Courses

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.

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 grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major.

Prescribed Courses (13 credits)

3

credits

Introduction to general psychology; principles of human behavior and their applications.
3

credits

Overview of history and methods of psychology as a science and profession; applications and ethical issues in psychology.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
4

credits

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
3

credits

Capstone experience for senior psychology majors; review of current research literature; topics vary.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 301W and 6 credits in 400-level PSYCH courses

Additional Courses (select 34 credits)

6 credits of GQ courses
12 credits of 200-level PSYCH courses, selection not to include PSYCH 294, PSYCH 296, or PSYCH 297

- 3
  
  credits
  
  This course provides an introduction to the descriptive and inferential statistics commonly used in psychology, and to hypothesis testing as a method of scientific investigation. It also explores the ways in which the assumptions of statistical tests place constraints on experimental design and, conversely, how the design of experiments can dictate the statistical test appropriate for data analysis.
  
  Prerequisite
  PSYCH 100 and MATH 21
- or:
  4
  
  credits
  
  Descriptive Statistics, frequency distributions, probability and normal distributions, statistical inference, linear regression, and correlation.
  
  Prerequisite
  Placement into MATH 21 or higher.

At least 3 additional courses credits must be from each group a, b, and c:

Group A

3

credits

This course is an introduction to cognition, an area of psychology that investigates the ways in which we acquire, store, create and use knowledge.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

An introduction to biopsychology, emphasizing the structure and function of the human brain.

Group B

3

credits

Developmental principles; physical growth; linguistic, intellectual, emotional, and social development from infancy to maturity.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

Introduction to Social Psychology discusses how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by other people (real or imagined). The course will provide an overview of the field, potentially covering such topics as: attitudes, persuasion, person perception, automatic vs. conscious thought, the self, prosocial behavior, aggression, interpersonal attribution, conformity, obedience, culture, groups, prejudice and discrimination from a psychological perspective.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

The focus of this course in general is on the psychological study of gender in historical and contemporary perspective. The historical roots of gender studies in women's studies, as a correction to a traditional focus on male and masculine perspectives, will be covered.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

Personality psychology involves examining theories of human nature and evaluating them in an empirical fashion.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100

Group C

3

credits

Applying psychological knowledge to develop and maintain effective personal adjustment and well-being and positive social relations.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

This course focuses on some of the topics and questions people most commonly ask about psychology: What are the different psychological disorders, and what are they like? How do clinicians diagnose someone with a disorder? What do therapists actuallydoin therapy?

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100
3

credits

Personnel selection, training, accident prevention, morale, and organizational behavior.

Prerequisite
PSYCH 100

Additional PSYCH Courses

Select 12 credits of PSYCH courses at the 400 level. Selection not to include PSYCH 490, and including no more than 3 credits of PSYCH 493, PSYCH 494, PSYCH 495, or PSYCH 496.

Electives (13 credits)

Students can choose electives in consultation with their adviser.

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.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Some Bachelor of Arts requirements may be satisfied by courses required for the major, General Education courses, or electives. Students should work with an adviser to select courses.

Foreign Language: 0–12 credits
Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one foreign language.
B.A. Fields: 9 credits
Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Foreign Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (cannot be taken in the area of the student's primary major; foreign language credits in this category must be in a second foreign language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language)
Other Cultures: 0–3 credits
Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the General Education US/IL requirement.

General Education Requirements

Some General Education requirements may be satisfied by courses required for the major. Students should work with an adviser to select courses.

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
A student must receive a grade of C or better in GWS courses.
Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
A student must receive a grade of C or better in GQ courses.
Integrative Studies: 6 credits
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. Integrative Studies credits may be completed within the thirty Knowledge Domain credits and must be completed with either Inter-domain or Linked courses, not a combination of both.

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.

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