Goals and Purpose
The program in psychological sciences seeks to develop majors who will either be prepared to enter graduate programs in psychology and related fields, or will enter the work force through providing service in professional settings. In addition, the program contributes to the liberal arts mission of the university such that all students exposed to any of our curriculum can use this knowledge in applied settings such as education, social work, nursing and other health fields. Our faculty accomplish this by providing a curriculum that encourages students to develop ways of thinking that include objectivity, an eclectic approach to knowledge, a desire to search for conceptual meaning, an ability to synthesize themes, and an ability to apply their knowledge to problems in daily living; by promoting professional preparation through offering a greater number of field opportunities and involvement with community agencies; and by providing a setting where faculty are encouraged to continue professional development to serve as models of scholarship and professionalism for our students.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon succesful completion of the major, the student will exhibit skills in quantitative and scientific literacy, in the ability to find and analyze information from diverse sources (information literacy), in critically reading and thinking about concepts and ideas from our discipline and in general knowledge, and will be able to communicate effectively about all of the above knowledge in a variety of written venues and in oral and visual performance. The core curriculum outlined below includes four courses in which these seven student learning outcomes are integrated within the goals and content of the courses. Elements of several skills are included in these courses, but the University-wide student learning outcomes are specifically examined as follows:
Information Literacy: Identity, locate, evaluate, and use information effectively and responsibility to increase understanding (PSY 2430).
Written Communication: Use appropriate language, conventions, organization, supporting evidence, and content to effectively communicate in writing for the purpose and audience (PSY 2430).
Critical Reading: Interacting with written language to construct and reflect on meaning while evaluating and questioning in relation to contextual information (PSY 3401).
Scientific Literacy: Exhibit knowledge of scientific concepts and processes and ability to engage the scientific method towards informing decision making and participation in civic, social, cultural, and economic affairs (PSY 3401).
Quantitative Literacy: Understand and create arguments that are supported by empirical evidence and clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats such as using words, tables, graphs, and mathematical equations, as appropriate (PSY 4401).
Critical Thinking: Analyze, synthesize or deconstruct, interpret and evaluate information and concepts to solve problems (PSY 4401).
Oral Communication: Use appropriate language, conventions, elocution, poise, organization, supporting evidence, and content to effectively communicate through the spoken word for the purpose and audience (PSY 4440).
Major Course Sequence
1. General Education Prerequisites: 3 hr total (must take before any Major Psychology courses):
PSY 2301 Introduction to the Psychological Sciences (3 hr)
2. Major Psychology Courses (41 credit hours minimum)
A. Core Psychology Courses: 16 hr total (must take each of the following courses):
PSY 2430 Writing for the Psychological Sciences (4 hr)
PSY 3401 Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology I (4 hr)
PSY 4401 Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology II (4 hr)*
PSY 4440 Senior Seminar in Psychology (4 hr)*
Note: PSY 2430 and PSY 3401 may be taken at the same time.
B. Foundations Courses: 15 hr total (must take 2 courses from 2 foundation areas and 1 course from 1 foundation area below):
Biological and Cognitive Foundations
PSY 3301 Biological Psychology
PSY 3305 Motivation and Emotion
PSY 3308 Cognitive Psychology
PSY 3346 Principles of Learning
PSY 3348 Sensation and Perception
Social and Developmental Foundations
PSY 3302 Adolescence
PSY 3303 Aging
PSY 3307 Social Psychology
PSY 3309 Cross-Cultural Psychology
PSY 3336 Lifespan Development
Community, Health, and Counseling Foundations
PSY 3321 Introduction to Community Psychology
PSY 3306 Abnormal Psychology
PSY 3310 Health Psychology
PSY 3316 Principles of Psychological Testing
PSY 4331 Counseling Psychology
C. Seminar Courses with Labs: 4 hr total (must take 1 seminar course with lab from the list below:
PSY 4409 Seminar in Biological Psychology (4 hr)
PSY 4405 Seminar in Cognitive Psychology (4 hr)
PSY 4407 Seminar in Community Psychology (4 hr)
PSY 4411 Seminar in Counseling Psychology (4 hr)
PSY 4439 Seminar in Social Psychology (4 hr)
D. Electives in PSY: 6 hr total (take any 2 psychology courses not taken above).
*These courses must be taken after the student receives a C grade or better in PSY 2430, Writing for the Psychological Sciences, and PSY 3401, Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology I. All other courses may be taken concurrently in any given semester after Introduction to Psychological Sciences is completed.
No minor is required from another discipline if a student majors in Psychology.
Number of Semester Hours Required for the Major
Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts with a major in the psychological sciences are required to take 41 semester hours in the discipline beyond the General Education course Introduction to the Psychological Sciences (PSY 2301).
The 41 hours counted toward program completion in the psychological sciences must have a grade of “C” or better. See paradigm of major courses above.
Minor in Psychology: Requirements
A minimum of 18 semester hours is required for a minor in Psychology. PSY 2301 is prerequisite to nearly all other courses in psychology. Minors may not enroll in PSY 2430, PSY 3401, PSY 4401, PSY 4440, PSY 4453 or PSY
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