Psychology B.S. Degree Requirements

Total Required Credit Hours in Psychology: 37

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Minimum GPA of 2.0 Overall.
  • Minimum Combined GPA of 2.5 in prerequisite courses before full acceptance.
  • Students must complete PSY 101 Introductory Psychology, PSY 207 Psychological Statistics, PSY 250 Scientific Inquiry in Psychology, and a one two-course mathematics sequence (8 credits) with a combined GPA of 2.5 in the five courses before full acceptance. The two-course mathematics sequence may be fulfilled with, for example, MTH 121-122 (Survey of Calculus and Its Applications I, II) or MTH 141-142 (College Calculus I, II). Total of 10 psychology credits and 8 mathematics credits.
  • Students must earn a combined GPA of 2.5 or better in the five prerequisite courses before full acceptance. 400-level courses are open only to psychology majors. Students are advised to apply early for the major in 283 Park Hall, preferably while enrolled in PSY 250. Acceptance decisions can then be made contingent upon completion of PSY 250, and registration in upper-level courses will be facilitated.

Department Policies:

Required Averages

Majors may not graduate with a GPA in psychology courses below 2.0. Majors who fall below a 2.0 GPA in psychology during any semester will be placed automatically on probation. Majors who remain below a 2.0 GPA in consecutive semesters will be dismissed from the department.

Psychology Elective Courses: 27 credits

NINE additional courses are required. FOUR courses must be at 300-level (one from each of the substantive areas listed in the B.A. Program). Including PSY 450 Advanced Research Methods in Psychology or another laboratory-based 400-level course in psychology (from a department-approved list) is required. At least FOUR additional 400-level or graduate courses (500-level and above, taken as part of the undergraduate program) are required. TWO out of these four 400-level courses must be from the list of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience courses as listed in the B.S. Program.

PSY 497 Honors Class and PSY 498 Undergraduate Research may be taken for degree credit, but only 3 credits from this group will count toward major requirements. PSY 496 Supervised Applied Experience, PSY 495 Undergraduate Supervised Teaching, do not count toward the course requirements for majors.

Note: PSY 300-Level Courses Taken PRIOR to FALL 2003 Will Be Processed as PSY 400-Level courses.

Additional B.S. Requirements: 14 credits

In addition, the requirements for the B.S. in psychology include a year of chemistry (CHE 101-102 General Chemistry or CHE 105-106 Chemistry: Principles and Applications) (10 credits) and BIO 200 Evolutionary Biology (4 credits).

Summary:
Total Required Credit Hours in Psychology: 37
Total Required Credit Hours outside Psychology: 22

Psychology B.S. Program

Prerquisite Courses for Full Status in Major:

  • PSY 101 General Psychology
  • PSY 207 Psychological Statistics
  • PSY 250 Scientific Inquiry
  • *One General Education Math Course (can be satisfied by a year of calculus)
    Minimum Combined GPA of 2.5 in Prerequisite Courses Before Full Acceptance

Additional Courses for B.S. Program Only:

  • BIO 200 Evolutionary Biology
  • 1 Year of Chemistry: CHE 101-102 or CHE 103-104 or CHE 105-106
  • MTH 121 and 122 Survey of Calculus 1 & 2 or MTH 141 and 142
  • PSY 450 Advanced Research Methods (Previous PSY 350)

Other Required Courses for Graduation:

FOUR 300-Level Courses Required

ONE from each of the four substantive areas listed after the B.A. Requirements.

ADDITIONAL: FOUR Courses, which must be at 400-Level or Graduate Level.

Excluding PSY 450 Advanced Research Methods. At least TWO of the four courses must be chosen from the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Area as listed below:

Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Courses

TWO Courses Required From This Area

  • PSY 402 Psychopharmacology
  • PSY 416 Reasoning and Problem Solving
  • PSY 419 Biological Base of Memory
  • PSY 421 Systems and Theories of Psychology
  • PSY 426 Biological Bases of Mental Disorders (Previous PSY 318)
  • PSY 428 Language Development (Previous PSY 322)
  • PSY 429 Psychophysiology (Previous PSY 324)
  • PSY 434 Animal Behavior
  • PSY 435 Psychology of Reproduction
  • PSY 436 Neuropsychology
  • PSY 439 Biopsychology of Stress
  • PSY 445 Memory (Previous PSY 345)
  • PSY 446 Animal Cognition (Previous PSY 346)
  • PSY 447 Psychology of Music (Previous PSY 347)
  • PSY 448 Psycholinguistics (Previous PSY 348)
  • PSY 451 Drug Addiction (Previous PSY 351)
  • PSY 457 Cognitive Development (Previous PSY 357)
  • PSY 470-475 Senior Seminars (in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Areas)
  • PSY 485-490 Special Topics (in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Areas)

NOTE: PSY 300-Level Classes Taken PRIOR to FALL 2003 Will Be Processed as PSY 400-Level Courses.