Department ofPsychology
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Psychology Bachelor of Science (PSYBS)

Psychology Bachelor of Science (PSYBS)

Components of the Psychology BS Degree

The Psychology BS program at University Park has five main components:

  1. Psychology Requirements (more details below)
  2. Option Requirements (more details below)
  3. Supporting Option Course Requirements
  4. General Education Requirements
  5. Electives (Any credited course to bring you to the total of 123 credits required for graduation)

Entrance to Major Requirements

The Psychology Degree program has Entrance to Major requirements that students must fulfill prior to declaring the major during the spring of their Sophomore year. Students must successfully complete all four courses listed in the below chart with a “C” or higher as well as maintain a Cumulative GPA above a 2.0 before being able to declare the major. These Entrance to Major requirements; better known as ETMs, are also required for any student Changing Location from another PSU location or transferring in from another institution.

  • PSYCH 100 (3 credits)
  • PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 (4 credits)
  • General Quantification/GQ (3 credits) – Other than PSYCH 200 or STAT 200
  • General Social and Behavioral Sciences/GS (3 credits) – Other than PSYCH 100

PSYBS Major Course Requirements

(50 credits; including 9 credits that also count towards General Education)

For the complete list of requirements please visit the University Bulletin.

Remember: Each major requirement MUST be completed with a “C” or higher to fulfill degree requirements.

Prescribed Courses (13 credits)

  1. PSYCH 100 (3 credits) – Entrance to Major Requirement (ETM)
  2. PSYCH 105 (3 credits)
  3. PSYCH 301W (4 credits)*
  4. PSYCH 490 (3 credits)**

* STAT/PSYCH 200 (4 credits) and PSYCH 100 (3 credits) are prerequisites for PSYCH 301W
**PSYCH 301W (4 credits) and 6.0credits of PSYCH 4xx are prerequisites for PSYCH 490 (The prerequisites may NOT be taken concurrently)

Additional Courses (37 credits)

  1. 6 credits of General Quantification/GQ – 3 credits for ETM (These will double count in General Education)
  2. ENGL 202A (This will double count in General Education)
  3. PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 (4 credits) –ETM
  4. 12 credits of 200-level PSYCH including 3 credits from each category. PSYCH 294, 295, 296, and 297 may not be used for this requirement. 
    A. PSYCH 253, PSYCH 256, PSYCH 260, OR PSYCH 261
    B. PSYCH 212, PSYCH 221, PSYCH 231, OR PSYCH 238
    C. PSYCH 243, PSYCH 269, PSYCH 270, OR, PSYCH 281
  5. 12 credits of 400-level PSYCH (NOT including PSYCH 490 and NOT including more than 3credits of PSYCH 494, 491H 493, 495, 496, or 480)

PSYBS Degree Option Requirements

The PSYBS degree has 4 options for students to choose among. The option a student may choose can vary depending on a student’s long term plans for graduate school or future career paths. To discuss which option may best suit you, plan a meeting with your assigned advisor. Within each option students will be required to complete a total of 15-17 credits although the number of categories that must be hit in each option vary. See below for the number of minimum categories for each option. Each option also entails a number of supporting courses described in more detail below.

Note: The courses do NOT double count in the general education requirements or supporting coursework:

  • Life Sciences Option (L S)
  • Neuroscience Option (NEURO)
  • Business Option (BUS)
  • Quantitative Skills Option (QUANT)

Select a total of 15 credits from at least 3 of the 4 categories below:

  1. Genetics: ANTH 218 , 460, 473; 473W, BIOL 133 or 222
  2. Biological Anthropology: ANTH 021, 22, 040, 401, BB H 410, H P A 310, NUTR 251
  3. Biobehavioral Implications: ANTH 464; BB H 101 or higher except BB H 310; HD FS 417; RHS 100, 300, 403
  4. Biology and Chemistry: BIOL 110, 141, 155, 161, 177; CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113, 210, 212, 213 (NOTE: Due to overlapping content, students should not take both BIOL 141 and BIOL 161).

Psychology Supporting Course List
Select 3 credits in Natural Science and 6 credits in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

PSYCH 260 (This course can fulfill your GROUP A of your 200-level Psychology courses for the major)

Select 15 credits from at least 4 of the 5 categories below:

  1. Genetics: BIOL 110, 133, or 222
  2. Physiology: BIOL 141, 161, or 472 (NOTE: Due to overlapping content, students should not take both BIOL 141 and BIOL 161).
  3. Organic Chemistry: CHEM 202, 210, 212
  4. Cell Biology: BIOL 230W, 469; MICRB 106, 201, 251
  5. Other Topics: BIOL 240W, 177, 409, BB H 470


NOTE: Students planning to apply to medical school should select this option and choose courses to meet the following minimum requirements for most medical schools: BIOL 110, 230W, and 240W; CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113, 213, 210, and 212; PHSY 201 and 202 OR PHYS 250 and 251. To ensure you are meeting requirements the schools of your choice, be sure to check their web site. Some medical schools also require Calculus.

 

Psychology Supporting Course List:

Select 6 credits in Natural Sciences and 3 credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

ADDITIONAL COURSES (15 credits)
Select 15 credits from at least three different groups. Three (3) credits in any category can be replaced by internship (L A 495), but internship credits alone cannot be used to complete a category.
 

Category 1

  • ECON 102 GS(3), ECON 104 GS(3), ECON 014 GS(3), ECON 302 GS(3) or higher-numbered ECON course;  PL SC 412(3), PL SC 444(3), PL SC 481(3), PL SC 490(3)
  • BA 301 (3)
  • FIN 301(3) or any higher-numbered FIN course 
    BA 303(3)
  • MKTG 301(3) or any higher-numbered MKTG course
  • ACCTG 211(4)

Category 2

  • Management: HPA 057(3),  H P A 101(3), HPA 210 (3), HPA 211 (3),  H P A 301(3) or any higher-numbered H P A course, BA 304(3), LHR 305(3),  MGMT 301(3) or any higher-numbered MGMT course
  • Law and ethics: BA 302, B LAW 243(3), LHR 460(3), PHIL 119 GH(3), PHIL 406(3), PHIL /S T S 407(3), PHIL 418(3), PHIL /S T S 432(3), SCM 301(3) 
  • Labor relations: LHR 100 GS(3), LHR 304 (3), any LHR 400 or higher 
  • Communication: CAS 352(3), CAS 450W(3), CAS 452(3), ENGL 419(3), ENGL 460(3), ENGL 479(3), LHR 464(3)

Category 3

  • Global view: ENGR 451(3), GEOG 424(3), GEOG 439(3), GLIS 102N (3), H P A 401(3), I B 303(3), LA 202(3)
  • Diversity: AAA S/LHR /PL SC 445Y(3), AFAM/HIST 210(3), AFAM/SOC 409 (3), AFR/IB/PLSC 440(3),  CED/R WMNST 420(3), LHR 201(3), LHR 475(3), LHR/WMNST 136 (3), LHR/RHS 410 (3), LHR/WMNST 472(3),  RHS 300(3),
  • History: HIST 151N (3), HIST 155 (3), HIST/LHR 458Y US(3)
  • Technology: IST 110(3)


Psychology Supporting Course List:
Select 3 credits in arts/humanities, select 3 credits in natural sciences, and select 3 credits in social and behavioral sciences (Sem: 1-8)

All courses offered by Smeal College of Business are for Smeal majors only, except BA 301, 302, 303 and 304.

Select 15 credits .  Category B is optional but if you choose to skip it the credits will need to be made up as another course from category A, C2 or D. This will show up as “additional courses” on your degree audit.

Category A – You must select at least one

Important Note: Plan ahead by looking at prerequisites for coursework in other categories

Category B (optional) – You may only take one course in Group B for credit

Category C, Section 1 – You may only select one course in Group C, Section 1 for credit

Category C, Section 2 – You must select at least one course in Group C, Section 2 for credit

Category D – You must select at least one

NOTE: Students may fulfill the requirements of the QUANT option by completing a major or minor in Statistics, a major in mathematics or a major in computer science in lieu of the course requirements listed above.

Psychology Supporting Course List:
Select 3 credits in Arts and Humanities and 6 credits from Natural Sciences.

Supporting Option Course Requirements

Each option in PSYBS degree has a number of supporting courses that compliment your option. Students will take extra Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences courses that do NOT double count with general education or the option. Below is the link to the department list of supporting courses.

PSYBS Supporting Option Course List

Required Sequencing and Coursework​

As mentioned on our Policies page, many students are not aware that there is a course sequence within the major degree requirements. This can tend to cause students problems when they had not planned for it when studying abroad or taking a semester off for an internship. It is vital for students to understand prerequisites to courses and to plan for them in their long term plan schedule. Lack of planning can delay graduation especially since such courses as PSYCH 105 and PSYCH 490 are only offered during the fall and spring semesters.

Examples

Prerequisite(s)
Course(s)
PSYCH 100
PSYCH 105
PSYCH 100
PSYCH 200-level courses
PSYCH/STAT 200 AND PSYCH 100
PSYCH 301W
PSYCH 301W AND 6.0 credits of PSYCH 400-levels
PSYCH 490