Psychology Major
“Psychology, though it’s a science, is more of an art: You are being trained to see the world from someone else’s perspective, take the concepts you learn about in class, and construct theories to understand and help that person.”
Lander’s psychology major offers a strong base of knowledge for students who are interested in behavioral health fields. From the start, your classwork will draw not just from textbooks, but also resources like the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 —the gold standard for diagnosing mental health disorders. Your professors will also guide you in discussions of how religious law intersects with clinical practice for Orthodox Jewish psychologists.
Clinically oriented, well-rounded curriculum
“To be a psychologist you need a broad foundation. Patients are going to talk to you about things you can't even imagine, so I encourage students in their liberal-arts studies. I encourage them to improve their writing skills and to express themselves, because in clinical psychology you have to be creative and a good communicator. We're able to accomplish that because we have a small student body and small classes.”
The LCM psychology curriculum is intentionally crafted to give you the philosophical and practical skills you’ll need in your future career. Most classes have two dozen students or less, so there’s lots of room for personalized attention and one-on-one time with faculty.
You’ll also have multiple chances to apply the theories you learn through fieldwork, research, and internships. Students who want to dig deeper can choose the psychology honors pathway. Along with the standard requirements for the major, honors students do original research with guidance from a Touro professor.
Internship spotlight: New York City Criminal Justice Courts
Lander’s longstanding forensic mental health intern program at New York City Criminal Justice Courts gives psychology students a firsthand look at how the criminal justice system evaluates mental health claims. Students in the internship write evaluations and diagnose defendants alongside LCM professor Dr. Alan Perry, one of the court system’s forensic psychologists.
Several times a month, the students accompany Dr. Perry as he conducts psychological assessments of people accused of crimes. “We see anything and everything, From simple drug possession to assault to murder cases,” says student Yossi Koppel. “The only thing they have in common is there’s some sort of mental illness. We see textbook cases come to life.”
Explore the Psychology in Class and in the Field
Throughout your time in the psychology major, you’ll have opportunities to learn more about your chosen career through clubs, classes, job shadowing, research, and internships.
- Classwork: If you sign up for Psychological Testing, you’ll learn to administer, score, and interpret actual psychological assessments. If you take Forensic Psychology, you’ll join your professor and classmates at Rikers Island to review real court cases and make assessments. In Abnormal Psychology, you’ll view videos of actual patients, then use the DSM-5 to practice your diagnostic skills. You might also get to take a class guest taught by an LCM alum, integrating their practical experience and career insights into the classroom.
- Chaburah: LCM’s Psychology Club brings in alumni and other guest speakers to discuss current issues in psychology and explain their career paths. Faculty also attend club meetings to share advice on putting together a strong graduate school application.
- Internships and job shadowing: Along with your professors, LCM’s experienced career services department can help you find job shadowing and internship opportunities. These experiences can help you plan for your post-college life and build a network of support for your next step.
Pathways at Touro
Touro has several opportunities for advanced study in psychology while staying within the University:
- The behavioral science pathway includes three master’s degree programs at the University’s School of Health Sciences (SHS): Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and Applied Behavior Analysis. This pathway allows you to fast track your graduate degree by starting classes in those areas at SHS while still at Lander.
- SHS’ Doctor of Psychology program offers a unique PsyD degree in clinical psychology with a health care emphasis. This selective doctoral program prepares graduates to become licensed clinical psychologists in the State of New York.
Where Are Our Graduates Now?
About half of LCM’s psychology majors work in clinical settings, either in private practice or within larger organizations. You’ll find alumni working as research scientists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, art therapists, school counselors, social workers and licensed mental health counselors.
Other students may go on to apply their understanding of organizational psychology in schools or businesses, become behavioral analysts, or pursue graduate degrees in fields like law, marketing, management or human resources.
“I was always interested in understanding the ways in which people think and behave, and that led me to major in psychology at Lander College for Men... My career path has given me the chance to do fascinating work with different people and help make work better for everyone.”
- Michael Vodianoi, LCM alum and research scientist in organizational-industrial psychology
What You Can Expect From Lander:
Aside from small class sizes, experienced faculty, individualized attention, and demanding academics, you can expect alumni connections, support to enter the professional world, and an understanding of what you might be looking for as a Torah Jew raising a family and earning a living.
- As with all Touro majors, we have a strong alumni network you can rely on, and a powerhouse Career Services department that will prepare you for the workplace and help you start your career.
- As part of our mentoring program, we can match you with an alumni currently in the field, to mentor you and answer any questions on your career.
- We host career night dinners each year, where alumni come back to campus and gather around the dinner table with you, to help you get an inside view of their career with real talk about the profession.
- No disconnect between your morning in the Beis Medrash and your afternoon in a college classroom. Torah infuses everything we do and the shiur course you’ll take on Jewish Business Ethics is one example of the balance and coordination you’ll find here.
