Experimental Psychology

Experimental psychologists use scientific methods to collect data and perform research that is integral to our understanding of psychological phenomena—from learning—to cognitive processes. Graduate-level research projects combined with discussion-rich courses and an abundance of clubs and internships, allow Western Psychology graduates to stand out from the pack when pursuing advanced degrees and competitive career fields.

Program Overview

Turn your passion for psychology into action.

The Experimental Psychology emphasis provides you with a comprehensive background in the biological bases of behavior and prepares you for graduate studies in experimental psychology or the neurosciences. Most graduate programs look for research experience in addition to strong GPAs and a passion for the field of psychology. At Western Colorado University, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your own graduate-level research projects and receive one-on-one faculty support throughout the process.

Through a combination of discussion-rich courses and an abundance of clubs and internship opportunities, your experience at Western will ensure that you are well-prepared to work towards an advanced degree or pursue a meaningful career as a school psychologist, social worker or researcher.

Understanding human behavior

Psychology students research topics including the biological bases of behavior, human development, sensation, perception, intelligence, cognition, language, states of consciousness, learning, memory and much more.

Courses

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits	Description
PSY 100	General Psychology (GT-SS3)	3	View
PSY 200	Statistics and Data Analysis	3	View
PSY 210	History of Psychology	3	View
PSY 301	Research Methods	3	View
PSY 335	Learning and Behavior	4	View
PSY 338	Cognitive Psychology	3	View
PSY 345	Biological Psychology (with laboratory)	4	View
PSY 380	Evolutionary Psychology	3	View
PSY 437	Behavioral Pharmacology	3	View
PSY 457	Social Psychology	3	View
PSY 498	Capstone Seminar in Psychology	3	View
PSY 499	Capstone Internship in Psychology	3	View

Faculty & Staff

Lindsey C. Fast, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Salif P. Mahamane, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology; Graduate Faculty, MEM

Scott I. Cohn, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Careers

Career preparation starts your first year at Western and is the primary focus of every degree.

Visit Career Services in Library 120 or online to discover your interests, define your goals, and land the career of your dreams.

The data below is automatically collected by Burning Glass Technologies, a firm that sources job market data and provides analytics. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.

What could my career look like with this degree?

Scholarships

Institutional Scholarships

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western. Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 15 for 2021. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Board, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1. Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
Nominee must be an incoming freshman or new transfer.
The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
GPA must be 2.0 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found here (click). Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Presidential Promise

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant. For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

The Presidential Honors Scholarship

Description

The Western Presidential Honors Scholarships, established by the Jack and Marilyn MacAllister Foundation shall be an elite class of scholarships awarded to Western's highest achieving and most deserving students, celebrating the ideals of academic excellence and service to the campus and community. Recipients of the Scholarships will be members of the Western Colorado University Honors Program.

There are eight Presidential Honors Scholarships of $2500 each. Each year two new Presidential Honors Scholarships will be awarded to two incoming freshmen.

Tuition Discount Programs

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Western Merit Scholarship

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student's GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Get Involved

Take your education beyond the classroom.

Get the hands-on learning experience you need to apply your knowledge and launch your career.

Active Minds: An advocacy group that provides mental health education.
Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology.
Psychology Club: A place to participate in discourse and activities that are psychological in nature.
Research: Students can develop their own projects under faculty supervision or participate in internship activities. In you can envision a research project, then the Psychology program can help you create and execute it.

Experience in the field

Psychology majors work to gain field experience through direct, supervised contact with professionals in psychology and related fields. In addition to on-site responsibilities, students write a comprehensive paper integrating the field experience and psychological theory and later formally present the paper in an open forum.