Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. We can think of Psychology as having three faces. It is a discipline, a major subject of study in colleges and universities. It is a science, a method of conducting research and understanding behavioral data. Psychology is also a profession, a calling that requires one to apply special knowledge, abilities and skills to solve human problems.
Psychologists study a wide range of human and animal behavior, ranging from child development to abnormal behavior, from brain functioning to personality measurement. In contrast to other behavioral sciences, psychology typically focuses on the individual and the physiological, cognitive, and social processes that impact individual behavior.
The Psychology Department offers freshman and sophomore-level courses in psychology appropriate for people planning to major in psychology as well as students in related fields. Courses available include introductory psychology, psychology as natural science, research methods, learning theory, the psychology of sex differences and applied, abnormal, developmental, personality, social and cross-cultural psychology. We also sometimes offer special session courses or interdisciplinary courses with other college faculty. Most psychology courses fulfill social science distribution requirements for BC’s associate in arts and sciences degree. The introductory course, PSYC& 100, gives a broad overview of the discipline of psychology and provides a prerequisite to most of the 200-level courses. PSYC 202, Physiological Psychology, counts as natural science and gives credit in the math/science distribution area.
For more information about our courses, distribution requirements, and special offerings, see Courses.
Psi Beta faculty advisors, Celeste Lonson and Jennifer Parada, with Psi Beta students at the Western Psychological Association 2026 convention in Tacoma, WA.
Students presented various research projects ranging from perceptions of people with ADHD to technology use in parents of young children.
Psi Beta students Bianca Mascarenhas and John Stout presented their research study at the Western Psychological Association 2026 convention in Tacoma, WA and were tied for first place as the Best Psi Beta Poster! Their year-long research project focused on the relationships between parenting styles experienced in childhood and their impact on academic motivation, locus of control, and performance.
