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:
- Capstone Requirement: : The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course: PSYC 486, PSYC 487, PSYC 490A, PSYC 491A, PSYC 495A, or PSYC 498A.
- 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.
- 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, PSYC 204, as well as a minimum of C- in either PSYC 301 or PSYC 302. 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.
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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.
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Benchmark Expectations: For details, go to the Psychology Degree Progress tab.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 76 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
| Psychology Major Requirements | 38 | |
| 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 | 27 | |
| PSYC 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 48 | |
| Total Hours | 76 | |
ECAS Bachelor of Arts Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts Requirement | 3 | |
| Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Psychology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | 17 | |
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Research Methods and Analysis 1 and Research Methods and Analysis 1 Laboratory | ||
| Research Methods and Analysis 2 and Research Methods and Analysis 2 Laboratory | ||
| Biological Foundations of Behavior and Biological Foundations of Behavior Laboratory | ||
| Behavior Principles and Behavior Principles Laboratory | ||
| Select one course from Cluster A or B | 3 | |
Cluster A: Learning and Cognition: | ||
| Advanced Behavior Principles | ||
| Cognition and Memory | ||
| Learning and Behavior Theory | ||
| Applied Behavior Analysis | ||
Cluster B: Biological Bases of Behavior | ||
| Perception | ||
| Physiological Psychology | ||
| Neuroscience of Sleep | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Clinical Neuroscience | ||
| Cluster C: Clinical and Individual Differences (Select one): | 3 | |
| Introduction to Psychological Disorders | ||
| Psychological Assessment | ||
| Personality Theory | ||
| Psychology of Adjustment | ||
| Forensic Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Clinical Psychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Exceptional Children | ||
| Cluster D: Developmental Psychology (Select one): | 3 | |
| Introduction to Human Development | ||
| Child Development | ||
| Prenatal and Infant Development | ||
| Child and Adolescent Development | ||
| Adolescent Development | ||
| Adulthood and Aging | ||
| Cluster E: Social Processes (Select one): | 3 | |
| Leadership and Human Relations | ||
| Sex Roles and Behavior | ||
| Introduction to Social Psychology | ||
| Multiculturalism in Psychology | ||
| Topics in Social Psychology | ||
| Ethics and Practice in Behavior Analysis | ||
| Emotions and Mood | ||
| Community Psychology | ||
| Psychology Electives | 6 | |
Alternate 300 or 400-level PSYC course * | ||
| Capstone Course (Select one of the following): | 3 | |
| Behavior Analysis Field Experience Capstone | ||
| Behavior Analysis Research Experience | ||
| Teaching Practicum | ||
| Professional Field Experience | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Honors | ||
| Total Hours | 38 | |
- *
Excluding PSYC 304, 315, 490, 491, 495, 497, or 498.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 191 | 1 | PSYC Cluster D | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | GEF 2 | 4 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 2 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 203 & 203L | 3 | PSYC 204 & 204L | 3 |
| PSYC Cluster E | 3 | PSYC Cluster C | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| ECAS Global Studies & Diversity Requirement (GEF 7) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC 302 & 302L | 4 | PSYC 301 & 301L | 4 |
| ECAS Fine Arts Requirement (GEF 6) | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| GEF 8* | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | General Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PSYC Cluster A/B | 3 | PSYC Capstone | 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
Upon successful completion of the B.A. or B.S. degree, Psychology majors will be able to:
- Describe the central principles, facts, concepts, and theories of major areas of psychology (i.e., Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Developmental) including: Theory, Content, and Research Methods. Students will also be able to describe advanced principles.
- Demonstrate critical thinking, by applying scientific principles of psychology to analyze and solve basic and applied problems.
- Create, evaluate, and revise text (oral, written) that effectively communicates information using APA format.