Interested in how and why we do what we do? Psychology majors and minors at RMC study social relationships, mental illness, and the science of everyday thoughts and behavior in a program focused on research methods and how scientific decisions are made. Psychology majors may choose to focus on a specific area of emphasis including cognitive science, psychobiology, developmental psychology, social psychology, or clinical applications. These topics prepare students for a career in this wide-ranging field, or offer a broad-based understanding of how humans work that serves students on any career path.

Major/Minor Psychology
Psychology
up close In and Beyond the Classroom

high-impact Internships
At RMC, you learn by doing. Our internships include a variety of options that reflect the many industries and companies for which a psychology degree will benefit you. Psychology majors have recently interned at:
- Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Hanover Juvenile Court System
- Hanover County School Counseling
- Center for Neurorehabilitation Services
- Mental Health Association of Fauquier County
- Faison Center
Global Education
In this highly interdisciplinary and immersive course, students traveled to England to study the science of light and sight in the 17th-century Jacobean mansion, Wroxton Abbey. Alongside Dr. Cedar Reiner and physics professor Dr. Rachele Dominguez, Psychology of Vision students spent the first week of the January term learning the science of vision, and exploring the philosophy of perception and the phenomena of vision from different perspectives. They also visited sites where Britain’s pioneering scientists made their great discoveries like Newton’s famous apple orchard; the University towns of Oxford and Cambridge; the Royal Institution of London; and the Greenwich Royal Observatory.


hands-on learning
Psychology students at RMC learn more than facts and figures; they learn how to ask questions and analyze results. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, you are encouraged to conduct original research projects, both individually and as a team, for psychology research and theoretical systems course presentations; as part of your senior project; or through a summer fellowship. Recent projects have explored the full range of psychological questions, from perceptions of the justice system, the psychology of COVID-19 response, and the impact of changing an athlete’s perspective on their ability to hit a target.
Advising and Mentorship
Psychology faculty know you by name and actively support your academic journey at RMC, connecting you with internships and mentoring students as they pursue their original research.

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1980the year the RMC Psi Chi Honor Society chapter was founded
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$81,040median yearly salary for psychologists
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12-15the number of watts of electricity generated by the human brain (enough to light a lightbulb)

Psychology
in full Courses You Won’t Want to Miss
PSYC 125
Psychobiology of Stress
Explore the evolution of the complex stress response in mammals; the toxicity of the chronic stress response to our health; effective ways to cope with and manage the stress in our lives; and laboratory and field scientific techniques used to contribute to scientific stress literature.
PSYC 140
Psychology of Illusion
Study illusions of perception, memory, mood, consciousness, will, cognitive development, and judgment. By investigating how our minds get things wrong, you discover the inner workings of psychological processes.
PSYC 353
Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
Learn about deviance in normal psychological growth and development as influenced by the interaction of heredity, experience, familial and social environments. Explore the theory and research relating to diagnoses, treatment, and outcome of psychological disorders prevalent among children and adolescents.
Opportunities Worth Grabbing

Psi CHI International honor Society
Psychology Honor Society
wellness advisors
Selected by the Counseling Center, these students are available to fellow students to share healthy relationship or stress management advice, and work through mental health challenges.
From Here To What you can do with a Psychology degree from RMC

Jesse Hellyer ’85
Financial Services Professional
New York Life Insurance Company
“My time at RMC helped prepare me for my career by offering me the opportunity to grow as an individual. I firmly believe that having a psychology degree has helped me professionally. Knowing that all people are different has allowed me to learn how to deal with all types of personality types. It doesn’t matter what type of personality I or other agents have, we just have to be able to work with the other types!”
Rebecca Reidy Bunn ’17
Doctoral Candidate, Clinical Psychology
Katarina ballard ’23
Third Grade Teacher
Prince George County Public Schools
Mia Koch, OTD ’19
Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Graduate Assistant, Candidate for Ph.D. in Psychology
University of Texas – Dallas
mahogany snead ’16
Clinical Social Worker
VCU Health
Robyn McDougle ’98
Associate Dean of Research and Outreach, Associate Professor of the Wilder School
Virginia Commonwealth University
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January Term, known affectionately to Yellow Jackets as “J-Term,” is a unique part of the Randolph-Macon academic experience. The four-week,…
