2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue 
    
    Nov 23, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Psychology, BA


In accordance with the learning aims of the undergraduate psychology major, students are provided with a unique degree of flexibility in selecting courses from seven required areas to prepare them best for graduate programs or careers of their choice.

Requirements for All Psychology Majors


The following four courses are required for all psychology majors:

Seven Required Areas


In addition, majors choose the specified number of courses from each of the following groups:

Group II: Learning and Cognition (choose one)


Notes:


In addition to the 11 three- and four-credit courses and the one-credit course mentioned above, students are to choose three more courses from any of the groups to serve as psychology electives.

Requirements for the Major


Requirements for a major and an example of a typical program of courses are as follows:

Freshman Year


Spring Term


Sophomore Year


Spring Term


Junior Year


Fall Term


Spring Term


  • PY Group I Course**
  • PY Group III Course**
  • Ethics Core (PL/TH 300- or 400-Level)
  • Theology Core
  • Elective

Senior Year


Fall Term


  • PY Group I Course**
  • PY Group VI Course**
  • Nondepartmental Elective
  • Elective
  • Elective

Spring Term


  • PY Elective**
  • Nondepartmental Elective
  • Elective
  • Elective
  • Elective

Key:


* Required for major.
** Terms may be interchanged.

Notes:


  1. PY 101  is a prerequisite for all other PY courses.
  2. ST 110  or ST 210  or ST 265  is ideally taken prior to PY 291 , but it may be taken concurrently. This statistics requirement must be completed prior to taking PY 292 . These are the only math courses that fulfill the pre-/corequisite for PY 291 .
  3. Psychology majors and interdisciplinary majors are strongly encouraged to take BL 105 ; however, they may take BL 121 /BL 126  (and in the case of BL/PY are required to take BL 121 /BL 126 ). Taking either BL 105  or BL 121  serves as the prerequisite for Group III courses.
  4. All PY 200-level courses (except PY 200 , PY 291 , and PY 292 ) may be used by the nonpsychology major as social science core courses, provided the PY 101  prerequisite is met.
  5. Students must complete the diversity core requirement through a designated diversity core, major, or elective course (see Diversity Core Requirement  under Curriculum and Policies).

Honors in Psychology


An honors option is available to psychology majors who meet the requirements listed below.

  • A 3.700 GPA in the major and a 3.500 overall GPA. This GPA determination is based upon cumulative grades and is confirmed in the student's second to last semester.

Entry into the honors option is contingent upon the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Education. Students should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Education no later than the close of the student's second to last semester.

Semester Sequences and Seminal Project


To complete the requirements for honors, students will complete one of three possible two-semester sequences listed below and present a seminal project in a professional forum* (e.g. Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Colloquium, Psi Chi Induction, professional local, regional, or national conference).