Overview
Psychology is the scientific study of thought, action, and emotion in humans and nonhuman animals. The Department offers a broad range of courses to encourage students to critically analyze why individuals think, act, and feel in the ways they do. A fundamental goal of the Department is to familiarize students with the various techniques used in contemporary social-science research; toward this aim, the Department offers laboratory resources to facilitate the generation of student-managed research projects. Students majoring in psychology often plan to pursue further education in graduate school in psychology or related disciplines, but others use this education as a springboard into medical school, law school, occupational-therapy school, physical-therapy school, or business.
Requirements
Major for the B.A. in Psychology
A student must complete forty (40) hours in Psychology, including:
A) All of the following foundational content courses:
- PSY 220, Mind, Brain, and Behavior
- PSY 225, Psychology of Health and Wellness
- PSY 250, Human Growth and Development
- PSY 260, Social Psychology
B) All of the following skill courses:
- PSY 205, Introduction to Research Methods & Lab
- PSY 304, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
- PSY 473, Senior Seminar
C) One course from each of the following two (2) knowledge domains:
1) Biological Psychology and Cognition (X10-X39)
- PSY 312, Drugs and Human Behavior
- PSY 317, Sensation and Perception
- PSY 319, Psychopharmacology
- PSY 323, Cognitive Neuroscience
- PSY 325, Learning and Memory
- PSY 327, Psychology of Design
- PSY 329, Brain and Language
- PSY 410, Advanced Neuroscience
2) Development and Social Processes (X40-X69)
- PSY 342, Dating and Mating
- PSY 348, Developmental Consequences of Chemical Exposure
- PSY 352, Language Development
- PSY 355, Prejudice and Stereotyping
- PSY 357, Attitudes and Persuasion
- PSY 359, Theories of Personality
- PSY 362, Foundations of Psychopathology
- PSY 363, Forensic Psychology
- PSY 364, Introduction to Psychological Testing
- PSY 369, Human Sexuality
D) 4 additional hours in psychology at the 300-level or higher
Students considering psychology for their vocation should be prepared to continue their education at the graduate level.
Minor Requirements
To minor in psychology, a student must complete twenty (20) hours in psychology which meet the following criteria:
- At least four (4) hours any level from courses in the Biological Psychology and Cognition (X10-X39) domain.
- At least eight (8) hours any level from courses in Development and Social Processes (X40-X69) domain
- At least twelve (12) hours must be in courses above the 300 level