Psychology
Faculty: Jonathan Amburgey, Christopher Davids, Julian Mendez, Paul Presson
Program Goals
Students will gain a comprehensive understanding and/or application of the following:
- Knowledge Base in Psychology
- Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking
- Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World
- Communication
- Professional Development
Objectives
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology offers an academic major leading to a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as an academic minor. The psychology curriculum provides students with an academic and experiential background for graduate study in psychology and/or employment in social service, research, and other settings where an understanding of human behavior, thought, and emotion is relevant. The curriculum in the psychology major gives students a breadth of background while also allowing some specialization. A major or minor in psychology is for students who have a general interest in understanding behavior and its determinants.
Program Requirements
Students must maintain at least a cumulative 2.5 GPA in courses required for the psychology major and minor. To fulfill the requirements for a major in psychology, students must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours of coursework in psychology. Students are encouraged to participate in a field experience in psychology (PSYC 340) and may apply a maximum of 5 credit hours of field experience coursework to the major. For students considering graduate school, high academic achievement in upper-division courses, including Quantitative Research Methods, 400-level coursework, and gaining research experience is strongly recommended.
Students must meet the college-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Psychology major:
- 124 total hours
- 30 upper division hours
- WCore or Honors requirements
Psychology Major
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. World Language Requirement | 8 | |
| Psychology majors must complete eight credit hours in a single world language. | ||
| II. Lower Division Courses | 24 | |
| DATA 220 Introduction to Statistics (4) | ||
| PSYC 105 Bust That Psych Myth (4) | ||
| PSYC 255 Career Exploration (2) | PSYC 105 and sophomore standing | |
| PSYC 270 Thinking and Writing for Psychology (2) | PSYC 105 and sophomore standing | |
| Take three courses from this list: | ||
| NEURO 205 Brain and Behavior (4) or | ||
| PSYC 209 Cognitive Psychology (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 203 Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4) | ||
| PSYC 216 Social Psychology (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 252 Personality Theories (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| III. Upper Division Courses | 18-20 | |
| PSYC 390 Quantitative Research Methods (4) | DATA 220, PSYC 270 | |
| Take three 300-level courses from at least two different Groups from Groups A-D (12) | PSYC 270 (groups A-C) and NEURO 205 (group D) | |
| One 400-level course (2-4) | PSYC 390 or NEURO 302 | |
| IV. Electives | 8 | |
| Eight credits of PSYC or NEURO coursework. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR | 58–60 |
300-Level Course Groups
Group A
PSYC 300 Special Topics Courses labeled as Group A (Offered on a semester-by-semester
basis)
PSYC 315 Human Services Practicum
PSYC 358 Methods of Counseling
PSYC 362 Psychological Disorders
PSYC 363 Exploring Addictions
Group B
PSYC 300 Special Topics Courses labeled as Group B (Offered on a semester-by-semester
basis)
PSYC 301 Child Development
PSYC 305 Adolescent Development
PSYC 334 Psychology of Masculinities (Counts for Group B or C)
PSYC 335 Psychology of Women (Counts for Group B or C)
PSYC 345 Learning, Memory, and Motivation (Counts for Group B or D)
Group C
PSYC 300 Special Topics Courses labeled as Group C
PSYC 318 Health Psychology
PSYC 325 Multicultural Psychology
PSYC 335 Psychology of Women (Counts for Group B or C)
PSYC 388 Environmental Psychology
PSYC 356 Sources of Social Influence
Group D
NEURO 300 Special Topics Courses labeled as Group D (Offered on a semester-by-semester
basis)
NEURO 305 Human Brain Development
NEURO 306 Behavioral Neuroscience and Lab
Recommended Plan of Study for Psychology
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | |
| Freshman Year | PSYC 105 WCoreLanguages I |
200-level course WCoreLanguages II |
| Sophomore Year | 200-level course Classes from other programs |
200-level course PSYC 270 PSYC 255 DATA 220 |
| Junior Year | 300-level course PSYC 390 |
300-level courses |
| Senior Year | 300-level courses | 400-level seminar |
Psychology with Emphasis in Cognitive Science
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. World Language Requirement | 8 | |
| Psychology majors must complete eight credit hours in a single world language. | ||
| II. Lower Division Courses | 28 | |
| DATA 220 Introduction to Statistics (4) | ||
| NEURO 205 Introduction to Brain and Behavior (4) | ||
| PSYC 105 Bust That Psych Myth (4) | ||
| PSYC 209 Cognitive Psychology (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 255 Career Exploration (2) | PSYC 105 and sophomore standing | |
| PSYC 270 Thinking and Writing for Psychology (2) | PSYC 105 and sophomore standing | |
| Take two courses from this list: | ||
| PSYC 203 Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4) | ||
| PSYC 216 Social Psychology (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 252 Personality Theories (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| III. Upper Division Courses | 18-20 | |
| PSYC 390 Quantitative Research Methods (4) | DATA 220, PSYC 270 | |
| Two 300-level courses from Groups A-C (8) | PSYC 270 and corresponding WCSBS or 200-level course from PSYC 203, 216, or 252 | |
| Take one course from the following: | ||
| NEURO 306 Behavioral Neuroscience (4) | NEURO 205 | |
| NEURO Special Topics in Neuroscience (4) as advised | ||
| Take one course from the following list: | ||
| NEURO 408 Cognitive Neuroscience (4) | PSYC 105, NEURO 205, DATA 220, and PSYC/NEURO 390 or NEURO/PSYC 302 | |
| NEURO 409 Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (2) | PSYC 105, BIOL 204, NEURO 205, and PSYC/NEURO 390 or NEURO 302 | |
| NEURO 430 Independent Research Thesis (2-4) | NEURO 302 or 390 | |
| PSYC 434 Social Neuroscience (4) | NEURO/PSYC 390 or NEURO 302, and PSYC 216 or NEURO/PSYC 205 | |
| IV. Electives | 8 | |
| Eight credits of PSYC or NEURO coursework. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR WITH COGNITIVE SCIENCE EMPHASIS | 62–64 |
Recommended Plan of Study Psychology with Emphasis in Cognitive Science
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | |
| Freshman Year | PSYC 105 WCore Languages I |
200-level course NEURO 205 WCore Languages II |
| Sophomore Year | PSYC 209 200-level courseWCore |
PSYC 270 PSYC 255 DATA 220 |
| Junior Year | 300-level course PSYC 390 |
NEURO Group D 300/400 Level Coursework |
| Senior Year | 300-level course | NEURO Group D 300/400 Level Coursework |
Psychology Minor
To fulfill the requirements for a minor in psychology, students must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours in psychology and neuroscience.
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Required Courses | 14 | |
| DATA 220 Introduction to Statistics (4) | ||
| PSYC 105 Bust That Psych Myth (4) | ||
| PSYC 270 Thinking and Writing for Psychology (2) | PSYC 105 and sophomore standing | |
| PSYC 390 Quantitative Research Methods (4) | DATA 220, PSYC 270 | |
| II. Psychology Electives | 8 | |
| Take one course from the following list: | ||
| NEURO 205 Brain and Behavior (4) | ||
| PSYC 203 Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4) | ||
| PSYC 209 Cognitive Psychology | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 216 Social Psychology (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| PSYC 252 Personality Theories (4) | PSYC 105 | |
| Take one 300-level course from Groups A-D (4) | PSYC 270 (groups A-C) and NEURO 205 (group D) | |
| TOTAL HOURS FOR PSYCHOLOGY MINOR | 22 |