College of Health and Behavior

The Best Training in Undergraduate Psychology

LSSU’s Psychology department strives to offer the best training in undergraduate psychology in the state of Michigan. Our heavily research focused program offers students the preparation that graduate programs desire most of all no matter what direction the student intends to pursue in psychology as a whole. Students receive the individualized attention you would find at a private small college at the price of a public University. Our graduates are successful in their many diverse graduate plans and careers

Lake State’s Psychology Program provides a rigorous education in scientific psychology including Neuroscience, Learning and Motivation, Research Methodology, Cognition, and Personality. Psychology electives include Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, and Child and Adolescent Development. The Psychology program also provides applied courses required for many minors that can also be taken as Psychology electives including Health Psychology, Behavior Modification, Communication Skills in Counseling, Family Therapy, Group Therapy and the Psychology of the Exceptional Child/Adolescent.

“The senior research project has actually led me to enjoy the research/experimental aspect of Psychology. Before the class I didn’t think I could perform well in these aspects, but now that I am doing the project I realize that I can do it and enjoy it!”

Ashley Krajewski

“Senior thesis research is a capstone experience for LSSU students studying the sciences. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, students choose a topic, design a study, collect and analyze the data, and then produce a scientific poster.”

Kristina Olson-PupekAssociate Professor

LSSU is the Place to Study Psychology

Strong, rigorous background in psychology as a science.
Faculty know the psychology majors (and many of the minors) on an individual basis.
Three specialties represented in the full-time faculty:
- Social-Developmental
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Able to provide personalized career guidance to our majors.
Faculty who are helpful to students if they encounter academic difficulties.
Senior Research Projects: Individualized student generated projects that the student completes in their final year under faculty supervision. These projects are presented in a poster session format similar to professional conferences.
Approximately 70% of our graduates have gone directly into graduate school with many others working for 1 – 3 years then applying.
Multiple students have co-authored articles or book chapters with faculty.
Counseling minor is very popular among psychology majors.
- Counseling skills
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Behavior modification
- Health Psychology
- In addition, there is a practicum at a community agency to obtain direct experience.
Psi Chi Chapter: International Honor Society in Psychology.
Active student involvement in Psychology Club.

Senior Projects/Research

Lake Superior State University’s psychology department recently showcased the research results of its graduating students. Topics ranged from how dance affects mood and concentration, to whether differences in color impacted memory for words.

Capstone Experience

“Senior thesis research is a capstone experience for LSSU students studying the sciences,” says LSSU psychology professor Russell Searight. “Under the guidance of faculty mentors, students choose a topic, design a study, collect and analyze the data, and then produce a scientific poster.”

Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference Presentation

Lake State Psychology Seniors, Jessamyn Ehteshami-Afshar and Brooke Hawley presenting the results of their senior research project at the Michigan Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference.

Michigan Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference Presentation

Dr. Olson-Pupek and Senior Psychology Major, Cameron Metz who is presenting the results of his research on public speaking anxiety at the Michigan Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference.

Degrees

Career Options

In the past several years, all of our graduates who applied to graduate schools in public health, psychology and social work were admitted. Students have been admitted for graduate work in Masters’and PhD programs in both clinical and experimental psychology.

Substance Abuse Counselor
Psychiatric Technician
Psychology Assistant
Sales
Marketing
Human Resources
Research Assistant

The majority of our graduates go onto graduate school in fields such as Clinical or Counseling Psychology, Social Work, Public Health and General Experimental Psychology

Jacob Brushaber (’14) – Accepted to Central Michigan University School Psychology PhD program for Fall 2014. Also received assistantship
Brooke Lewis (’14) – accepted to Northern Michigan University General Psychology Master’s program; invited for Open House at Central Michigan University for Clinical Psychology PhD program
Lindsey Cooley (’14) – accepted to the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago for Fall 2014 PsyD
Sara (Yates) Krolewicz (’12) – accepted to the University of Wisconsin Madison Audiology doctoral program for Fall 2014 but decided to attend the program at Vanderbilt
Crystal Drake (’14) – Northern Michigan University Master’s in Experimental Psychology for Fall 2014; planning to attend the Art Institute’s program in Art Therapy after
John Toon (’13) – accepted at Brooklyn College, School Psychology MS in Ed but chose to attend the University of Chicago instead
Jessica Van Horn (’12) – Clinical Social Work MSW at Michigan State University for Fall 2014
Julie (Armock) Herweyer (’13)— attending Northern Michigan University General Psychology Master’s program
Jennifer Randazzo (’13) – working on MSW through Grand Valley University
Sydney Allmayer (’13) – Masters in Public Health program at New York University
Janelle Balkwill (’12) – Doctoral program in Audiology at University of Waterloo, Ontario
Cheyenne Shinabarger (’12) – Master’s program in Clinical Psychology at Central Michigan University
Nicole Graham (’12) – Valparaiso School of Law