Psychology

The Psychology Program at Nashua Community College is a clear choice for students who want to pursue careers in Mental Health, School Psychology, Guidance Counseling, Special Education, Psychological testing and research. Graduates will be prepared to enter four year programs with a solid foundation of required courses such as Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Human Growth and Development and Research Methods which are core courses found in nearly all psychology programs. As a fully accredited college with a strong reputation an academically rigorous institution our graduates generally enter universities as junior level students.

Psychology can be a great major if you have not yet decided what your final academic or professional goals are. Earning a degree in psychology will provide education and experience that is useful for later study in diverse fields such as sciences, writing and communication, interpersonal communication skills, sales, health and neuroscience, forensics, crime and mental health. There is almost no job or major where a solid foundation in psychology won’t be valuable. Demand and job growth in psychology and these related areas is strong and rising in the years ahead. You will learn useful knowledge about yourself and others without being “boxed in” by specialty courses that don’t help much outside a particular field. Often students studying psychology find a passion for psychology or one of the related fields while in the program.

The NCC Psychology program will prepare you for the next steps toward your academic, personal, and professional goals. As a fully accredited institution with a reputation for graduating students who are well prepared when they enroll in four-year colleges or enter the workforce.

The Psychology program has built partnerships with universities, community service providers, government agencies and businesses over many years of history. As a result of those partnerships and the strong track record of performance by our students, NCC graduates are sought after and there is confidence our graduates possessthe knowledge ethics values and skills organizations demand for their important missions.

Faculty Highlights – Learn From Respected, Practicing Professionals

At NCC your professors are not just teaching you psychological theory and history. Of course students learn the major theories and theorists, but our faculty ensure the content is made relevant and practical to students. Faculty show direct connection to how the course content impacts their own work outside the classroom. Our faculty is made up of practicing current or former psychology professionalswho can share knowledge not taught in textbooks. They understand research and theory and also understand and demonstrate how theory turns into action and impacts people’s lives. Our teachers teach and do and our students share feedback that they feel the diverse knowledge and experience of our faculty is a major asset helping them fee prepared for further study and work.

Transfer Options In/Out

With transfer agreements and dual enrollment options NCC students can receive a high quality education at a more affordable rate, reducing or eliminating the burden of college debt and seamlessly transfer to a four year institution without concern for the authenticity of their grades or concern over transferability of credits.

Complete The Program On Your Terms

Psychology courses are offered in person, online and in hybrid formats. We offer daytime and evening classesand students can take courses in the summer or winter session to accelerate their program of reduce their workload during the traditional fall and spring terms. Our students are a diverse group ranging from recent high school graduates to adults changing careers or enhancing their credentials to mature students who are lifelong learners who possess an insatiable desire to learn and continually grow. This richness of perspectives creates a rich environment that all students benefit from as they learn to see concepts in ways they had not considered before.

Whether you know for sure psychology is your future or you are still exploring options, the NCC Psychology program may be a good choice for you to start your higher education journey. The courses you take will provide you with a solid foundation to enter four-year colleges with enough credits to be a junior and build on that foundation. You will take courses building expertise in universally relevant topics such as: how we humans grow and develop from infancy to old age, how we influence and are influenced by others in the social realm, you will learn about psychological abnormality as well as how to develop and promote positive mental health and coping skills in yourself and others. The program covers the major objectives taught in nearly all four-year psychology programs.

Psychology can be a great major if you have not yet decided what your final academic or professional goals are. Earning a degree in psychology will arm you with knowledge and experience that is valuable for subsequent study in various fields such as education, human resources, criminal justice and law enforcements, forensics, law, writing and communication, business, management and sales, health care and neuroscience, forensics, law enforcement and corrections and many others. There is almost no job or major where a solid foundation in psychology won’t be valuable. Demand and job growth in psychology and these related areas is already strong and growing in the years ahead. You will learn useful knowledge about yourself and others without being “boxed in” by specialty courses that don’t help much outside a particular field of study. Often students studying psychology find a passion for psychology or one of the related fields while in the program and their advanced knowledge of themselves and others continues to pay dividends regardless of career.

Among the benefits of studying psychology are:

• Psychology helps us understand ourselves and the people around us Building critical thinking and active listening skills that immediately place graduates above the average candidate for a career. Most importantly the study of psychology gives us a framework for understanding that most complicated person of all, ourselves.
• You will develop critical thinking skills. Being able to locate and discriminate accurate information is more difficult and more essential than ever before in history. Psychology students learn to critically evaluate “common sense” and “conventional wisdom” and seek to apply the scientific method to make decisions based on facts and are less vulnerable to misinformation and become aware of cognitive errors that plague our capacity to think rationally. Psychology majors understand concepts like confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance and the power of situations to influence individual behavior. Some of the biggest mistakes in human history were made due to a lack of awareness when these dynamics took hold. A psychology scholar at the table would have the knowledge and credibility to identify and help prevent such mistakes in companies and friends and families.
• Youopen up a diverse setof careers and opportunities – Students of psychology are valued in numerous fields for their knowledge of human thought and behavior. While therapists and researchers are common jobs associated with psychology, graduates also work in health care, education, human resources, criminal justice and corrections, forensics and courts, sports and any other places humans are found working. Research has shown that employers value employees who possess “emotional intelligence” over those with expertise in a job area who lack motivation, listening and teamwork skills. In fact, graduates with the skills a psychology education provides can improve the performance of entire work teams and groups.

• Psychology graduates do well while also doing good. Doing important work that makes the world a better place may be important to you. As our population ages and we become a more diverse society the demand for skilled helpers is only going to grow.

Here are some things NCC Psychology Graduates will do today:

• Help a person overcome trauma.
• Work with children and teachers to help a student do their best academically and help them cope with school or home challenges.
• Help an individual child (or even an entire school district) reduce drug or alcohol use, promote healthier lifestyle choices, or reduce or eliminate bullying.
• Help someone coping with mental illness or poverty.
• Support someone after a natural disaster, a refugee or a former inmate build a better life.
• Workto prevent sexual harassment in the workplace or promoting employee retention and productivity.
• Work with a person or family to cope with medical issues.
• Help a company hire and retain the right people.

Your efforts will directly help others and you will grow along the way knowing yourself better as you learn about others. You will be making a living while contributing the greater good. Having a sense of purpose, knowing you are making a positive impact in the world will be rewarding beyond the financial and material rewards that many careers provide.

All NCC Psychology students complete a capstone internship experience in their final semester. This invaluable experience allows students to put theory into practice and see their knowledge put to use in professional settings. During internships students learn skills that cannot be taught in a classroom or read from a book. Building listening skills, developing empathy and essential self-care skills can only be accomplished through experiential learning with the help of skilled supervisors. Our student interns are regularly offered jobs by their internship placements and graduate not only with a degree but a resume and reference which gives them an advantage in the job market after graduation.

Students considering the Human Services or Addiction Recovery Support Certificate are encouraged to speak to David Rondeau, Psychology Program Coordinator or Jayne Barnes, Chair of Social, Educational and Behavioral Sciences to determine best match for their career and academic goals.

There are no program–specific user or lab fees or admissions criteria.

We do have several courses using No/Low (NOLO) cost course materials with more being added each year.