Psychology is the scientific study of why people (and animals) think, act, and feel the way they do. At Centenary, you won't just learn about that research — you'll help produce it…
Every psychology major here designs and runs an original research project and graduates with real data-collection and analysis experience most undergrads never get. Students can continue on to work with faculty, develop their own projects, and apply for funded summer research opportunities.
100% of Centenary psychology majors engage in undergraduate research.
In our major, career preparation isn't a separate box to check, it's built into your coursework. In Research Methods and Senior Seminar (along with other courses along the way), you'll learn a repeatable process: how to research career paths in your field, identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be, and map out concrete next steps to close it. It's not a one-time push out the door, but a skill you'll use again the next time you're ready for a change, whether that's two years from now or twenty.
For hands-on experience, qualified students can also apply for our psychology internship program, matching you with a real mental-health-adjacent worksite while you take a companion course on professional issues in the field.
100% of Centenary students complete a career strategies experience.
In Psychology, it’s built directly into coursework, not a separate requirement to squeeze in.
Every psychology major completes the same core coursework and the same original research project. From there, you choose the track that fits where you're headed:
B.A. in Psychology — pairs your psychology coursework with broader liberal arts electives. A strong fit if you're headed toward counseling, school psychology, law, or graduate study in the social sciences — or if you want maximum flexibility to add a second major or minor outside the sciences.
B.S. in Psychology — adds a set of math and natural science courses (Calculus I, biology, and neuroscience or genetics) alongside your psychology major. Built for students heading toward medical school, physician assistant programs, neuroscience-adjacent graduate work, or the 3/2 Speech-Language Pathology pathway.
Already majoring in biology, neuroscience, or another science? The B.S. in Psychology is designed to layer on cleanly — many of its required courses overlap with what natural science majors are already taking, making psychology a realistic double major rather than an extra four years of coursework.
Foundational courses cover things like Human Growth & Development, Social Psychology, and Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. From there, you'll choose from upper-level electives across two tracks — Biological/Cognitive (things like Sensation & Perception, Brain & Language) and Developmental/Social/Clinical (things like Prejudice & Stereotyping, Human Sexuality) — before finishing with an independent research project and Senior Seminar.
Recent graduates have gone on to:
Most of our psychology majors go on to graduate programs in psychology, related mental health fields, medicine, and law. While our graduates have an easy time getting into graduate programs, what we hear back from alumni matters more to us than the admission itself: our graduates consistently describe their transition into graduate-level coursework as easier than they expected, crediting the research, writing, and data-analysis skills they built here.
"Centenary's psychology program made me fall in love with the field as a whole. The professors pushed me to challenge theories and produce the best work possible."
Dr. Jessica Alexander — studies how the sound of speech shapes meaning.
Dr. Amy Hammond — studies cognitive development in college-age students.
Dr. Peter Zunick, Department Chair — studies prejudice, belonging, and identity.
100% of our faculty hold a Ph.D. in their field.
With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you're learning directly from the person who wrote the research, not a graduate teaching assistant.
Graduates pursue graduate school, medical/law/OT school, school psychology, speech-language pathology, and careers in the private and non-profit sectors.
Yes — and that's by design. 100% of majors complete a hands-on research project, and there’s opportunity to design your own original research ideas and make new discoveries in collaboration with faculty.
As part of a small program, you will work one-on-one with faculty members to design your path through the major to tailor your studies to your educational and career goals. We make sure you are prepared both for your immediate next steps but for setting and reaching your career goals for decades to come.
Yes. Our majors can take advantage of Centenary’s relationships with health career programs in the region. The 3/2 Speech-Language Pathology Program guarantees admission to a master's program at LSUHSC-S for qualifying students, and our 4-year psychology graduates enjoy preferential admissions as well.
Learn more about the 3/2 Speech-Language Pathology Program
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Students can join faculty in research projects, or faculty will work with students who want to complete their own projects.
Students may focus on a B.A. or B.S. in Psychology or a Minor in Psychology.
Through Journal Club students build critical reading skills and get to know faculty outside of class through reading and discuss scientific research articles.
Email the Psychology Faculty
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