Psychology (BS in Psychology)

Description of Curriculum

Courses PSYC 201 and PSYC 202 are the core introductory courses in psychological sciences and are prerequisites for upper-level courses. Courses PSYC 301 and PSYC 302 are core courses that introduce students to methods utilized in the field of psychological sciences for conducting research and analyzing data. Both courses are often prerequisites for upper-level courses. Courses numbered 310-318 are lecture courses from the main areas of psychological science that build on material introduced in the PSYC 201 and PSYC 202 courses, and these courses are available to majors and non-majors.  These courses are often prerequisites for 400 level courses. Courses numbered 401-409 are practica courses, in which students gain practical experience. They are intended primarily for majors, although non-majors with appropriate qualifications can enroll. Courses numbered 410-422 are seminar-sized laboratory courses intended primarily for majors. Each of these courses provides students with advanced training in the scientific methods of a particular subdiscipline within psychology. Courses numbered 440-469 are seminar classes that focus on each instructor’s specific area of interest, and audiences for these courses will vary from course to course. Contact individual instructors for details.

All students preparing for graduate study in Psychology, whether they are majors or not, are advised to obtain practical experiences in areas appropriate to their interest.  

Students can petition for a graduate class to count as an upper-level elective course. Students must obtain instructor and Dean’s approval to enroll in a graduate level course.  

Required Credit Hours: 45

Candidates for the B.S. degree in Psychology must complete the B.A. degree requirements (below) and three courses that are chosen from among the following departments and programs: Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Geology, Health Sciences¹, Mathematics, or Physics. This is in addition to satisfying the COLL 200 and knowledge domain requirements. None of these three courses may be a COLL 100 or a COLL 150 course nor may they be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. All courses must be at least 3 credits, and one course must be numbered 200 or above. 

¹

Courses in Health Sciences must have an NQR attribute to qualify for the B.S.

An interdisciplinary degree in Neuroscience is also available. Please refer to the Neuroscience section of this catalog.

Major Requirements:

The Psychology major is intended to provide the student with a breadth of knowledge from natural and social science perspectives. Course offerings are categorized accordingly: in general, odd numbered courses reflect a natural science perspective while even numbered courses reflect a social science perspective.

Core Courses

Major Computing Requirement:

PSYC 301 Elementary Statistics

Major Writing Requirement:

To fulfill the Major Writing Requirement majors must earn a grade of “C-” or better in either:

PSYC 302 Research Methods/Psy or any advanced research course in psychology.