BSU Catalog Home | Psychology Program | Psychology Course Desciptions

Psychology Major, B.S. or B.A.

The B.A. and B.S. Psychology degrees prepare students for two broad possible post-graduate objectives: (1) Entry into a graduate school program in psychology or a related field as well as into other professional schools such as law, medicine, business, or theology. Since some graduate schools require proficiency in a foreign language or the use of computers, students may wish to include such courses among their general electives. (2) Placement in psychologically-oriented positions in human service, business, industrial, government, or mass media occupations. Students pursuing this objective are strongly advised to earn an additional major or its equivalent in a related area in order to enhance employment opportunities.

I.Required Courses

MATH 112 (or above) Beginning College Algebra or equivalent, or an acceptable score on the Mathematics Department mathematics placement test (0-4 credits)

• PSY 201 General Psychology I (3 credits)
• PSY 202 General Psychology II (3 credits)
• PSY 301 Introduction to Statistics (4 credits)
• PSY 302 Statistical Inference (4 credits)
• PSY 321 Learning and Cognition (4 credits)
• PSY 350 Introduction to Experimental Psychology (4 credits)
• PSY 452 Laboratory in Social/Personality (taken twice) (2/2 credits)
• PSY 453 Laboratory in Cognition/Perception (taken twice) (2/2 credits)
• PSY 463 History and Systems of Psychology (4 credits)

Subtotal: 34-38 credits

II.Required Electives

Complete at least 12 quarter hours to be selected from the following courses: PSY 445, 446, 464, 465, 483, or 492. 12 credits

III. Other Required Electives

In accordance with the following guidelines, select sufficient quarter hours as necessary to bring the total in the major to 66.

1. May include 300 and 400 level psychology courses, but only one 200-level course other than PSY 201 and 202 can be applied to the major.
2. May include up to 8 internship quarter hours. (See adviser during junior year.)
3. May include up to 8 quarter hours in courses offered by other departments in such areas as genetics, vertebrate physiology, anatomy of the nervous system, logic, advanced mathematics or computer science. Psychology Department approval is required for such non-psychology courses.

TOTAL QUARTER HOURS REQUIRED FOR MAJOR: 66 CREDITS

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Suggested Schedule For Psychology Majors

The following is a list of required courses arranged according to the approximate year in which they should be taken. This schedule is intended to help students plan courses in an orderly fashion; however, these are only suggestions and this schedule is flexible. (Care should be taken to assure that prerequisites are completed in a timely fashion so that subsequent courses can be taken.)

NOTE: MATH 112 is a prerequisite for PSY 301. Students who have had an equivalent or higher course in college or who have an acceptable score on the Mathematics Department mathematics placement test may have this prerequisite waived.

Freshman/Sophomore

• MATH 112 Beginning College Algebra
• PSY 201 General Psychology I
• PSY 202 General Psychology II
• Liberal Education requirements

Sophomore/Junior

• PSY 301 Introduction to Statistics
• PSY 302 Statistical Inference
• PSY 321 Learning and Cognition
• PSY 350 Introduction to Experimental Psychology
• 200 and 300-level Psychology electives
• Complete Liberal Education requirements

Junior/Senior

• PSY 463 History and Systems of Psychology
• PSY 452 and PSY 453 lab courses
• 300-and 400-level Psychology electives
• Independent research (optional, see adviser)