USC Psychology Department: What Really Needs To Improve?

The University of Southern California is an institution that offers a high quality education and abides to its mission statement which strives for, “the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit.” The university also stays true to its values of free inquiry, caring and respect for one another as individuals, appreciation of diversity, team spirit, strong alumni networks, commitment to service, informed risk taking, and ethical conduct. This institution has maintained a commitment to provide its students with a promising future after they have earned their degrees and concluded their collegiate studies. Students learn from the best educators who give the University of Southern California the respect and prestige it has earned through the years. The University of Southern California is ranked 17th among the all American universities and 9th among private universities. Constructing its strong foundation, students will become aware of the future experiences they will encounter because their professors will have passed on their knowledge. The institution awards its students for providing feedback and suggestions on how academic life and educational experience could be improved or enriched. The College Dean’s Prize rewards students who write out proposals as to how their particular program or department can be improved. This allows students to have a say in their education and what goes on in the process of knowledge.

The psychology department in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences consists of a professional faculty that has a great amount of experience in the research field. It allows students to expand their learning on Clinical Science, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychology. Even though the information they offer is reliable; in many cases, students do not obtain the true understanding of the concept being discussed because they lack the hands on learning experience. In order to receive well rounded knowledge, the individuals should be required to dedicate a semester of their learning to assist a professor with their research endeavors. One way this can be achieved is by allowing students to work with professors during their lectures and actively participating on research projects. If students become familiar with settings they will encounter in their future, they will not have any difficulties adjusting with them further on. This way the students will gain some experience working on an actual research project rather than just taking a research methods class and only studying the basics. Besides gaining the experience and knowledge they will also obtain familiarity with the complex and lengthy research process. Throughout the proposed semester the student would be able to question the intense process and receive a deeper understanding of the subject they will be dealing with in their future. This would then lead to the independence of the student when he or she finds him or herself working with real life scenarios. By completing this process the student will have received the enrichment as an individual they were promised by the university.

Producing competitive individuals is another goal the university must meet. An improvement that can be implemented in the department is expanding the range of classes the students can choose from. The psychology department of the University of Pennsylvania has been ranked among the top leading departments in the world. The institution has taught leading psychological scientists the knowledge they needed to obtain. Their studies cover Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, and Evolutionary Psychology. In the field of psychology new areas are explored by professionals on a daily basis leaving individuals with more material to learn from. If the range on classes is not widened, students will be deprived from learning about the current subjects being exposed. There should be an expansion of psychological subjects available to study and there should be a group of classes for each area of the field, not just one or two. There needs to be classes or segments of classes dedicated to the current research studies and not just on past information. Some of the information has been outdated and professors must discuss studies occurring in the present as well as in the future. Previous studies can assist as a foundation to the current studies being performed but the recent results will be more concise.

Overall the psychology department has great professors and faculty who care about the students’ prosperity in learning. The suggested changes will augment the program and attract more new comers. By doing so, the University of Southern California, will also bring about more successful individuals; and if they continue their hard work they will able to conduct research that will enable future discoveries. The programs in the department are great but these minor suggestions would enhance the learning process. The university is only steps away from resembling a leading psychological institution.