/Institutions/Messiah-College/json/2024-2025/Undergraduate-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Messiah-College/json/2024-2025/Undergraduate-Catalog.json

Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology

Department Chair:	John I. Bechtold
Administrative Assistant:	Bridgette Watkins
Professors:	J. Bechtold, H. Danso, V. Lemmon, J. Paris, J. Thomson
Assistant Professor:	D. Brockman, K. Waltman-Spreha

Majors and Minors

The Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology offers the following majors:

Biopsychology (B.S.)

Criminal Justice (B.A.)

Psychology (B.A.) with optional concentration in Clinical Psychology (B.S.)

Psychology (B.S.)

Psychology (B.S.) with Pre-Occupational Therapy/Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Sociology and Anthropology (B.A.) 

The Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology offers the following minors:

Criminal Justice

Gender Studies

Pre-counseling and Therapy 

Psychology

Sociology and Anthropology

The Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology provides a comprehensive examination of human behavior through various disciplinary lenses; from the human as an individual (Psychology), to the human as a social being (Sociology and Anthropology), to issues of criminality, deviance, and social control (Criminal Justice). Coursework and experiences in the department prepare the student for multiple means of engagement for service and reconciliation in church and society. While no one lens captures completely the complexity of human behavior, each lens contributes to a deeper and more sophisticated understanding than a mere surface observation of the ‘person’ in context.