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Bachelor of Science, Major in Psychology

This is an extremely flexible major that provides students with an opportunity to select from an array of psychology courses and develop a program to meet their specific needs or interests.

The study of psychology at the undergraduate level will:

1. Help you better understand yourself and your environment.
2. Provide knowledge of human behavior and interpersonal skills to improve your performance in the career of your choice.
3.  Prepare you for graduate study in psychology or related fields such as social work or counseling.

Possible careers include:

• Probation officer
• Case manager
• Business manager
• Parole officer
• Rehabilitation specialist
• Corrections officer
• Mental health worker
• Psychiatric technician
• and more

Requirements

Bachelor’s degrees at CMU are a minimum of 124 credit hours and are usually made up of four types of courses:

1. General Education courses – two types taken by all students
   • University Program courses – create a foundation in humanities, natural science, social science, and global studies
   • Competency requirements – students must prove competency in:
     • Written English
     • Oral English
     • Mathematics
2. Core courses (12 credit hours) – required basic courses in your major area of study 
   • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
   • PSY 285 Research Methods
   • PSY 385 Applications of Research Methods
   Select one of the following*:
   • *PSY 211 Introduction to Psychological Statistics
   • STA 282 Introduction to Statistics
   • STA 382 Elementary Statistical Analysis
   *PSY 211 is highly recommended. If STA 282 or STA 382 is used, an additional 3 hours of psychology must be taken. You should begin the 211/285/385 sequence early in your psychology program. In order to take PSY 285, you must earn a “C” or better in PSY 211. In order to take PSY 385, you must earn a “C” or better in PSY 285 and have completed ENG 201 or beyond.
3. Concentration Courses –  courses in your chosen area of concentration
4. Planned Electives (18 credit hours) – to allow you to customize your degree to your areas of interest. Electives must be selected in consultation with an academic advisor and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Degree Programs and Academic Liaison.
   • PSY 220 Developmental Psychology
   • PSY 250 Abnormal Psychology
   • PSY 324 Childhood and Adolescence
   • PSY 325 Psychology of Aging
   • PSY 330 Social Psychology
   • PSY 334 Psychology of Women
   • PSY 336 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
   • PSY 340 Studies in Personality
   • PSY 350 Clinical Interviewing and Counseling
   • PSY 383 Learning and Memory
   • PSY 387 Behavioral Neuroscience
   • PSY 400 Special Issues
   • PSY 459 Stress
   • PSY 531 Group Dynamics
   • PSY 536 Personnel Psychology
   Please note course restrictions for the psychology major:
   • PSY 100 is the only class that may be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis.
   You may count up to 9 hours of coursework from the following list toward the major, with only 3 hours from any one of these courses:
   • PSY 200 and PSY 400 Special Issues
   • PSY 496 Directed Research
   • PSY 497 Independent study
   • PSY 498 Undergraduate Honors Thesis in Psychology
   • PSY 500 Special Issues
   • PSY 501 Workshop
   • PSY 502 Teaching Assistant in Psychology
   For PSY 496, PSY 497, and PSY 502, the topics and requirements must be arranged with the instructor prior to registering for the course. To enroll in any of these courses, you must fill out a specific form. These forms can be picked up in the Psychology Department, Sloan 101.
   
   Also note that there are caps on the total number of credits you can count toward graduation for these courses. For example, you can take between 1 to 6 credits of PSY 496 Directed Research but no more than 6 credits. PSY 497 has a cap of 4 credits. Check the undergraduate bulletin for the caps on allowed credits for these courses.

 

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