Psychology is a fascinating field that focuses on the study of human behavior and the mind. The Psychology program at Ivy Tech prepares students to pursue a four-year degree in the subject.
Students learn:
How to understand and interpret scientific research.
The science behind how people and animals think, feel, and behave.
How humans grow and develop over a lifespan.
Classes are typically under 30 students, which allows for personalized feedback, group discussion, and hands-on learning. Graduates finish with a solid base from which they can pursue additional studies in psychology.
Ivy Tech Psychology faculty members are primarily focused on teaching, rather than research. And, they come to the classroom with practical experience in the field.
Career Options
An associate degree in Psychology provides the foundation you need to complete a bachelor’s degree in the subject.
Should you choose to enter the workforce immediately upon completion of your associate degree, you’ll be ready to work in one of the following roles:
Psychiatric Technician
Social and Human Services Assistant
Home Care Aide
Family Advocate
Youth Counselor
Social Science Research Assistant
High Demand Field
Psychology is a fast-growing field with an above-average employment growth rate. Consider entering the field as a Mental Health Counselor, a role that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts will grow at a rate of 22% between 2021 and 2031.
Transfer Opportunities
An Associate of Science in Psychology from Ivy Tech gives you options for what's next as you continue to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor's degree–and allows you to save $10,000+ on your bachelor's degree!
Guaranteed Admissions Program
It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't! Psychology is a Guaranteed Admissions program at Ivy Tech, meaning you will be automatically accepted into one of our partner institutions upon completion of your Ivy Tech associate degree with a certain GPA and other requirements met. There are currently 14 state-supported colleges and universities that guarantee Ivy Tech AS in Psychology graduates will be accepted into their Psychology bachelor's degree programs. These partners include Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State, and more. Learn more about Guaranteed Admissions
Transfer as a Junior
If for any reason you do not qualify for Guaranteed Admissions or the university of your choice isn't on the list, you can also transfer with our Transfer Single Articulation Pathways (TSAP) program. TSAP-eligible programs like Psychology, allow graduates to transfer their hard-earned credits to any public four-year university in Indiana with junior status after completing Ivy Tech's associate degree program. Students using the TSAP pathway must still apply for admission to their college of choice, but often are successful in their pursuit of a bachelor's degree. Learn more about TSAP
Associate Degree – Transferable Degree
The Associate of Science (AS) in Psychology prepares students for future work and study in the field. You'll take a wide range of general education and subject-specific courses in order to gain a well-rounded view of human psychology and to satisfy general education course requirements for bachelor's degree programs.
This field provides many opportunities to help others better understand and manage their mental and emotional health. Psychology graduates go on to work in a variety of settings from private therapy practices, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and mental health centers. What these roles have in common is the skills and traits practitioners must bring to them.
Careers in psychology often require:
Empathy
Patience
Adherence to a code of ethics
Ability to maintain boundaries
Communication
Strong emotion regulation skills
Comfort working with other people
Critical thinking
Sound Like You?
If you identify with the traits above, psychology may be the path for you! Take the next step to get started or speak with your local advisor to learn more.
Students coming to Ivy Tech with their high school diploma or equivalent can start straight into the degree program without completing any prerequisite courses as long as they are considered college ready by the knowledge assessment.
PSYC 101 does require college level English writing skills, which students can show by doing their knowledge assessment test or passing at least one of the courses below with a grade of "C" or better. If a student chooses to take a course to show college readiness in writing, they would ideally do so during their first semester at Ivy Tech.
There is no expiration date for course credits that were earned in previous years from Ivy Tech Community College.
Transfer Credit
Courses completed at colleges other than Ivy Tech will only be considered for general education selection points if transfer credit has been awarded and courses appear on the Ivy Tech transcript prior to the application deadline.
TR grades are not recognized by the online application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that transfer credit has been awarded and that TR grades are updated to transfer letter grades (TA, TB, TC) on their Ivy Tech transcript.
It is recommended that college transcripts be submitted to the Registrar’s office for evaluation and transfer credit at least 4 weeks prior to the program application deadline to ensure adequate time for processing.
Psychology Courses
Descriptions of psychology courses can be found in our online course catalog:
See when specific courses will be offered by searching our course list in Schedule Builder. First, select the semester you’re looking for and then enter the name of the course in the search bar.
If you’re a current student, upcoming courses are easy to find in Schedule Builder in MyIvy.
Course Formats
Psychology courses are offered both in person and online.
Big Dreams? Go for Honors
If you're motivated and want a more robust, personalized academic experience, consider enhancing your associate degree in Psychology by pursuing an Honors pathway. Honors courses are fully virtual with opportunities to meet and network with honors students and faculty across the state. The coursework is designed to support a student’s spirit of inquiry and intellectual growth, as well as foster multicultural awareness and leadership. View eligibility requirements
Graduating with a Psychology degree with an Honors pathway can help you stand out as a high-achieving college student, boost your resume, and help you land an acceptance letter to a top four-year college or university.
The Ivy Tech application is free and easy—you don’t need a certain test score, GPA, or class rank to get started at Ivy Tech. Applying takes about 10-15 minutes and can be completed entirely online.
No Application Deadlines
Ivy Tech does not have a deadline for admission. Our 8-week class sessions start throughout the year—in January, March, June, August, and October—and there is no hard deadline for applying for any of the start dates. It's important, though, to apply early enough that you'll be able to complete all the degree planning, financial aid, and registration activities that need to happen before your first day. We recommend you apply about one month before you intend to start classes. See upcoming start dates
Steps to Apply
(1) Apply to Ivy Tech
If you’ve never applied to Ivy Tech Community College before (or if it’s been two years since you last attended classes here), your first step is to apply to Ivy Tech. You can apply online or in person. To apply in person, reach out toyour local admissions team and arrange a meeting. Or, stop by any campus on any Tuesday for Tuesdays@TheTech to receive personal assistance with applying and registering for classes.
After you submit your application, you'll be asked to upload documentation—such as SAT/ACT/PSAT scores or high school and college transcripts—that can assess your readiness for college-level coursework and help us make sure you are taking classes that are the right fit for you. How to upload assessment documents
If you don't have your scores or transcripts at your fingertips, don’t worry. Go ahead and submit your application. You can go back to upload assessment documents at any time until the end of the term for which you applied.
(3) Look for a Confirmation Email
Once your application is processed, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address provided on your application. Typically the email will arrive within 1-2 business days of submission, but during peak processing periods (April-June) could take up to 5-10 business days.
The email will contain instructions on how to register for classes, as well as important information regarding your Ivy Tech student portal (MyIvy account), tuition, payment options, and more.
(4) Create an Account in MyIvy
MyIvy is Ivy Tech's online student portal. Students use MyIvy to check e-mail, register for classes, pay tuition, manage financial aid, get the latest news and announcements, and much more. MyIvy also contains "QuickLinks" to the Ivy Tech websites and online tools you will use most often. Learn more about MyIvy
Before you can register for classes you will need to submit documentation or complete an assessment test. Your test scores can help us determine the best English and math starting classes for you. See the Test Score Course Placement Chart
If you submitted assessment documentation during the application process, your advisor will likely be able to work with those documents to determine course placement and you won't need to take any further steps. If you don't have any of those documents or the scores don't meet minimum thresholds, don’t worry! Your advisor will direct you to complete our freeKnowledge Assessment to help develop your customized learning path to better prepare you for courses.
(6) Register for Classes
Once you have completed the steps above, you may register for classes. Ivy Tech students register for courses using the Schedule Builder tool which can be accessed withinMyIvy. If you are a new, first-time Ivy Tech student, we recommend that you meet withyour advisor who will help you develop your Academic Completion Plan and help you sign up for courses that are the best fit for you.
For a complete list of registration steps, including detailed registration steps, deadlines, and information about holds, withdrawals, waitlists, and refunds, visit our Registration 101 page.
(7) Pay Your Tuition
After registering for your courses, your bill can be viewed in yourMyIvy account > Student Dashboard- > View/Pay Balance. Payments can also be made in your MyIvy account. For complete information about payments, including payment options, payment plans, how to make immediate payments, due dates, information about refunds, and more, visit our Payments page.
“The Ivy Tech Psych TSAP program gave me the skills and tools I needed to succeed in a four-year college. While saving money on tuition, I received the same level and attention I would expect from a four-year university. The program and its committed professors gave me a solid understanding of psychology.”
–Jasmine Christy | Associate of Science in Psychology
“Ivy Tech's Psychology program made me who I am today. I never thought
I'd make such a difference in the lives of those who need it the most. I learned from the best and because of them, I am a Behavioral Therapist for children with autism. I know what I do is important and give all the credit to the professors who believed in me enough to make me believe in myself. The parents/caretakers of the children I work with would say the same.”
–Kyleigh Carmean | Associate of Science in Psychology
Featured Faculty & Staff
Douglas Lalama
Assistant Faculty Lead and Associate Professor
Debra Applegate
Associate Adjunct Faculty
Autumn McNichols
Professor and Program Chair
Douglas Lalama
Assistant Faculty Lead and Associate Professor
Debra Applegate
Associate Adjunct Faculty
Autumn McNichols
Professor and Program Chair
Douglas Lalama is a Psychology professor, and so possesses classroom experience as well as online course development and teaching expertise. Ivy Tech online Psychology courses are under constant review for quality assurance. Douglas ensures that instructors are being held to high standards and that student feedback is considered in the development and maintenance of online courses.
Debbie is the gold standard for adjunct faculty. Her enthusiasm, passion, and empathy show in every interaction she has with students and colleagues. Going above and beyond comes naturally for Debbie, and her students are so fortunate to have her guidance, constructive feedback, and subject matter knowledge. She truly makes a difference in the lives of our students every single day.
— Autumn McNichols, Professor of Psychology; Department Chair General Studies, Muncie Campus.
Autumn McNichols has extensive experience both as a practitioner and educator of psychology. As part of the classroom experience, she incorporates service learning projects that have a positive impact on students as well as the community.
Find Local Admissions Contact Info
Don't see a nearby location?
Call 1-888-489-5463 and we'll get you started.
Madison Advising Center
590 Ivy Tech Drive
Madison, IN 47250
Fax 812-265-4028
Zoom Video Calls Available by appointment only. Call 812-256-2580, ext. 4502 to make an appointment.
Advising Team Tricia Miracle 812-265-2580 ext. 4137 tmiracle2@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 812-510-3844 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Wednesdays 9:00am-1:00pm & Thursdays 2:00pm-5:30pm Zoom Link
Lisa Kelley 812-265-2580 ext. 4163 lkelley3@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 502-414-1597 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Tuesdays 1:30pm-5:00pm & Thursdays 8:30am-12:00pm Zoom Link
1 Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage estimates: Indiana.(2023). Lightcast™, lightcast.io. Occupational Overview for Indiana, 2023-2024
2 Associate degree cost is determined by tuition for an in-state, full-time student. Certificate and technical certificate costs are determined by tuition for an in-state, part-time student. Additional fees may be applied. Visit the Tuition & Fees page to learn more.
