One of APA's principal strategic goals is to increase recognition of psychology as a science. We are working to enhance psychology's prominence as a core STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) discipline, and to expand educational resources and opportunities in psychological science.The teaching of psychology — especially at the undergraduate level — is an important focus of our efforts. The Board of Educational Affairs developed the APA Principles for Quality Undergraduate Education in Psychology, which were adopted as APA policy in 2011. And in 2013, the Board of Educational Affairs updated the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major, which emphasize the promotion of psychology as a science.
Students who complete an undergraduate degree in psychology should be recognized as having earned a degree in science. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects annual data on degrees conferred across many fields of study. In 2010/2011, over 100,000 students earned bachelor's degrees in psychology. This is among the largest concentrations across all degree fields — higher than biology, physics, engineering or mathematics. If psychology is considered a STEM field, it produces the single largest number of undergraduate degrees among all STEM disciplines.
NCES uses an elaborate coding system in its Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). Many of the CIP codes represent areas of study related to psychology or behavioral science. In addition to General Psychology (CIP code 42.0101), there is Research and Experimental Psychology (42.2799), Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (42.2899), Behavioral Science (30.1701) and Cognitive Science (30.2501). Dozens of other CIP codes represent the more specialized subfields of psychology, which apply better to graduate than undergraduate areas of study.
The overwhelming majority of students classified as having earned a bachelor's degree in psychology fall into CIP code 42.0101 (general psychology). On the surface of it, this might appear to be the proper classification. Yet, consider the NCES definition of this classification:
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
Some of this definition clearly reflects the scientific basis of psychology. But how often does an undergraduate course of study focus on the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders? In comparison, the NCES definition of Research and Experimental Psychology subsumes all of the following sub-areas of the field:
- Cognitive
- Comparative
- Developmental
- Experimental
- Personality
- Social
- Physiological/biological
- Quantitative
These are the sub-areas that define the STEM discipline of psychology and that provide the main substance of education in psychology at the undergraduate level. The typical psychology major concentrates on instruction in these areas and should be properly classified under CIP code 42.2799.
Why does this matter? Because most of higher education and the federal government do not recognize a degree coded as 42.0101 as reflecting a STEM field. In contrast, 42.2799 is recognized as belonging in the list of STEM disciplines.
Psychology faculty around the country have been advocating within their own colleges and universities for a re-classification of the psychology degree — from 42.0101 to 42.2799. Many have succeeded.
When we teach psychology, we are teaching STEM. We should call it what it is, and each of us should take responsibility for getting this to be represented correctly in the important classification systems.
