2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog

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Psychology, BS

Overview

Mission Statement

The mission of the Psychology Department is to contribute to a balanced program in the liberal arts through an emphasis on both scientific and philosophical considerations of the behavior of organisms, including human beings, in order to prepare students for graduate study and/or professional work.


All students who major in psychology must choose one of the following areas of concentration: Addition Counseling, General, Pre-Social Work, Sports Psychology, Forensic Psychology


All Psychology majors take the same core psychology courses followed by the curriculum requirements for the Concentration. If you are not sure, where to start your psychology journey, please choose the General Concentration.


Are you interested in graduate programs in psychology?

Consider adding these to your psychology degree:

Technical writing Certificate

Leadership minor (Application Required)

Independent Research in Psychology: Senior Thesis (Faculty Permission required)

Internship

Relevant work experience


General Concentration

How do you see yourself using psychology in your future profession? This is the most flexible concentration where you can choose the psychology classes that are most interesting to you.

Requirements

Degree Requirements

See Bachelor's Degree requirements

General Education

See General Education Course Requirements for the Undergraduate College

Psychology Core Courses

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 101General Psychology

3
PSYC 201Psychology in Context

3
PSYC 202Research Methods

3
PSYC 318Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

3
PSYC 391Junior Seminar

1
PSYC 450History and Systems

3
Total Credit Hours:16

Plus one of the following courses:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 302Abnormal Psychology

3
PSYC 311Theories of Personality

3
Total Credit Hours:3

Plus one of the following courses:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 321Biological Psychology

3
PSYC 330Health Psychology

3
PSYC 360Psychopharmacology

3
Total Credit Hours:3

Plus two of the following courses:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 315Social Psychology

3
PSYC 317Motivation and Emotion

3
PSYC 319Cognition

3
Total Credit Hours:6

Electives - Choose from the following:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 203Developmental Psychology

3
PSYC 204Adolescent Psychology

3
PSYC 215Applied Behavior Analysis

3
PSYC 306Industrial and Organizational Psychology

3
PSYC 316Tests and Measurement

3
PSYC 323Judgment and Decision Making

3
PSYC 365Dynamics of Addiction

3
PSYC 370Psychology of Religion

3
PSYC 373Psychology of Human Sexuality

3
PSYC 395Thesis Development

1
PSYC 401Professional Ethics

3
PSYC 410Fundamentals of Counseling

3
PSYC 411Group Counseling

3
PSYC 412Advanced Counseling

3
PSYC 413Family Counseling

3
PSYC 420Theories of Psychotherapy

3
PSYC 430Psychology and Law

3
PSYC 440Psychology of Gender

3
PSYC 497Independent Research in Psychology: Senior Thesis

3-6
Total Credit Hours:12

Note 1: Students are encouraged to seek internship experiences in psychology through the Career Resource Center.

Note 2: Psychology majors and minors should note that PSYC 410, PSYC 411, PSYC 412, PSYC 413, and PSYC 420 are specifically designed for the addiction counseling track and you are only able to count 3 of these 5 courses toward the psychology major or minor elective requirement.

Total Credit Hours: 40

Plan of Study

Freshman

Fall

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 101General Psychology

3

Spring

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 201Psychology in Context

3
Elective or Required Course

Sophomore

Fall

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 202Research Methods

3
Elective or Required Course

Spring

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 318Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

3
Elective or Required Course

Junior

Fall

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
Elective or Required Course
Elective or Required Course

Spring

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
Junior Seminar

1
Elective or Required Course

Senior

Fall

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
Elective or Required Course

Spring

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSYC 450History and Systems

3
Elective or Required Course

Outcomes

Intended Student Learning Outcomes for the Psychology Major

  1. Knowledge Base of Psychology: Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
  2. Research Methods in Psychology: Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
  3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology: Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
  4. Application of Psychology: Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.
  5. Values in Psychology: Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.
  6. Information and Technological Literacy: Demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.
  7. Communication Skills: Students will communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
  8. Personal Development: Students will develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement.
  9. Career Planning and Development: Students will pursue realistic ideas about how to implement psychological knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.
  10. Sociocultural and International Awareness: Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.