Bachelor’s in Psychology Degree Programs in Iowa

When a student sets out to choose a college or university to pursue their degree they must ask themselves many different questions. Can I afford the tuition? Do they offer the program I am looking for? Is it close enough for me to travel to or will I need to live on or near campus? These are the most obvious questions to ask. However, some of the most important questions are much less obvious. There are many decisions that will influence your life and potential career more directly. Some of these include ‘should I consider pursuing an online degree?’ or ‘should I pursue a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science’? Will a specialization in a specific area of psychology boost my potential of being accepted into graduate school? Can I complete a full-time program or so I need to consider a part-time plan of study? By asking all of these questions you can better decide which college or university in Iowa will suit you best.

University of Northern Iowa

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a university located in Cedar Falls, It offers over 90 majors throughout the colleges of:

Business Administration
Education
Humanities
Arts
Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences
graduate college

Enrollment is about 12,000 students. The average class size at UNI is about 32 students. Established faculty members, not teaching assistants, teach the vast majority of classes. Tenured and tenure-track faculty teach 75 percent of all classes at UNI. UNI is ranked fourth in the country for the total number of students who study abroad among Master’s Degree Institutions. This is according to Open Doors 2002, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education. Students at the undergraduate level also have the opportunity to study abroad. In 2015, US News & World Report ranked UNI as the 18th best College or University in the Midwestern Region of the United States as well as the 2nd Top Public School. The mission of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is to “increase understanding of people in individual, social, cultural and historical contexts and to share this knowledge among faculty, students, and the larger community”. It accomplishes this mission by:

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Fostering an environment of intellectual engagement that promotes innovative thinking
Actively contributing to liberal education
Striving to create informed, ethical, and competent citizens, who are lifelong learners prepared to live in and contribute to a pluralistic global society

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The Psychology Department at UNI offers:

a BA in Psychology Degree
a Psychology Minor
a Certificate Program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

The BA in Psychology degree program focuses on the study of both human and animal behavior (typical and atypical). It also studies the cognitive, emotional, social, and biological processes related to that behavior. Psychology Majors are prepared for a number of different career options including:

teacher
researcher
service provider
administrator
consultant

The many subfields and specialty areas in the Psychology field open a diverse range of possibilities for students with many different interests and abilities. Students graduating with a BA in Psychology must complete a specific sequence of core psychology courses including:

history
methods
statistics

There are also many different opportunities for students to:

engage in independent research
work in community service organizations
collaborate with faculty on research projects
mentor other students in selected undergraduate courses

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Industrial/Organizational Psychology Certificate

Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology is the scientific study of human resources in businesses and organizations. I-O Psychologists in this training program are provided with the scientific tools and techniques to better understand how people shape and are shaped by their work and workplace. The BA in Psychology with an I-O Certificate can be used to enhance critical organizational human resource functions, including:

recruiting
hiring
training
performance management
motivation
satisfaction
organizational development
occupational health and safety
work-life balance

The mission in this program is to “provide transformative educational experiences that engage students and the community, enhancing our understanding of work, an employee’s experience of work, and the benefit of work to our community”.

Accreditations
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

Contact
University of Northern Iowa
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Psychology
Bartlett 1078
Eric Hiris – Department Head
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0505
(319) 273-2303
E-Mail: butlera@uni.edu
Program Website

Upper Iowa University

The School of Liberal Arts

Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private, coeducational university with a residential campus located in northeast Iowa, in the small community of Fayette. The main campus has a current enrollment of around 900 students. UIU offers distance education programs including:

15 centers throughout the United States
an extensive online program
an independent study program
centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia

UIU has a total student enrollment of more than 6,000 students with a 24:1 student/faculty ratio. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in more than 40 majors, including:

art
business
conservation management
education
higher education administration
human services
information technology
liberal arts
math
nursing
psychology
science, and more.

The school operates on two eight-week terms each semester, allowing students to take two classes per term. In 2015, US News & World Report ranked Upper Iowa as the 109th best college or university in the Midwestern Region of the United States as well as the 87th Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Program. The School of Liberal Arts offers undergraduate and graduate training as well as several certificate programs.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The BA in Psychology is offered in several different formats at IUI. Students have the flexibility of choosing from:

on campus leaarning
various satellite centers throughout the country
a self-paced independent study program
an international learning format

The purpose of this degree program is to “enable a student to interpret psychological theory utilizing scientific methodology in order to apply that knowledge to describe, analyze, predict, and shape human behavior”. The curriculum in the psychology degree program enables students to learn about the etiology and evolution of human behavior and mental processes and the factors that bring about change. Psychology offers a valuable framework of information important to a wide variety of fields, including:

human services
business
law
education
communications
health

The psychology major consists of 36 semester credits, with at least 18 credits in upper-division coursework. (For all Illinois students, 24 or more upper-division credits must be completed in the major.) In addition, students must complete the general education core.

Contact
Upper Iowa University
The School of Liberal Arts
605 Washington Street
P.O. Box 1857
Fayette, Iowa 52142
(800) 553-4150
E-Mail: info@uiu.edu

Waldorf College

The Department of Psychology

Waldorf College is a for-profit Liberal Arts College located in Forest City. The school was established as an academy and business college in 1903. In 1920 it became a junior college and in 1994, the college received accreditation to confer advanced Bachelor’s Degree Programs in select areas of study. By 2001, Waldorf College became a fully accredited baccalaureate institution, and the various athletic programs joined the MCC Midwest Classic Conference and the NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Until 2009 Waldorf remained affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, however, due to financial difficulties, the college was sold to for-profit Mayes Education, owner of Columbia Southern University. The Department of Psychology at Waldorf offers both a Bachelor of Arts as well as a minor in Psychology.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The BA in Psychology degree program approaches psychology as the study of behavior and mental processes and is one of the most popular fields of study at Waldorf. Because the nature of the field of psychology is a service vocation, the major fits in perfectly with Waldorf’s mission of “instilling values of service, community, critical inquiry, and lifelong learning.” A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology prepares students to be comprehensive, highly skilled individuals who reflect many of the goals of a liberal arts education by providing:

A knowledge base
Thinking skills
Analytical reasoning
Interpersonal skills
Ethical values

The goal of this psychology program is to give students a thorough plan of study that will introduce them to the many specialized fields of psychology. It also prepares them for careers in a number of human services careers as well as graduate and professional programs. The major Educational Goals of the Psychology Department include:

Graduates of the Waldorf College psychology department will have a knowledge base in psychology that includes knowledge of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings.
Graduates of the Waldorf College psychology department will be able to understand and apply basic research methods in psychology including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Graduates of the Waldorf College psychology department will be able to utilize critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and the scientific approach in order to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Waldorf College
The Department of Psychology
106 S. 6th Street
Forest City, IA 50436
(800) 292-1903
E-Mail: admissions@waldorf.edu
Program Website

Wartburg College

The Social Sciences Department

Wartburg College is a four-year Liberal Arts College located in Waverly, Iowa with a satellite campus, Wartburg West, in Denver, Colorado. The school is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Wartburg’s Social Work program is the oldest undergraduate program of its kind in Iowa. The College is the only private college in Iowa offering a music therapy major. The college is highly competitive and has an 89 percent medical school placement rate and a 100 percent placement rate in other fields of medicine. In 2015, US News & World Report ranked Wartburg as the 159th best National Liberal Arts College. The Social Sciences Department offers undergraduate training in Social Sciences, Sociology and Psychology.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The BA in Psychology Degree Program is part of the Social Sciences Department. This program approaches psychology as a combination of:

an academic discipline
a profession
a science

The goal set forth by the faculty is to present the field of psychology as a diverse and exciting field of study and practice. All faculty members possess a Ph.D. degree in a specialized area of psychology and actively pursue professional and research interests. Students have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty members on a variety of projects and programs. Students may work with professional service providers in an off-campus field experience, gaining job-relevant skills and knowledge in a clinical, educational, or human services setting. The Program Goals for the psychology major include:

Demonstrate command of theory, concepts, and methods in the core content areas of psychology:

- learning/memory
- developmental,
- abnormal
- clinical/counseling
- social/organizational
Use critical thinking skills in evaluating psychological theory, research, and practice and apply accepted methods and principles of research in developing, conducting, and reporting an original psychology research project.
Appreciate the role of psychology as a science and practice aimed at improving human welfare and understand the professional/ethical responsibilities that accompany this role.
Demonstrate effective interpersonal relationship skills and a sense of professionalism in interactions with others, such as:
- peers
- clients
- research participants
- professionals
- administrators
Communicate written and oral information in accordance with professional and scholarly standards.

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
Wartburg College
The Social Sciences Department
Dr. Shaheen S. Munir – Chair, Department of Social Sciences & Professor of Psychology
100 Wartburg Boulevard
Waverly, IA 50677
(800) 772-2085
E-Mail: shaheen.munir@wartburg.edu

William Penn University

The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences

William Penn University is a private, liberal arts university in Oskaloosa. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1873 as Penn College. In 1933, the name was changed to William Penn College, and finally to William Penn University in 2000. In 2007, Musco Lighting, an Oskaloosa based company, donated $12 million to the school for various projects. It was the biggest single gift in the school’s long history. The money was used to build 200,000 square feet of new structures including:

student recreation
classrooms
laboratories
a stand-alone Industrial Technology Center building called the Musco Technology Center
The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences works to:
- Promote the personal, social, and professional development of its students
- Cultivate the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes, which facilitate a broad and deep understanding of oneself and society within a larger personal, social, cultural, and historical context.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The William Penn Psychology major offers students the experience and knowledge related to the scientific understanding of human behavior. Faculty members create situational opportunities through practical exercises to demonstrate the application of theoretical concepts to actual scenarios. Students will develop the ability to conduct research methods as well as the knowledge of modern psychological theory. Upon graduation, students will have gained the ability to communicate with others and understand personality and disposition to determine how individuals can best be treated. Students will also have a thorough understanding of:

human behavior
skills in utilizing and evaluating psychology research
improved communication
interpersonal skills
a broadened understanding of how psychology issues influence contemporary thought
demonstrating critical thinking skills

Accreditations
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)

Contact
William Penn University
The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Michael Collins – Chair of Social and Behavioral Sciences Division
201 Trueblood Avenue
Oskaloosa IA 52577
(641) 673-1393
E-Mail: collinsm@wmpenn.edu
Program Website

There are many, many options for how, when and where you can earn your Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in Iowa. There are small schools and large universities. There are options ranging from fully online degrees to traditional on-campus degrees, and everything in between. Students can pursue a BA or a BS degree with the option to specialize in one of the many sub-fields of psychology. By carefully considering the various options, each student can find the program that is the best fit. With so many potential degree programs, every student in Iowa can find the undergraduate psychology degree that will help them achieve all of their goals.

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