Psychology

Our Psychology Degree Programs

Columbia College offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. In both programs, students learn the fundamentals of psychological research and how to evaluate and apply research findings. Majors understand behavior from multiple perspectives such as abnormal, social, developmental, cognitive, and biological.

Highlights

• Our majors have participated in conference presentations and competitive summer clinical and research programs. Majors are eligible to join a campus Psychology organization and the Columbia College chapter of Psi Chi.
• Psychology majors can gain hands-on experience in the Psychology lab, conducting polygraph measurements and tracking facial expressions and eye movements in response to images.
• Psychology majors gain interpersonal skills, knowledge of personality differences, and basic counseling techniques that provide them with a distinct professional advantage.
• Students can take an internship course toward their major in which they receive academic credit and on-the-job experience, ideal for graduate school or job application.
• Psychology students have gone on to graduate programs in forensic psychology, clinical mental health counseling, and school counseling, to name a few.

Internships

• Hall Psychiatric Institute, SC
• Thrive
• Sexual Trauma Service
• Boy’s & Girls Club of the Midlands
• Town of Lexington Police Department

Being a student here at Columbia College has been a very rewarding experience for me! The faculty is so friendly and they truly go above and beyond to be helpful to all the students.

Shannon Johnson '20

After Graduation

Many careers in Psychology require an advanced degree. Our undergraduate degree fully prepares students to enter a variety of entry-level psychology careers or pursue a graduate degree. Recent graduates have gone on to attend a number of programs and careers.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs

• Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.Ed.) – Winthrop University
• Clinical Psychology (Ph.D.) – East Tennessee State University
• Community Counseling (M.A.) – Clark Atlanta University
• Counseling (M.A.) – UNC Charlotte
• Counselor Education (Ed.S.) – University of South Carolina
• Forensic Psychology (M.A.) – George Washington University
• Higher Education and Student Affairs (M.Ed.) – University of South Carolina
• Higher Education and Student Affairs (M.Ed.) – USC
• Human Development and Family Studies (Ph.D.), Penn State
• Humanities and Social Thought (MA) – New York University
• Marriage and Family Counseling (MMFT) – Converse College
• Mental Health Counseling (M.S.) – Nova Southeastern U (Ft. Lauderdale)
• MSW – University of South Carolina
• Nursing – University of South Carolina
• Occupational Therapy (M.H.S.) –  Medical College of Georgia (Georgia Regents University)
• Professional Counseling (M.A.) – South University
• Psychology (M.A.) – University of the Rockies
• Public Health (M.A.) –University of Texas Health Sciences Center
• Rehabilitation Counseling (M.A.) – USC School of Medicine
• School Counseling (Ed.S.) – College of William and Mary
• Sexology (Ph.D.) – Weidner University
• Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.P.) – University of South Carolina

Job Placements

• Behavior Intervention Specialist, No Child Left Behind Behavioral Health Care
• Behavioral Health Coach, BCBS SC
• Business Development Manager, goDCgo (Washington, DC)
• Career Coach, Columbia College  
• Conference Coordinator, National Development Institute
• Credentialing Coordinator, Practice Management Group LLC
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Insurance Agent, Bankers Life and Casualty Company
• Member Representative, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
• Mental Health Counselor, Greenville, SC
• Operations Manager, Gay, Lesbian Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland
• Placement Manager, Youth Villages, Memphis, TN
• Program Coordinator, Newberry Mental Health Clinic
• Psychology Faculty, Georgia Gwinnett College
• Research assistant, Obesity Research Group, USC Psychology Department (Project PATH team)
• Service Coordinator, Kershaw County (SC) Board of Disabilities and Special Needs
• Service Coordinator, Richland/Lexington Disabilities and Special Needs Board
• Social Behavior Therapist, Aiken County School District 2
• Trade Compliance Consultant, UPS Supply Chain Solutions
• Vocational Evaluator, NC Vocational Rehabilitation (Durham, NC)
• Youth counselor, Spectrum Youth and Family Services (Burlington, VT)

Psychology Areas of Study 

The Psychology degree course requirements are identical for undergraduate, evening, and online program students. Learn about the classes we offer and areas you can focus on when you study Psychology. 

Major Course Requirements

• Psychology, B.A. (Undergraduate & Online Program)

• Psychology, B.S. (Undergraduate Program)

Minor Course Requirements

• Minor in Psychology (Undergraduate Program)