Discover Cognitive Psychology with William & Mary

Summary:

Cognitive psychology is a growing field focusing on counseling, research, and teaching. William & Mary offers an online pre-college course with a Final Project in which students create a map of their own brains.

Key Points:

• Understand the history of behavioral and cognitive psychology.
• Discover what brought about the move to cognitive psychology.
• Understand the focus on cognitive psychology and salaries.
• William & Mary offers a pre-college online course in cognitive psychology.
• The Final Project involves creating a map of your own brain.
• The course is taught by Jennifer A. Stevens, Ph.D., associate professor.
• Hear from students who took the course.

Cognitive psychology is a specialty that goes back to the 1960s. As noted by Wikipedia, the story concerns the break from behaviorism, which held that mental processes were outside the realm of science. However, with the outbreak of World War II and the introduction of computers, behaviorism gave way to cognitive psychology.

“With the development of new warfare technology during WWII, the need for a greater understanding of human performance came to prominence. Problems such as how to best train soldiers to use new technology and deal with matters of attention while under duress became areas of need for military personnel. Behaviorism provided little insight into these matters, but integrating concepts from human performance research and the recently developed information theory forged the way in this area.”

As noted in the U.S. News and World Report, “Cognitive science majors can concentrate on several disciplines such as linguistics, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. Cognitive science majors may need to meet with their academic advisers to determine their course selection based on their goals and the interdisciplinary options available, so the exact degree path may look different for each student.”

If you have an interest in the field, here are some of the paths available to you.

What can I do with a cognitive psychology degree?

According to one leading source, cognitive psychologists focus on counseling, research, and teaching. These professionals work in hospitals, independent practices, and clinics. Counselors also administer cognitive tests and work with patients on cognitive challenges. They may also collaborate with neurologists and psychiatrists.

The field is gaining popularity thanks to its practical applications in education, healthcare, business, and research. Employment of cognitive psychologists is predicted to grow faster than the average for most occupations. As for salaries in the field, according to Very Well Mind, the average salary for industrial organizational psychologists is $139,280. The median annual salary for psychologists in general is $85,330.

If you are a high school student with a keen interest in college prep courses for psychology online, why not get ahead of the curve and start your education in cognitive psychology now? We have just the place!

Discover Cognitive Psychology with the William & Mary Pre-College Online Program 

In this course, Cognitive Psychology: How the Brain Works, you’ll examine the brain and how it processes language, behavior, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. You’ll delve into various regions of the brain and how each performs unique functions, like speech, perception, attention, facial recognition, and more. You’ll also learn to:

• Understand the human condition and the relationship between mind and brain.
• Know the history of cognitive psychology.
• Be able to define distinct systems of the brain and the processes of human cognition.
• Know how the brain uses memory and its connection to attention.
• Identify the function of the frontal lobe, such as emotions and reasoning.
• Complete a Final Project to demonstrate what you’ve learned and to earn a Certificate of Completion from William & Mary.

All of the renowned universities that partner with Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, feature a Final Project that enables students to demonstrate what they’ve learned. In the case of this course, it involves you looking inward to understand how your brain processes information.

Your Final Project in Cognitive Psychology

For your Final Project in cognitive psychology, you will create a human brain map and a pictorial presentation that shows how your brain processes decision-making. You can use a personal experience, such as deciding what sport to play, which summer job to take, or which school to attend. You will explore the frontal lobe; its in and out thinking; and the functions of decision-making, problem-solving, and reasoning. You’ll consider how the brain organizes information and converts it to knowledge, language, and visual imagery.

Designed by Jennifer A. Stevens, Ph.D., associate professor. Dr. Stevens works in the Department of Psychological Sciences and the Neuroscience Program at William & Mary. She is the director of the W&M Cognitive Neuroscience Lab and has primary research interests in visual and motor representation and the use of imagery to improve behavior.

What do our students think of this program?

Student Testimonials of the Cognitive Psychology Course

“I would recommend this course to anyone who is even slightly interested in psychology. The course is packed with information that is both compelling and engaging. It connects to other subjects as well, which shows how broad psychology is, and how much it is right in front of us every day. If you know nothing about psychology, you should take this course, and if you know everything about psychology, you should take it., because you will definitely learn something new.” Mackenzie, psychology student from MD.

“The course is good for people with a full summer schedule as well as an empty summer schedule. It’s very versatile and not difficult at all to complete. With active listening and note-taking, you can get the most out of the course. It’s great for an introduction to the study, so you should take it if you've never tried this type of psychology before.”

Emma, psychology student from VA.

If you are a high school student interested in enrichment summer programs, Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, has many choices. We have many options if college prep courses online are a better fit. Remember, in each program, you must complete a Final Project. We encourage you to put your brain to the test. Certificates of Completion result from your work and make a strong impression on admission counselors. So, don’t delay; your future awaits. 

This was last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 06/27/2025.