Psychology
Program Overview:
The Psychology concentration provides students with a background in the science of mind and behavior, and an understanding of how empirical methods are used to study human cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional processes. Requirements for the concentration include introductory and survey courses, specialized seminars, laboratories, and a research thesis. Psychology is intrinsically interdisciplinary, as the field lies at the nexus of the biological and social sciences. Consequently, students concentrating in psychology benefit from coursework taken outside of the field as well. Most students seeking careers in psychology and related disciplines will go on to graduate school, as most clinical and applied positions require an advanced degree. Students interested in pursuing graduate study in psychology should work closely with a member of the psychology advisory board to insure a sufficient preparation in each of the major academic sub-disciplines of psychology (i.e., Biological, Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychologies). Our undergraduate concentration is broad and research-based in order to best prepare our students for entry into this competitive field.
Advisory Board
Dr. Julie Earles | Dr. Kevin Lanning
Dr. Laura Vernon | Dr. Shaina Rowell
Available options:
Concentration in psychology; Minor in psychology
Alternative Requirements for students entering prior to Summer 2021
Concentration
A. Foundations in Psychological Science (7 credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 1012 | Honors General Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 3213, 3213L * | RI: Honors Research Methods in Psychology/Lab | 4 |
*Note: PSY 3213 and PSY 3213L must be taken concurrently and should be taken in the sophomore or junior year. The only prerequisite for these courses is PSY 1012.
B. Foundations in Biology and Neuroscience (7-8 credits)
Required:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BSC 1010, 1010L | Honors Biological Principles/Lab | 4 |
Electives:
One of more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSB 3340 | Honors Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSB 3441 | Honors Drugs and Behavior | 3 |
| BSC 2084 | Honors Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| PCB 3703, 3703L | Honors Human Morphology and Function 1/Lab | 4 |
| PCB 3063 | Honors Genetics | 3 |
| ZOO 4742 | Honors Human Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| BSC 4930 | Honors Science of Addiction | 3 |
| BSC 4930 | Honors Variable Titles | 3 |
Note: Students in the Max Planck Honors Program may count Introduction to Neuroscience Research (PSB 4003, 1 credit) and two distinct MPHP Enrichment courses (1 credit each) as their 3 credit, Group A elective.
C. Foundations in Mathematics and Computational Science (6-7 credits)
Required:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STA 2023 | Honors Introductory Statistics | 3 |
Electives:
One or more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STA 3164 | Honors Intermediate Statistics | 3 |
| MAC 2311 | Honors Calculus | 4 |
| PSY 4302, 4302L | Honors Psychometrics/Lab | 4 |
| COP 3076 | Honors Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
D. Surveys of Psychology as a Social Science (6 credits)
Two or more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PPE 3003 | Honors Personality | 3 |
| DEP 3053 | Honors Psychology of Human Development | 3 |
| SOP 3004 * | Honors Principles of Social Psychology | 3 |
*Note: Unlike in the College of Science, in the Wilkes Honors College, the only prerequisite for SOP 3004 is PSY 1012.
E. Surveys of Psychology as a Natural Science (3 credits)
One or more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSB 3441 | Honors Drugs and Behavior | 3 |
| EXP 3604 | Honors Cognition | 3 |
| PSB 3340 | Honors Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
F. Surveys of Psychology as a Health Science (3 credits)
One or more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 4143 | Honors Psychopathology (Abnormal Psychology) |
3 |
| CLP 4314 | Honors Health Psychology | 3 |
G. Seminars and Advanced Coursework in Psychology (9 credits)
Three or more of the following:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 4923 | Honors Advanced Seminar in Psychology | 3 |
| ISS 4304 | Honors Computational Social Science | 3 |
| EXP 4631 | Honors Thinking and Decision- Making | 3 |
| EXP 3202 | Honors Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| PCB 3411 | Honors Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 4930 | Honors Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| DEP 4463C | Honors Lab in Cognitive Aging | 3 |
| DEP 4464 | Honors Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 4604 | Honors History and Systems of Psychology | 3 |
| ANT 4495 | Honors Research Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | 3 |
| DEP 4095 | Honors Personality and Social Development | 3 |
| POS 4206 | Honors Political Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 4930 | Honors Positive Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 4930 | Honors Psychotherapy Systems | 3 |
| PSY 4930 | Honors Variable Titles | 3 |
Note: In lieu of three classes from Group G, students may take two classes from G and one additional class from Group D, E, or F.
H. Advanced Writing and the Honors Thesis (7 credits)
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 4933 ISC 3933 |
Honors Advanced Writing in Psychology (or) Honors Interdisciplinary Science and Math Seminar |
1 |
| IDS 4970 | RI: Honors Thesis | 6 (2 X 3 credits) |
| Total Credits | 48-50 |
Notes: Students must earn at least a B- in PSY 1012 and a C in all other courses for these to count towards the psychology concentration.
At least five psychology courses in Groups C - G must be taken at the Honors College.
Interdisciplinary courses (prefixes IDS, ISS, etc.) may be substituted for coursework in psychology with the permission of a member of the psychology advisory board and an approved petition for a course substitution.
A course used to fulfill one psychology concentration requirement may not also be used to fulfill another psychology concentration requirement.
Minor
The Psychology minor concentration provides students with a background in the science of mind and behavior, and an understanding of how empirical methods are used to study human cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional processes. To complete the psychology minor concentration, students complete the following courses totaling 21-22 credit hours:
- PSY 1012 Honors General Psychology (3 credits)
- STA 2023 Honors Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
- One course in advanced statistics or research methods, such as:
- PSY 3213 Honors Research Methods in Psychology and PSY 3213L (4 credits)
- COP 3076 Honors Introduction to Data Science (3 credits)
- STA 3164 Honors Intermediate Statistics (3 credits)
- Four additional 3-credit upper-level psychology courses (12 credits). These electives should reflect the breadth of the discipline, and so must include at least one course from each of Groups D (Surveys of Psychology as a Social Science), E (Surveys of Psychology as a Natural Science), and F (Surveys of Psychology as a Health Science).
At least four of the psychology courses in Groups C - G must be taken at the Honors College. Students must attain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.