Psychology - General (BA) | Office | Website

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It differs from other fields that are concerned with the human condition in that it uses the scientific method. Psychologists attempt to understand the workings of individuals, animals and groups. Psychologists work in a variety of settings including universities and colleges, clinics and hospitals, business and industry, government agencies, law enforcement and the military. Psychology can be an academic or research discipline or an applied science.

The Psychology Department offers two majors. All psychology students are required to take a common core of courses in the foundations of psychology. The General Psychology major is for students who intend to pursue careers in psychology. Such careers usually require at least the M.A. degree for entry-level employment. The General major is designed to provide a strong foundation for graduate study.

General Psychology Major 36 Credits

MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY
The Psychology Minor program is a minimum 18 credit hour (6 course) program designed to give students broad exposure to psychology as a scientific and professional discipline. This program is relevant to students pursuing academic majors which involve working with people, ideas, and/or social and communications systems including (but not limited to) Nursing, Biology, Business, Communication Studies, Law, Philosophy, Political Science, Social Work, Counseling, Education, English, Engineering, and Religious Studies.

Beginning with introductory psychology, students in the Minor program are required to take courses from at least three of four content areas- Basic Processes, Development/Family Processes, Clinical Processes, and Social Issues/Group Dynamics.

At the end the completion of the Minor Program in psychology, students are expected to be able to: discuss the role of psychology in interdisciplinary collaborations; demonstrate appropriate breadth of knowledge in selected psychology content areas; apply their broad knowledge of psychology to formulating career choices, and; appreciate the importance of lifelong learning for professional and personal development.

Minimum Academic Standards

• 1. A student must declare a Major before declaring a Psychology Minor.
• 2. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in Psychology Minor courses in order to successfully complete the program.
• 3. At most, six (6) credit hours within the Psychology Minor program may be counted toward degree requirements for a student's Major.
• 4. Independent study courses and Capstone courses from the Psychology Major curriculum will not count toward the Minor completion.

Psychology Minor Curriculum
For the degree of “Minor in Psychology,” a student must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of Psychology courses as listed below. All students in the Psychology Minor must first take Psychology 100.

Minimum requirements

• (i) PYC 100-Introductory Psychology (3 cr)
• (ii) Three (3) courses, such that there is one course each from three of the four course distribution areas in the Minor curriculum. At least one of these three courses should be a junior or senior (300+) level course. (9 cr.)
• (iii) Two junior or senior (i.e. 300+) level courses from any course distribution area in the Minor curriculum. (6 cr)
• Total number of credits: 18

Psychology Minor Course Distribution: