Trinity College to roll out psychology degree program in fall |
| Trinity College to roll out psychology degree program in fall Posted: 21 May 2010 09:21 PM PDT Published: May 22, 2010 Related Links TRINITY - Despite the occasional highly publicized dustup over controversial issues, science and religion can and do co-exist, and even thrive together. The success of Trinity College of Florida is a testament to that. Since 1932, the private, interdenominational Christian college has been preparing men and women for successful futures in not only ministry but in industry and public service, operating on the conviction that faith has a place in all walks of life. The school will continue that tradition of applying a blend of academics and spirituality to an ever wider variety of disciplines with start of the 2010-11 school year this fall, when it will begin a new four-year, bachelor's degree program in psychology. "We think it's consistent with who we are as a Bible college," said James Lanpher, Trinity College's vice president for academic affairs. "Understanding people is important," Lanpher said, and being able to understand them from a Christian perspective is vital to anyone going into a ministerial career. The school has had psychology courses for years. They are a required part of Trinity's ministry and counseling bachelor degree programs. The school has had a long-term goal of expanding its degree programs. With several courses already in existence, it was only a matter of adding a few new classes to have a program in place to have a psychology curriculum, Lanpher explained. Couple that with the fact that psychology is one of the five most popular college majors nationwide, and it was a natural choice for the board of trustees to approve the new program. Trinity College has a required framework for all its majors, Lanpher explained, and it will apply to psychology, as well. As Trinity students they will still be required to take 54 credit hours of Bible-theology classes and 40 hours of general studies. "Our psych major is going to take as much Bible and theology as our pastoral studies major," Lanpher said. "We think that's what would set us apart." Elizabeth Earle-Warfel, an instructor at the school who holds a Master of Divinity degree and a doctorate in clinical psychology, has been appointed assistant professor of psychology. She will head up the new program, bringing 30 years of ministerial experience to the post. With that kind of background, Warfel has a firm grip on the balance of science and theology she and the school are hoping to strike. As she sees it, there is no conflict between the two. "I'm always looking for ways to apply what they learn in the psychology course not just to ministry but to the various careers the students have chosen," Warfel said. The major is designed for those who intend further graduate study in psychology and those who wish to use psychology as a way of entering into various professions such as secondary education, social work, human resources and related fields. For those who do plan on going into ministerial work, Warfel said there can be certain clashes between psychological theories and Christian principles, particularly among incoming students "It can be a huge shock to some students, especially when you start talking about Freud," Warfel said. "The most controversial thing in Freud is when you start talking about his psychosexual stages. There are certain parts of that that seem very offensive. "One of things I find I have to keep saying over and over again is 'this is someone else's theory. I'm here explaining these theories." Most students come to realize that to be educated is to know and understand other points of view in order to defend your own position, Warfel said, and that learning about something isn't the same as condoning or agreeing with it. She anticipates this will be an easy concept for students who want to major in psychology. There is, in fact, a big interest these days in the relationship between psychology and spirituality, Warfel said. The Trinity program will emphasize research in this area. One of the appeals of starting this program both Warfel and Lanpher mentioned is that psychology is such a versatile major. Whatever direction students go with their further education and careers, they will be able to do so with a foundation firmly rooted in both academics and Christian values. To find out more about Trinity College of Florida's new psychology program and other degree programs, call 727-376-6911 or visit the college's website. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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