Department of Psychology
Requirements
The student who wishes to major in Psychology must earn a total of 37 required semester hours in courses offered by the Psychology Department, plus 3 hours of speech in the English Department. An additional 9 semester hours of cognate electives are required for the B.A. degree. The Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science (PSY 101) course serves as a general prerequisite for majors and MUST be completed before enrolling in any other psychology course.
RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCE FOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJORS
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Freshman Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PSY 101 (Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science) | 3 hours |
| MATH 100 | 3 |
| MFL 201 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | 3 |
| ENG 101 | 3 |
| EDU 151 | 0 |
| EDU 153 | 0 |
15 hours |
| Spring Semester | |
| PSY 102 (Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science) | 3 hours |
| ENG 102 | 3 |
| MATH 110 | 3 |
| MFL 202 | 3 |
| HIST 112 | 3 |
| EDU 152 | 0 |
| EDU 154 | 0 |
15 hours |
Sophomore Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PSY 201/PSY 201L (Research Methods & Statistics
I/Lab) Prerequisite: PSY 102 |
4 hours |
| PSY 260 (African Centered Psychology) | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| BIO 101/BIO 101L | 3 |
| ENG 250 | 3 |
| EDU 251 | 0 |
16 hours |
| Spring Semester | |
| PSY 202/PSY 202L (Research Methods & Statistics
II/Lab) Prerequisite: PSY 201/201L |
4
hours |
| PSY 283 (Theories of Personality) OR PSY 303 (Social Psychology) | 3 |
| Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| PHY 102/PHY 102L | 3 |
| EDU 252 | 0 |
16 hours |
Junior Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PSY 203/PSY 203L (Research Methods & Statistics
III/Lab) Prerequisite: PSY 202/202L |
4
hours |
| PSY 386 (Abnormal Psychology) Prerequisite: PSY 202/202L |
3 |
| PSY 495 (Directed Studies) Prerequisite: PSY 202/202L |
3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| ENG 350 or 351 | 3 |
| EDU 353 | 0 |
16 hours |
| Spring Semester | |
| PSY 372 (Learning and Memory/Lab) Prerequisite: PSY 203/203L |
4
hours |
| PSY 496 (Directed Studies) Prerequisite: PSY 202/202L |
3 |
| Psychology Elective | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| EDU 354 | 0 |
16 hours |
Senior Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PSY 341/341L (Animal Behavior & Lab) or PSY 460/460L (Psychobiology & Lab) or PSY 389/PSY 390 (Selected Topics with Lab) | 4
hours |
| Psychology Elective | 3 |
| PED | 1 |
| Free Electives | 6 |
13 hours |
| Spring Semester | |
| PSY 498 (Senior Seminar) | 4
hours |
| PED | 1 |
| Free Electives | 9 |
13 hours |
To complete the Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, you must have:
- A total of 120 academic semester hours;
- A total of 46 hours in Psychology (including electives);
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.0;
- Satisfactorily completed all of the required courses in the department, including nine hours of electives;
- Satisfactorily completed the general studies courses required in the core curriculum.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
A
total of 60 hours in science is required for
the B.S. degree. These hours must include
the following specified courses, along with science
electives chosen in consultation with your advisor. The
following courses are in addition to the core
psychology courses for the B.A. degree. They
will satisfy the elective requirements in psychology.
Major Requirements for B.S.
- Psychobiology with the Laboratory (offered Fall Semester only)
- Animal Behavior with the Laboratory (offered Spring Semester only)
- Directed Studies (two semesters)
Core Curriculum Requirements for B.S.
- Math 100 & 120
- General Biology 111 & 112 (for majors) in place of Biology 101 (Biological Science).
- At least one semester of Chemistry for majors (with the laboratory) (e.g. Chemistry 111/111L) -OR- Physics for majors (with the laboratory) (e.g. Physics 151/151L) in place of Physics 102 (Physical Science). The full year of either the chemistry or physics is recommended.
The
B.S. degree in Psychology provides a wide range of
career options, and provides an excellent foundation
for graduate work in such areas as the Neurosciences,
Health/Medical Psychology, Biology, Public Health
and Clinical Psychology. Psychology majors also may
complete a minor in Neuroscience or Public Health.
Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Psychology Majors
Psychology majors planning to attend medical or dental
school after graduation must take the following courses
to meet minimum admission requirements for most medical/dental
schools:
| General Biology for majors (BIO 111/L and BIO 112/L) | 8 hours |
| General Chemistry for majors (CHEM 111/L and CHEM 112/L) | 8
hours |
| Organic Chemistry for majors (CHEM 231/L and CHEM 232/L) | 8 hours |
| Physics for majors (PHY 153/L and PHY 154L) | 8 hours |
| Mathematics (including precalculus) | 8 hours |
| Some medical schools may require calculus |
Additional courses (such as anatomy, biochemistry, etc.) may be required by some schools. Students planning to attend medical or dental school must check with the Office of Health Professions in order to remain current on application procedures, specific requirements for the schools you are interested in, and information on special summer programs.
Cognate Psychology Electives
The core requirements for the major in Psychology will
provide the student with a strong foundation for careers
or advanced study in psychology, business, law or the
health professions. To round out these basic requirements
you should select psychology electives to enhance your background
in areas you are considering for your future career. The
elective courses available in the department will enable
you to follow one of three possible "tracks". These
are: Clinical/Community/Counseling; Industrial/Organizational/Social;
and Experimental/Biological. For example, if you
are interested in conducting research on or working in an
applied setting with individuals having varying degrees of
emotional problems you should take electives such as Clinical
Assessment, Techniques in Psychotherapy, Community Psychology,
Health/Medical Psychology, and/or Developmental Psychology. If
your career interests lie more in applied work with groups
or individuals in business, industry or governmental settings
your electives could include Social Psychology, Industrial/Organizational
Psychology, and/or Community Psychology. If you are
interested in the health professions or in applied and/or
basic research, the appropriate electives would include Psychobiology,
Animal Behavior, and/or Health/Medical Psychology. These
tracks are not mutually exclusive. You should discuss
your career interests with your advisor and select your electives
carefully.
Requirements for a Minor in Psychology
To complete a minor in Psychology, a student must take
Psychology 101, 102, 201 and 9 elective hours in the
department.
Complementary Minors
Psychology majors may further expand their foundation
in psychology by completing a Neuroscience or Public
Health Sciences minor. See your advisor for further information
about these opportunities.
