Psychological Sciences BA
By pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychological Sciences, students will learn about mental processes, the brain, and behavior in humans and other animals. Students will also learn to think critically, to understand and conduct scientific research, to communicate clearly, to take ethical and social responsibility, and to plan their careers. An important difference between the BA and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Psychological Sciences is that the BA degree involves learning a foreign language, while the BS degree involves taking additional math and science classes beyond the general education math and science classes. Upper-level psychology courses are used to explore the breadth of Psychological Sciences or to focus on a specific subdiscipline such as mental health/trauma, child/lifespan development, or biological psychology. Students will be led and inspired by the faculty of the Department of Psychological Sciences, who are passionate about teaching and are actively involved in scientific research and community service.
General Education Requirements
Majors must satisfy the university and college General Education curricular requirements. Selected courses in Psychology may be used to meet General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences requirements.
Degree Requirements
| PSYCH 1000 | Choosing a Career in Psychology 1 | 1 |
| PSYCH 1003 | General Psychology (MOTR PSYC 100) | 3 |
| PSYCH 2201 | Psychological Statistics | 4 |
| PSYCH 2211 | Introduction to Biological Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 2219 | Research Methods in Psychological Science | 3 |
| PSYCH 2245 | Psychological Disorders | 3 |
| PSYCH 4999 | Integrated Psychology | 2 |
| PSYCH 2268 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology (MOTR PSYC 200) | 3 |
| or PSYCH 2270 | Developmental Psychology: Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence | |
| Select four Psychology courses numbered 3000 to 4998 2 | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
- 1
PSYCH 1000 requirement must be satisfied before the student completes 24 hours of course work.
- 2
No more than 3 hours can be PSYCH 3295 or PSYCH 3390.
Additional Notes
Psychology majors must not take courses in excess of 50 hours in Psychology. Credits completed in Psychology in excess of 50 will not count toward graduation. For example, students earning 53 hours in Psychology will consequently be required to earn a minimum of 123 hours to graduate.
The three course sequence of Math, Psychological Statistics (PSYCH 2201), and Research Methods (PSYCH 2219) require a minimum of three semesters to complete. Students must satisfy the current University mathematical skills requirement before taking PSYCH 2201, Psychological Statistics. PSYCH 2201 is a prerequisite for PSYCH 2219, and hence, PSYCH 2201 must be completed with a grade of C- or higher PRIOR to enrollment in PSYCH 2219.
PSYCH 2201and PSYCH 2219 cannot be taken concurrently. Students are advised to plan accordingly and to seek assistance from Psychology Academic Advising whenever needed.
Candidates for the B.A. must complete at least 34, but no more than 50, hours of courses taught by or cross-listed with the Department of Psychological Sciences.
Candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in the major overall, and must earn a C- or above in each of the courses comprising the 34 credits applied to the B.A. degree in Psychology. Failure to earn a C- or above in the required courses will necessitate re-taking them for a satisfactory completion of the C- requirement. No Psychology courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis may be applied to the major.
In addition, candidates for the B.A. are required to satisfactorily complete 13 credit hours in one foreign language.
Graduate School Preparation
In addition to the required courses listed above, students interested in applying to graduate school in Psychology are strongly encouraged to become involved in a research project with a Psychology faculty member by securing enrollment in PSYCH 3390, Directed Studies. These positions are available on a limited and competitive basis. No enrollments in PSYCH 3390 are possible without special Instructor permission. Those invited to participate must obtain a special consent form from the instructor in order to enroll. Contact the Psychology Academic Advising office for more information on such positions (psy_advising@umsl.edu).
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the degree, graduates of the BA in Psychology program at UM-St. Louis will be able to:
- Demonstrate an integrative understanding of psychological concepts, theories, research, and historical trends in psychology and the prediction of behavior across the scientific subdisciplines (e.g., behavioral neuroscience, clinical, developmental, industrial/organizational, social, etc.). (Psychological Science Knowledge Base)
- Summarize and explain use of the scientific approach to solve behavioral problems and articulate how behavioral explanations rely on critical thinking, scientific reasoning, weighing evidence and tolerating ambiguity. (Critical Thinking)
- Identify and evaluate appropriate research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis (i.e., selecting, conducting, and interpreting basic statistical tests) and data interpretation. (Scientific Inquiry)
- Communicate using a variety of formats in a clear, concise way. (Communication)
- Demonstrate respect for members of diverse groups with sensitivity to issues of power, privilege and discrimination, while adopting social and ethical values that build community at local, national and global levels. (Ethical and Social Responsibility)
- Display professionalism and ownership of professional growth and learning through an evolving career development plan tailored to one’s accurate self-assessment of abilities, achievements, motivations and work habits. (Professional Development)
Sample Four Year Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| INTDSC 10031 | 1 | PSYCH 2268 or 2270 | 3 |
| PSYCH 1000 | 1 | PSYCH 2245 | 3 |
| PSYCH 1003 | 3 | BIOL 1012 | 3 |
| ENGL 1100 | 3 | EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 |
| MATH 1020 (or equivalent) | 3 | Foreign Language 1001 | 5 |
| EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts | 3 | ||
| 14 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYCH 2201 | 4 | PSYCH 2219 | 3 |
| CORE - US History and Government | 3 | Foreign Language 2101 | 3 |
| Foreign Language 1002 | 5 | CORE - Communication Proficiency | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity Requirement | 3 | EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 3100 | 3 | PSYCH 3XXX Psychology Sub Area Requirement | 3 |
| PSYCH 2211 | 3 | PSYCH 3XXX Psychology Sub Area Requirement | 3 |
| PSYCH 3XXX Psychology Sub Area Requirement | 3 | EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 |
| EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYCH 3000+ level course | 3 | PSYCH 4999 | 2 |
| Elective or minor | 12 | Elective or minor | 12 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
- 1
INTDSC 1003 is required only for first-time freshmen and transfer students with less than 24 college credits.
Please Note: This plan is an example of what a four year plan could look like for a typical student pursuing the B.A. degree. Placement exam scores in math as well as the completion of coursework may change the plan. It should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester. All requirements are subject to change.