Degree Requirements - [ Bachelor's of Science Degree ]
The Bachelor of Science in psychology allows students to specialize somewhat in their training while still ensuring adequate exposure to the humanities and social sciences. Foreign language proficiency at the second semester level is required. Students in the B.S. program must complete a six-course theme in an area of their choice. A theme may be a selected set of courses relating to an identifiable interest in psychology, or it may be a minor in another department, or it may be an existing concentration or certificate, such as criminal justice, gerontology, etc. Courses used to meet other requirements in the psychology major, with the exception of the additional science requirement (see below) cannot also be used in the theme. Students' themes are worked out with their advisors and require careful advanced planning. All themes must be approved by the advisor at the time the student enters the B.S. program. If changes in themes are needed, they may be made subsequently with the advisor's approval.
If the theme does not include 9 credits from approved natural and social science departments, then there is an additional science requirement of 9 total credits coming from one or more of these departments, that must be taken as electives; these cannot be credits already used to meet other requirements for the psychology major, including the University core curriculum and College of Arts and Sciences common curriculum requirements. Approved natural and social science departments (and applicable course prefixes) are BIO, CH, PH, GG, AN, GR, PS, PSY, and SO.
In addition to the B.S. common curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences, candidates for the B.S. degree in psychology must take PSY 1013, PSY 1021, PSY 3104, PSY 3314, and PSY 4403; two courses among PSY 3213, PSY 3623, PSY 3803, and PSY 4203; one course from among PSY 3343 and PSY 3713; one course from among PSY 4223 and PSY 4423; and one additional course not used for any of the preceding requirements from among PSY 3213, PSY 3623, PSY 3803, PSY 4203, PSY 3343, PSY 3713, PSY 4223, and PSY 4423.
In addition, students must take four psychology elective courses from among the following: PSY 3003, PSY 3023, PSY 3073, PSY 3203, PSY 3353, PSY 3363, PSY 3413, PSY 3503, PSY 4000 (must be for at least 3 credits and cannot count more than once), PSY 4103, PSY 4123, PSY 4323, PSY 4333, PSY 4343, PSY 4353, PSY 4523, PSY 4643, PSY 4653, PSY 4713, PSY 4733, PSY 4743, PSY 4983, PSY 4990 (must be for at least 3 credits), any one (but no more than one) 3000- or 4000-level EPY (Educational Psychology) course or COE 4023 (only if no EPY course is used). One or more of these elective courses could also come from among PSY 3213, PSY 3623, PSY 3803, PSY 4203, PSY 3343, PSY 3713, PSY 4223, and PSY 4423 if they have not already been used to meet the requirements described in the previous paragraph.
