Among the many majors at BYU, there is one that delves into the depths of the human mind: the psychology major.

"If you have any curiosity about how people think, feel, and behave, or how people work, then this is the perfect major for you," said Sam Hardy, assistant professor in the psychology department.

This major has three different emphases, called clusters, which are: development and clinical psychology; social psychology; and behavior, brain, and cognition psychology.

The psychology program is an open major, requiring students to meet with an advisement counselor in 151 SWKT and fill out a slip stating that they are changing majors.. In this major, students can develop abilities such as problem solving, and good writing and research skills.

"Hopefully, [psychology students] learn a lot about their fellow human beings and how they behave, not only in a social context, but as individuals and as a bigger part of the whole," said Jason van der Horst, psychology undergraduate coordinator.

He also said that everybody, regardless of their chosen career, deals with people, which is why psychology is useful.

Psychology can be used as a springboard for other careers, which may not necessarily need further education. However, students who want to continue their career in psychology need to get a master's degree..

"It is a good major leading into many other careers in addition to careers in psychology," Hardy said. "It is a good pre-med major. It is a good pre-law major."

The psychology major requires 52 to 53 credits. A student who takes straight psychology classes with about 15 credits a semester can graduate in about three and a half semesters. Students will be required to take 14 to 15 psychology classes, including a senior practicum class and three to four other classes from varying departments.

According to the "Psychology Undergraduate Survival Guide," there are generally six different career paths that graduating students take: outpatient and residential care, social and human services, human resources, therapy, teaching, and professional graduate school.

The type of emphasis that a student chooses determines the kind of aptitudes they need. A student who wants to go into counseling will need to be able to motivate people as well as be empathetic. However, those who want to go into research will need to know statistics, math, and be evaluative.