Psychology

Because understanding people is valuable everywhere.

Psychology major and minor

Interested in understanding human behavior and making a difference in the lives of others? At Simpson, our Psychology program prepares you with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and personalized support to help you achieve your goals. With a strong focus on active learning, leadership, and skill development, you’ll graduate prepared for careers and graduate programs in fields ranging from counseling and social work to law, nursing, human resources, and physical therapy.

Learning goes beyond the classroom. You’ll work closely with faculty through independent studies, class research projects, in-class experiments, demonstrations, and faculty-mentored research. You’ll have opportunities to present your work at psychology conferences such as MPA, SPSP, and ILLOWA, while experiences like conducting research and participating in a sheep brain dissection bring psychological concepts to life.

You’ll also find a strong sense of community through the Psychology Club, Psi Chi, and connections with faculty and fellow students. Along the way, you’ll build research, communication, critical-thinking, leadership, and collaboration skills that prepare you for life beyond Simpson.

Whether you plan to enter the workforce or pursue graduate or professional school, Simpson’s Psychology program gives you the experience and foundation to take your next step with confidence.

View major course requirements

View minor course requirements

Why Simpson College for Psychology?

What Will I Learn?

As a Psychology major at Simpson, you’ll explore the science of human behavior, thought, and development while building skills you can apply in a variety of careers. Through hands-on experiences, you’ll put concepts into practice through class experiments, demonstrations, research projects, independent studies, and faculty-mentored research. Along the way, you’ll strengthen your leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, preparing you for graduate school, professional programs, or careers beyond Simpson.

Graduate School Ready

Our faculty will prepare you for every step of applying to and getting accepted into high-quality graduate schools after graduation. Here are a few examples of schools where Simpson alumni have studied:

Allen College
Des Moines University
Drake University
Grand View University
The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology
The University of Texas
Washburn University
Wheaton College Graduate School

Career Ready

Our graduates are prepared to launch successful careers and make an immediate impact in the workforce. Here are a few examples of where Simpson alumni are building their careers:

Brain Balance
Capstone Behavioral Healthcare
Clive Behavioral Health
Nexus Health Systems
Turning Point Evaluation, INC.

Why Simpson College for Psychology?

$99k

Median annual national pay

- U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics 2025

Anticipated job growth between 2025-2035

- Bureau of Labor and Statistics 2025

$87k

Bachelor's psychology salary in Iowa

- Zip Recruiter 2026

Explore Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

Interested in the unique opportunities the department has to offer? See more opportunities and experiences that will shape your future at Simpson.

Research Experiences

Get first-hand research experience focusing on ground-breaking technology and science in Psychology.

Eye Tracking Technology –

Eye tracking utilizes equipment that can follow a person’s eye movements and precisely locate what a person is focusing on at any given moment. Cognitive science uses this to study how our vision helps us function in our environment. The technology is also applied in other areas. Marketing professionals have applied this research to create better packages, ads and web design, etc. Both a portable and a stationary units are available for Simpson faculty and student research and teaching.

Psychophysiology –

The Cognitive Neuroscience Lab has a Biopac MP150 measurement system that is used to study physiological processes and how they relate to behavior. Current capabilities include measures of skin temperature, muscle tension and skin conductance. These measures are often used to study reactions to events that elicit emotions or cause stress.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) –

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a measure of brain activity that can be used to study brain functions or to detect problems such as sleep disorders or epilepsy. It has been used on campus to evaluate how distractions affect attention and slow reactions to important information, i.e., texting and driving.

Psychology Club

The Simpson College Psychology Club is a student-led organization that promotes social and educational activities for psychology students. Psychology Club events provide information on topics such as graduate school and getting a job, foster productive relationships with faculty mentors and explore new and interesting topics in psychology.

Psi Chi Honor Society

Psi Chi is the international honor society in psychology. Membership recognizes academic excellence in psychology and is worth sharing on resumes, applications for employment and applications for graduate school. Students are invited to join the Simpson College chapter of Psi Chi each spring.

May Term Travel

May Term courses take learning beyond the classroom through immersive travel experiences. Each course is designed to provide firsthand insight into the industry while helping students build professional connections and explore a variety of career opportunities.