Psychology Major
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The Psychology major introduces students to the content and methods of the science of behavior and mental processes. Students survey the foundations of the field, learn about statistics and experimental design, and have an opportunity to pursue specific interests through upper-level seminars, applied internships, and supervised and independent research. The psychology major prepares students for graduate work in areas of psychology, or for work in related fields such as medicine, law, education, social work, and public policy. Students with a degree in psychology are also particularly well suited for any entry-level position that demands a solid liberal arts education.
Departmental requirements for a degree in Psychology are laid out below. While they provide a broad overview of the field, there are also opportunities both within and outside of the major to explore specific interests.
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Students interested in cognitive and/or behavioral neuroscience should consider the Behavioral Neuroscience major, or they can focus on the Psychology courses that comprise the Behavioral Neuroscience concentration, along with Philosophy courses on philosophy of mind and of language, and Biology courses in genetics, animal behavior, physiology, and evolutionary theory.
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Those with interests in mental health should consider Psychology courses on psychopathology, psychotherapy, psychological testing, neuropsychology, and learning, as well as Sociology courses on social work and the courses, drawn from a variety of departments that comprise the Health Studies minor.
- Students interested in the industrial/organizational psychology program should take courses focused on social, personality, and cognitive psychology, and should consider electives or a minor in management. Students interested in the accelerated program should attend to the grade requirements for PSYC 2810 and PSYC 2820 (B+ or better).
For a 38-credit major in psychology, students complete the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1010 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 2810 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| PSYC 2820 | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
| or PSYC 2830 | Research Methods in Behavioral Neuroscience | |
| Select at least one course from each of the following five content areas: 1 | 15 | |
Understanding Biological Processes | ||
| Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Drugs, Brain and Behavior | ||
Understanding Developmental Processes | ||
| Lifespan Development (Note: PSYC 1110 is primarily for nursing majors.) | ||
| Child and Adolescent Development | ||
| Adult Development and Aging | ||
| Child and Adolescent Development with Lab | ||
| Adolescent Development | ||
Understanding Cognitive and Learning Processes | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
Understanding Individual, Social, and Cultural Processes | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination | ||
| Personality Psychology | ||
Understanding Clinical Processes and Applied Contexts | ||
| Psychopathology and Clinical Science | ||
| Human Neuropsychology | ||
| Psychological Testing | ||
| Select at least three elective courses from the content areas above or from the following: | 9 | |
Experiential Learning | ||
| Psychology Teaching Practicum 2 | ||
| Supervised Research: Psychology 3,4 | ||
| Supervised Research: Behavioral Neuroscience 3,4 | ||
| Neuroanatomy and Behavior | ||
| Internship in Applied Psychology 2 | ||
or PSYC 4982 | Internship in Applied Psychology | |
| Research Thesis in Psychology 3,4 | ||
| Research Thesis in Behavioral Neuroscience 3,4 | ||
Additional Electives | ||
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Psychology and the Law | ||
| Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Lifespan Development | ||
| Gender and Mental Health | ||
| Theories in Psychotherapy | ||
| Community Mental Health | ||
| Psychology of Diversity | ||
| Sensation and Perception | ||
| Special Topics (Shell) | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Pharmacology and Mental Disorders | ||
| Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology | ||
| Select one Senior Seminar | 3 | |
| Senior Seminar: Current Issues in Social Psychology | ||
| Senior Seminar: Health Psychology | ||
| Senior Seminar: Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology | ||
| Senior Seminar: Current Issues in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Senior Seminar: False Memories | ||
| Senior Seminar: Current Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Senior Seminar in Neuroscience of Human Memory | ||
| Special Topics: Senior Seminar | ||
| Total Credits | 38 | |
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When a student takes more than one course in one of the five content areas, the additional course counts as an elective.
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Permission of the instructor is required. Students are allowed a maximum of two applied internships and one teaching internship.
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May be taken twice. Psychology majors can take Supervised Research and the Research Thesis course up to two times each. They can be taken with the same research mentor or with different mentors. If the Research Thesis course is taken a second time, it should be for a separate project than the first. PSYC 2950 and PSYC 2955 (1 credit) do not count as psychology electives towards major requirements.
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Permission of the department chair is required.
Concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience
Psychology majors may complete a concentration in behavioral neuroscience by completing the following, in the process of satisfying their major requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1610 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| Select four additional courses from the list below: | 12 | |
| Fundamentals of Neurobiology | ||
| Human Neuropsychology | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis | ||
| Sensation and Perception | ||
| Drugs, Brain and Behavior | ||
| Special Topics (Shell) (with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience) | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Pharmacology and Mental Disorders | ||
| Supervised Research: Behavioral Neuroscience 1 | ||
| Psychology Teaching Practicum 2 | ||
| Senior Seminar: Current Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Neuroanatomy and Behavior | ||
| Senior Seminar in Neuroscience of Human Memory | ||
| Special Topics: Senior Seminar (with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience) | ||
| Research Thesis in Behavioral Neuroscience 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
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May be taken twice; Behavioral neuroscience minors can take Supervised Research and the Research Thesis course up to two times each. They can be taken with the same research mentor or with different mentors. If the Research Thesis course is taken a second time, it should be for a separate project than the first. PSYC 2950 and PSYC 2955 (1 credit) do not count as psychology electives towards minor requirements.
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Only for certain sections; consult with professor.