Department of Psychology

Website: https://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/arts-sciences/departments/psychology/index.html

Faculty

Professor Cynthia Turk, PhD, Chair
Professor Jericho Hockett, PhD
Professor Michael McGuire, PhD
Associate Professor Linzi Gibson, PhD
Assistant Professor Julie Boydston, PhD
Assistant Professor Angela Duncan, PhD
Assistant Professor Tucker Jones, PhD
Lecturer Daniel Garlock, PsyD

Mission

We promote the value of psychological science through a personalized, quality education that helps students to create a more fulfilling life, prepares them for future careers, and builds stronger communities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Psychology students at Washburn University, upon graduation, are expected to be able to achieve the following outcomes:

• Students will use various technologies (e.g. computers, statistical software packages, empirical databases) to find, describe, evaluate, and apply key concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and overarching themes in psychology.
• Students will use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, scientific literature, and the scientific method to solve problems, explore, evaluate, and draw logical and objective conclusions about psychological phenomena.
• Students will engage in ethically and socially responsible behaviors to express the need to tolerate ambiguity, articulate an understanding of/respect for diversity and individual differences and their roles in psychological theory and research, and to explain the importance of civic engagement for psychology.
• Students will skillfully communicate about psychology in written and oral forms to use discipline-specific conventions and formats and to manage interpersonal communication in groups or teams.
• Students will apply psychological principles to personal and professional growth to make informed career decisions, to identify and pursue realistic career/graduate education paths, to take practical career steps, and to practice professional integrity.

Departmental Distinction

Psychology majors with a GPA of 3.7 or higher in all Psychology classes are eligible to graduate with departmental distinction.

Departmental Honors

Psychology majors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all Psychology classes are eligible for departmental honors by demonstrating superior research skills or scholarship. To graduate with departmental honors in psychology, students must complete one of the four options outlined in the Departmental Honors Worksheet.

• Option one requires the student to  complete PY 386 Advanced Research Design/Scientific Writing or PY 389 Independent Study and PY 390 Directed Research the project must be presented in a public forum.
• Option two requires the student to complete two unrelated Washburn Transformational Experiences in Psychology (e.g., an internship and empirical project; two empirical projects with separate data collection).
• Option three requires the student to complete PY 336 Internship, publicly present their internship experience and related scholarly research, and provide significant service to the Psychology Department.
• Option four requires the student to complete PY 390 Directed Research and present the results of the study in a forum off campus (e.g. Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association).

Students are encouraged to begin these projects no later than the first semester of their senior year. More information about honors is available from a departmental advisor.

Psi Chi

The national honorary psychology society, Psi Chi, is represented at Washburn University by a chapter chartered in 1968. Membership is conferred each year upon advanced psychology students whose grades in psychology meet the prescribed national and local requirements.

Independent Work in Psychology

The department encourages all interested and qualified students to pursue a program of independent work in psychology by participating in one or more of the following three courses.

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It is generally recommended that a student should have completed at least 15 hours in Psychology, including PY 251 Research Methods in Psychology, prior to enrolling in any of the above courses.

Interested sophomores, juniors, and seniors are required to arrange independent work with their departmental advisor during the semester prior to enrolling in these courses.

2 + 2 Agreement with Hutchinson Community College

This 2 + 2 Agreement establishes a relationship with Hutchinson Community College (HutchCC) and Washburn University and students desiring to complete an Associate of Arts degree following a Psychology transfer pathway at HutchCC and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pyschology at Washburn University.  The student will complete their first two years at HutchCC and a subsequent two years at Washburn University. This goes into effect during the fall of 2025. For additional information, please contact Washburn's Department of Psychology.

Programs

Please see the Graduate catalog for additional information regarding the department's graduate program:

• Master of Arts - Psychology

Course Offerings