Psychology, BA
Program Description
Mission
In keeping with the University’s mission, the discipline of Psychology seeks to discover, communicate, and apply knowledge about human behavior in a complex and changing world. The specific mission of the undergraduate program is three-fold:
- to provide a basic education within the field of psychology as a foundation for graduate work in a professional field of psychology, such as clinical or counseling psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, or developmental psychology;
- to provide disciplinary knowledge through a broadly-based curriculum which can be applied to related careers such as human services, business, communications, and research; and
- to contribute to the education of students majoring in other areas of study.
An on-campus PSYC major provides a mix of face-to-face, blended, and online courses. The online PSYO major provides all psychology requirements via the web. Students enrolled in the online PSYO program will not be permitted to register for classes held in person. The course schedule for the online BA degree in Psychology (PSYO) will differ from on campus offerings and may not include all course options available to on-campus students in any given semester.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge Base of Psychology
Students will demonstrate understanding of the concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in psychology. - Research Methods in Psychology
Students will understand and apply research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation. - Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Students will use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
Program Requirements - Psychology BA (PSYC) & Psychology BA Online (PSYO)
A primary objective of the psychology program is to provide the psychology major with a broadly-based education in the discipline. Therefore, all psychology majors are expected to complete the required curriculum listed below. The remaining coursework will be selected by the student in consultation with the academic advisor and is designed to meet individual students’ needs and interests. The combination of psychology with a minor from another area, such as sociology or communications, often provides more marketable credentials at the bachelor’s level of training (note that within the College of Liberal Arts, only 6 SCH that count toward a major can be applied to a minor).
- In order to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology, students must complete the following requirements of the College of Liberal Arts: the Core Curriculum Program, 6 hours of a foreign language. Psychology majors are encouraged to take MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 SCH) to satisfy the Mathematics Core Curriculum Program requirement. Students who do not take MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 SCH) in the Core Curriculum will be required to fulfill the Supporting Coursework requirement for the major.
- Psychology majors must complete a minimum of 37 semester credit hours (SCH) of psychology courses exclusively applied to the major with at least 25 of these SCH at the upper-division level.
- PSYC 2301 General Psychology (3 sch) or permission of the instructor is required for admission into all psychology courses beyond the 1000-level.
- The Psychology degree requires knowledge of basic statistical theories and applications. This requirement is fulfilled by the successful completion of MATH 1442 or MATH 1342, or transfer courses such as PSYC 2317 or other courses with MATH, MAT, STAT, STA, PSY, AND PSYC prefixes AND the course title which includes Statistics, Quantitative Reasoning, and/or Psychological Science Methods. Students who do not take MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 SCH) in the Core Curriculum will be required to fulfill the Supporting Coursework requirement for the major.
General Requirements
Requirements | Credit Hours |
---|---|
Core Curriculum Program | 42 |
University Seminar (when applicable)1 | 0-2 |
Psychology Major Requirements | 37 |
University Electives2 | 35 |
Foreign Language Requirements | 6 |
Total Credit Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.
- USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)
- 2
University Electives: 30-35 hours.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Full-time, First-Year Students | ||
First year seminar | 0-2 | |
University Seminar | ||
Core Curriculum Program | ||
University Core Curriculum (because PSYC 2301 is required for the Psychology major, students majoring in Psychology must also complete one of the following courses to fulfill the Social and Behavioral Sciences core curriculum requirements: SOCI 1301, ECON 1301, ECON 2301, or ECON 2302) | 42 | |
Students who do not take the following in the Core Curriculum will be required to fulfill the Supporting Coursework requirement for the major: MATH 1442 | ||
Mathematics | ||
Fulfilled by MATH 1442 or any 020 core MATH course | ||
Psychology Major Requirements | ||
PSYC 2301 | General Psychology 3,* | 3 |
PSYC 3411 | Experimental Psychology 1,* | 4 |
PSYC 4310 | Psychology Capstone Seminar 2,* | 3 |
Block 1: Select two of the following: | 6 | |
Lifespan Developmental Psychology * | ||
Social Psychology * | ||
Psychology of Personality * | ||
Abnormal Psychology * | ||
Block 2: Select two of the following: | 6 | |
Cognitive Psychology * | ||
Learning and Behavior * | ||
Physiological Psychology * | ||
Sensation and Perception * | ||
Supporting Coursework | ||
Statistics for Life (MATH 1442 or MATH 1342, or transfer courses such as PSYC 2317 or other courses with MATH, MAT, STAT, STA, PSY, AND PSYC prefixes AND the course title which includes Statistics, Quantitative Reasoning and/or Psychological Science Methods.) | ||
Psychology Electives | ||
Select five upper division Psychology courses (PSYC 3000 or 4000 courses) which are not being used toward the required major hours in another area. | 15 | |
Close Relationships | ||
Forensic Psychology * | ||
Psychology of Language | ||
Evolutionary Psychology * | ||
Health Psychology * | ||
Psychology of Religion | ||
Human Sexuality * | ||
Introduction to Clinical Psychology * | ||
History and Systems of Psychology | ||
Cross-cultural Psychology * | ||
Drug Use and Abuse | ||
Positive Psychology | ||
Gender Issues in Psychology | ||
Feminism & Science * | ||
Industrial/Organizational Psychology * | ||
Topics in Psychology (can be taken multiple times as long as the topic is different) | ||
Undergraduate Research 6,* | ||
Directed Individual Study 6,* | ||
Applied Experience * | ||
University Electives | ||
Select 30-35 hours of university electives. | 30-35 | |
Foreign Language Requirement | ||
See the College of Liberal Arts for the college language requirement. | 6 | |
Total Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 SCH) or its equivalent is a prerequisite course for taking PSYC 3411 Experimental Psychology (4 SCH).
- 2
PSYC 3411 Experimental Psychology (4SCH) is a prerequisite for this course. In order to register for PSYC 4310 Psychology Capstone Seminar (3 SCH), students must first complete 24 SCH of psychology coursework and have senior class standing or permission of the instructor.
- 3
This requirement is fulfilled by the successful completion of PSYC 2301or PSYC 2301 transfer courses or other transfer courses with PSY or PSYC prefixes AND the course title which includes “Introductory Psychology” or “Introduction to Psychology” or “General Psychology.”
- 4
This requirement may also be fulfilled by the successful completion of PSYC 2314 transfer courses or other transfer courses with PSY or PSYC prefixes AND the course title which includes “Developmental” or “Lifespan Growth & Development” or “Human Growth and Development” or “Development Through the Life Span.”
- 5
This requirement may also be fulfilled by the successful completion of PSYC 2319 transfer courses or other transfer courses with PSY or PSYC prefixes AND the course title which includes “Social Psychology.”
- 6
Only 6 hours total from PSYC 4395 & PSYC 4396 can count towards the major.
- *
Online offering
Course Sequencing
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
PSYC 2301 | General Psychology | 3 |
USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
ENGL 1301 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
HIST 1301 | U.S. History to 1865 | 3 |
Creative Arts Core Requirement | 3 | |
Hours | 14 | |
Spring | ||
SOCI 1301 | Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Economics or Macroeconomics Principles or Microeconomics Principles | 3 |
ENGL 1302 or COMM 1311 | Writing and Rhetoric II or Foundation of Communication | 3 |
HIST 1302 | U.S. History Since 1865 | 3 |
MATH 1442 | Statistics for Life | 4 |
Hours | 13 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
Language, Philosophy & Culture Core Requirement | 3 | |
Foreign Language I | 3 | |
POLS 2305 | U.S. Government and Politics | 3 |
Life & Physical Science Core Requirement | 4 | |
Core Component I | 3 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
POLS 2306 | State and Local Government | 3 |
Life & Physical Science Core Requirement | 4 | |
Core Component II | 3 | |
Foreign Language II | 3 | |
One course from Block 1 - PSYC 2314 Lifespan Development, or PSYC 2319 Social Psychology, or PSYC 3361 Psychology of Personality, or PSYC 3363 Abnormal Psychology | 3 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
PSYC 3411 | Experimental Psychology | 4 |
One course from Block 1 - PSYC 2314 Lifespan Development, or PSYC 2319 Social Psychology, or PSYC 3361 Psychology of Personality, or PSYC 3363 Abnormal Psychology | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
PSYC Elective I | 3 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
One course from Block 2 - PSYC 3342 Cognitive Psychology, or PSYC 3343 Learning & Behavior, or PSYC 4352 Physiological Psychology, or PSYC 4354 Sensation & Perception | 3 | |
PSYC Upper Division Elective II | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
One course from Block 2 - PSYC 3342 Cognitive Psychology, or PSYC 3343 Learning & Behavior, or PSYC 4352 Physiological Psychology, or PSYC 4354 Sensation & Perception | 3 | |
PSYC Elective III | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
PSYC 4310 | Psychology Capstone Seminar | 3 |
PSYC Elective IV | 3 | |
PSYC Elective V | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Total Hours | 120 |