Clinical Psychology Program

Build a solid foundation for your future psychology career or enhance a second major by developing your people skills with the clinical psychology bachelor’s degree program at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. Discover how the human mind works by learning the “how” and “why” of human behavior with this concentration in clinical psychology.

Emphasis on the whole person: body, mind, and spirit

Through a clinical psychology major rooted in the Catholic Church, you’ll cultivate a profound appreciation of the God-given dignity and uniqueness of each person. Led by faithful Catholics who are devoted to preparing you to be one of Christ’s disciples, the Franciscan University psychology degree program has at its heart a respect for the human person. Learn to care for the whole individual — body, mind, and spirit — through this hands-on concentration in clinical psychology.

Here are just a few other ways Franciscan’s clinical psychology bachelor’s degree program stands out from the rest:

• Financial aid and scholarships: Receive information about scholarships and financial aid as well as how to apply through the Franciscan Office of Financial Aid.
• Research opportunities: Stand out on your graduate school applications and for jobs in psychology by conducting research as an undergraduate. You’ll have opportunities to do your own research or to work alongside your Franciscan professors on their projects. Your work could lead to being published and to presenting at conferences, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG).
• International honor society: Join the Franciscan chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and bolster your degree in psychology. Psi Chi is open to undergraduate psychology majors who are in the top 35 percent of their class. This honor looks impressive on your graduate school application and psychology job applications. Psi Chi members are more likely than nonmembers to continue their psychology education.
• Neuroscience minor: Combine biology and psychology courses to better understand how the brain functions and strengthen your degree in psychology with a neuroscience minor at Franciscan.
• Psychology minor: Round out your Franciscan University education with a minor in psychology. In the light of the Catholic faith, discover the beauty of the human mind, body, and spirit—and develop insights that can assist you in any field of study.
• Experienced and engaged faculty: Learn from Catholic professors who have years of clinical and research experience. These men and women of God are committed to mentoring you — in psychology and in your Catholic faith. They’ll prepare you for success in graduate school and for earning a salary in psychology.

The extensive hands-on clinical practice you’ll receive through your degree in psychology at Franciscan University gives you the experience many private and public universities look for when admitting students to their graduate programs. You’ll also be well prepared to work as a licensed therapist or in other psychology jobs.

Graduate Programs for Clinical Psychology Majors

• Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Master of Arts or Master of Science in Clinical Psychology
• Master of Arts or Master of Science in Psychology
• PhD in Psychology
• PsyD in Clinical Psychology

Potential Job Titles for Clinical Psychology Majors

• Career Counselor
• Case Manager
• Child Care Worker
• Market Research Analyst
• Probation Officer
• Rehabilitation Specialist
• Social Service Specialist

A required150-hour senior year internship provides students with a capstone opportunity for synthesizing the knowledge and information from formal courses and come to appreciate the practical application of the theoretical materials. Although this is done to a limited extent in the classroom, the exposure to the particular internship placements should magnify this process by increasing knowledge and awareness, developing and refining human interaction and/or research skills, and establishing and reinforcing professional attitudes. Students could view the internship as a bridge between their vocation as students and their potential professional careers or vocations. An intended outcome is to further crystallize how their personal vocations are woven into their choices for the future.

Also, as part of the capstone experience at Franciscan University, students complete either a senior thesis or senior seminar. Typically, a student begins to identify areas in the field that spark particular interest and excitement. Commonly these areas contribute to the identification of a narrow topic to be explored for the thesis/seminar. In cases of a double major, an integrated topic is often a student’s choice. Both projects allow students to immerse themselves more deeply into a topic of choice related to the field of psychology. Senior thesis is the written form of this project, and seminar is an oral presentation.

View the Psychology Program on the Undergraduate Catalog