Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.A. requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements, visit the B.A. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology
Students may not earn both a B.A. and a B.S. in Psychology. All students wishing to complete a B.A. must comply with the following:
- Calculation of Major GPA: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements, with a minimum grade of C- in PSYC 101, PSYC 203, and PSYC 204. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Writing and communication Skills Requirement: The Psychology Bachelor of Arts is a SpeakWrite Certified ProgramTM. SpeakWrite Certified programs incorporate and develop students’ written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills across the curriculum.
- Residence requirement:To graduate from WVU with a major in Psychology, a student must have successfully completed (with a passing grade) a minimum of 10 credit hours of 300- and 400-level psychology coursework at WVU. Completion of the following courses does NOT count towards the residency requirement: PSYC 304, PSYC 315, PSYC 490, PSYC 491, PSYC 495, PSYC 497, and PSYC 498.
- Capstone Requirement: : The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course: PSYC 480, PSYC 481, PSYC 485, PSYC 486, PSYC 487, or PSYC 489.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 66 | |
| Eberly Edge Requirements | 15 | |
| Psychology Major Requirements | 39 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 | 19 | |
| PSYC 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 46 | |
| Total Hours | 66 | |
Eberly Edge Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | |
| EDG 2: Effective and Civil Communications | 3 | |
| EDG 3: Ethics and Civic Responsibility | 3 | |
| EDG 4: Global and Regional Perspectives | 3 | |
| EDG 5: Practicing Arts and Sciences (ARSC 380) | 3 | |
| EDG 6: High Impact Experience (PSYC 480, PSYC 481, PSYC 485, PSYC 486, PSYC 487, PSYC 489) | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Psychology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE COURSES | 27 | |
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Psychology as a Profession | ||
| Research Methods and Analysis 1 and Research Methods and Analysis 1 Laboratory | ||
| Research Methods and Analysis 2 and Research Methods and Analysis 2 Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Human Development | ||
| Introduction to Social Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Psychological Disorders | ||
| Biological Foundations of Behavior and Biological Foundations of Behavior Laboratory | ||
| Behavior Principles and Behavior Principles Laboratory | ||
| SOCIOCULTURAL AWARENESS REQUIREMENT | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following list: | ||
| Multiculturalism in Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Adjustment | ||
| Ethics and Practice in Behavior Analysis | ||
| Community Psychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Exceptional Children | ||
| Health Disparities Across the Lifespan | ||
| UPPER-DIVISION PSYCHOLOGY ELECTIVES | 6 | |
Alternate 300 or 400-level PSYC courses * | ||
| CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE | 3 | |
| Select one of the following options: | ||
| Psychology Teaching Apprenticeship Capstone | ||
| Psychology Field Experience Capstone | ||
| Psychology Research Capstone | ||
| Behavior Analysis Field Experience Capstone | ||
| Behavior Analysis Research Experience | ||
| Psychology Honors Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 39 | |
- *
Excluding PSYC 304, 315, 490, 491, 495, 497, or 498.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 191 | 1 | PSYC 241 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | EDG 2: Effective and Civil Communication | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | GEF 2 | 4 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | General Elective | 2 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 203 & 203L | 3 | PSYC 204 & 204L | 3 |
| PSYC 251 (GEF 8) | 3 | PSYC 281 (GEF 7) | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | PSYC 201 | 1 |
| EDG 3: Ethics and Civil Responsibility | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | EDG 3: Ethics and Civil Responsibility | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 302 & 302L | 4 | PSYC 301 & 301L | 4 |
| ARSC 380 (EDG 5) | 3 | General Elective* | 3 |
| GEF 6 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | General Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Sociocultural Awareness Course | 3 | PSYC Capstone (EDG 6) | 3 |
| PSYC Upper-Division Elective | 3 | PSYC Upper-Division Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
- *
Students completing a minor, a second major, or dual degree already fulfill GEF 8.
Major Learning Outcomes
Psychology B.A.
Upon successful completion of the B.A. in Psychology, program majors will be able to:
- Summarize key concepts, basic principles, theories, and methodologies of major areas of psychology, including:
- Developmental psychology
- Social Psychology
- Psychopathology
- Behavior analysis
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Describe and discuss advanced principles and research findings in areas of psychology relevant to one’s professional and personal goals.
- Demonstrate critical thinking, by:
- applying scientific principles of psychology to analyze and solve basic and applied problems.
- critically evaluating primary source research in psychology.
- Design, conduct, analyze, and interpret simple psychological research studies.
- Employ ethical standards in psychological research, applied practice, and academic pursuits.
- Communicate scientific information in writing for both professional audiences (using APA format) and general audiences.
- Create and deliver effective oral presentations for both professional and general audiences.
- Recognize and acknowledge the impact of individual and sociocultural diversity on human behavior and outcomes.
- Develop a professional direction, and cultivate interpersonal, self-regulation, and leadership skills that will facilitate this direction.