Social Sciences

Develop a deep understanding of the human mind, intricately designed by a loving Creator.

Infuse your Christian faith into your studies from day one, learning what impacts our thinking, feelings and behaviors. As you delve into social and societal issues, develop a sympathetic understanding for others in need. Studying the social sciences at Houghton, means you’ll think deeply, investigate thoroughly, and study thoughtfully.

Calling all deep thinkers, researchers, problem solvers and empathic minds… we have a major for you.

Take a look.

Undergraduate Majors

Undergraduate Studies

Student attaching a testing device to another student's head.

Behavioral Neuroscience

Undergraduate Major – BA
Houghton student on laptop working on their Criminal Justice degree.

Criminal Justice

Undergraduate Major & Minor – BA, BS
Houghton student adding gel to psychology cap during eeg scan lab exercise in a Psychology class.

Psychology

Undergraduate Major & Minor – BA, BS
student water color art and brushes on table

Pre-Art Therapy

Undergraduate Program – Art & Psychology
Houghton student presenting in business class.

Pre-Law

Undergraduate Program

Social Science at Houghton

Faculty Mentoring

Small class sizes mean one-on-one attention from faculty members. Take advantage of this mentorship by stopping by faculty offices and attending events. They will encourage your growth and development along your career path as you pursue God’s calling for your life. This includes feedback on written and oral communication, support with research, personalized course selection and mentorship. Houghton’s faculty care about your academic, emotional and spiritual growth.

Christ-Centered Education

Learn about the social sciences through a Christian lens. Faculty infuse their faith into their studies and teaching. Be challenged through powerful and Biblical discussions related to societal issues. Spend time thinking about how our Christian beliefs form how we think about and care for people struggling with emotional and behavioral problems.

Experiential Learning

At Houghton, you’ll have numerous opportunities to engage in hands-on learning. This includes lab experiments, collaborative research, presentations at conferences or symposiums, senior capstone projects and robust internship experiences.

Houghton psychology students and professor putting measuring device on student's head.

Put real-world work experience on your resume through Houghton’s many internship opportunities. Pursue your area of interest such as social work, geropsychology, developmental, school or clinical psychology, addiction recovery, marriage and family, criminal justice and many others.

View Previous Psychology Internships
Houghton psychology student pointing at computer screen with professor observing.

Research Laboratories

Test your theories by experimenting in the laboratory and in the world. Use Houghton’s state of the art equipment such as the 64-channel EEG system, EMG, EKG and EOG. In addition, collect data using lie-detection, emotional expression, and brain activity during sleep.

Houghton alumna Grace Mackay in psychology lab helping with measuring device.

The education I received at Houghton helped me prepare to enter into the field of psychology with a strong understanding of how God plays a role in the field. The professors incorporated God into all of the academic topics and allowed me to grow academically and spiritually. I learned to view topics like statistics, philosophy, and writing as tools that God uses to reveal Himself to us.

Grace Mackay ’17

Explore Houghton's Psychology Major

Faculty & Staff

Suzanne Beardsley

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Read Bio

David Budz

Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice
Read Bio

Bill Burrichter

Vice President for Student Life
Read Bio

Torrance Jones

Assistant Professor of Business & Criminal Justice
Read Bio

Hannah H. Kim

Assistant Professor of Psychology
Read Bio

Alison Young Reusser

Associate Professor of Psychology
Read Bio

Molly Spear

Academic Departments Coordinator
Read Bio

Paul Young

Professor of Psychology
Read Bio
Load More
{"post_type":"staff","posts_per_page":18,"orderby":"last_word","order":"ASC","tax_query":[{"taxonomy":"staff-tax","field":"term_id","terms":["30"]}]}

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.