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Applied Psychology - Program Description

About This Major

The mission of the B.S. Applied Psychology program is to train students with the knowledge and skills for a rewarding career in the helping professions. This degree prepares its graduates for:

• Non-licensed entry level positions in human and social service settings;
• Advancement opportunity from current position to positions that require a bachelor’s degree;
• Application to graduate level education in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Law, among other disciplines.

The B.S. in Applied Psychology addresses a growing need, both locally and nationwide for trained personnel to serve in human services-related fields. This need stems from 10-year projections forecasting the need for social services. These include the delinquent population, pregnant teenagers, homeless persons, people with mental disabilities and/or developmental disabilities, people with substance abuse, and the growing population of older adults.

• Completion of the Addiction Treatment Training Certificate Program. This program allows matriculated and non-matriculated students to obtain coursework that meets the 350 contact hours needed to apply for the Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor-Training (CASAC-T) credential through the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

Disclaimer

The completion of this baccalaureate degree will not qualify the holder to apply for, be hired for, or perform the duties related to, employment which involves the provision of services prohibited by New York State Education Law Article 153, Psychology, Paragraphs 7601 and 7601a. This law prohibits graduates from SUNY Canton who hold a BS in Applied Psychology, like other baccalaureate programs in Psychology, from performing tasks which only licensed providers are authorized to do under state law (e.g., psychologists, mental health counselors, psychoanalysts, creative arts therapists, marriage and family therapists, registered nurses, physicians, licensed master social workers, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed behavior analysts).

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this program have moved directly into these meaningful careers:

• Performing assessments to determine general eligibility for services
• Providing substance abuse treatment services
• Coordinating prevention and residential services for survivors of domestic violence
• Assisting in adult or child protective services investigations
• Working in agencies that administer services to families seeking to adopt children or provide foster care

Admission Requirements

• Refer to the table of high school course prerequisites for admission.
• Transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 OR a two-year degree.

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L/L = Lower Level Courses (100/200)
U/L = Upper Level Courses (300/400)
GER = General Education Requirement

* Writing Intensive course

** MATH 141 is pre-requisite for SSCI 370

SUNY Canton Course Descriptions