete at least one research or internship experience and more than two-thirds have two or more hands-on learning experiences. 
  • You will have many opportunities for student-faculty research, internships and field studies working with IC’s established connections to local social service, mental health, medical, business, child care and mental health organizations. Recent placement include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Pathway Services, Community Counseling and Rape Intervention Crisis Services
  • Participate in projects like the Developing and Understanding of Childhood Knowledge (D.U.C.K.) study and the Protect the Melon! campaign, producing meaningful work and engaging with the local community. 
  • Travel with your professors to present your student-faculty research at national conferences and on global BreakAway trips to destinations like Cuba, Jamaica, Scandinavia, Ecuador, Austin, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Denver.
  • You will have the chance to join our chapter of Psi Chi,  the psychology national honors society, which will make you eligible for a number of research and travel awards. Our students have used these funds to for summer research and to cover travel costs for conferences in Hawaii, Boston, and Chicago.  We also have an active Psychology Club on campus.

Outcomes

Our alumni Graduate READY for the top graduate programs in the country studying clinical and counseling psychology, school and forensic psychology, neuroscience, law, occupational therapy, industrial psychology, social work and organizational behavior management. Recent graduates are pursuing degrees at University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University, University of Idaho College of Law and the University of Pittsburgh. 
 
Alumni who majored in psychology can also be found in successful careers in counseling, law enforcement, program management, personnel management and more.