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Program Requirements | Courses | Undergraduate Catalog

BA Program in Psychology (33 credit hours in Psychology)

Students may apply in the College of Liberal Arts to become psychology majors after they:

1. Complete the following three courses with a grade of C or better in each: PSY 201, ENG 101, MTH 121 or higher.
   Complete at least 6 additional credit hours at the 100 level or above.
2. Marshall and overall GPA's of at least 2.0 at the time of application to be a major.

Required Courses: (21 credits)

1. General Psychology - PSY 201.
2. Elementary Behavioral Statistics - PSY 223.
3. Experimental Psychology - PSY 323.
4. Choose at least one from the Social/Personality Perspective: PSY 302, PSY 360, PSY 408, PSY 418, PSY 420, PSY 426.
5. Choose at least one from the Experimental/Biopsychology Perspective: PSY 324, PSY 350, PSY 416, PSY 417, PSY 440.
6. Choose at least one from the Developmental/Individual Perspective: PSY 311, PSY 312, PSY 330, PSY 406.
7. Capstone Course: After consulting with your advisor, choose one of the capstone options. PSY 456, PSY 457, PSY 460, PSY 470, PSY 471, PSY 499. Not all will be available every semester, so you may not be able to enroll in your first choice. See description of "capstone" on the next page.
8. Computer Literacy requirement: either CSD 101 or CT 107.

Electives: (12 credits)

Students may select any additional 4 courses (12 credits) in psychology to complete their major requirements. Students are strongly urged to consult with their advisors about these important choices. The groupings of courses listed below are intended to guide the selections of students with specific educational and career objectives.

1. Majors intending to apply for graduate/professional schools (e.g., Psychology, Medical School, Law School): PSY 302, PSY 311/312, PSY 406, PSY 408, PSY 416, PSY 417, PSY 440, PSY 456, PSY 460. Suggestions for minor: consult with your advisor.
2. Majors intending to work in business and industry after completing their BA degree: PSY 302, PSY 406, PSY 416, PSY 418, PSY 427, PSY 470, Economics 100, Accounting 215. We suggest a minimum of 2 computer courses beyond CSD 101, including PSY 427. Suggestions for minor: Marketing, Management, Safety Technology.
3. Majors intending to work in mental health settings after completing their BA degree: PSY 204, PSY 311/312, PSY 330, PSY 360, PSY 380, PSY 408, PSY 433, and PSY 471. Suggestions for minor: Counseling, Social Work or Special Education.
4. Majors who wish to use psychology as a general Liberal Arts degree: Follow requirements and any minor (whatever interests you, in consultations with advisor).

Remember, a minimum of 33 hours of Psychology is required for the major, but a student may take more hours than that.

Minor in Psychology

Students may choose to minor in psychology, which requires a total of 15 credit hours in psychology. Students are free to choose any 15 hours, but are encouraged to consult with a department faculty member about the appropriate choices, given their educational and career goals.

Capstone

Psychology majors can satisfy the capstone requirement by successfully completing one of several courses: Research in Psychology (PSY 456-457); an undergraduate practicum in either clinical or industrial/organizational psychology (PSY 470 or 471); the capstone seminar (PSY 499), which will focus on a variety of topics, or History and Systems of Psychology (PSY460).

In order to enroll as a capstone student in any of these courses, a student must have a 2.0 GPA in Psychology and overall, have completed at least 80 credit hours of undergraduate coursework, and satisfy the specific course prerequisites. Permission to enroll as a capstone student is required from the instructor, and there is an application process for admission to PSY 470, 471, 456, and 457. Advanced students can take more than one of these courses, but only one will be used for the capstone experience. Check with your advisor in your junior year for specific capstone requirements.

Undergraduate Courses

100 Level Courses
100  Careers in Psychology.  1 hr.	Prepares students to be successful undergraduate Psychology majors and introduces possible careers and educational requirements. Does not count toward hours in major required for graduation. (Graded CR/NC only)
200 Level Courses
201  General Psychology. 3 hrs.	Principles and methods in the scientific study of behavior.
201H  General Psychology —Honors.  3 hrs.	For the superior student. (PR: ACT score of 26 or GPA of 3.2)
204  Psychology of Adjustment.  3 hrs.	Modes of personal and social adjustment; assessment and treatment techniques.
223  Elementary Behavioral Statistics. 3 hrs.	Orientation to the philosophy of science; survey of methods in behavior study; elementary statistics. (PR: MTH 121 or higher)
280-283  Special Topics.  1-4; 1-4; 1-4; 1-4 hrs.
300 Level Courses
302  Social Psychology. 3 hrs.	Social determinants of individual behavior. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
311  Child Development.  3 hrs.	Psychological characteristics and personal and social problems of developmental periods. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
312  Adult Development. 3 hrs.	Study of the physiological, psychological, and social processes that occur with aging. (PR: PSY 201 or 311; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
323  Experimental Psychology.  3 hrs.	Methodology and research in psychology. (PR: PSY 223)
324  Sensation and Perception.  3 hrs.	Methodology and research in sensory and perceptual processes. (PR: PSY 223)
330  Human Sexual Behavior.  3 hrs.	A psychological approach to the functioning, attitudes, varieties and development of human sexual behavior. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
350  Animal Behavior.  3 hrs.	A comprehensive study of the behavior of non-human animals. (PR: Nine hours of Psychology)
360  Personality.  3 hrs.	Personality structure, dynamics and development. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
370  Practicum in Child Psychology.  3 hrs.	This course involves work and study in a day care center, including observation of cognitive and social development of children. (Graded CR/NC only; PR: PSY 311, 408; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
380  Introduction to Professional Psychology.  3 hrs.	This course surveys the application of psychology to human problems in clinics, schools, consumer patterns, environmental matters, the legal system, health psychology, clinical neuropsychology and others. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
391  Psychology of Aggression.  3 hrs.	A multifaceted study of aggressive behavior in humans and other animals. (PR: PSY 201, 302)
400 Level Courses
402  Advanced Social Psychology.  3 hrs	Advanced study of selected topics in social psychology. (PR: PSY 223, PSY 302 or consent of instructor)
403  Applied Social Psychology.  3 hrs.	Examination of the applications of social psychological methods, theories, principles and research findings to the understanding or solution of social problems. (PR: PSY 302)
406  Psychometrics. 3 hrs.	Mental test theory and applications. (PR: PSY 223)
408  Abnormal Psychology.  3 hrs.	An overview of the theories, assessment techniques, and treatment of maladaptive behavior. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
416  Psychology of Learning. 3 hrs.	Critical study of the major theories of learning and the related research. (PR: PSY 201, PSY 223)
417  Intermediate Behavioral Statistics.  3 hrs.	An intermediate level presentation of descriptive and inferential statistics as applied in behavioral research. (PR: PSY 201 and 223)
418  Psychology of Personnel.  3 hrs.	Psychological principles and methods applied to functions in personnel administration. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
420  Introduction to Industrial - Organizational Psychology.  3 hrs.	A systematic study of the application of psychological methods and principles in business and industry. Emphasis is on research methods, motivation, training, leadership, personnel selection, employee safety, and job satisfaction. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
426  Cross Cultural Psychology.  3 hrs.	Emic and etic cultural concepts are considered from an American (subcultural) and international perspective. Cultural influences on healing, health and service are covered. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
427  Computer Applications in Psychology.  3 hrs.	An introduction to computer applications in psychology, emphasizing data collection, management, organization, analysis and reporting. (PR: PSY 201, 223; CSD 101 or CT 101)
433  Current Models of Psychotherapy. 3 hrs.	Introduction of theoretical models and related therapeutic strategies which influence the practice of modern psychotherapy. (PR: PSY 201, either PSY 360 or 408; or permission)
440  Physiological Psychology.  3 hrs.	The relationships between physiological functions and biochemical processes and behavior. (PR: PSY 201; 12 college credits at 100 level or higher)
456-457  Research in Psychology. 3; 3 hrs.	Laboratory courses to give advanced students experience in conducting psychological research. Capstone experience. (PR: Permission of instructor)
460  History and Systems of Psychology.  3 hrs.	An examination of the historical and philosophical antecedents of contemporary psychology. Capstone experience (PR: Twelve hours of Psychology)
470  Practicum in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.  3 hrs.	The course will offer students applied observational/research experience in Personnel/Human Resource Departments under the supervision of professionals within the fields of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resources. Capstone experience. (PR: Either PSY 418 or 420; Major in Psychology; permission of instructor; complete application form).
471  Practicum in Clinical Psychology.  3 hrs.	Students work 6 hours per week in a local clinical setting where they have the opportunity to observe individual and group therapy, psychological testing, staff meetings, etc. Capstone experience. (PR: 12 hours of PSY including 408 and permission of instructor; complete application form)
480-483  Special Topics.  1-4; 1-4; 1-4; 1-4 hrs.
485-488  Independent Study. 1-4; 1-4; 1-4; 1-4 hrs.	A course or seminar on some aspect of Psychology not otherwise treated in regular course offerings (PR: Permission of instructor and department chairperson)
495H-496H  Readings for Honors. 2-4 hrs. each.	Open only to students of outstanding ability. See Honors Courses.
499  Psychology Capstone Seminar. 3 hrs.	A capstone course which integrates research methods, critical analysis, and problem solving applied to psychological questions and issues. (PR: PSY 223 and 323; 2.0 GPA in PSY and overall).