Knowledge & Skills Gained

In his message to the students in the College of Arts and Sciences, former Dean Boocker explains the importance of "making knowledge matter." We believe that means helping you develop useful skills that have real-world applications along with the sense of fulfillment and enrichment that studying Psychology can provide.

Knowledge & Skills Gained as a Psychology Major

Knowledge:

• An understanding of physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social determinants of behavior

• Basic understanding of the various disciplines in psychology as well as major theories and history of psychology

• Familiarity and experience with psychological research methods, including data collection and analysis

• Knowledge of research ethics

• Specific knowledge and abilities related to your concentration (e.g., Cognitive, Neuroscience, Developmental, etc.)

Skills:

• Communication skills - Students can write and speak about issues in detail, as well as concisely write within pre-set formats required for writing practical research reports.

• Problem-Solving - Students learn to apply strategies and approaches for understanding problems as well as learn to identify practical steps for implementing solutions.

• Critical Evaluation - Students learn to assess whether evidence for a phenomenon is accurate or not and how to identify the shortcomings and pitfalls of a particular line of action.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The Psychology major at UNO targets four Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). These are adopted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (version 2.0).

• SLO 1: Knowledge Base – Students will develop a working knowledge of psychology’s major content domains.
• SLO 2: Scientific Inquiry – Students will demonstrate scientific literacy and critical thinking.
• SLO 3: Communication – Students will learn to write structured APA-style research reports.
• SLO 4: Ethical & Social Responsibility – Students will identify and evaluate ethical issues of plagiarism and personal responsibility reflective of a diverse world.

Community Engagement Recognition

Community Engaged Scholars Transcript Designation (CESTD) documents and recognizes undergraduate students for their community engagement experiences. This designation offers incentive and competitive edge for students who choose to tailor their involvement and academic work in a way that capitalizes on UNO’s comparative advantage. For more information, visit the Community Engaged Scholars web site.