Skip to main content
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

B.S. Psychology

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology (17 courses,  53 or 54 credits, depending on option selected)
The B.S. degree in psychology requires eleven 3-credit courses (plus one 1-credit course) in psychology and an additional five courses in other relevant sciences.

Required Core Course B.S. students must complete the following four courses, plus PSY 2100.

  • Introduction
    • PSY 1000 - General Psychology (3 credits)
  • Methodology
    • PSY 2000 – Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
    • PSY 2050 – Research Methods in Psychology (3 credits)
  • Career Planning
    • PSY 2100 – Seminar in Professional Development (1 credit, S/U)
  • Capstone Experience
    • PSY 5150 – Foundations of Modern Psychology (3 credits)
      OR
    • PSY 5250 – Contemporary Issues in Psychology (3 credits)

Foundation and Elective Courses

B.S. students also select seven additional psychology courses, at least five of which must be foundation courses (3000 and 4000 level courses), and two of these foundation courses must be laboratory courses.

  • Foundation Courses
    • PSY 3200 - Human Development (3 credits)
    • PSY 3300 - Perception (3 credits)
    • PSY 3500 - Personality (3 credits)
    • PSY 3600 - Social Psychology (3 credits)
    • PSY 3700 - Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
    • PSY 3800 - Clinical Psychology (3 credits)
  • Foundation Laboratory Courses
    • PSY 4200 - Biopsychology (3 credits, laboratory course)
    • PSY 4500 - Cognitive Psychology (3 credits, laboratory course)
  • Psychology Elective Courses
    • PSY 2400 - Cross Cultural Psychology (3 credits)
    • PSY 2450 - The Psychology of Gender (3 credits)
    • PSY 2700 - Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 credits)
    • PSY 2800 - Human Factors (3 credits)
    • PSY 2900 - Special Topics (3 credits)
    • PSY 4600 - Animal Learning & Cognition (3 credits)
    • PSY 4700 - Personality Theory & Research (3 credits)
    • PSY 4800 - Psychological Measurement (3 credits)
    • PSY 5900 - Undergraduate Research (3 credits)
    • CGS 5910 - Psychology of Language (3 credits)
    • MSE 2701 - Sounds of Human Language (3 credits)
    • MSE 2702 - Neuroscience of Sleep (3 credits)
  • Additional Electives (graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory - cannot be used as psychology electives)
    • PSY 2150 - Undergraduate Research Experience (1 credit)
    • PSY 2905 - Special Topics Seminar (1 credit)
    • PSY 2993 - Psychology Internship (3 credits)

General Science Requirements for the B.S.

B.S. students are required to take five additional courses in other relevant sciences. These additional science courses are:

  • BIO 2105 and 2106 General Biology I and II (8 credits) 
  • CSC 1051Algorithms & Data Structures I (4 credits)
  • MAT 1500 and 1505 Calculus I and II (8 credits)
    OR
    MAT 1312 and 1314 Biocalculus and Modeling (7 credits)

Recommended for Majors

PSY 5900 - Undergraduate Research is highly recommended for students wishing to pursue graduate work in psychology.

PSY 2993 - Psychology Internship is recommended for students who wish to gain real-world experience working in psychology. Internships usually involve a one-year commitment (fall and spring semesters) during the senior year.  Click on the document below to download the Psychology Internship Packet.

Admission Requirements

To choose psychology as a major, either in pursuit of a B.A. or B.S., a student must complete General Psychology (PSY 1000 or HON 1811) or have AP credit for General Psychology. Additionally, a student must have a grade of C+ or higher in General Psychology or have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher. When entering the program students will declare their major as either a B.A. or a B.S. in Psychology. Students should expect that the completion of the B.A. major will require at least four semesters after the formal declaration of the major, and completion of the B.S. will require at least six semesters after the formal declaration of the major.

Interested students who do not meet these minimum requirements may appeal directly to the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences for special admission into the major.

Course Sequence Information

* Introductory Statistics (PSY 2000) and Research Methods in Psychology (PSY 2050) should be taken before the end of the junior year because these courses are prerequisites for the two foundation laboratory courses, Biopsychology (PSY 4200) and Cognitive Psychology (PSY 4500). However, PSY 2000 and PSY 2050 should not be taken in the same semester.

*Seminar in Professional Development (PSY 2100) is only offered in the Fall semester and should be taken in the Sophomore year.

*The capstone course, Foundations of Modern Psychology (PSY 5150) OR Contemporary Issues in Psychology (PSY 5250), can only be taken in the senior year. Students who are working in a research lab and who would do well participating in an intensive seminar-style course should enroll in Contemporary Issues in Psychology (PSY 5250). Otherwise, students should enroll in Foundations of Modern Psychology (PSY 5150).

*With the exception of the Seminar in Professional Development (PSY 2100), courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis may not be used to satisfy requirements for the either the B.A. or B.S.

*Three Undergraduate Research Experiences (PSY 2150) and Special Topics Seminars (PSY 2905) can be grouped together and used as one 3-credit liberal arts (Free) elective, Special Topic Seminars (PSY 2905) are only offered in the Fall semester and Summer.