The Capstone Course in Psychology as Liberal Education Opportunity

This chapter is about applying the strengths of liberal education to a particular arena: the capstone course in the psychology major. A capstone course marks a final educational experience in an undergraduate curriculum as well as the beginning of a student’s next learning opportunity in the world of work or graduate or professional education. It argues that liberal education should be an integral concern when crafting capstone courses for psychology students, founded on two seemingly incompatible goals. Firstly, that relatively few psychology majors will have careers in the discipline; and so should graduate with skills grounded in liberal education that will help them make their way in the world beyond campus. Secondly, that psychology majors should have a final, in-depth educational experience that allows them to think, act, and communicate like academic psychologists.