Psychology, B.A.
Program Description
The Department of Psychology offers the Bachelor of Arts in Day and Evening Programs on Main Campus. Our curriculum was designed to prepare students for success in three general career paths: graduate study in Psychology, both research and applied; professional school (e.g., medicine, law, business); and entry directly into the workforce. The Psychology major requires 12 courses, none of which may be taken Pass/Fail.
Why Take This Major?
Psychology is a science that seeks to understand and describe human behavior and relationships. Students in this major will continuously build their awareness of the needs of our diverse society, the role that research plays in enriching our understanding of life, and the ways in which the profession of psychology serves to improve the human condition through ethical research, practice, and application.
A major in Psychology offers a number of desirable skills. First, students develop a sophisticated understanding of the complexities of human behavior and thinking. Second, students develop quantitative and research skills that allow them to appreciate and undertake the study of human behavior and thinking. Third, students gain interpersonal skills for collaboration and teamwork. In addition, students become part of a community of scholars that includes faculty, graduate students, and fellow undergraduate students.
Degree Earned
B.A.
Required for Graduation
- Courses
- Major: 12
- Total: 40
- Credits
- Major: 37
- Total: 120
- GPA
- Major: 2.0
- Cumulative: 2.0
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of a psychology major, students will be able to:
- Recognize key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.
- Utilize skills in scientific reasoning for consuming and producing psychological research.
- Communicate statistically supported findings in psychology.
- Recognize major ethical issues in psychological research.
- Apply knowledge base in psychology to one of the following areas of psychology: emotions, biological psychology, history and systems, or personality.
Progress Chart
Level One - Core Courses
12 courses and 2 modules required.
Major Requirements
Major requirements include 4 Level Two ILO requirements, fulfilled through the major.
Students in this major must complete 40 courses in total in order to graduate. 12 courses will be from this major program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Level One - Core Courses | ||
| Universal Required Courses | ||
| Students must complete the following 4 courses. | ||
| ILO 8.1: Written Communication | ||
| ENG 110 | College Writing I: Persuasion | 3 |
| ILO 5.1: Information Literacy | ||
| ENG 210 | College Writing II: Research | 3 |
| ILO 1.1: Understanding Diverse Perspectives | ||
| FYS 130 | First-Year Academic Seminar 1 | 3 |
| ILO 2.1: Reflective Thinking and Valuing | ||
| REL 100 | Religion Matters | 3 |
| Elective Core Courses | ||
| Students must complete 1 course in each of the following 4 ILOs. | ||
| ILO 3.1a: Scientific Reasoning | ||
| PSY 155 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| ILO 3.1b: Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MTH 150 | Mathematics: Myths and Realities | 3 |
| ILO 6.1: Technological Competency | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| ILO 8.1a/12.1: Oral Communication/Collaborative Engagement | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| Distinct Discipline Core Courses | ||
| ILO 4.1: Critical Analysis and Reasoning | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| ILO 9.1: Creative and Artistic Expression | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| ILO 10.1: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| ILO 11.1: Cultural and Global Awareness and Sensitivity | ||
| Choose course within ILO | 3 | |
| Universal Required Modules | ||
| Students must complete the following 2 non-credit modules. 2 | ||
| ILO 7.1a | ||
| Health Literacy Module | ||
| ILO 7.1b | ||
| Financial Literacy Module | ||
| Major Requirements | ||
| Level Two | ||
| Students must complete 1 course/learning experience in each of the 4 commitments. | ||
| ILO 2.2: Broader Identity (Capstone Course/Experience) | ||
| Select one of the following: ILO 2.2 | 3 | |
| Emotions | ||
| Biological Psychology | ||
| Theories of Personality | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Select one ILO from 3.2a, 3.2b, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2, 7.2a, or 7.2b: Expanded Literacies | ||
| PSY 330 | Research Design I (ILO 3.2b) | 4 |
| ILO 8.2b: Effective Expression (Writing-Intensive Course) | ||
| PSY 311 | Statistics II (ILO 8.2b) | 3 |
| Select one ILO from 10.2, 11.2, or 12.2: Active Responsibility | ||
| PSY 330 | Research Design I (ILO 10.2) | 4 |
| All Other Required Courses | ||
| MTH 150 | Mathematics: Myths and Realities | 3 |
| PSY 155 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Statistics I | 3 |
| PSY 311 | Statistics II | 3 |
| PSY 330 | Research Design I | 4 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Emotions | ||
| Theories of Learning | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Biological Psychology | ||
| Theories of Personality | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| 4 additional PSY electives | 12 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| In addition to the requirements listed above, students must take enough courses to the fulfill graduation credit requirements for their School and major. | ||
| Total Credits | 87 | |
- 1
NOTE. The following students use Level 2 Capstone Experience in Major instead of FYS 130 First-Year Academic Seminar: Honors, BUSCA, Core-to-Core, Transfer, and Non-Traditional/Evening.
- 2
The Modules are not required for Transfer Students, Core-to-Core Students, or BUSCA Students. BUSCA students are required to take modules if/when they pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Recommended Course Sequence
We strongly recommend that students consult with their academic advisers in planning their course sequence in the math, statistics, and research design courses.
Course Descriptions
Psychology
This course provides a general introduction to the discipline of psychology. Emphasis is given to the methods, theories, and findings of psychological research. Areas covered may include biological bases of behavior, learning, perception, thinking, development, personality, abnormality, and social behavior.
This course provides a study of the theories and research relevant to understanding human development from conception through adulthood, with special emphasis on childhood and adolescence. Biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes are examined.
This course is an introduction to the scientific study of adulthood, with a special emphasis on gerontology. Focuses on the theories, principles, and research related to cognitive change and on social development, particularly in the context of intergenerational relationships.
This is an introductory course surveying the principal forms of mental disorders, with emphasis on causes, symptoms, and treatment. An analysis of the problem of maladaptive behavior and the study of certain personality and behavior patterns.
This course provides a study of the research findings and theories dealing with the phenomena of social behavior. Focuses on individual behavior as it affects and is affected by the behavior of others.
This course offers a study of the application of psychological principles and theories to organizational settings. Topics examined include research methodology, employee selection and assessment, leadership, motivation, job satisfaction, and characteristics of the workplace that affect employee and organizational well-being.
This course presents an introduction to linguistics, which is the study of human language and communication. Each major branch of linguistics is surveyed with an emphasis on the structure, content, and use of English. This course also explores language variation and the relationship between language and culture, language and the brain, and how children develop language. Students practice techniques for linguistic analysis, and clinical applications to the fields of speech-language pathology and psychology are discussed. This class is cross-listed with COSD 100.
This course addresses selected topics in the area of forensic psychology. The focus of the course will center on the theory, science, applications, and practices of psychology in the criminal justice system. Topics will include police and investigative psychology, family forensic psychology, psychology of crime and delinquency, legal psychology, expert witness testimony, and issues related to corrections.
This course is a survey of the theory, research, and issues related to sexuality from a psychological perspective. Topics will include the biological, psychological, and social foundations of human sexuality, human reproduction, cross-cultural perspectives on social behavior and contemporary society, gender roles and stereotypes, the expression of human sexuality, sexual deviancy, and violence.
This course provides an overview of psychological theory and research related to the study of women, including research on gender, gender socialization, and sex differences. It will evaluate traditional views and feminist perspectives. Students will learn how gender and sexism interact with ethnicity, class, and age across the lifespan to influence women's lives and understandings.
Students will be introduced to concepts in sport psychology. Issues of individual athletes, athletic teams, and sport psychology interventions are discussed. Students are introduced to conceptualizing and presenting sport psychology issues and interventions.
This course explores the relationship between stress and health through
both a didactic method as well as experiential group exercises, journal
writing, guided imagery, and drawing. Introduction to stress-management
strategies is provided through readings and hands-on application
of demonstrated techniques.
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course is the first semester of a two semester sequence in statistics covering descriptive and inferential statistics and the logic of hypothesis testing. Emphasis in this course is on understanding the statistical technique and its meaning in making research decisions.
This course is the second part of a two semester sequence in statistics focusing on the use of SPSS as a tool to assist in describing data, hypothesis testing, and making data supported decisions. Emphasis in this course is on the analysis of data and the communication of statistically supported findings.
This course focuses on introducing students to the techniques and methods of descriptive and inferential research, as well as research ethics, as they are applied to psychological science.
This course offers lectures, discussions, and practice in the application of psychological theory and research design to the development of an original research study. Each student completes a literature review, develops study aims and hypotheses, plans a research method, and writes a study proposal. Considerations for ethical conduct of research and research dissemination are discussed as well. Options are available for collecting and analyzing data during this course or in future research independent studies.
This course examines the selection, administration, and interpretation of psychological tests used in the measurement of aptitudes, achievement, interest, and personality.
This course explores the specific nature, sequence, and patterns of language development from birth through adolescence and its relation to other aspects of child development. Conditions that place infants and children at risk for speech and language disorders are explored. Patterns of normal language development are discussed as guide for the evaluation and treatment of children with developmental language disorders.
This course addresses the theories and principles of the counseling process. The dynamics of human change. The objectives, work, and continuing problems of counseling.
This course is an overview of key topics, theories, and issues in Health Psychology. Topics include stress, eating, exercise, coping, and the effect of individual traits and psychological/social processes on health. Previously, this special topics course focused exclusively on stress. It has been extended to reflect trends in the fields of psychology and managed care. The intent is to help students become more prepared for entry into graduate school, medical school, or a professional setting.
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course about emotion will cover basic theoretical perspectives, including biological foundations, and essential emotion processes such as emotion regulation. Individual emotions such as happy, sad, angry, etc. will be discussed. The course will culminate with brief discussion of emotion-related constructs such as empathy and positive psychology.
This course is an analysis of the principal theories of learning in light of recent experiments in animal and human learning.
How do we acquire, store, retrieve, and use knowledge? This course investigates how we make sense of our experience by examining classic and contemporary theory and research in human information processing, the representation and organization of knowledge, and the use of higher cognitive skills. Topics may include attention, perception, memory, imagery, language, problem solving, creativity, reasoning, and decision making.
This course is an introduction to the neurological and endocrinological bases of behavior. Consideration is given to sensory and motor processes, motivation and emotion, and learning and memory.
This course is a systematic study of the principal theories of personality with particular emphasis on recent trends, research methodology, and personality measurement.
This course examines the beginnings and development of psychology as a science and profession; psychology's historical roots in philosophy, biology, and national culture.
This course provides the student with an opportunity to do research with a faculty member. The student and the faculty member agree on the research project before the student registers for the course.
This course is a continuation of the 444 research course. It provides the student with an opportunity to continue to conduct research with a faculty member.
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course examines contemporary issues in psychology (e.g., psychology
of women, drug abuse, forensic psychology, sports psychology, or
prejudice).
This course provides readings, discussion, and analysis of contemporary psychological theories and research; individual student research and presentation of paper.
This course provides readings, discussion, and analysis of contemporary psychological theories and research; individual student research and presentation of paper.
This course provides the student with an opportunity to do research with a faculty member. The student and the faculty member must agree on the research project before the student signs up for the course.
This course provides the student with an opportunity to do research with a faculty member. The student and the faculty member must agree on the research project before the student signs up for the course.
This course provides students with off-campus opportunities to work in clinics, schools, businesses, or the criminal justice system. It may be taken either or both semesters.
This course provides students with off-campus opportunities to work in clinics, schools, businesses, or the criminal justice system. It may be taken either or both semesters.