The Department of Psychology and Human Development

Welcome to the Department of Psychology and Human Development.

What does Empire State University offer?

Empire State University's Department of Psychology and Human Development offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and associate and bachelor's degrees in human development. Students pursuing a degree in human development can create individualized concentrations in consultation with their faculty mentors.  

The department offers an extensive array of courses to meet the needs of students seeking degrees in both areas. Our courses also serve other students who want to learn more about these fields, either as a general education option or in support of their degree areas, such as community and human services, educational studies, social sciences, and business, management and economics.

What do our students do with their degrees?

Many students seek a degree to learn more about the science and development of behavior and mental processes in order to qualify for higher-level positions in their current career. Other students prepare to pursue advanced degrees and professional careers in school counseling, social work, mental health counseling, clinical psychology, or experimental research.

We encourage you to explore the following career resources:

• APA Classifieds
  Classified ads from the APA Monitor in Psychology
• Career Decision Aids
  Various resources collected by the Hanover College Psychology Department. Highlights include a career decision tree and planning resources for graduate education in psychology
• Counseling Psychology
  Site created by counseling psychology experts about the ins and outs of the potential career in the industry, strict methodology components to Ph.D. rankings based on EPPP test takers and a list of every counseling psychology master's program in North America
• Online Psychology Career Center
  A valuable resource for students interested in careers in psychology and the type of work psychologists perform. This resource addresses all stages of careers in psychology, including careers that require undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Pages for Exploring Particular Areas of Psychology
  Collected by the Hanover College Psychology Department, this resource provides access to information on several sub-disciplines in psychology, including aviation psychology, behavior analysis, and vocational psychology, among others

How is the psychology degree structured?

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology is based on curriculum recommendations from the American Psychological Association. The psychology degree includes introductory courses in psychology and human development, as well as the following courses (or equivalents):

• Statistics for the Social Sciences
• Social Science Research Methods
• Abnormal Psychology
• Biological Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology or Learning and Memory
• Cultural Psychology
• Social Psychology

In addition, students take at least two more advanced level Psychology or Human Development courses based on their own interests and goals.  For example, students interested in clinical or counseling psychology may take additional courses such as Theories of Personality, Counseling Theories, Developmental Psychopathology, Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents, Multicultural Counseling, Addiction, and Stress & Coping, among others.  

Students interested in developmental psychology may take additional courses such as infant/toddler development, early childhood development, child and adolescent psychology, adult development and aging, and gerontology.  

Students interested in experimental psychology may take additional courses focusing on sensation and perception, experimental psychology, and research methods in psychology.  

The department also offers a wide array of elective courses and special topics courses.

How is the human development degree structured?

Degrees in human development must include courses that address six broad categories. A typical degree includes 10 or more courses, so students can select electives based on their interests.

• Lifespan Development
• Biological Bases of Development
• Cognitive Bases of Development
• Social & Emotional Bases of Development
• Cultural Diversity
• Methodology & Ethics

Degree Planning Worksheets

AA in Human Development Degree Planning Worksheet

BA in Human Development Degree Planning Worksheet

B.A. in Psychology Degree Planning Worksheet