Carleton College

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Studying Counseling & Psychology at Carleton College

Carleton College appears in our ranking of the 50 Great Small Colleges for a Bachelor’s in Psychology

Carleton College offers students a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a curriculum that spans three main content areas. Those areas include biological & behavioral processes, cognitive studies & social behavior, and development, personality, & clinical psychology. Students are eligible to use Advanced Placement classes from high school for the purpose of satisfying degree requirements.

Although the degree program has several required courses, school advisors may recommend that students take specific classes in biology, linguistics, and other areas to supplement their program. The conclusion of study will occur when the student has completed a senior capstone course during their final year. Some of the required core courses in the program include Psychology of Learning and Memory, Sleep and Dreaming, Sensation and Perception, and Hormones, Brain, and Behavior. Other courses include Cognitive Processes and Psychology of Language.

When students reach their upper-level course requirements, they will be able to choose from several options that will help them tailor their degrees to their personal interests. Some of the classes students may choose from include Topics in Professional Psychology, Science & Pseudoscience in Psychology, Neuropsychology of Aging, and Language & Deception.

Before choosing their curriculum path for the psychology degree at Carleton College, students may want to consider the 20 sub-fields of psychology that may help them choose their electives and shape their degree path. Some of the sub fields described by the American Psychological Association include counseling, behavioral neuropsychology, sports, forensics, and school psychology.

The college routinely updates its available seminars for the graduating capstone experience. Recent areas of study have included addiction, food, and the credibility revolution of psychology. Within those seminars, students have been able to focus on topics like nutrition and brain health, behavioral addiction associated with drug use, and the issues of false positives in psychological research.

Students commonly continue into graduate school after they receive their psychology degree from Carleton College, and the college suggests that its program is an excellent tool for preparing students for graduate study. Some of the specializations in psychology that students may choose as a route when they graduate include clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and developmental psychology.

About Carleton College

Carlton College was established in 1866. Today, it enrolls more than 2,100 students each year in a variety of undergraduate programs. The main campus is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it covers 200 acres. The school also sits next to the 800-acre Cowling Arboretum, which has been a part of the college since the 1920s. The college has received high marks for its programs in undergraduate teaching, and the university has also produced several Fulbright Scholars and Goldwater Scholars.

The college’s official colors are maize and blue, and students who play varsity sports do so as the Knights when they play in NCAA Division III games. When it was founded, the school received a donation of 10 acres from two local businessmen in Northfield and would later receive a large donation of money from William Carleton. The trustees of the school renamed the institution after Mr. Carleton and would see its first graduates exit the school in 1874.

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Carleton College Accreditation Details

Carleton College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is the agency for Minnesota and the surrounding states that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of the agency is to approve institutions of higher learning so that they may grant college degrees. The college is also registered with the Office of Higher Education in Minnesota to operate.

The university has also earned specialized accreditation for its program that leads to a teaching license. Through a partnership with St. Olaf College, the school is authorized to offer teaching licensure preparation for several primary school grades, as well as areas of study like mathematics, social studies, and life sciences. The Minnesota Board of Teaching has given its authorization to the college to offer these teaching programs.

Carleton College Application Requirements

Carlton College considers the academic achievements of its applicants, as well as the personal experiences of its prospective students, when determining whether to accept an application. Students should make sure they take the recommended sequence of courses while in high school that will adequately prepare them for work at the collegiate level. The college suggests that most students go well beyond the minimum admissions requirements when applying.

Students may choose to submit to an interview when they apply to Carlton College, but the college doesn’t absolutely require it. The college also considers various qualities like how active the student has been in his or her school and whether there has been any participation in extracurricular activities. The college suggests that a strong history of participation in extracurricular activities can make a difference in a student’s application.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for students who attend Carleton College is $56,778 for the year, and students may also pay other fees associated with attending the institution. A student activity fee adds $333 to the total, room charges come to $7.704, and board charges are billed at $6,954. In all, students should be prepared to pay $71,769 to attend Carleton College for a year.

There are also some other costs a student may need to cover while enrolled that include books and supplies, as well as personal expenses and costs related to transportation. The college suggests that students should apply to the college and for financial aid before deciding whether the tuition is affordable because financial aid may be available to help reduce the overall cost of attendance.

Student Financial Services handles financial aid at Carleton College, and students will submit their FAFSA form to apply, as well as complete a profile with the college to complete the financial aid application process. The college suggests that funding a student’s college education is the primary responsibility of the student’s family but that paying for college shouldn’t be a financial burden.

In that light, the college offers students the opportunity to apply for student loans that may come from the federal government’s loan program or from private sources. The college calls private loans alternative loans, and receiving aid at Carleton College may require that a student submits a self-certification form to complete the application process and receive loan disbursement.

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