Psychology
8 Psychology concentrations:
BA PSY
BS PSY Business Concentration
Psychology (BS) - Business students are typically interested in applying their degree toward graduate study in industrial-organizational psychology, or use their degree for employment in human resources and the corporate world of business using their writing, critical thinking and data analytic skills.
BS PSY Education Studies Concentration
Students interested in pursuing a career that focuses on the research and/or practice of educational and school psychology are attracted to the Psychology (BS) - Education Studies degree.
BS PSY Health Studies Concentration
Psychology (BS) - Health Studies degree is an ideal fit for someone wanting to pursue a career in a health-related field. Courses within this degree include classes in psychology, biology and exercise science.
BS PSY Human Services Concentration
Psychology (BS) - Human Services degree’s curriculum provides a background for clinical psychology master’s in social work or graduate school in counseling. A majority of students in this concentration are pursuing a career in a helping profession.
BS PSY Natural Science Concentration
Psychology (BS) - Natural Science degree is designed for students interested in going into a number of different health professions.
BS PSY Social Science Concentration
Psychology (BS) -Social Science is ideal for students desiring broader study in the associated scientific fields of anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, geography and planning, philosophy and political science.
BS PSY Sustainability Concentration
Psychology (BS) - Sustainability is ideal for students desiring broader study to prepare them for a career that requires an understanding of the behavioral and cognition aspects of human-implicated environmental problems.
Important Info: BA vs BS degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Requires completion of one foreign language through the 4th semester (3-12 hours)
Courses must be taken to satisfy a minor (10-12 hours)
Limit of 40 hours of psychology classes
Bachelor of Science
No foreign language is required
Requires a concentration in one of the areas listed above (24 hours- includes an additional math/science beyond the core):
No limit on psychology classes
Students often ask how others (graduate schools, employers) will perceive a BA or a BS degree. Ten to fifteen years ago the BA degree was considered the best choice for students pursuing graduate school and the BS degree was the choice for students seeking employment after the undergraduate degree.
Today there is no perceived difference between the two degrees, unless you are considering law school. Some law school programs do have a preference for a foreign language. The required psychology courses are the same for both degree programs. Approximately 22% of all declared psychology majors choose the BA option, and the other 78% choose the BS degree option. Students pursuing a BS with a concentration can also (and often do) choose to complete a minor.
What Can a Student Do with this major?
Students who plan to go directly to work after receiving either the B.S. or B.A. degree in psychology rather than pursuing graduate study most often ask this question. Initially, undergraduate training in psychology was intended to be a pre-professional education. That is, students were expected to be interested in pursuing graduate degrees in psychology or related fields. Today, however, many students see the merits of receiving a liberal arts degree, such as one in psychology, but they do not wish to pursue the specific training or specialization that is required for becoming a professional psychologist. And, there are employers who are seeking generalists, students broadly trained in the liberal arts, rather than specialists. Jobs in banking, retailing, personnel, human services, marketing research, and government (to name a few) often seek well-educated students who do not have specific technical training. But psychology majors and others may have to work harder than students with technical training (such as engineers, accountants, nurses) in making themselves marketable. In brief, psychology majors will need to be aware of ways to make their skills known to potential employers. Jobs, many good ones, are available to students who have prepared themselves with a good liberal education and who are also aware of their skills. The Department offers a course, Careers in Psychology, that is oriented toward answering the question "What can I do with a major in psychology;" and in helping students better understand and market their skills.