Psychology, BA

Learning Outcomes

• Display knowledge of several areas of specialization in psychology (i.e., abnormal, biopsychology, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology).
• Demonstrate skills in scientific reasoning, such as deductive reasoning and critical thinking.
• Demonstrate skills in information gathering, such as the ability to locate empirical information from sources like the library or internet.
• Demonstrate skills in writing well-organized, well-supported papers with correct punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling. In other words, they should be able to clearly convey their message in writing.
• Demonstrate ability to accurately cite and reference sources using the formatting style of the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. In other words, they should be able to use the basic components of the formatting style of our discipline.
• Display knowledge of research methodology, including data analysis and statistics, in Psychology.

General Requirements

• At least 36 credit hours and not more than 54 credit hours of psychology courses, 18 of which must be upper-division (3000+ level).
• A grade of at least C- in the four required foundation courses, the four core content courses, and the one Advanced Seminar.
• Accountability examination: All graduating psychology majors will take an “Accountability Examination.” The examination samples the student’s understanding of the core content areas.Students can sign up to take the exam at https://psychology.uccs.edu/senior-accountability-exam during their senior year.

Honors Program

The Psychology Department’s Honors Program offers a unique opportunity for outstanding majors to gain an intense research experience in the sub-area of psychology of their choosing. In collaboration with a faculty sponsor, honors students design an empirical research project, collect data for their research, analyze the data, and write a thesis presenting their findings. Students also participate in an oral defense of their completed thesis before a three-member faculty committee.

As part of the honors program, students take part in a three-semester sequence of courses:

• PSY 3000 Honors Seminar I
    
• PSY 3100 Statistical Models in Psychology
    
• PSY 4000 Honors Seminar II
    

Students typically begin the program (both coursework and research) during the spring semester of their junior year, and continue through their senior year. The oral thesis defense occurs in the spring semester of the senior year. Successful completion of all aspects of the program earns the student High Distinction in Psychology.

For more information, please visit the website at https://psychology.uccs.edu/honors-program.