Bachelor Degree Options
Choosing a BA or a BS degree?
A Psychology major may choose to obtain either a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) or a Bachelor of Science degree (BS). The Psychology courses required for a BA and BS are identical.
The College of Arts and Sciences has different course requirements for those earning a BA vs a BS The BA requirements focus on culture and social behavior, liberal arts, and humanities whereas the BS requirements focus on mathematics and the natural and social sciences.
The Psychology faculty recommends the BA for most students. The BS degree is most appropriate for students planning research careers in areas of Psychology requiring a strong background in mathematics and science.
However, even for students headed for research intensive careers, the BA degree supplemented by selected science and mathematics courses can be the best overall choice. Psychology advisors can help with decisions in individual cases.
Academic Advising for the Psychology Undergraduate Programs
Admission Requirements
Satisfy the Application and Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Programs.
In addition, students wishing to declare Psychology as a major must have earned a minimum GPA of 2.50.
Academic Requirements
All prerequisites for required Psychology courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C. Students who audit or are unable to earn a minimum grade of C in a lower-division (100- or 200-level) PSY course may repeat the course two additional times on a space-available basis. Students who audit or wish to repeat an upper-division (300- or 400-level) PSY course may repeat the course one additional time on a space-available basis. Students repeating a course are required to complete all components of that course during the semester in which the course is retaken. When repeating a course with a lecture and laboratory component, both components must be repeated.
Graduation Requirements
- Satisfy the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the Major Requirements below.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| PSY A111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A150 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSY A200 | Introduction to Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| PSY A260 | Statistics for Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A260L | Statistics for Psychology Lab | 1 |
| PSY A261 & A261L | Research Methods in Psychology and Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY A345 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A356 & A356L | Psychology of Learning and Psychology of Learning Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY A370 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY A375 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| Psychology Capstone Requirement * | 3 | |
| Each capstone option is designed to synthesize and apply material from the Psychology major. Choice of a capstone should be based, at least in part, on the student’s future career plans. Students planning to work in human service jobs following graduation should consider taking PSY A495A. Students planning on graduate work in Psychology should consider taking PSY A412, PSY A420 or PSY A499. Students may elect to take all of these courses as upper-division electives. | ||
| History of Psychology | ||
| Conducting Research in Psychology | ||
| Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Psychology Practicum | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Developing Psychological Research | ||
| Psychology Electives | 9 | |
Take an additional 9 credits of upper-division Psychology courses. | ||
| Writing | 3 | |
| Writing and the Sciences | ||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 3 | |
| College Algebra for Managerial and Social Sciences | ||
or STAT A200 | Elementary Statistics | |
| Biology | 3-6 | |
| Introductory Biology | ||
or BIOL A108 | Principles and Methods in Biology | |
| Additional Electives | 17 | |
Take three Social Science GERs outside of Psychology | ||
Take an 8-credit sequence of a world language or American Sign Language from the GER list | ||
| Total Credits | 68-71 | |
| * | All of the psychology capstone courses have rigorous prerequisites. Minimum grades of C in these prerequisites are required for admission into the capstone courses. See course descriptions of each capstone course for more details. |
All Psychology majors are also required to take the exit examination, a standardized test of knowledge of psychology approved by the Psychology Department. There is no minimum score required for graduation. This exam is taken in the Testing Center and a fee will be charged to students.
A total of 120 credits is required for this degree, of which 42 credits must be upper-division.
Concentration in Behavior Analysis
This concentration provides foundational knowledge and professional skills to apply the science of behavior analysis across a range of settings and client populations, including staff in the workplace, children and adults with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Completing the coursework below, in addition to required supervised practicum experience with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, helps prepare students to apply for the Behavior Analysis Certification Board examination for becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration requirements: | ||
| PSY A200 | Introduction to Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| PSY A400 | Strategies of Behavior Change | 3 |
| PSY A495A | Psychology Practicum | 3 |
| Complete a minimum of 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Behavioral Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder | ||
| Interventions for Challenging Behavior | ||
| Organizational Behavior Management | ||
| Applications of Behavior Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Honors in Psychology
The Department of Psychology recognizes exceptional undergraduate students by awarding them departmental honors in Psychology. To graduate with departmental honors, the student must be a declared Psychology major and meet the following requirements:
- Satisfy all requirements for a BA or BS degree in Psychology.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50.
- Take PSY A412.
- Take PSY A420.
- Complete PSY A499. The thesis project must be approved in advance by the Undergraduate Studies Committee and carried out by following applicable departmental guidelines.
- Students intending to graduate with departmental honors must notify the Departmental Honors Committee in writing on or before the date they file their Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar.
Honors Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with departmental honors in Psychology will possess:
- An advanced understanding and application of descriptive and inferential statistics and use of statistical software in data analysis.
- A broad knowledge of psychology’s historical foundation.
- The ability to conduct a critical review and analysis of existing psychological literature.
- The ability to design and execute empirical research that tests clearly stated hypotheses or addresses clearly articulated research questions.
- A clear understanding of research ethics and the responsible conduct of research in the field of psychology.
- The ability to communicate effectively in writing, in poster format, and in oral presentations, including mastery of APA style.
- The ability to draw conclusions from research findings, including recognition of the limitations, applications, and implications of the data, and a discussion of alternative explanations of the results.
Admission Requirements
Satisfy the Application and Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Programs. In addition, students wishing to declare Psychology as a major must have earned a minimum GPA of 2.50.
Academic Requirements
All prerequisites for required Psychology courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C. Students who audit or are unable to earn a minimum grade of C in a lower-division (100- or 200-level) PSY course may repeat the course two additional times on a space-available basis. Students who audit or wish to repeat an upper-division (300- or 400-level) PSY course may repeat the course one additional time on a space-available basis. Students repeating a course are required to complete all components of that course during the semester in which the course is retaken. When repeating a course with a lecture and laboratory component, both components must be repeated.
Graduation Requirements
- Satisfy the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the Major Requirements below.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| PSY A111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A150 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSY A200 | Introduction to Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| PSY A260 | Statistics for Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A260L | Statistics for Psychology Lab | 1 |
| PSY A261 & A261L | Research Methods in Psychology and Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY A345 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY A356 & A356L | Psychology of Learning and Psychology of Learning Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY A370 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY A375 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| Psychology Capstone Requirement * | 3 | |
| Each capstone option is designed to synthesize and apply material from the psychology major. Choice of a capstone should be based, at least in part, on the student's future career plans. Students planning to work in human service jobs following graduation should consider taking PSY A495A. Students planning on graduate work in Psychology should consider taking PSY A412, PSY A420 or PSY A499. Students may elect to take all of these courses as upper-division electives. | ||
| History of Psychology | ||
| Conducting Research in Psychology | ||
| Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Psychology Practicum | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Developing Psychological Research | ||
| Psychology Electives | 9 | |
Take an additional 9 credits of upper division Psychology courses. | ||
| Writing | 3 | |
| Writing and the Sciences | ||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 6-8 | |
| Complete two courses from the following list: | ||
| College Algebra for Managerial and Social Sciences | ||
or MATH A151 | College Algebra for Calculus | |
| Applied Calculus for Managerial and Social Sciences | ||
| Social Science Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Applied Statistics for the Sciences | ||
| Biology | 7-16 | |
| Introductory Biology | ||
or BIOL A108 | Principles and Methods in Biology | |
And complete at least two of the following courses: | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
| Introduction to Complexity | ||
| Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences | ||
| Fundamentals of Cell Biology | ||
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| Experiential Learning: Ecology and Evolution | ||
| Principles of Evolution | ||
| Experiential Learning: Animal Physiology | ||
| Vertebrate Biology | ||
| Experiential Learning: Vertebrate Biology | ||
| Behavioral Endocrinology | ||
| Neurophysiology | ||
| Chronobiology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Applied Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology | ||
| Fish Physiology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Marine Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Marine Mammal Biology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Experiential Learning: Animal Behavior | ||
| Human Genome | ||
| Experiential Learning: Microbial Biotechnology | ||
| Experiential Learning: Bioinformatics | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Metals in Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology of Cancer | ||
| Fish Ecology | ||
| Wildlife Population Dynamics and Management | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Ecotoxicology | ||
| Tundra and Taiga Ecosystems | ||
| Ecological and Conservation Genetics | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Spatial Ecology | ||
| Exploration Ecology | ||
| Experiential Learning: Exploration Ecology Field Study | ||
| Evolutionary Ecology | ||
| Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates | ||
| Population Genetics and Evolutionary Processes | ||
| Experimental and Scientific Foundations | 6-7 | |
| Complete two of the following courses: | ||
| Biological Anthropology | ||
| Culture and Human Biodiversity | ||
| Culture and Health | ||
| Introduction to General Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Principles of Biochemistry I | ||
| Principles of Biochemistry II | ||
| Computer Programming (Languages Vary) | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Experimental Economics | ||
| Behavioral Economics | ||
| Industrial Organization and Public Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 64-76 | |
| * | All of the above psychology capstone courses have rigorous prerequisites. Minimum grades of C or higher in these prerequisites are required for admission into psychology's capstone courses. |
All Psychology majors are required to take the exit examination, a standardized test of knowledge of psychology approved by the Psychology Department. There is no minimum score required for graduation. The exam is taken in the Advising and Testing Center and a fee will be charged to students.
A total of 120 credits is required for this degree, of which 42 credits must be upper-division.
Concentration in Behavior Analysis
This concentration provides foundational knowledge and professional skills to apply the science of behavior analysis across a range of settings and client populations, including staff in the workplace, children and adults with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Completing the coursework below, in addition to required supervised practicum experience with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, helps prepare students to apply for the Behavior Analysis Certification Board examination for becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration requirements: | ||
| PSY A200 | Introduction to Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| PSY A400 | Strategies of Behavior Change | 3 |
| PSY A495A | Psychology Practicum | 3 |
| Complete a minimum of 6 credits of the following: | 6 | |
| Behavioral Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder | ||
| Interventions for Challenging Behavior | ||
| Organizational Behavior Management | ||
| Applications of Behavior Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Honors in Psychology
The Department of Psychology recognizes exceptional undergraduate students by awarding them departmental honors in Psychology. To graduate with departmental honors, the student must be a declared Psychology major and meet the following requirements:
- Satisfy all requirements for a BA or BS degree in Psychology.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50.
- Take PSY A412.
- Take PSY A420.
- Complete PSY A499. The thesis project must be approved in advance by the Undergraduate Studies Committee and carried out by following applicable departmental guidelines.
- Students intending to graduate with departmental honors must notify the Departmental Honors Committee in writing on or before the date they file their Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar.
Honors Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with departmental honors in Psychology will possess:
- An advanced understanding and application of descriptive and inferential statistics and use of statistical software in data analysis.
- A broad knowledge of psychology’s historical foundation.
- The ability to conduct a critical review and analysis of existing psychological literature.
- The ability to design and execute empirical research that tests clearly stated hypotheses or addresses clearly articulated research questions.
- A clear understanding of research ethics and the responsible conduct of research in the field of psychology.
- The ability to communicate effectively in writing, in poster format, and in oral presentations, including mastery of APA style.
- The ability to draw conclusions from research findings, including recognition of the limitations, applications, and implications of the data, and a discussion of alternative explanations of the results.