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Psychology

Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor of Science

What can a Psychology Degree do for you?

The mind works in mysterious ways. Learn to navigate, predict, and analyze the infinite inner workings of the human mind with a Psychology degree from Clarke! Whether you seek to help others, conduct research, or manage people, you will have the resources to apply the principles you’ll learn in your chosen career path.

What makes Clarke one of the best colleges for psychology is a perfect balance of clinical, social, and cognitive theories and practice. Faculty members in our program bring a wealth of scientific research, clinical and counseling experience into the classroom and present it in exciting ways.

In class learning at Clarke University.

Clarke University Psychology students being lead by professor in interactive class experience.

As a psychology major, you will learn to:

  • Amplify critical thinking skills.
  • Solve problems through analyzation and research.
  • Understand the processes that motivate human thoughts and actions.
  • Decipher cognition, motivation, and emotion.

If you are interested in understanding and evaluating individuals, societies, cultures, and professions, come visit Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa to learn more.

Graduates of the Clarke psychology program have enjoyed careers in diverse fields including mental health care, health services, criminal justice, human resources, counseling, teaching, and stage of life care. Many students also continue their studies with a graduate or doctorate program.

Look Into the Human Mind

With Clarke’s psychology program, you’ll dig deeper into the inner mechanisms of the human brain – and learn why and how humans function the way we do. Our curriculum is designed in collaboration with experienced professionals in their field and aligned with industry standards. Through theory and practice, you will gain the tools you’ll need to maintain a competitive edge in the workplace here in Iowa and beyond.

You’ll amplify your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities as you develop an understanding of the processes that motivate human thoughts and actions. Your studies will focus on cognition, motivation and emotion – and you’ll learn how the discipline of psychology is advanced through research.

Clarke University psychology students explore the depths of the human mind.

Well-Rounded Curriculum

Your studies will focus deeply on the study of human behavior and mental processes. This understanding will give you insights not just into individuals, but  how human behavior impacts the dynamics of a business or organization.

As you begin to work toward your bachelor’s degree in psychology, you will start gaining the knowledge of major psychological ideas and practices. This knowledge allows you to provide the value and contribution that modern-day organizations are seeking in their employees. This program will also grant you the interpersonal and communication skills that a wide variety of companies and industries are looking for.

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Psychology program, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a breadth of psychological knowledge
  • Analyze information and data with scientific thinking
  • Defend ethics, social justice, and diversity
  • Illustrate professional communication skills
  • Apply professional skills to career planning and success

Program Details

Program Details
Clarke’s storied psychology department is dedicated to maintaining a rigorous academic curriculum designed to emphasize the development of analytic and emotional skills that are the basis of examination, evaluation, and communication in the field. Courses involve hands-on service fieldwork, such as volunteering to help those in need or internships with nonprofits across the nation. These unique features are what make Clarke one of the best psychology schools.

As a Psychology Major, You’ll Learn To:

  • Amplify your critical thinking skills.
  • Solve problems through analyzation and research.
  • Understand the processes that motivate human thoughts and actions.
  • Decipher cognition, motivation, and emotion.

Hands-on Learning

  • You’ll have the opportunity to participate in Clarke’s “Into the Streets” community volunteer effort and in the Multicultural Center’s “Food for the World” experience.
  • The Psychology Club takes part in a host of unique, exploratory activities.
  • In Behavior Modification class, you will selects a self-control goal to work on during the semester to put principals into practice.
  • In Psychology of Women, you can volunteer for a minimum of six hours at organizations that serve women in need.

What Can You Do with a Psychology Degree?
By earning your bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clarke University, you’ll prepare yourself for a wide range of careers. Our graduates are employed as:

  • Case manager
  • Career counselor
  • Rehabilitation specialist
  • Psychiatric technician
  • Mental health clinician
  • Health care facility administrator
  • Police officer
  • Psychiatric aide
  • Human resources
  • Disability case manager
  • Childcare worker

Admission to Clarke University

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Apply to Clarke today to begin your journey.

A Sampling of Classes a Psychology Major takes:
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
— Explore the elementary principles of behavior modification. You’ll study reinforcement, punishment, extinction, and generalization.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY — This course studies the aspects of life that make people feel fulfilled. You’ll cover topics such as positive thinking, values to enhance emotions, and physical self-care.

PERSONALITY — This course places an emphasis on comparing and contrasting various paradigms such as psychoanalysis, sociocultural, trait, and existential humanistic.

What Can I Do with a Psychology Degree? With Clarke’s Psychology Degree, You Will:

  • Lay the foundation for a successful human services career through psychology courses and general education classes.
  • Understand the role psychology plays in everyday life through a captivating exploration of emotion, knowledge, identity, and other psychological paradigms.
  • Build upon your existing knowledge as you dig deeper into the intricacies of human behavior.

Key Bachelor of Psychology Learning Outcomes — As a Psychology Major, You’ll be able to:

  • Articulate major theories, concepts, and interpret historical trends in psychology.
  • Explain behavior, cognition, and emotion from multiple schools of thought and multicultural perspectives.
  • Identify a problem in psychology, examine available evidence, analyze assumptions, and apply research methods to solve the difficulty. This includes the ability to interpret numbers and apply basic statistical processes.
  • Write papers in psychology using different literary formats, e.g., narrative, exposition, critical analysis, and APA format.
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Meet Our Faculty

When graduates speak about the Clarke moments that helped shape them, there’s always a professor in the story. That’s because being a faculty member at Clarke University requires a deep passion for educating, encouraging, and empowering students. Here, your professors will know your name. They will push you to develop your full potential, and then they’ll ask for more. And, they’ll be right there to congratulate you when you exceed even your own expectations. Often, it’s a relationship that lasts a lifetime.

View Our Faculty & Staff
Tim Boffeli, Ph.D.

Tim Boffeli, Ph.D.

Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology

I enjoy being there in that magic moment of time when life makes more sense. This sense is what teaching and learning is all about and will last for more than my lifetime.

Brenna Burgart

Brenna Burgart

Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology

Teaching to me is encouraging people to become lifelong learners, and to stay one yourself! Keeping an open mind and being willing to update your way of thinking will open you up to so many opportunities!

Richard Grove, Ph.D.

Richard Grove, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Most of my research has been aimed at learning more about how religious beliefs and religious group identity influence people’s attitudes. If you want to learn more about my research or want to pursue research of your own, please reach out. As a teacher, it is important to me that all students feel welcome and supported in my classroom.

Getting ready to take notes in a Clarke University English Class
There’s more to college than going to class.

The Classroom and Beyond


But don’t take our word for it…

Our Students & Alumni

Olivia G.

Olivia G.

Psychology '22

My Psychology professors and classmates really understood me. We were open about our mental health and how we were doing. We supported each other through class, study groups, and outside of the classroom. I was a first-generation student as well as a transfer, so that support was so important. My experience prepared me for my graduate school program and role as a Behavior Technician at Hills & Dales.

Charles J.

Charles J.

Psychology ‘24

All of Tim Boffeli’s Psychology courses really make you think, and there is a practical aspect to them. You walk away knowing more about yourself, not just the terms and techniques he’s referring to. Something I had struggled with is negative self-talk, and in Behavior Modification I focused on how to lessen that. That’s a lesson I’ll carry with me for life.

Bridget B.

Bridget B.

Psychology ‘00

I strive to be dependable, honest, and trustworthy every single day. These are values that my family and the educators at Clarke instilled in me and I strive to share with my clients and others in my life. That motivates me to continue providing exceptional psychotherapy services to the Dubuque area and to continue enjoying each moment with my family. 


$79,010

Average salary for a clinical psychologist in 2018.

1:1
Personal attention

The one-to-one learning that happens at Clarke means students succeed at securing internships and career opportunities.

14 %

Percent that employment of psychologists is projected to grow from 2016 to 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other Programs to Explore

Experience Clarke Psychology for Yourself

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