Applied Psychology
Why Choose NCC’s Applied Psychology 2-Year Program?
Grow your passion for helping individuals and understanding relationships in the Associate in Applied Science in Applied Psychology program at Northampton Community College. This hands-on degree prepares you to start your career in behavioral health, health care, education, or human services. You'll also have the necessary credentials to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program in psychology, applied psychology, or a related field.
Gain human service experiences through internships. Practical experience helps you understand your own interest in and passion for applied psychology—and it stands out on resumes and transfer applications! NCC’s applied psychology degree, in both online and on-campus formats, culminates in a semester-long, 150-hour internship through which you will work with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. This unique hands-on opportunity builds your positive behavior support and counseling skills.
What Will You Learn in the Applied Psychology AAS Degree Program?
Become competent in positive behavior support and counseling skills for a variety of professional settings. In contextual courses and electives, you will develop broader knowledge of life issues that impact people’s functioning, key principles for working with diverse populations, and the values and ethics that ground the counseling profession. You will graduate with a solid foundation for further study in counseling, therapy, and mental health.
Study 100% online or connect with your peers and faculty in person on our Bethlehem and Monroe campuses in Pennsylvania.
Degree Programs
Credits: 62
Program Map: Download PDF
Program Details: View More Information
Campus: Fowler|Monroe|FullyOnline
NCC’s 62-credit applied psychology degree, offered online and on campus, provides an in-depth look at developmental psychology, child psychopathology, neurodevelopmental disorders, sociology, and intercultural communication. The program’s elective courses allow you to customize your study according to your career goals. In the program, you deepen your classroom learning through hands-on internship experience with a community organization.
Program Information
Applied psychology is focused on helping others. Our AAS in applied psychology is the first step on a path toward clinical practice, counseling, behavioral health and human services, and other hands-on forms of intervention and service for individuals, families and communities. You can also transfer to a bachelor’s degree program with an AAS degree.
If you find yourself more interested in the research- and discovery-based aspects of psychology, consider our AA in Psychology program as a launch pad for further study at a four-year institution.
With an applied psychology associate’s degree, you have the skills and experience to launch directly into a person-focused professional role. You may also choose to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree and get on track for graduate and postgraduate study, which is necessary for some psychology and counseling professions.
NCC’s applied psychology graduates continue studying in programs like:
Penn State University: Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, Rehabilitation and Human Services, Biobehavioral Health, or Applied Psychology
Lehigh University: Psychology Program
Kutztown University: Psychology Program
East Stroudsburg University: Psychology Program, Clinical Track, or Rehabilitation and Human Services
Cedar Crest College: Psychology Program
Marywood University: Psychology, Clinical Track
University of Scranton: Counseling and Human Services Program
If you are a Northampton Community College student living outside of Pennsylvania or intending to complete an internship or clinical placement outside of the state in a NCC program leading to professional licensure, you should review requirements on the state board website to make sure that the program qualifies.
Licensure requirements vary from state to state and you may require additional authorization from the professional licensing agency in that state. Participating in a program from outside of Pennsylvania, if not properly authorized by that state's professional licensing board, could result in loss of licensing eligibility. If you need help or have questions, please contact the Program Director for more information.
Career Opportunities
Set yourself up for success in the workforce or at a four-year institution! The applied psychology program can directly lead to rewarding careers in behavioral health, health care, education, or human services. If you choose to continue your education and pursue more clinical work, the associate degree covers courses typical of the first two years of a bachelor’s degree in psychology/applied psychology, rehabilitation & human services, family studies, or biobehavioral health.
Potential career paths include:
Future Career Paths
- Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS) Worker
- Human Services Direct Care Staff / Caseworker
- Counselor
- Counseling/Forensic/School Psychologist
- Behavior Analyst/Specialist
- Mental Health Technician
- EEG Technician
- Therapist
- Clinical Program Manager
- Physician Assistant
Need help deciding which major might be right for you? Explore our Focus2 tool and zero in on what programs suit you best, then start building your network by creating a profile on our Handshake App!
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Take the Next Step - Apply to NCC’s Applied Psychology Program
Get ahead through the applied psychology degree’s online and in-person learning options. This 2-year AAS in Applied Psychology equips you to start working right away or to take the skills and knowledge you gain at NCC to a 4-year institution—saving you tens of thousands of dollars on the first two years of your bachelor’s degree!
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