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Psychology, B.A.

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Shippensburg University’s Psychology (BA) program prepares students for a wide range of careers through close relationships with faculty and plenty of opportunities for growth outside the classroom.

Students learn the basic concepts in a variety of areas in psychology. Students learn about human behavior and gain skills to engage in psychological research, interviewing, problem-solving and computer applications.

A Bachelor of Arts in Psychology qualifies you for a variety of entry level jobs in multiple areas such as:

  • Human resources
  • Therapeutic support staff
  • Probation officer
  • Market researcher
  • Psychiatric aide

With graduate degrees, career paths can include the following:

  • Clinicians and counselors
  • Human service workers
  • Experimentalists
  • Educational and school psychologists
  • Human factor engineers
  • Development psychologists
  • Social and personality psychologists
  • Environmental psychologists
  • Forensic psychologists

Course work for Psychology, B.A.

The program requires 120 credits including the university's general education curriculum and 30-33 credit of free electives. For full course descriptions, please visit the undergraduate catalog.

The Shippensburg University General Education Program is the university curriculum that is shared by all undergraduate students. Details for courses you will take can be found here.

General Education requirements specific for this major

  • Natural World (N): PSYC 101 

All students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree are required to attain proficiency in a foreign language. Proficiency may be satisfied by completing a language class at the 103 (intermediate) level or three years of any one foreign language in high school. Students may also meet this requirement through AP or CLEP testing.

Developmental

Choose 1 from the following:

  • PSYC 265 - Childhood and Adolescence
  • PSYC 352 - Adulthood and Aging 

Social/Personality

Choose from 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 240 - Psychology of Personality
  • PSYC 270 - Social Psychology 

Psychopathology

Choose 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 330 - Adult Psychopathology 
  • PSYC 355 - Child and Adolescent Psychopathology 

Neuroscience

Choose 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 320 - Behavioral Neuroscience
  • PSYC 333 - Psychology of Attention and Consciousness (Effective Fall 2020) 

Cognition/S&P

Choose 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 323 - Sensation and Perception 
  • PSYC 325 - Psychology of Human Cognition 

Learning/Behavioral

Choose 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 235 - Conditioning and Learning 
  • PSYC 383 - Social Learning in Infants and Children
Research Methods
  • PSYC 104 - Research Methods in Psychology

Graduate School/Technical Field Preparation:

  • Students who choose this pathway will take two statistics courses (PSYC 105 and PSYC 205) with a minimum grade of C.  Additionally, they will take 12 elective credits, of which 6 credits must be from the Ethical & Social Responsibility in a Diverse World category and 6 credits must be from the Professional Development category.

Career Readiness:

  • Students who choose this pathway will take 18 elective credits, of which 6 credits must be from the Ethical & Social Responsibility in a Diverse World category and 12 credits must be from the Professional Development category.

Ethical & Social Responsibility in a Diverse World

  • PSYC 315 - Psychology of Prejudice and the Minority Experience 
  • PSYC 350 - Psychology of Sustainability 
  • PSYC 365 - Multicultural Psychology 
  • PSYC 410 - Psychology and Women (Effective Spring 2020: Psychology of Women and Gender) 
  • PSYC 420 - Health Psychology 
  • PSYC 470 - Forensic and Legal Psychology 

Professional Development

  • PSYC 311 - Applied Behavior Analysis 
  • PSYC 335 - Psychology of Social Influence
  • PSYC 340 - Introduction to Clinical Psychology 
  • PSYC 345 - Psychiatric Rehabilitation 
  • PSYC 361 - Psychology of Group Interaction 
  • PSYC 384 - Helping Skills for Human Services 
  • PSYC 415 - Psychology of Addiction & Recovery 
  • PSYC 432 - The Psychology of Computers and the Internet 
  • PSYC 475 - Industrial and Organizational Psychology 

Choose 1 of the following:

  • PSYC 374 - Advanced Research in Psychology I
  • PSYC 375 - Advanced Research in Psychology II 
  • PSYC 379 - Capstone Seminar in Psychology 
  • PSYC 385 - Internship in Psychology 
  • PSYC 386 - Internship in Psychology 
  • PSYC 389 - Internship in Psychology III 
  • PSYC 440 - History and Systems of Psychology 

As Free Electives; Some selected topics may count for core areas per departmental discretion

  • PSYC 393 - Selected Topics in Psychology 
  • PSYC 395 - Seminar in Selected Topics 
  • PSYC 490 - Selected Topics in Psychology 

  • PSYC 385 - Internship in Psychology 
  • PSYC 386 - Internship in Psychology 

Note: Students can take PSYC 385 Internship in Psychology, or both PSYC 385 and PSYC 386 Internship in Psychology. Students must apply to earn internship credit. Successful applicants must have completed relevant courses that will prepare them for the internship for which they apply. Final approval is made by the Psychology Department Internship Committee and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The remaining credits toward your 120 total should be comprised of a minor (strongly recommended - Minors are 18-21 credits), other courses of interest outside the major to broaden your higher educational experiences, and additional psychology courses.

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