Description and requirements Faculty Courses

Description:

Psychology is the study of behavior and experience. As such, it includes topics as diverse as emotion, cognition, personality, social processes, psychobiology, psychopathology, and psychological development in children and across the lifespan.

The psychology program at Purchase College offers basic and advanced courses, as well as research opportunities, in all of these areas. Regardless of the subject matter, there is a strong emphasis on the use of scientific methodology to pursue knowledge.

The psychology major is designed to provide and then build on the basic skills students need for critical analysis of empirical and theoretical material in the field and to provide a sophisticated understanding of the subject matter in a broad range of topic areas. This basic study is enriched by the perspectives drawn from courses in the related disciplines of biology, philosophy, and anthropology or sociology. The learning process culminates in the senior project, a yearlong independent research project conducted under the supervision of a faculty member.

In addition to the senior project, opportunities for hands-on experiences are available through supervised internships, learning assistantships, and a practicum in child development, where students serve as assistants to teachers at the Children’s Center on campus.

About Our Alumni

The psychology program provides a strong foundation for students who plan to continue their studies at graduate and professional schools. Our alumni are equipped to enter advanced degree programs in all areas of psychology as well as programs in education, medicine, social work, and law. Some students move directly into careers in mental health services, research, teaching, and early childhood education.

Requirements:

Effective for Students Entering the Program beginning Fall 2024

In addition to meeting  General Education requirements and other degree requirements,  all psychology majors must meet the following requirements: (42-43 major credits)

  1. PSY 1530/Introduction to Psychology (4 credits)
  2. PSY 2320/Behavioral Statistics (4 credits)
  3. PSY 3550/Experimental Psychology* (5 credits). Prerequisites: PSY1530/Introduction to Psychology with a C grade; any Psych elective with a B-; 50+ in progress credits. Can be taken at the same time as Behavioral Statistics though not recommended.
  4. PSY3890/Psychology Junior Seminar (4 credits). Pre-requisites: C in PSY3350/Experimental Psychology and PSY2320/Behavioral Statistics and PSY1530/Introduction to Psychology)
  5. Four electives in psychology  
    • At least 1 elective course from each of the following three categories below. Of those electives, a minimum of 3 must be upper level (3000-4989) that are completed at Purchase. Note: independent studies, tutorials, internships, learning assistantships, and PSY 3850/Practicum in Child Development do not fulfill the electives requirement.

6.   PSY4880 and 4890/Psychology Senior Seminar I (prerequisite) and Senior Seminar  II (1 credit each)
7. SPJ 4990/Senior Project I (4 credits)
8. SPJ 4991/Senior Project II (4 credits) 

Minimum Grade Requirements:

“C” or higher in all courses used to complete the psychology major excluding the senior project.

Students who do not meet these standards are required to retake or substitute courses as needed.

Transfer Students:

The psychology program is carefully structured to prepare students to carry out their senior projects, and all students must complete a four-semester sequence of required courses. Upper-level Psychology credits completed at other institutions can be transferred as lower-level Psychology electives only (not upper-level).

Students who plan to transfer to Purchase College from another college should familiarize themselves with the degree requirements.

For students who entered the program prior to Fall 2024, please see these curricular requirements:

In addition to meeting General Education requirements, all psychology majors must meet the following requirements: (46-48 major credits)

  1. PSY 1530/Introduction to Psychology
  2. PSY 3560/Research Methods I: Statistics and Design*
  3. PSY 3561/Research Methods II: Application and Integration
  4. One of the following courses:
    PSY 3660/Physiological Psychology
    PSY3705/Special Topics in Neuropsychology
    PSY3715/Human Neuropsychology
    PSY3735/Cognitive Neuroscience
    PSY3780/Psychopharmacology
    PSY4180/Seminar on Neurocognitive Aging

5. Five electives in psychology (at least three upper-level)
The following do not fulfill the electives requirement: independent studies, tutorials, internships, learning assistantships, and PSY 3850/Practicum in Child Development. Students may petition their academic advisor to have one upper-level psychology elective replaced by an upper-level elective in the liberal arts and sciences that is programmatically relevant.

6. PSY 4880 and 4890/Psychology Senior Seminar I and II
7. SPJ 4990/Senior Project I
8. SPJ 4991/Senior Project II

*Prerequisite: 40 credits, including PSY 1530 with a grade of C or higher

  Minimum Grade Requirement

“C” or higher in all courses used to complete the psychology major excluding the senior project.

Students who do not meet these standards are required to retake or substitute courses as needed. Students who earn a grade lower than C in PSY 3560 or 3561 must petition the Psychology Department faculty for permission to retake the course.

Transfer Students

The psychology program is carefully structured to prepare students to carry out their senior projects, and all students must complete a four-semester sequence of required courses. Students who plan to transfer to Purchase College from another college should familiarize themselves with the degree requirements.

Minor requirements:

The purpose of the minor in psychology is to provide students in other disciplines with the opportunity to broaden their understanding of psychology through a selection of introductory and advanced courses covering a wide range of topics within the field.

Students interested in pursuing the minor in psychology must choose a faculty member in the Psychology Department to assist in designing an appropriate program and have that advisor sign the Declaration of Minor form. 

Academic Requirements for the Minor in Psychology

Five courses in psychology, as follows:

  1. PSY 1530/Introduction to Psychology
  2. Four psychology electives*
    *The following do not fulfill the electives requirement: independent studies, tutorials, internships, learning assistantships, and PSY 3850/Practicum in Child Development.

Students must earn grades of C- or higher in each course used to satisfy the minor requirements. Because PSY 1530 is a prerequisite for all upper-level courses offered by the Psychology Department, it should be taken early in the student’s program of study.


Faculty

  • Jessica J. Carnevale

    Associate Professor of Psychology
    • BA, Boston University
    • MA, PhD, Ohio State University

  • Meagan Curtis

    Director of the School of Natural and Social Sciences
    Associate Professor of Psychology
    • BA, Hampshire College
    • PhD, Dartmouth College

  • Adar Eisenbruch

    Assistant Professor of Psychology
    • BA, Johns Hopkins University
    • MA, Queens University, Belfast
    • PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Lauren Harburger

    Assistant Professor of Psychology
    • BS, Cornell University
    • MS, Yale University
    • PhD, Yale University

  • Cat Munroe

    Assistant Professor of Psychology

    PhD, Miami University
    MA, Miami University
    AB, Smith College


  • Paul Siegel

    Professor of Psychology
    • BA, Amherst College
    • PhD, Adelphi University

  • Carolyn B. Cates

    Assistant Professor of Psychology
    • BA, BS, MS, PhD Lehigh University

  • Alexia Toskos Dils

    Associate Professor of Psychology
    • BS, Indiana University
    • PhD, Stanford University

  • Lupita Gonzalez

    Assistant Professor of Psychology
    • BA, Bethel College
    • PhD, The University of Texas at Austin

  • Yanine Hess

    Associate Professor of Psychology
    • BA, New York University
    • MA, PhD, University of California, Davis

  • Krystal Perkins

    Associate Professor of Psychology
    Chair of Global Black Studies
    • BA, Purchase College, SUNY
    • PhD, Graduate Center, City University of New York

  • Christopher Williams

    Lecturer of Psychology
    • B.A., Morehouse College
    • M.A., Ph.D., Northeastern University
    • Post-Doctoral Training: Columbia University
    • Certificate: Harvard University Medical School

Courses