Saint Leo University

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Psychology and Counseling Degree Programs at Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Online Master’s in Forensic Psychology.

To help students learn more about human behavior and to prepare them for graduate school, Saint Leo University offers four programs for undergraduates. Students who aren’t sure what they want to do in the future can enroll in the general program, which awards them a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology. This program can help those who want to work as case managers, social workers and in other areas of the social sciences. Students have the chance to do internships with top organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Harbor Behavioral Health Care Institute and Florida Mental Health Institute. They may want to join the Psychology and Research Club or help their professors with research projects. Some of the courses in the general psychology program include Psychology of Criminal Behavior, Abnormal Psychology and Interviewing and Counseling Skills.

The university’s BA in Clinical/Counseling Psychology includes the same classes as well as one called Personality Theory. This course looks at some of the theories behind the development of personality. The program prepares students for going to graduate school and become licensed counselors and for working in clinical settings where they don’t need a license.

Another option that those with an interest in human development might find appealing is a BA in Developmental Psychology. This program focuses on the ways in which people develop and teaches students the developmental milestones that individuals should meet as they age. It helps them find work with children who have developmental and learning disorders and adults who need support. Developmental Psychology is just one required course in the program. Students also take Psychology of Aging to learn about how people change as they age and Child and Adolescent Development, which focuses on the milestones that younger people should meet.

Saint Leo University also offers a BA in Experimental Psychology for those who want to work on research projects and work in labs. Students often enter accelerated doctoral and graduate programs later, but a small number also attend medical school or law school. This program includes a required Research Practicum that allows students to practice their research skills. It also includes courses such as Research Methods I, II and II that they will take before doing a practicum. Students will also take a course that goes over the different ways of testing and measuring research subjects and experiments.

About Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University is a private university in St. Leo, Florida that also goes by the name of Saint Leo and SLU. A Roman Catholic colony opened in 1881 in Florida and welcomed German immigrants moving to the area. This colony would later help establish a new school in 1899 called Holy Name Monastery. It was the first school in Florida and one of the first in the south to admit black students. Known as St. Leo’s College, it would later shift its curriculum and become a prep school and a high school. It wasn’t until 1959 that the college dropped its high school program and became a college, which led to it gaining university status later.

SLU has an affiliation with the Catholic Church and the Order of Saint Benedict. Many of the students attending the university today are practicing Catholics. Military Times named it one of the best choices for military students in 2017, and the National Security Agency named it a National Center of Academic Excellence. SLU has a rural campus in Florida and an enrollment of more than 13,000 students.

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Saint Leo University Accreditation Details

Students who want to transfer to SLU shouldn’t have any issues. The university can accept their credits because it has regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). SACS accreditation covers all the university’s counseling and psychology programs and the degree programs it offers in other subjects.

Saint Leo University Application Requirements

With an acceptance rate of more than 72%, Saint Leo University is less selective than other private schools in the country. Students typically have a score of at least 900 on the SAT or 20 on the ACT and a GPA of above 3.0. As Saint Leo knows that students are more than just numbers on a piece of paper, it looks at other factors, including whether they took any college or AP classes and if they have any volunteer or professional experiences. Students who want to study psychology or counseling may find it helpful to volunteer in mental health clinics and similar organizations.

The university also requires that students submit transcripts that show they prepared for college in high school. Those transcripts should show that they took two years of elective, science and foreign language classes, three years of math courses at and above the Algebra level and four years of English classes. Students can use the Common Application starting at the beginning of August or use the Saint Leo application. In addition to their required transcripts, the university gives students the option of supplying a test score and/or a letter of recommendation. That letter and a test score can help students compensate for low or poor grades.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The total cost of attendance at Saint Leo University is close to $35,500 a year. This includes tuition of $11,200 each semester and room and board costs of more than $12,000 a year. Students can choose a different meal plan or dorm room, which will change their total costs. The university estimates that students will pay more than $4,000 a year for their indirect costs, including travel to and from the campus and their books.

Incoming freshmen can get up to $13,000 a year in scholarships directly from the university. The presidential scholarship goes to the top students with the highest merit. These students usually have an almost perfect GPA and a high test score. Similar awards go to students with lower grades and scores. Students can use these scholarships on top of the financial aid that they get from the government. They will need to submit the FAFSA and complete a new version of the form each year to get grants and loans and to join the federal work-study program. Saint Leo University will also accept any outside funding that students get to pay for their counseling or psychology degrees.

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