Psychology - BS
All psychology majors receive a rigorous program of undergraduate education and training that encourages critical thinking, lifelong learning, and the analysis and integration of information about individuals and groups of people. The curriculum leading to a degree in psychology provides students with an understanding of human behavior and the ability to use scientific methods to answer questions about human behavior.
Students majoring in psychology may earn either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The psychology course requirements for the two degrees are identical; they differ with respect to the requirements in other disciplines. For example, the BA degree requires courses in a foreign language and extra humanities hours, whereas the BS degree requires additional hours in the physical and biological sciences.
Students interested in studying human behavior, with a science-oriented supporting curriculum, pursue a Bachelor of Science degree. The BS can successfully prepare students interested in further study in a science-oriented psychology graduate program (such as neuroscience) or medical school, or other health-related graduate and professional programs (e.g., pharmacy, physical therapy), as well as students interested in entry-level positions in business or applied psychology.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| PSYC 105 | First Semester Experience | 1 |
| PSYC 107 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| American history | 3 | |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSYC 245 | Introduction to Psychological Science Methods | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition | ||
| Writing about Literature | ||
| Technical and Professional Writing | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSYC 235/NRSC 235 | Introduction to Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Black Psychology | ||
| Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Minority Experience | ||
| Psychology of Culture and Diversity | ||
| Psychological Aspects of Human Sexuality | ||
| Psychology of Women | ||
| Psychology of Women of Color | ||
| Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations | ||
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSYC 301 | Elementary Statistics for Psychology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Psychology of Adjustment | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Adolescence | ||
| Personality | ||
| Organizational Psychology | ||
| Personnel Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Language, philosophy and culture | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSYC 302 | Research Methods and Design in Psychology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Psychology of Animal Behavior | ||
| Sensation-Perception | ||
| Neuroscience of Learning and Memory | ||
| Biology of Psychological Disorders | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Psychology of Learning | ||
| Human Cognitive Processes | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine | ||
| Language, philosophy and culture or creative arts | 3 | |
| Additional Science elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 1 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Psychology of Animal Behavior | ||
| Sensation-Perception | ||
| Neuroscience of Learning and Memory | ||
| Biology of Psychological Disorders | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Psychology of Learning | ||
| Human Cognitive Processes | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine | ||
| Social and behavioral sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Additional Science elective 3 | 3 | |
| Psychology elective 4 | 3 | |
| General elective | 2 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Psychology of Adjustment | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Adolescence | ||
| Personality | ||
| Organizational Psychology | ||
| Personnel Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Additional Science elective 3 | 3 | |
| Additional Science elective 3 | 3 | |
| Psychology elective 4 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Complete 6 hours of mathematics core courses. Note that MATH 167 is not an accepted course in this degree program. Select two from the following options: |
| 2 | Courses in psychology may not be used to satisfy this requirement. |
| 3 | See departmental advisor for approved list |
| 4 | Select from PSYC 100-499, No more than a combined maximum of 6 hours of PSYC 484, PSYC 485 are permitted. |
A grade of C or higher is required if a course is to be counted in the major field.
No course can be counted in more than one category.
Graduation requirements include 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. The required 6 hours may be met by courses satisfying other areas of a degree program. See your academic advisor for further information.