The Science Behind Human Decisions Psychology is the scientific study of how and why people think, feel, and respond to the world around them. It explores forces that shape the human experience, including how cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving affect our thoughts and emotions; how social influence, media, and organizational dynamics drive group action; and how cultural identity and human decision-making differ across the globe. From healthcare and education to law enforcement and marketing, the insights psychology provides are valuable and applicable across many professional fields, making it a degree that opens doors to a wide range of career opportunities.

Why Study Psychology at Champlain?

Experience the Champlain Advantage Our Psychology program is focused on applied, cross-disciplinary learning, giving you a strong foundation in psychological science and opportunities to stack skills on top of it. With 30 flexible credits built into the major — that’s an entire year’s worth of courses — you’ll have the freedom to explore psychology through different contexts or other interests. With both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees offered, you also have a clear path to go on to graduate school or clinical psychology if you choose. Plus, you'll have opportunities to expand your worldview and understanding of human nature by studying, interning, or completing a co-op abroad. Our advisors are dedicated to helping you make these opportunities a reality.

What will I learn while studying Psychology?

By the time you graduate, you will… Understand what drives people. Analyze individual and group behavior across diverse contexts, such as business, media, and technology, and explain the psychological forces behind them. Think critically about influence. Evaluate how social dynamics, culture, and technology shape how people make decisions, form identities, and interact with one another. See the world through a different lens. Apply cultural and global perspectives to psychological theories and understand how different societies, traditions, and ways of life influence who we are and how we relate to one another. Communicate with clarity and professionalism. Translate complex psychological concepts into clear, ethical, and culturally-aware communication for any audience. Design and conduct real research. Apply qualitative and quantitative methods, work with data, and use your findings to address real-world challenges.

What’s the difference between the BS and the BA in Psychology?

Both the Psychology BA and BS are built on the same core foundation, but differ in depth and flexibility. The BS (Bachelor of Science) includes curated courses in research, making it the stronger choice for students who want to deepen their skills in psychological research, data analysis, and evidence-based practice. If you're considering graduate school, clinical psychology, or pursuing a career that requires a strong research background, the BS is the path for you. The BA (Bachelor of Arts) offers more freedom to shape your academic experience around your interests. With 24 credits of open electives, you’ll have space to explore another field, pursue a passion, or build expertise in an area that complements your psychology studies. If you’re looking to jump into a professional career right after college or pair psychology with something uniquely your own, the BA is the path for you.

Faculty for Psychology Degree

Develop an understanding of human behavior through professional field experiences, research, and hands-on application.

Meet Our Faculty

Nicholas Armenti

Adjunct

Champlain College Online and Psychology Degree

Areas of Expertise

Clinical Psychology, Abnormal Psychology

Gary Baker

Co-Program Director

Psychology Degree

Areas of Expertise

Social Psychology, Research Methods

Toni Balboni

Adjunct Professor

Psychology Degree

Sarah Jerger

Instructor

Applied Sustainability Degree, Criminology & Criminal Justice Degree, Education Degree, Marketing Degree, Psychology Degree and Social Work Degree

Areas of Expertise

Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design, Public Relations and Communication...

Melissa McDuffie

Adjunct Instructor

Psychology Degree

Areas of Expertise

Counseling Skills, Clinical Skills

Robin Perlah

Dean, Creative Studio | Dean, School of Social Innovation | Dean, Core Division

Animation Degree, Applied Sustainability Degree, Core Division, Creative Media Degree, Criminology & Criminal Justice Degree, Education Degree, Filmmaking Degree, General Education, Graphic Design BA Degree, Graphic Design & Visual Communication BFA Degree, Psychology Degree, Social Work Degree, Sonic Arts Degree, User Experience & Interaction Design Degree, User Experience & Interaction Design Degree and Writing & Publishing Degree

Areas of Expertise

photography, visual design, interaction design, emergent media, new media, curriculum design, interdisciplinarity, studio learning for all, human centered design

Melyssa Sweet

Adjunct Instructor

Psychology Degree

Areas of Expertise

School Psychology , Developmental Psychology

Nicholas Armenti

Adjunct

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online Psychology Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Clinical Psychology Abnormal Psychology
Contact	*Remote

Gary Baker

Co-Program Director

Additional Roles	Professor
Faculty Member	Psychology Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	University of Mississippi, Doctor of Philosophy; University of Toledo, Bachelor of Arts; Augusta State University, Master of Science
Areas of Expertise	Social Psychology Research Methods
Contact	Wick 208B

Biography

Dr. Gary A. Baker has a passion for teaching. For over 30 years, he’s been working to guide students toward successful career choices and successful lives. His own scholarly expertise lies in experimental social psychology. He enjoys interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. He likes introducing students to the study of psychology because students gain a practical knowledge of themselves and others that serve them well throughout their lives. He feels that the students who are most successful in college are those who seek an “education”, not just a degree. In addition to teaching psychology, Dr. Baker worked for nine years at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Medical College of Georgia conducting research on addictions and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Professional & Scholastic Affiliation

Toni Balboni

Adjunct Professor

Faculty Member	Psychology Degree
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Contact	Communication and Creative Media

Biography

Toni Balboni is a young professional who has a background in Forensic and Legal Psychology. She has interned with the Washington DC Public Defender’s Office as well as worked with the Innocence Project in Virginia, with a strong focus on investigation. Toni anticipates learning just as much from her students as they do from her.

CV

View my CV

Sarah Jerger

Instructor

Faculty Member	Applied Sustainability Degree Criminology & Criminal Justice Degree Education Degree Marketing Degree Psychology Degree Social Work Degree
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Champlain College, Bachelor of Science; Champlain College, Associate in Science; Champlain College, Master of Science
Areas of Expertise	Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design Public Relations and Communication Experiential Education and Industry & Community Partnerships
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	Connecticut
Fun Fact About Me	I spent my youth doing 18th century living history reenacting.
Contact	Joyce Hall Email Me

Biography

Sarah Jerger is a Faculty Instructor of Human-Centered Design and Communication and has been at Champlain College since 2008. To her classroom teaching, she brings a career of hands-on experiential education forging over 100 project-based collaborations between students and industry partners in a studio environment. Jerger is passionate about empowering students to design solutions for positive social impact through “real-world” experiences.

Jerger holds a Master’s degree from Champlain College in Emergent Media. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and two Associate’s degrees in Multimedia & Graphic Design and Public Relations & Media Communications.

Jerger’s previous experience includes communications, operations, graphic design, and media-buying in the advertising, beverage, and real estate industries. She is a multi-disciplinary artist with a passion for analog making and craft which she explores intertwining with digital means of expression. Her work spans (for now) textile art, digital storytelling, mixed-media collage, video, and wearable electronics. She also operates and curates a Free Little Art Gallery, a community-driven project to make art more accessible and nurture creativity.

What are your hobbies?

Mixed media art, hiking, nature, cooking, taking classes & learning new things, procrastinating folding laundry

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Devil Takes a Holiday, Kate’s Food Truck, Jericho Cafe & Tavern, Spot on the Dock // Palmer Lane Maple for creemees, hikes around Indian Brook Reservoir, South End Art Hop in September, shows at the Monkey House, Vermont Comedy Club, concerts at Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero

Melissa McDuffie

Adjunct Instructor

Faculty Member	Psychology Degree
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Augusta State University, Master of Science; Presbyterian College, Bachelor of Science
Areas of Expertise	Counseling Skills Clinical Skills

Biography

Melissa had a variety of experiences working in the field of psychology both before and after she started teaching including addictions counselor, working in therapeutic foster care, community mental health counselor, school intervention programs, crisis intervention work and running a campus counseling center. She has been teaching since 2001. Her areas of teaching interest include General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and Counseling Psychology.

Robin Perlah

Dean, Creative Studio | Dean, School of Social Innovation | Dean, Core Division

Faculty Member	Animation Degree Applied Sustainability Degree Core Division Creative Media Degree Criminology & Criminal Justice Degree Education Degree Filmmaking Degree General Education Graphic Design BA Degree Graphic Design & Visual Communication BFA Degree Psychology Degree Social Work Degree Sonic Arts Degree User Experience & Interaction Design Degree User Experience & Interaction Design Degree Writing & Publishing Degree
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Champlain College, Master of Fine Arts; University of Vermont, Bachelor of Science
Areas of Expertise	photography, visual design, interaction design, emergent media, new media curriculum design, interdisciplinarity, studio learning for all, human centered design
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Contact	Communication and Creative Media Email Me

Biography

Robin Perlah currently serves as Dean of the Core Division, Creative Studio and School of Social Innovation at Champlain College, where she is also an Associate Professor. In this role, she provides academic leadership across the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts and design disciplines.

During her time at Champlain, Perlah has held several leadership positions, including Chair of the Creative Studio, Program Director for several programs including Graphic Design (BFA), Interaction Design (BS) and Emergent Media (MFA and MS), Academic Director for the Emergent Media Center, and Assistant Dean for the Division of Communications and Creative Media. She has taught a range of courses in the areas of photography, graphic design, design history, image-making, visual design, interaction design, and media theory, serving both undergraduate and graduate students.

Perlah’s art practice is based on a persistent interest in the photographic image, both still and moving, as it is transformed by digitality. Her work deals with the ambiguity of memory, the intersection between image capture (both analog and digital) and the methods of processing and presenting images, and how generative art and data mutations can reveal layers of complexity.

Before working at Champlain College, Robin taught and ran programs in art, design and creative media in K-12 education, and developed several community art programs to support young people through art-mentoring relationships and other activities. She also served as co-director for the Technology & Design Institute at Governor’s Institutes of Vermont. Prior to her work in education, she had a long career as a professional photographer and photo editor, specializing in commercial, portrait, and event photography as well as fine-art printing.

Robin is a site evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), is part of the volunteer board for PechaKucha Night (PKN) Burlington, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Vermont Arts Council board of trustees, which she rejoined in fall 2024. Robin earned a master of fine arts in emergent media from Champlain College, a bachelor of science in art education from the University of Vermont, and studied commercial and fine art photography at the New England School of Photography.

Melyssa Sweet

Adjunct Instructor

Faculty Member	Psychology Degree
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Areas of Expertise	School Psychology Developmental Psychology
Contact	Remote

Biography

Dr. Melyssa Sweet is an adjunct professor at Champlain College, bringing extensive practical experience to her teaching. She holds a Master of Science in Educational Psychology & Methodology, a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology, and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in School Psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Dr. Sweet currently works full-time as a school psychologist in the Burlington School District. Her professional journey also includes roles in teaching, school psychology in various PreK-12 public schools, counseling and case management in a residential treatment center for at-risk youth, and autism evaluation. This diverse background enables Dr. Sweet to provide students with a unique perspective enriched with real-life examples. Her research interests encompass trauma, effective program implementation, and wellness practices. Passionate about teaching psychology at the college level, she emphasizes the subject’s relevance to everyday life and relationships, aiming to empower students with knowledge that enhances their personal and professional lives.

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