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The PSYBA degree (For students admitted to the major Summer 2004 or earlier)

Note: The requirements listed below apply only to students who were officially PSY majors prior to Fall 2004.

The PSYBA degree requirements fall into four categories:

  1. Psychology requirements (listed below)
  2. General Education requirements (see http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/bluebook/gened/)
  3. Liberal Arts Bachelor of Arts requirements (see the Liberal Arts Majors section of the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin)
  4. Electives (courses of your choice to bring you to the total credits required for graduation)
The complete requirements are listed in the Liberal Arts Majors section of the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin
The listing below is in a format that the Psychology Department has found useful for advising students, and includes only the Psychology portion of the requirements.

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Bachelor of Arts Degree Program Checksheet
(Total Credits Required: 123)

PSYBA MAJOR REQUIREMENTS: 41 credits

A. Prescribed Courses (13 cr.)

1. PSY 2 (3 cr.)
2. PSY 201W* (4 cr.)
3. 6 credits of GQ courses (may also count toward Gen Ed)

NOTE:   PSY 2 to be completed by end of fourth semester. *Also note that STAT 200 or PSY 15 (under Additional Courses) is a prerequisite for PSY 201W.

B. Additional Courses ( 28 cr.)

1.  PSY 15 (4 cr.) or STAT 200 (4 cr.)

NOTE:  STAT 200 may be used to fulfill the Quantification requirement under General Education, but the credits only count once towards graduation.

2. Select 24 credits from groups a through h.  You must take at least three credits from each of four different groups.  At least 15 of the 24 credits must be 300 or 400-level courses.

    a.  Abnormal/Clinical/Personality:

    PSY 238, 243, 412, 436, 437, 438, 473, 474, 482, 488, 489

    b. Biological/Comparative/Perception/Physiological/Sensation:

    PSY 202, 203, 402, 405, 407, 408, 456, 483, 484, 485, 487

    c. Cognitive/Learning/Psycholinguistics:

    PSY 204, 220, 221, 404, 420, 421, 422, 430, 444

    d. Developmental:

    PSY 213, 423, 424, 425, 426, 445

    e. Industrial/Engineering:

    PSY 231, 432, 441, 451, 461

    f. History/Philosophy/Religion/Diversity:

    PSY 170, 236, 237, 410, 411, 414, 479

    g. Methods/Quantitative:

    PSY 301A-F, 401, 415, 419, 449, 450

    h. Social:

    PSY 217, 417, 457, 470, 471, 475, 476, 477

*A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or betterin each course counted toward the major requirements, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.
 
NOTE:   Sometimes a PSY 297 or 497 (Special Topics) course is offered that will count toward one of the groups A-H.  Announcements posted in Moore Bldg. about such a course will generally indicate toward which group, if any, it can be counted.  Such information can also be obtained from the course instructor.  If you wish to use a 297/497 course to satisfy a major requirement, you will need to complete an equivalency form, which you can obtain from room 130 Moore.

ELECTIVES: to complete 124 credits

Select baccalaureate-level credits to ensure that your total number of credits meets or exceeds the required minimum total for your degree program, that is 124 credits.  Please note that your 124 credit total may not include duplicate credits (courses passed more than once),  English 4 and 5, Math 1, 2, and 4, SpCom 4, and ROTC courses in excess of 6 credits.

IMPORTANT POLICY STATEMENTS FOR PSYCHOLOGY BACHELOR OF ARTS MAJORS

STANDARDS FOR ENTRANCE TO MAJOR
Before a student may enter the major, the following requirements must be met:

  1. 2.00 cumulative average.
  2. an average of C or better in any psychology courses already taken
  3. ability to complete total degree requirements within 9 semesters; for exceptions, see Senate Rule 83-60.
  4. (for students with third-semester standing or higher) a grade of C or better in at least one foreign language course.
  5. appropriate Carnegie Units as listed in the Baccalaureate Degree Bulletin.
MINIMUM GRADUATION STANDARDS
A 2.00 cumulative grade-point average is required to graduate.  A minimum of 124 total credits is required exclusive of duplicate credits (courses passed more than once), English 4 and 5, Math 1,2, and 4, SpCom 4, and ROTC courses in excess of 6 credits.

Only courses in which the student earns a grade of C or better may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements of the major (and this includes STAT 200 if used to satisfy major requirements).  A student who receives two grades below C in required courses in the major may be dropped from the major, not later than the beginning of the student's seventh semester.  Courses in which a student earns a grade of D may be used to satisfy the General Education requirements.

DOUBLE COUNTING OF COURSES
In general, no course offered by the student's major department shall be counted in the General Education requirements. Similarly, no course counted as fulfilling General Education requirements or elective requirements shall count toward the major.

EXCEPTIONS TO DOUBLE-COUNTING RULE ARE:

  1. Multiple Majors: courses in the secondary major may also count in General Education and primary major requirements.
  2. Minors:  Courses for the minor may also count in the General Education, major, or elective requirements.
  3. STAT 200 which may be counted towards fulfilling the General Education Quantification requirement.

SATISFACTORY-UNSATISFACTORY
Liberal Arts students may schedule a maximum of twelve credits SA/UN with no more than one course scheduled in any given semester.  THE SA/UN OPTION MAY BE EXERCISED ONLY FOR CREDITS APPLIED TO ELECTIVES.

This page was last updated on 08-08-05.