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Psychology
at Meredith College

As a psychology major at Meredith College, you’ll prepare for a career helping others through exciting internships and field experiences, in-depth research opportunities, and supportive faculty mentors.

Statement of Inclusion
The Meredith College Department of Psychology and Social Work is committed to building a campus environment where all are welcomed and included. 

“Before I started at Meredith, I knew I wanted to complete two degrees, participate in the Meredith Autism Program, have an internship, and complete research. Instead of telling me to scale back my goals, my professors pushed me to pursue them and introduced me to even more opportunities.”

Our Bachelor’s in Psychology

Psychology students working on a project.

Our psychology majors acquire both research skills and practical skills in applied settings. In addition to internships outside of campus, Meredith offers a unique on-campus learning experience through the Meredith Autism Program (MAP). Students also have numerous opportunities to conduct research, and many present their studies at regional, national, or international psychology conferences. 

Every psychology student graduates with a professional portfolio that demonstrates their knowledge, experience, and skills to graduate programs and employers. They enjoy excellent placement rates at top graduate schools and in professional positions including research laboratories, educational and early intervention programs, and corporate settings.

Our Psychology Programs

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The psychology curriculum offers each student opportunities to develop a solid knowledge base in psychology, skills in scientific inquiry and critical thinking, an understanding of ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world, and strong written and oral communication skills. 

Students hone the skills developed in the classroom through practical application, preparing them for a wide variety of careers, and/or graduate study in psychology and related fields.

Why Earn Your Psychology Degree at Meredith?

  • You can choose to major or minor in psychology. Meredith’s program also lends itself to being combined with other majors.
  • Students benefit from supportive faculty and staff who serve as academic guides and professional mentors. 
  • You can conduct meaningful, in-depth research directly with faculty or through on-campus programs including the Meredith Autism Program and Meredith Emerging Adulthood Longitudinal Studies (MEALS). You’ll also have numerous opportunities to present your research to peers at professional conferences such as the 
    • Association for Psychological Science (APS)
    • American Psychological Association (APA)
    • National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
    • North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA)
  • The Psychology Club welcomes all Meredith students with an interest in psychology. There are no prerequisites or requirements to join. The club typically sponsors events throughout the year including Psychology Week and the Special Populations Dance.
  • Psi Chi is the National Honor Society open to graduate and undergraduate students who major or minor in psychology and can meet challenging selection requirements. In addition to being recognized for your accomplishments by being selected for membership, Psi Chi members encourage and support the quality of the psychology program at Meredith through their sponsorship of a variety of special events and activities. To be invited to become a member of the Meredith Chapter of Psi Chi, a student must
    • Have completed at least 3 semesters of college courses
    • Have completed at least 9 semester hours of psychology
    • Be registered with psychology as major/minor
    • Have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a min. GPA of 3.0 in psychology courses
    • Be in the top 35% of their class

What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree?

A psychology degree prepares graduates for a variety of careers. Some can be pursued with a bachelor’s in psychology, while others require additional graduate or professional schooling. Approximately 20 percent of our graduates go directly to graduate and/or professional school. In addition, a number of our graduates earn teacher licensure.

Field placements range from introductory level settings where the student explores a field or career to intensive pre-professional level where the student completes a field placement over two or more semesters.

  • Environmental Protection Agency – Neuroscience research in behavioral neurotoxicology
  • Hillcrest Convalescent Center – Occupational Therapy with older adults
  • Pediatric Possibilities – Occupational Therapy (OT) with children
  • United States Attorney’s Office – Human Resources
  • Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities –  Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
  • Frankie Lemmon School and Development Center – early childhood intervention, OT, SLP
  • V.O.I.C.E. Therapeutic Solutions – Mental health counseling for children and adults
  • Wake County Public Schools – Guidance, Special Education, Early Intervention, OT, SLP
  • Life Experiences, Inc. – Adults with developmental disabilities
  • Interact – Domestic violence and sexual assault – counseling and intervention with children and adults
  • Raleigh Police Department – open to students double majoring in psychology and criminology
  • A wide range of psychology jobs are available. Some possible positions include applied behavior analyst, juvenile court advocate, early intervention specialist, special needs educator, environmental psychologist, counselor of clinician, and allied health professional.
  • Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how individuals relate to one another and to their environments. according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median pay for psychologists is $81,400.

Professional positions held by Meredith graduates include

  • Analyst I, BioAgilytix
  • Registration and Records Coordinator, Meredith College
  • Research Assistant, Atsena Therapeutics
  • Financial Education Officer, Truliant Federal Credit Union
  • Service Navigator, NeuroNav
  • School Counselor, Trinity School
  • Dual Language Teacher, Orange County Schools
  • Senior Quantitative Research Scientist, Pearson+ Applications 
  • UNC School of Law
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Marriage and Family Counseling, East Carolina University
  • Community Counseling,Campbell University
  • Social Work, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina and NC State University
  • Sports Psychology, Springfield College
  • Rehabilitation Counseling, University of North Carolina
  • Art Therapy, Mount Mary College and George Washington University
  • Dance Therapy, Pratt Institute
  • Speech-Language Pathology, Appalachian State University
A student working on a psychology project on a computer.

Meredith Autism Program

The Meredith Autism Program allows Meredith students interested in studying autism to learn principles of behavior change and then apply these principles through Autism Behavioral Analysis therapy (ABA) to help very young children with autism and their families. Students can also work with a child with autism in a classroom environment through the Inclusive Preschool Classroom. The opportunity to develop such professional skills as undergraduate students is highly unusual among colleges and universities. 

In addition, a Meredith student progressing through all three levels of the Meredith Autism Program (MAP) courses may be eligible to earn the credential of Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)™. What is a Registered Behavior Technician? It’s a national, paraprofessional  certification in behavior analysis. RBTs assist in delivering behavior analysis services.

Legacy Scholar and Honors student Ally Cefalu, ’22, double majored in biology and psychology, became a Student Assistant, conducted lab research, and formed a strong bond with the Meredith community. After graduation, she’ll be applying her passion for biology and mental health to the lab as an Analyst I at BioAgilytix in Durham.

Videos About Meredith’s Psychology Major

Psychology News and Events

Two Meredith College faculty members have received a $350,000 multi-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to fund research examining the benefit of support systems on maternal mental health. Assistant Professor of Psychology Betty-Shannon Prevatt, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Child Development Pamela Norcross, Ph.D., are the co-primary investigators (PIs) on this project.

BHCOE Accreditation has recognized the Meredith College Autism Program (MAP) with a Two-Year Reaccreditation, acknowledging the program as a behavioral service provider dedicated to continuous improvement in applied behavior analysis.

Contact Information
Gwynn Morris
Professor of Psychology, Department Chair for Psychology & Social Work
Professor, 108A Ledford
(919) 760-8442
morrissg@meredith.edu

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