Psychology and Counseling Degree Programs at Peru State College
Peru State College appears in our ranking of the 50 Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs.
The psychology program at Peru State College prepares students for graduate school and for advanced programs in counseling and specific areas of psychology. This is available as both a major and a minor. Psychology minors only need to take seven courses that are worth a total of 21 credits. They can major in any subject, though most students will choose majors in other areas of the social sciences field. The courses they take include Psychology of Personality, Abnormal Psychology and Human Growth and Development.
Psychology majors can earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science from Peru State College. They must take Principles of Sociology and Information Systems Concepts and Applications before starting the program. The program includes a psychology core that is worth 33 credits and includes courses such as Cognitive Psychology, Research Methods, Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. Majors will also take a course called Seminar in Psychology. The college asks majors to take eight electives too from classes that include Organizational Behavior, Survey of Criminal Justice, Professional Ethics, Diversity Issues in Counseling and Child Abuse Neglect and Detection. Students can also do a fieldwork practicum or an internship.
One of the more popular minors for psychology students is the drug and alcohol counseling minor. This minor consists of seven courses and offers some practical training for students who want to work as an alcohol and/or drug counselor. Those courses include Professional Ethics, Techniques of Counseling, Group Work and Medical and Treatment Issues in Chemical Dependency. The college also requires that students take courses called Addictions and Assessment, Evaluation and Casework Management.
The criminal justice program offered by the university has a justice counseling option too. Designed for those who want to work with the victims of crimes, this program features courses such as Criminal Law, Comparative Justice and Human Services Systems, Special Topics in Criminal Justice and Cyber Security. Students can also do criminal justice practicums and internships. The college recommends that students do these field experiences in government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
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About Peru State College
Peru State College is a public college in Peru, Nebraska with a liberal arts curriculum. Founded in 1865 as the Mount Vernon School, it named itself after the small nearby town of Mount Vernon. The Methodist Episcopal Church ran the school during its early years and helped it grow into the Peru Seminary and College. This new name came from the settlers from Peru, Illinois who moved to the area. As the Nebraska State Normal School, it became one of the top schools for educators in the state. It also used the names of the Nebraska State Teachers College at Peru and Peru State Teachers College. In 1963 the college became Peru State College, though some still call it Peru State today. It is now a public college with no religious affiliations.
After becoming part of the Nebraska State College System, Peru State received millions of dollars in funds that it used to add modern facilities to its campus. Those new facilities helped it reach an enrollment of more than 2,400 students. The college consists of three separate schools today that offer majors in education and arts subjects. It also has a School of Professional Studies that oversees some of the programs designed for future professionals and those who will attend graduate school. Some call Peru State the “Campus of a Thousand Oaks” due to a large number of oak trees on that campus.
Peru State College Accreditation Details
Peru State has accreditation that lets students apply for financial aid. This accreditation comes from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS), which is a part of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Regional accreditation of this type also lets Peru create specific requirements for students who want to earn degrees and gives it the right to accept credits earned at other schools. A review committee established by the college is responsible for making sure it can maintain its accreditation.
Peru State College Application Requirements
Any student who wants to apply to Peru State can request information from the official website and/or speak to an admissions counselor before they look at the application. The college makes the application process easy though because it wants students to feel confident when they apply. Those who do not have any college credits or those who only earned college credits in high school can enroll with the college’s standard application. They will mail their transcripts to the college and request that the testing board submits their scores too. The Peru State College Health and Counseling Form is available as a PDF file. Students can download this file, print it and submit the copy that they complete. This form asks about the overall health history of the student and whether the student has his or her immunizations.
The deadline for all applications is August 20 for the fall semester. Peru State recommends that students apply by the late spring or the early summer to get financial aid. Transfer students who earned credits at another university or college must complete the same application requirements and also submit their official transcripts.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The estimated cost of attending Peru State is close to $19,000 a year. Full-time students pay $2,655 each semester for tuition alone and fees of nearly $1,100 a semester. They also spend nearly $9,000 a year on room and board. The college estimates how much students will pay for their personal expenses as well as their textbooks. Students taking online classes pay $289 per credit hour, which equates to $867 per class.
Scholarships are available for all incoming students through a foundation established by the college. Students receive close to $300,000 a year in scholarships and other types of institutional aid. Some of the programs only offer awards for male or female students and those in select programs such as the A.B. Clayburn Scholarship, which provides money to male students majoring in social sciences. Scholarships are available for students who get federal aid and state aid too, including Pell grants and subsidized student loans. Psychology majors at Peru State College can use the FAFSA to get aid and stack those awards on top of the scholarships they get from the college.