Choosing a Psychology Degree: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.)?

Compared to the B.S.degree, the B.A. degree student takes more "core" courses — history, philosophy, English, etc. — and fewer psychology courses. The B.A. also requires a foreign language. For the B.S. degree, students take more psychology courses and fewer "core" courses, but are also required to take a set of three nonpsychology courses that relate to their interests in psychology. The differences between the two degrees are more clearly detailed in the section titled Psychology Major Requirements.

The degree choice is up to you, though you should think about your interests and career plans while making this choice. The B.A. degree is a more broadly based liberal arts and science degree, while the B.S. can be viewed as a more focused degree in the fields of psychology. The B.S. degree is often the one of choice for those students planning on going on to graduate school in psychology or a closely related field; however, many B.A. students have successfully applied to graduate schools and done very well. This is a good topic to discuss with your faculty adviser.

How Long Will It Take to Obtain a Degree?

Typically, it takes a total of 128 semester hours (SH) to complete a psychology degree in the College of Arts and Sciences (of which the psychology department is a part). For those students graduatng with the class of 2005, 2006 or 2007, 132 semester hours are required.

At the usual load of four courses per term (with each worth four semester hours), it takes eight academic semesters to complete a degree. If you participate in co-op, it will take five years to complete a major degree; if you go full-time (two semesters per year) and do not participate in co-op, it will take four years.

Difference Between Core Courses and Psychology Courses

Core courses are courses required by the College of Arts and Sciences that you will need to complete your degree. These courses include English, math, history, philosophy, biology, chemistry, art, music, sociology, foreign language (for B.A. students) and other related disciplines. Psychology courses are those with a PSY designation. These courses satisfy the psychology department requirements for your degree. (The B.S. degree requires three additional courses from outside the department.)

When looking at the Psychology Major Requirements, the college requirements are on the right column. Note that you also have a number of "University Free Electives" — courses that are neither departmental requirements nor core requirements. A free elective may be any course (including courses listed under psychology or the core) that you are not also counting in those categories.

Choosing Courses

Using the booklets you have been given by the university, college and department, you should plan your courses for each semester. Your academic adviser can help you in this process. A good rule of thumb to follow when starting out your academic career is to take a mixture of core courses and psychology courses, until you finish the core requirements.

Always register as early as possible for courses. Many classes fill up quickly! This is especially true of psychology lab/research courses and seminars.

Continue reading about the undergraduate program:

• General Information About the Curriculum

• Psychology Major Requirements

• Psychology Dual Majors

• Psychology Minor Requirements

• Education Program for Psychology Majors

• Psychology-Related Course Requirement for BS Degree

• Forensic Psychology | pdf | Word |

• Premed Curriculum (will open new window)

• Experiential Education

• Academic Opportunities

• Honors Project Guidelines

• Extracurricular Opportunities

• People to Contact