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This major is designed for students who want to learn about behavior — normal and abnormal — how it is studied, and its relation to applied areas. Graduates are equipped for various positions in human service agencies, industrial settings, or laboratories. Others continue their education and go on to medical or law school or work toward a master's or doctoral degree.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

  • 50 credits required for the major
    • 13 prescribed course credits
    • 34 additional course credits
    • 3 internship credits (optional)
  • 21 credits required for the Bachelor of Arts degree
  • 39 General Education credits
  • 13 elective credits

The prescribed courses for the bachelor of arts degree focus on introductory psychology and psychology as a science and profession. Additional course work also includes basic research methods and a capstone experience. Other course options are available to fulfill the remainder of the degree requirements allowing you to customize the degree to meet your areas of interest or specific needs.

A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major.

Requirements for the Major (50 credits)

Prescribed Courses (13 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Introductory Psychology PSYCH 100 Introduction to general psychology; principles of human behavior and their applications. 3 credits
Psychology as a Science and Profession PSYCH 105 Overview of history and methods of psychology as a science and profession; applications and ethical issues in psychology.

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100		 3 credits
Basic Research Methods in Psychology PSYCH 301W Introduction to methods of psychological research, with special attention to hypothesis formation and testing, threats to validity, and data presentation.

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100 and PSYCH 200 or STAT 200		 4 credits
Senior Seminar in Psychology PSYCH 490 Capstone experience for senior psychology majors; review of current research literature; topics vary.

Prerequisite: PSYCH 301W and 6 credits in 400-level PSYCH courses		 3 credits
Additional Courses (34 credits)
Description Credits
General Quantitative Courses (GQ) 6 credits
PSYCH 200

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100 and MATH 21

or

STAT 200 (cannot double count as GQ)

Prerequisite: Placement into MATH 21 or higher		 4 credits
200-level PSYCH Courses. Choose from: a). 253, 256, 260, 261 b). 212, 221, 231, 238 c). 243, 269, 270, 281 (3 credits each)

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100		 12 credits
400-level PSYCH Courses

Prerequisites: Refer to Course Catalog in LionPATH for specific prerequisites		 12 credits

Internship (3 credits) — optional

Students may take an internship for credit. Enrollment in PSYCH 495 is by permission and requires approval of an internship placement and plan of study. A maximum of 3 credits of PSYCH 495 may be applied to 400-level course requirements for the psychology major. Three credits requires a minimum of 120 hours of work, plus an academic component. Enrollment is limited to 10 students and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please read the program guidelines before submitting the internship form.

3 of these 24 credits in the Bachelor of Arts requirement table are included in the requirements for the major, General Education, or electives.

Bachelor of Arts requirements (24 credits)
Description Credits
Foreign Language 12 credits
Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Natural Sciences, Quantification 9 credits
Other Cultures 3 credits

6 of the 45 credits in the general education table are included in the requirements for the major.

General Education (45 credits**)
Description Credits
Arts – GA 6 credits
Humanities – GH 6 credits
Health and Wellness – GHW 3 credits
Natural Sciences – GN 9 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences – GS 6 credits
Writing and Speaking – GWS* 9 credits
Quantification – GQ* 6 credits
Integrative Studies (6 credits)***

*A student enrolled in this course must receive a grade of C or better.

**12 credits are included in the requirements for the major.

***This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic adviser when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements. 

Electives (13 credits)

Choose your electives from the World Campus Course Catalog.

Please note: Among the above degree requirements, students should incorporate at least 3 credits in US cultures, 3 credits in international (IL) cultures, and 3 credits in writing across the curriculum courses. The above course list includes only courses offered by World Campus. An official degree audit or the recommended academic plan for this program may include additional course options and detailed requirements. All students are expected to complete at least 36 Penn State credits to earn this degree. Please consult an academic adviser for details.

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.