Psychology Bachelor of Science
The information on this page pertains to requirements for students who matriculated in the current academic year. Students who matriculated in a prior year should view historical catalog information here.
Program Overview
The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience offers two major degree programs: a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS). The BS degree requires 40 hours of coursework within the department and 12 hours of additional coursework outside of the department, while the BA degree requires 37 hours of coursework within the department. The Psychology curriculum requires a broad exposure to psychological research, theory, and practice, while a variety of elective courses allow students to specialize in subfields of psychology.
B.S. Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 001 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY (with lab) | 4 |
| PSY 011 | INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS | 4 |
| PSY 013 | RESEARCH METHODS | 4 |
| Biology, Behavior, and Cognition | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| COGNITIVE PROCESSES | ||
| DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOR | ||
| Development, Identity, and Society | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
PSY 032 | ||
| CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING | ||
| Health, Wellness, and Treatment | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 022 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING TECHNIQUES | ||
| ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| HUMAN SEXUALITY | ||
| One of the following courses with labs | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| ADVANCED STATISTICS | ||
| CONDITIONING AND LEARNING LAB and CONDITIONING AND LEARNING | ||
| COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS | ||
| Upper-Division Electives 1 | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| SENSATION AND PERCEPTION | ||
| BEHAVIOR GENETICS | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF PREJUDICE | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER | ||
| BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS CHILD DEVELOPMENT | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES | ||
| TRAUMA AND RECOVERY | ||
| ADVANCED PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| UNDERSTANDING SUICIDE | ||
| Capstone Course Options | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| APPLIED PROFESSIONAL ETHICS | ||
| HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY CAPSTONE | ||
| INTERNSHIP CAPSTONE | ||
| One Additional Elective | 3 | |
| Coursework in Natural Sciences | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 52 | |
- 1
Students are required to complete 12 total hours of upper division electives. 3 credits of capstone coursework can be applied to this requirement.
Notes:
- Students must pass PSY 011 INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS and PSY 013 RESEARCH METHODS with a grade of “C” (not “C-“) or better to enroll in some upper-division psychology courses and to complete the psychology major.
- The core course requirements of PSY 001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY, PSY 011 INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS, and PSY 013 RESEARCH METHODS total 12 credit hours. Students may substitute approved courses, which may carry varying credit hours, for these core requirements. Substitutions can include AP credit, transfer courses, and the following alternatives for PSY 011 INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS: STAT 071 STATISTICS I and STAT 072 STATISTICS II, BIO 140 BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL METHODS, or HSCI 060 STATISTICS IN HEALTH SCIENCES. Students who substitute one or more core courses must still meet all other BA or BS degree requirements, except the total credit hour requirement, which will be reduced accordingly upon approval by the student's advisor.
- Students must obtain a minimum 2.0 G.P.A. across all psychology courses to graduate with a B.A. or a B.S. in psychology.
- Of the 40 credits in psychology needed for the major, 18 must be taken at Drake that do not include independent study, research seminars, or internships. A minimum of 9 of these credits taken at Drake must be upper-division psychology credits.
- A maximum of 6 credits of non-capstone PSY 090 INDEPENDENT STUDY, PSY 190 INDEPENDENT STUDY, and/or PSY 192 INTERNSHIP may be counted toward the 40 credits for the major. Non-capstone independent studies and all internships will be awarded CR/NC grades.
In addition to programmatic requirements, students are responsible for satisfying all requirements of the Drake Curriculum, including Areas of Inquiry (AOI).
Student must also satisfy university graduation requirements for all undergraduate students.