Department of Psychology

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Bachelor of Science with a Major in Psychology

To qualify for a B.S. degree in psychology, students must complete a minimum of 38 semester hours of courses in psychology and 6 semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, or physics, as listed below. 

Requirements		Hours
Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
Select two courses from the following areas:		6
Biology (BY) 1
Chemistry (CH) 1
Physics (PH) 1
General Requirements 2
PY 101	Introduction to Psychology	3
or PY 201	Honors Introduction to Psychology
PY 212	Developmental Psychology	3
or PY 222	Honors Developmental Psychology
PY 215	Research Literacy in Psychology	3
PY 216	Elementary Statistical Methods (Concurrent enrollment in PY 216L is required.)	4
or PY 226	Honors Elementary Statistical Methods
PY 216L	Elementary Statistical Methods Laboratory
PY 218	Abnormal Psychology	3
or PY 228	Honors Abnormal Psychology
PY 253	Brain, Mind and Behavior	3
PY 316	Research Methods in Psychology	3
PY 490	Psychology Capstone/SL	3
Psychology Electives
Select three other Psychology (PY) courses, including two courses at the 300 level not otherwise required 3		9
Advanced Coursework
Select two courses at the 400 level not otherwise required		6
Total Hours		46

1	BY 111, BY 112, CH 100 and PH 100 may not be taken to satisfy this requirement. Most biology, chemistry, and physics courses that satisfy the Area III Core Curriculum requirement will also satisfy this requirement of the major. It is recommended that students consult with the psychology advisor about this requirement.
2	Completing PY 101 or PY 201 and PY 212 will also satisfy 6 of the 12 required hours in Core Curriculum Area IV.
3	PY 396 Teaching Practicum in Psychology, PY 397 Community-Based Practicum in Psychology and PY 398 Research Practicum in Psychology may not be used to fulfill more than three hours of this requirement.

Grade and Residency Requirement

A grade of C or better is required in all courses applied to the major. At least 15 hours at the 300 level or above, including at least 9 hours at the 400 level, must be completed at UAB.

Additional Requirements

Minor

A minor is recommended but not required for this degree.

General Electives

Students must take general electives to reach the 120 semester hour graduation requirement.

Students are encouraged to assist with ongoing research projects and/or obtain experience with the application of psychology in teaching or community settings. Academic credit may be earned for these experiences. Students may apply a maximum of 3 semester hours of PY 398 (research), and/or PY 396 (teaching), and/or PY 397 (community) to their major and minor requirements. Students preparing to attend graduate school in psychology are strongly encouraged to participate in the Psychology Honors Program, get involved faculty research projects, and develop a strong background in natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science.

Psychology majors may be required to complete a general psychology examination at the time they declare psychology as their major, as well as a second examination upon completion of the course requirements for a B.S. degree in psychology. Although these examinations may be required for graduation, they are intended for program assessment purposes only. Performance on these examinations will not affect students’ grade point averages, nor will they be a factor in determining whether students qualify for the baccalaureate degree.

 

Psychology majors have two full-time academic advisors available. Please contact CAS Advising, Heritage Hall Building, (205) 934-6135.