Psychology

About the Department

Lorin Lachs, Department Chair
Science II Building, Room 312
559.278.2691
csm.fresnostate.edu/psych/

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior – including human thought, emotion, and action – and the application of scientific knowledge to the solution of real-world problems. It includes a wide variety of topics, including perception, learning, memory, thinking, emotion, personality, social interaction, development, and abnormal behavior. Psychologists recognize that understanding behavior in all its complexity requires studying it from multiple perspectives. A thorough understanding of memory, for example, requires knowledge ranging from the neural structures and processes that underlie it to the social and cultural forces that influence it.

Students majoring in psychology take core courses in general psychology, statistics, and research methodology, along with additional courses in each of the primary areas of the discipline. There are also numerous opportunities for students to supplement their coursework with hands-on experience in faculty research labs and in the field under faculty supervision. Advanced and well-qualified students can participate in our senior honors program. These students design, conduct, and present an original research project as a senior thesis.

Psychology majors learn to think critically, write and speak clearly, identify and solve problems, and work effectively both individually and in groups. As a result, the study of psychology provides excellent preparation for graduate study and careers in a variety of fields.

Interesting Classes You Might Take

• Abnormal Psychology
• Introduction to Clinical Psychology
• Personality
• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Introduction to Neuropsychology

What You Can Learn

• How scientific research in psychology is conducted.
• The role of the brain in human behavior, thought, and feeling.
• The causes and consequences of many psychological disorders.
• How humans and animals learn and remember.
• How human behavior varies across cultures.
• How human behavior changes and develops over the lifespan.

Career Opportunities

An undergraduate education in psychology at California State University, Fresno is broad, flexible, and can be tailored to your own interests and goals. This makes it excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers. Psychology majors become school counselors, social workers, clinical psychologists, and neuroscientists. However, they also become teachers, police officers, data analysts, and human resources specialists. With the appropriate pre-professional education, they go on to medical school, dental school, and law school.

What You Can Earn

• With a Bachelor’s Degree
  • Behavior Technician, $38,502
  • Human Resources Assistant, $45,153
  • Police Officer, $62,100
• With a Master’s Degree
  • Clinical Research Coordinator, $67,930
  • Licensed Professional Counselor, $70,553
  • School Psychologist, $95,311
• With a Doctoral Degree
  • Clinical Psychologist, $111,587

Source: HR reported data from salary.com as of March 2023

Programs

• Psychology, B.A.

• Applied Behavior Analysis, M.A.
• Psychology, Ed.S.
• Psychology, M.A

• Pre-Psychology, B.S.

• Psychology, Minor