Have you ever asked yourself what motivates people, or what makes someone 鈥渢ick鈥� inside? If you have, then you鈥檝e already ventured mentally into one of the most interesting and popular majors at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC).
The School of Psychological Sciences in UNC鈥檚 College of Education and Behavioral Sciences has been rapidly growing and retaining students over the past few years.
According to UNC鈥檚 institutional degree completion data, the number of undergraduate Psychology degrees awarded has been on a steady upward trend dating back to the 2021-22 academic year. Since that time, Psychology has become UNC鈥檚 most popular bachelor鈥檚 degree, outpacing other sought-after programs, including Business Administration, Nursing and Elementary Education. In the academic year 2023-24, there were 174 undergraduate Psychology degrees awarded, compared to 145 in Nursing and 143 in Business Administration.
Given the recent rise in the program鈥檚 popularity, a dive into the Psychology major鈥檚 curriculum may shed some light on the topic and illuminate the appeal of the field itself. Psychology courses at UNC cover a wide variety of subject matter, including behavioral, forensic and developmental psychology. Ryan Darling, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychological Sciences, is a key player in the department.
After exploring various career paths in his early life, including an internship working at a juvenile justice center, Darling found his true passion in neuroscience through his research on the neurobiology of classical conditioning in graduate school.
Now, as an educator, he applies his knowledge of cognition to provide students with course materials that are engaging and immersive.
鈥淚 try to use my assignments in the class so that they can use the information in meaningful ways,鈥� Darling said.
By covering important topics such as cognition, reasoning, stressors and pro-social behavior, Darling gives students lessons that can be taken outside of the classroom and applied to aspects of everyday life.
鈥淚 think people recognize that the foundation of even just an introductory class is clearly beneficial,鈥� Darling said. 鈥淚t gives them the understanding of why people do what they do.鈥�
Plainly, Darling鈥檚 teaching is effective. In a 9-a.m. lecture during his PSY 120 intro class, he was able to convey a meaningful lesson on motivation to the nearly full classroom 鈥� an impressive feat.
Darling loves to teach with anecdotes, educational videos and interactive activities, citing his favorite mentors as sources of inspiration. He also enjoys telling cheesy jokes and will pull one out in any conversation.
鈥淲hat do they call a person who isn鈥檛 a dad that likes 鈥榙ad jokes?鈥欌�� asked Darling. 鈥淔aux paw.鈥�
The teaching style that Darling employs is built off his own ability to open up and be vulnerable to his students; he is not afraid of awkward silence.
鈥淚f I can address those motivational things, I think they鈥檙e more willing to be vulnerable,鈥� Darling said. 鈥淥ne of the most important things I can say in front of a class is 鈥業 don鈥檛 know.鈥欌��
Darling cares for each and every one of his students, with some even dropping by his office hours just to chat with him.
鈥淚 absolutely love the students here,鈥� Darling said. 鈥淚 love their motivation, their backgrounds, the eagerness to learn and to apply it rather than just getting grades.鈥�
Sebastian Ortiz-Bloom, a first-year Biological Sciences 鈥� Pre-health and Biomedical Sciences concentration student enrolled in the course, is a big fan of Darling鈥檚 approach.
鈥淗e does a great job at teaching, he uses lots of examples and he鈥檚 energetic,鈥� Ortiz-Bloom said.
Despite not being a psychology student, Ortiz-Bloom said he鈥檚 considering taking more courses within the major, purely for the real-world skills that he鈥檚 developed with Darling鈥檚 help.
Carl Granrud, professor and director of the Psychological Sciences program, is aware of the impact Darling and the other professors have on the program.
鈥淲e have a very talented and motivated faculty, and we offer many excellent classes,鈥� said Granrud. 鈥淲hen an undecided student takes a psychology class at UNC, they see how good our classes are and how much our faculty members care about their success as students.鈥�
Several aspects of UNC鈥檚 Psychology program are geared toward providing students with the skills needed to succeed in their chosen field after graduation. As students get closer to degree completion, a course involving full-or part-time field experience is required.
鈥淲e want them to gain hands-on experience and feel like it will develop transferrable skills and knowledge of what people are doing in the field so they can see where their next steps might be,鈥� Darling said.
By giving graduating students experience in the real world, the program aims to help them find their niche in any field they choose. According to UNC鈥檚 Alumni Employment Dashboard, since the 2000s,1,238 graduates of the Psychology program have found success working in their industry of choice. 141 graduates went on to be counselors or therapists, and another 114 went on to become educators.
鈥淭his goes right back into my past and why I'm passionate about the internship,鈥� Darling said. 鈥淭hat was my introduction to the field. I didn鈥檛 have to go out and look for a job, I had one because of the internship.鈥�
This program that incorporates real-world experiences is crucial to finding success in such an intense field.
鈥淲e have seen an increase in mental health issues nationwide and increasing recognition of the societal problem,鈥� Granrud said. 鈥淥ur program prepares students for careers in mental health through up-to-date and rigorous courses and field experience, which often connects students with mental health organizations and professionals in the community.鈥�
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in every five adults living in the United States (59.3 million in 2022) is living with a mental illness. These can vary in intensity and range from emotional, mental or behavioral symptoms.
Mental illnesses are different for every person, with many classified as mild or having no effect on normal life. Around 11% of adults who have a Serious Mental Illness that interferes with day-to-day life were between the ages of 18-25.
Granrud says every psychology professor is involved with students at both the beginning and end of their journeys. In Darling鈥檚 case, he teaches introductory psychology courses up to Careers in Psychology, allowing him to eagerly help aspiring students and foster a positive environment perfect for learning.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a popular major because it really gets at the heart of human experience,鈥� Darling concluded. 鈥淎nd for that to be recognized as important, not just in personal development, but in professional development as well.鈥�
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