BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY – BIOPSYCHOLOGY CONCENTRATION, 122 CREDITS

The Biopsychology Concentration provides students with the tools to study behavior, cognition, and emotion from several levels of analysis (molecular, cellular, genetic, physiological). A life science perspective is applied to organisms, in particular, humans, and each student receives mentoring from members of the Biopsychology faculty.  Mentoring and specialized study prepares students for graduate programs and careers in biopsychology, including the neurosciences and biomedical fields. Students electing the Biopsychology Concentration graduate with a B.S. degree in Psychology. Students are required to meet all requirements for a degree in Psychology in addition to successfully completing the 18-credit Biopsychology Concentration curriculum. The concentration does not increase the total number of hours for a student to graduate. The credits required for this concentration come from what are otherwise Psychology Electives (9 credits) and Free Electives (9 credits) in the standard Psychology curriculum.  

University College Core Curriculum (48 credits)

Freshman Seminar / University Studies (2 credits)

• UNIV 101 and UNIV 102 are required of all non-transfer freshmen (2)
• UNIV 110 is required of all transfer students with fewer than 30 transfer credits; course is waived for transfer students with 30 or more transfer credits (2)

Critical Thinking (3 credits)

• PHIL 110 Critical Thinking (3) – Course is waived for students who enter the university with 60 or more transfer credits.

English Composition (6 credits)

• ENGL 108 Grammar and Usage (3) may be required based on profile exam scores.
• ENGL 110 English Composition I (3)
• ENGL 120 English Composition II (3)

Speech (3 credits)

• SPEE 200 Introduction to Speech (3)

Mathematics (6 credits)

• MATH 121 Introduction to College Algebra (3) may be required based on profile exam scores.
• MATH 123 College Algebra (3) or higher level course
• and one of the following: MATH 121, MATH 124, MATH 129, MATH 130, MATH 131, MATH 140, MATH 142, MATH 150.

Students in the Biopsychology Concentration are strongly encouraged to take MATH129 & MATH130.

Natural Sciences (8 credits)

• Choose two courses from the following: ASTR 111, ASTR 112, BIOL 110, BIOL 130, BIOL 150*, CHEM 101, CHEM 140, CHEM 160, NSCI 110-120**, PHYS 111, PHYS 112, PHYS 113, PHYS 121, PHYS 122, PHYS 123, ZOOL 110

*An appropriate profile examination score is required for initial placement into BIOL 150. BIOL 110 may be required as pre-requisite.

**NSCI 110-120 must be completed in sequential order; MATH 121 is pre-requisite for NSCI 110.

Students in the Biopsychology concentration are strongly encouraged to take:

• BIOL 110 (4) and BIOL 130 (4) OR
• BIOL 150* (4) and ZOOL 110 (4) OR
• PHYS 121 (4) and PHYS 122 (4) OR
• CHEM 140 (4) and CHEM 160 (4)

*An appropriate profile examination score is required for initial placement into BIOL 150.

History and Social Sciences (3 credits)

• Choose one from the following: ANTH 210, CRJC 200, ECON 200, ECON 211, ECON 212, GEOG 210, GEOG 220, HIST 110, HIST 120, HIST 210, HIST 211, HIST 212, POLI 200, POLI 210 POLI 220, PSYC 210, SOCI 210, SWRK 220

Humanities and Fine Arts (3 credits)

• Choose one from the following: ART 210, ART 211, ENGL 211, ENGL 212, ENGL 220, ENGL 223, ENGL 240, HUMN 211, HUMN 212, MUSI 210, MUSI 260, PHIL 210, PHIL 212, PHIL 220, THEA 203

University College Restricted Electives (9 credits)

A total of nine credits to be fulfilled by one or more of following options:

• Six credits of a 100- or 200- level foreign language sequence AND/OR
• Three to nine credits from the History/Social Sciences or Humanities/Fine Arts options
• AND/OR any three-credit course at the 100- or 200-level

Physical Education / Health Education (2 credits)

• Select HEED 112 (2) OR two of the following:
• PEDU 100, 101, 102, 103, 106, 107, 110, 111, 112, 120, 121, 122, 130, 132, 140, 141

Program Requirements (77 Credits)

Major Courses (50 Credits)

• PSYC 210 General Psychology (3)
• PSYC 233 Statistics for Psychology (4)
• PSYC 320 Theories of Learning (3)
• PSYC 331 Developmental Psychology (3)
• PSYC 352 Research Methodology (4)
• PSYC 360 Social Psychology (3)
• PSYC 370 Intro to Biopsychology (3)
• PSYC 400 History and Systems of Psychology (3)
• PSYC 403 Psychopharmacology (3)
• PSYC 443 Introduction to Animal Behavior (3)
• PSYC 420 Sensation and Perception (3)
• PSYC 421 Cognitive Psychology (3)
• PSYC 422 Abnormal Psychology (3)
• PSYC 465 Biopsychology Laboratory (3)
• PSYC 469 Advanced Biopsychology (3)
• PHIL 430 Seminar in Philosophy (3)

Choose one from the following three courses:

• PSYC 310 Theories of Personality (3)
• PSYC 342 Intro to Clinical/Counseling Psychology (3)
• PSYC 381 Child Psychopathology (3)

Choose one from the following two courses:

• PSYC 343 Multicultural Psychology (3)
• PSYC 430 Sex and Gender (3)

Choose one from the following four courses:

• PSYC 260 Computer Applications for Behavioral Science (3)
• CSC 100 Introduction to Computers (3)
• MIS 300 Information Systems Theory and Practice (3)
• EDUC 210 Computers in Education (3)

Minor Courses or Free Electives (18 Credits)

Psychology majors may select any minor offered within the university; see appropriate catalog section for requirements of specific minor selected. If the student does not desire to select a minor, eighteen (18) hours of free electives may be selected in consultation with an advisor from courses appropriate to the interests or career plans of the student.

Other Program Requirements

1. Psychology major must earn at least a “C” grade in all psychology courses for graduation.
2. A Psychology major must maintain at least a “C” average in the courses that are needed for the minor, electives, or concentration.