Major

Students majoring in psychology have the option of completing either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

Students in both degree programs acquire a knowledge of the theoretical approaches, research methodologies, research findings, and practical applications of the many sub-fields within the science and profession of contemporary psychology. Working closely with their Mentors, students build on this foundation by developing an individualized area of courses in a particular specialty which will augment their liberal arts psychology background. These students acquire the ability to:

  • critique new research findings in psychology.
  • present research findings and theoretical systems in oral and written formats.
  • apply theory to real-world problems.
  • evaluate contemporary controversies in the field of psychology.

In addition to the skills above, students in the B.S. degree program acquire the following specific research skills designed to best prepare them for graduate study:

  • critically reviewing and synthesizing diverse bodies of research literature.
  • designing and conducting original research projects.
  • using SPSS to analyze research data.
  • using computer-based graphics packages to prepare professional quality figures and graphics.
  • preparing publication quality research reports in APA format.

Bachelor of Arts

To fulfill the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology, students must take at least nine courses in psychology, and these courses must satisfy the following conditions:

Fundamentals

All students must take the following courses:

  • PS 101 Introduction to Psychology
  • PS 200 Methods I: Research in Psychology
  • PS 201M Methods II: Statistics in Psychology

First Year/Sophomore Classes

Students must take at least two of the following courses:

  • PS 205 Human Learning & Cognition
  • PS 202 Developmental Psychology
  • PS 209 Perspectives in Mental Health

Junior/Senior Classes

Students must take at least two of the following courses:

  • PS 302 Social Psychology
  • PS 306 Personality in Context
  • PS 309 Biopsychology

In addition to the seven required courses from the Fundamentals, First Year/Sophomore, and Junior/Senior categories, each student must take at least two additional psychology courses. Any psychology course may be used for this purpose, with the exception of directed/independent studies and winter terms. No more than four transfer classes may count toward the B.A. psychology major.

Bachelor of Science

To fulfill the requirements for a Bachelor of Science with a major in psychology, students must take at least 10 courses in psychology, and these courses must satisfy the following conditions:

All B.S. students must complete the seven required classes from the Fundamentals, First Year/Sophomore, and Junior/Senior categories.

In addition, they must take at least three of the following courses:

  • PS 321 Advanced Statistics & Research Design
  • PS 337 Psychological Tests & Measurements
  • PS 410 History & Systems
  • PS 428 Advanced Research Seminar

As with the B.A. degree, no more than four transfer classes may count toward the B.S. psychology major.

To satisfy the requirements of the psychology minor, the student must take Introduction to Psychology and four other psychology courses. Independent studies and winter terms may not be used for this purpose, and at least one of the four additional courses must be a 300-level course. No more than two transfer classes may count toward the psychology minor
.

All courses for the psychology major and minor must be passed with a grade of C- or better.