Credits and costs
Enhance Your Penn State Degree
Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.
Gain Specialized Knowledge
Earning a minor enables you to complement your major, pursue a personal interest, or explore a different field of study.
Psychology is a broad and diverse field that seeks to understand, explain, and predict human behavior. A background of study in psychology can benefit students from many different majors, helping you to learn more about how and why people behave as they do.
In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines. Penn State World Campus has partnered with Penn State’s Department of Psychology to offer a psychology minor designed to give you broad exposure to psychology as a scientific and professional discipline while complementing your primary major.
You can select your course work from several fields of study, including biological, clinical, cognitive, developmental, industrial-organizational, and social psychology. You also have the opportunity to choose courses that emphasize theory or application of psychological principles.
This minor is open to all interested undergraduate World Campus students who meet the prerequisites, and is most useful if you are majoring in business, labor and employment relations, or law and society.
Courses
The 18-credit course work, including the required introductory psychology course, allows you to choose a set of courses that match your specific area of interest.
The minor comprises 7 credits of core courses and 11 credits of elective courses, with 6 elective credits taken at the 400 level.
Required Courses (7 credits)
Electives (select 11 credits)
At least 6 of the 11 credits need to be at the 400 level in PSYCH.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Undergraduate Tuition
Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $626 per credit | $671 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,602 per semester | $8,206 per semester |
Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19.
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $632 per credit | $678 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,678 per semester | $8,288 per semester |
Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19.
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
How to Apply
Admissions Help
Please work with your adviser if you have questions about adding a minor. You can find your adviser's contact information in your student portal or by calling advising at 814-863-3283.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for admittance into the psychology minor, you must:
- be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
- maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
- have a major code that does not match this minor code (PSY)
Adding a Minor
If you have achieved fifth-semester standing (60 credits completed), you can apply for admission to the minor. To begin, please follow these steps:
- Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements.
- You can apply for the minor by adding it in LionPATH (minor code: PSY). You should do this as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.
- You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this program.
Contact Us
To learn more about the Psychology Minor, offered in partnership with the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, please contact:
World Campus Advisers
Phone: 814-863-3283
Email: [email protected]