About the Department

Dr. Larry L. Luttmers, Chair

The discipline of psychology focuses on the study of the individual person. Psychologists study processes and identify principles to help us understand events and experiences within individuals as well as our interactions with others and the world. To be able to study the complexities of the individual, psychologists use a variety of systematically developed methods, tests and techniques. In order to have more complete understandings about persons, different perspectives have been developed and applied.

The breadth of the discipline is represented in the content areas covered in the courses. Depth and application are represented by the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation presented in completed thesis and/or internship final paper and presentation. This journey begins with investigation of basic psychological principles and processes involved in key areas including social, learning, developmental, cross-cultural, biopsychology, cognition, psychopathology, counseling, and personality. Psychological methods of inquiry are studied and applied in the experimental, testing, statistics, and clinical courses. These psychological principles, processes and methods are approached from different historical and current perspectives, including behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic, socio-cultural, and biological. Our program for majors models the national standards. Students have the opportunity to individualize their major by electives, independent studies, practica, internship and/or thesis they choose. Based on the areas selected, potential fields of application include clinical, counseling, psychological testing, education, health psychology, community psychology, law, industrial-organizational, sport psychology, social work, and program evaluation.

The four primary goals of the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Psychology Department are:

The Department of Psychology at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota serves three types of students: 1) those planning on attending a graduate or professional school in psychology or a related field; 2) those whose occupation or profession will require knowledge of psychology (for example, teachers, social workers, counselors, physicians and allied health workers, business and personnel workers); 3) those who wish to pursue the content, perspectives, and methods of psychology for intrinsic reasons.

The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota psychology department has its own chapter of the Psi Chi, the National Honor society in Psychology, which was established on campus in 1969. Qualified sophomores, juniors and seniors are elected to this organization. We also have an active student-led Psychology Club.

A psychology major is appropriate for a wide variety of careers. The members of the department will assist any student in course selection and/or thesis support suited for both personal interest and career advancement.