In Alfred University's Psychology program, you'll learn about the many intricacies of human behavior, develop self-discovery skills and learn to think critically about yourself and others. This program provides you ample opportunities to personalize and self-direct your education with focused knowledge concentrations, supervised counseling courses, internships, directed research, independent study and more.
School/Division
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Campus Locations
Main Campus - Alfred, NY
CCC - Corning, NY
Options to study here at Alfred's main campus which gives you 6 concentration options or with our partner Corning Community College in Corning, NY which offers hybrid & flexible class options.
Seven full-time faculty members with Doctorates in their field, each with diverse research interests, offer a broad range of courses and give students the opportunity to engage in research in a variety of areas. At Alfred, students work directly with their professors as they prepare for employment or graduate study in psychology.
Supervised counseling courses and internships offered exclusively at Alfred University provide opportunities for applying classroom learning to real-life settings. There are also opportunities for practical experience through directed research and independent study.
When you decide to major in Psychology, you'll have comprehensive exposure to the discipline as well as the option to gain additional knowledge and skills related to specific areas of psychology. The degree prepares you for entry level jobs in human services, human resources, business and research, as well as graduate studies, which are essential for advancement in many careers in psychology.
Alfred University, in partnership with SUNY Corning, offers a comprehensive Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program in Psychology. This program is designed for students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degree with the convenience of classes primarily held on SUNY Corning’s campus, with the exception of one summer residency course on Alfred University’s main campus.
The Psychology Club is open to all students with psychology-related interests, and provides an opportunity to become involved in psychology activities and get to know professors on a more personal level.
Want a flexible way to explore psychology? The General Psychology Concentration gives you the freedom to choose courses that spark your interest while building a solid understanding of how people think, feel, and behave. This broad approach is perfect if you’re curious about many areas of psychology and want skills that can open doors to a wide range of careers.
Want to understand how kids and teens grow, think, and thrive? This concentration dives into everything from infancy to young adulthood—social and cognitive growth, parenting, developmental challenges, and what helps kids succeed. You’ll get real-world experience through an internship or practicum, so you’re not just learning—you’re doing. This program is perfect if you’re planning a career working with children, teens, or young adults, or if you want to continue on to graduate school in psychology or related fields.
Interested in helping people and making a real difference? This program is perfect if you want a career in mental health or human services. You’ll learn the basics of counseling and clinical psychology, get hands-on training with real-world skills, and even complete an internship to build experience. Whether you’re planning to start working with community agencies or continue on to graduate school, this concentration sets you up for success in any counseling or clinical field.
Love horses and want to help people? This concentration teaches you how to use horses in powerful, hands-on therapy sessions that change lives. You’ll gain the skills to work in experiential therapy and even qualify for certification as an Equine Specialist Professional through EAGALA. If you’re passionate about mental health and animals, this is the perfect path for you! Alfred's well known Equestrian studies programs and facilities lik our Equestrian Center make for perfect integration for this concentration.
Curious about the science behind psychology? The Experimental Psychology Concentration is all about research and discovery. You’ll dive into theories, learn how to design experiments, master stats, and build real lab skills. This track is perfect if you’re aiming for a Ph.D. or want a career in research—whether that’s in universities, government, or industry labs. If you love asking questions and finding answers, this is your path!
Interested in psychology AND business? The Industrial/Organizational Psychology Concentration is where those worlds meet! You’ll learn how people think and work in business settings—skills that apply to careers in advertising, marketing, HR, and even human factors engineering. This program sets you up for graduate school or exciting jobs in business and industry. If you want to understand what makes workplaces tick, this is your path! This pairs especially well with our MBA 4+1 graduate program.
All concentrations in psychology are available as a double major to any Alfred University student. Courses for the Psychology double major are listed in our digital Undergraduate Catalog.
Courses for the Psychology minor are listed in our digital Undergraduate Catalog.
Art Therapy is an expressive therapy that uses creative art-making processes to improve someone's mental and emotional health. A Master's Degree is required for entry-level practice in Art Therapy. The American Art Therapy Association recommends that students planning to pursue graduate study in Art Therapy do the following:
In consultation with practicing art therapists, we also recommend the following psychology courses:
For more information about Pre-Art Therapy at Alfred University, contact Amy Button.
For students who wish to pursue careers in counseling after graduation, we offer an opportunity for undergraduate seniors to enroll in Clinical Procedures during the fall semester of their last year. We have an observation room with six adjoining rooms that can be used for one-way observation, which allow students to provide peer counseling to first-year students under direct supervision.
Through regular feedback from peers and instructors, students are given the chance to practice and develop their counseling techniques and reflect on their own performance.
During the spring semester of their senior year, students in the Clinical Track of the Psychology major are required to do a Clinical Practicum. In this fieldwork experience, students spend approximately 100 hours practicing their skills at a site within the community.
As we are an integral member of the local community, faculty have excellent rapport with nearby agencies and organizations, ensuring that nearly every student is placed in a practicum. This allows students to gain practical experience under the supervision of a mentor, and provides invaluable skills above and beyond those gained in the classroom.
Below is a sample of practicum sites at which students have been placed:
There is a growing need for citizens with information literacy and critical thinking skills. Students in our program are exposed to the basic research methods in psychology during our Psychological Methods and Statistics and Research and Design I courses. Junior and senior undergraduates can take Research and Design II in the fall and Research Practicum in the spring semester; this sequence provides to the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor to pursue their own research questions, assemble a research plan, collect and analyze data, and then present that data locally at AU’s spring Undergraduate Research Forum or at regional and national conferences.
Research projects cover myriad topics, and often represent the depth and breadth of our field. Some recent project titles include:
Some students may want to delve deeper into a topic, or explore a course that we don’t offer regularly. In these cases, we offer independent studies, in which a student works closely with a faculty member to create a plan of study (including learning objectives, readings, and assignments) that provides a unique learning opportunity for both the undergraduate and the faculty member. Recent independent studies have included:
The Psychology Department has two student-based organizations: a chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and a Psychology Club that is open to all interested students. The two organizations often co-sponsor events.
Psi Chi (ψχ)
Alfred University has held a chapter of the international honor society in psychology since 1964. The purpose of Psi Chi is to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology. Student members are eligible for scholarships and grants through Psi Chi and have access to three professional publications. Membership is open to undergraduate and graduate psychology students who meet the minimum qualifications:
Psychology Club
The Psychology Club is open to all students with psychology-related interests, and provides an opportunity to become involved in psychology activities and get to know professors on a more personal level. There are no formal criteria for becoming a member.
The Psychology Club has been involved in the following activities in recent years:
Classes meet on weeknights or Saturdays, and hybrid courses (a combination of direct contact class meetings and online class meetings) are incorporated into the curriculum. Here, you'll learn about the many intricacies of human behavior, develop self-discovery skills and learn to think critically about yourself and others.
Actual courses and sequence are subject to change.
Total Credits - 62
The Alfred University / SUNY Corning partnership offers a unique pathway for students unable to attend traditional residential college to take a broad range of courses providing comprehensive exposure to the discipline of psychology.
The undergraduate psychology degree prepares students for entry level jobs in human services, human resources, business, and research. It also prepares students for graduate studies, which are essential for advancement in many careers within psychology. Professions well-suited for psychology majors typically involve people skills, analytical skills, writing skills, and research skills. A psychology degree allows students to pursue careers in a variety of fields. Examples include human services (counseling, social work), business (human resources, sales, marketing), criminal justice (probation officer, corrections officer), health, recreation and education (rehabilitation counselor, teacher).
The undergraduate psychology degree prepares students for entry level jobs in human services, human resources, business, and research. It also prepares students for graduate studies, which are essential for advancement in many careers within psychology. Professions well-suited for psychology majors typically involve people skills, analytical skills, writing skills, and research skills. A psychology degree allows students to pursue careers in a variety of fields. Examples include human services (counseling, social work), business (human resources, sales, marketing), criminal justice (probation officer, corrections officer), health, recreation and education (rehabilitation counselor, teacher).
In addition, majors acquire skills in psychology that transfer to non-psychology professions, such as:
Our graduates have put their skills to work in many professions. Recent examples include:
Students can enroll in our seminar in Professional Preparation in Psychology (PSYC 310), which covers the processes of applying to graduate school, exploring career paths, and professional skill building.
After graduation, our alumni are employed by a wide variety of businesses, schools, organizations, and research institutions at the private, public, local, state, and national levels. An undergraduate psychology major is versatile enough to equip graduates for work in many professions, aside from being a psychologist.
The type of degree a job seeker holds plays an important role in determining job outlook. Here is the outlook for different levels of education:
Due to changing societal dynamics, there are increased demands for:
Eight full-time faculty members with Doctorates in their field, each with diverse research interests, offer a broad range of courses and give students the opportunity to engage in research in a variety of areas. At Alfred, students work directly with their professors as they prepare for employment or graduate study in psychology.
All Alfred Faculty/Staff
Students pursuing an education in Psychology often double major or minor in these popular, related programs:
