17³Ô¹Ï

Location: 203 Social and Behavioral Sciences Building, Phone: (409) 880-8285

Chair: Edythe Kirk

Degree Coordinators:

• Undergraduate Degree Program - Edythe Kirk
• Applied Psychology Graduate Program, Industrial/Organizational Track - Jeremy Shelton (Interim)
• Applied Psychology Graduate Program, Clinical Track - Elizabeth Aronson

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and, as such, is a diverse field that touches all aspects of human endeavor. The objectives of the Department of Psychology are to provide students with current knowledge through learning experiences in and out of the classroom that will increase critical thinking skills, equip them with research methodology, and prepare them for employment in business, education, community agencies, other professional areas, or graduate school. Curriculum in psychology is based on American Psychological Association principles for training students to be behavioral scientists and to use their training to inform their practice as professionals. 17³Ô¹Ï reserves the right to modify degree requirements and teaching certificate requirements in keeping with legislative acts and rules established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ad the State Board for Educator Certification.

Admission to Department of Psychology Programs

Students wishing to major in psychology must have SAT/ACT scores of approximately 1000/21. Students changing their major to psychology must have acceptable SAT/ACT scores and be in good standing in the university.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology -120 hrs
Bachelor of Science -Psychology -120 hrs
Minor in Psychology -18 hrs
Master of Science Applied Psychology

Bachelor of Arts – Psychology Major

The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology will be awarded upon completion of the following:

1. General Requirements: See  and degree requirements. Six semester hours of English composition (ENGL 1301-1302); 3 semester hours of English literature (ENGL 2310. 2320, 2322, 2326, 2331, 2371, or 2376); 3 semester hours of Communication (COMM 1315 or 1321); MATH 1314 plus an additional 3 hours of math above MATH 1314; 3 semester hours of creative arts (ARTS 1301, ARTS 1303, COMM 1375, DANC 2304, MUSI 1306, or PHIL 1330); 8 semester hours of Biology (1406-1407 or 2401-2402); 12 semester hours and completion of 2312 course in Spanish or French or 12 hours of sign language; 3 semester hours of Philosophy (1370 or 2303); 6 semester hours of History (select 2 from 1301, 1302, 2301); 6 semester hours of Political Science (2301-2302); 1 semester hour in LIBR 1101, HNRS 2160, or LMAR 1101; and ENGL 3310.
2. Major: PSYC 2301 General Psychology, PSYC 2317 Introduction to Statistical Methods, PSYC 3301 Advanced Statistics, PSYC 3302 Methods in Psychology, PSYC 4330 Experimental Psychology. An additional 21 semester hours selected from PSYC 3320, 3330, 3340, 3360, 4310, 4320, 4360, and 4380.
3. Minor (18 semester hours). An approved minor of at least 18 semester hours; a minimum of 9 semester hours must be on the advanced level.
4. Electives. A sufficient number of approved electives (3 upper level hours) to complete a total of 120 semester hours (45 upper level hours).
5. Completion of a standardized test of psychological knowledge such as the Major Field Achievement Test.
6. Meet all remaining general education degree requirements of the university and college.

Total Minimum Hours: 120 (45 upper level hours). Additional requirements may be required for specialized areas, such as preparation for graduate school, certifications, or licensures. Please see a program advisor or the department chair for details.

Bachelor of Science – Psychology Major

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Psychology will be awarded upon completion of the following:

1. General Requirements: See  and degree requirements. Six semester hours of English composition (ENGL 1301-1302); 3 semester hours of English literature (ENGL 2310. 2320, 2322, 2326, 2331, 2371, or 2376); 3 semester hours of Communication (COMM 1315 or 1321); MATH 1314 plus an additional 3 hours of math above MATH 1314; 3 semester hours of creative arts (ARTS 1301, ARTS 1303, COMM 1375, DANC 2304, MUSI 1306, or PHIL 1330); 8 semester hours of Biology (1406-1407 or 2401-2402); 8 semester hours of physical sciences (select from CHEM 13__/11__, GEOL 14__, PHYS 14__, and SPSC 14__); 6 semester hours of History (select 2 from 1301, 1302, 2301); 6 semester hours of Political Science (2301-2302); 1 semester hour in LIBR 1101, HNRS 2160, or LMAR 1101; COSC 1371; and ENGL 3310.
2. Major: PSYC 2301 General Psychology, PSYC 2317 Introduction to Statistical Methods, PSYC 3301 Advanced Statistics, PSYC 3302 Methods in Psychology, PSYC 4330 Experimental Psychology. An additional 21 semester hours selected from PSYC 3320, 3330, 3340, 3360, 4310, 4320, 4360, and 4380.
3. Minor (18 semester hours). An approved minor of at least 18 semester hours; a minimum of 9 semester hours must be on the advanced level.
4. Electives. A sufficient number of approved electives (3 upper level hours) to complete a total of 120 semester hours (45 upper level hours).
5. Completion of a standardized test of psychological knowledge such as the Major Field Achievement Test.
6. Meet all remaining general education degree requirements of the university and college.

Total Minimum Hours: 120. Additional requirements may be required for specialized areas, such as preparation for graduate school, certifications, or licensures. Please see a program advisor or the department chair for details.

Minor in Psychology

A total of 18 hours of psychology courses are required for a minor, of which 9 hours must be upper level. PSYC 2270 does not count toward a minor. The department will not accept any grade in the minor below a C. Required lower division courses: PSYC 2301 General Psychology and PSYC 2317 Introduction to Statistical Methods

It is advisable for a student to meet with someone in the Department of Psychology to discuss the selection of the remaining hours to best address the needs of the individual student.

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Bachelor of Science - Psychology