Psychology

The broad and fascinating discipline of psychology is concerned with the scientific study of cognition, emotion, and behavior. Psychology students at Covenant learn to employ the tools of psychological inquiry within a biblical framework to better understand and care for themselves and others in diverse contexts.

On this page Overview Graduate Outcomes Programs / Features Faculty Contact

Program Overview

The psychology department instills in students an admiration for studying the behavioral and mental processes of God’s creation in all its diverse beauty. Whether students major or minor in psychology, they can take courses regarding topics such as lifespan development, the science of learning, counseling methods, animal cognition, and psychology of game design, to name a few.

We deeply desire for our students to understand the value of using both biblical and empirical methods for understanding human behavior. To that end, students develop their research and critical thinking skills in our General Psychology laboratory, and then continue developing these skills throughout the major.

The senior capstone pulls together a student’s past coursework, present interests, and future goals to create a scholarly product that explores a psychological topic firmly grounded in biblical principles. Additionally, students have the opportunity to submit research to a professional conference in their sophomore or junior year, after which many choose to hone their topic in advanced research or internship opportunities.

Graduate Outcomes

Covenant Psychology students graduate with confidence in their ability to weave together their faith and professional calling. Our alumni exhibit their knowledge through careers in a wide range of fields, including:

Counseling/Clinical Psychology
Social Work
Neuropsychology
Ministry, Education, or Nonprofit Management
Occupational Therapy
Speech Language Pathology
Nursing or Public Health
Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Alumni graduate study institutions include:

Texas Tech University
Georgetown University
Wheaton College (Illinois)
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga and Knoxville
University of Alabama
University of Georgia
Suffolk University
Reformed Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
University of Southern California

Elijah Stephens ’03

John-Michael Forman ’10

A huge benefit of attending and studying psychology at Covenant is the access to a variety of sub-disciplines, all in the same place. In my experience, it’s rare to have the variety we have (e.g. cognitive, clinical, experimental) in regular conversation with the same goal of understanding our work as falling under the work of the Kingdom of God.

Dr. Rod Wilson

Associate Professor of Psychology

Programs & Features

To graduate with a major in psychology, students must earn a total of 126 hours, 59 of which will come from the core curriculum and 24 of which will come from electives depending on a student’s chosen concentration.

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A psychology minor at Covenant provides basic foundational knowledge of psychology, allowing students to supplement their major field with a deeper understanding of how people think and act.

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Our department offers a certificate for students to explore the rapidly growing, advanced field of Neuroscience, combining biological and psychological approaches to understanding the connections between brain, mind, and body with a Christian perspective.

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PSY 383 Addiction
PSY 333 Cross-Cultural Psychology
PSY 374 The Science of Learning
PSY 360 Psychology of Religion

“Cross-Cultural Approaches to Emotion Regulation”
“An Invitation to Tears: The Psychological and Biblical Case for Grief”
“The Psychology of Decision Making in Online Advertising”
“Psychologically Healthy Approaches to Eating and Exercise within a Christian Framework”
“Behavioral and Neurological Wounds: Long-term Effects of Untreated Childhood Trauma in Adult Survivors”

Guided Capstone Requirements

Junior and senior psychology majors can choose to complete an internship that provides supervised professional experience in a psychology-related career field. Our students have interned at locations such as:

Choices Pregnancy Center
Parkridge Valley Behavioral Health
Lifespring Community Health
Children’s Advocacy Center: The Emmy Haney House
Chattanooga Football Club
The Bethlehem Center

Every student enrolled in PSY 261 Introduction to Research Methods completes a unique research project with a small team of other students and supervised by a faculty member. Students typically take this course their sophomore or junior year, and many are surprised by how much they enjoy the course! Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member on more advanced research projects.

Every student has the opportunity and is strongly encouraged to submit their research to at least one professional conference. Our students have an impressive record of presenting and winning awards at regional and national conferences with projects such as:

The Effect of Teleological Bias on the Seductive Allure of Neuroscience
The Transcendent in Trauma: The Role of Spirituality in Trauma-Specific Psychotherapy
The Effect of Restrictive Highlighting on Recall and Reading Comprehension
Divine Help on Decisions: Prayer, Piety, and Conscientiousness
The Effect of Awe on Epistemic Curiosity
Is the Power Suit more Powerful for Women? Enclothed Cognition and Gender.
The Effects of ADHD Traits on Value-Directed Tasks

The Covenant College Department of Psychology annually presents several awards to recognize student excellence in academics, research, and Christian service, and the department's efforts to promote diversity and unity. These awards, established in 2020, are supported entirely by donations from alumni and others in honor or memory of former faculty members whose long-time commitments to the college and the department still benefit every member of our community every day.

Award page info

Meet the Psychology Faculty

David Washburn Professor of Psychology

Rodney Wilson Associate Professor of Psychology

Carole Yue Associate Professor
Department Chair

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