Psychology Major 2008-2009

Requirements for Graduation

Download the Psychology Major information as a "pdf" document. (PDF)

University-wide Minimum Requirements

120 hours (including 2 hours of physical education)
NOTE: Students may not take more than 18 credit hours/semester unless they have special permission.
At least 40 of the 120 hours must be earned in courses numbered 300 or above.
The overall GPA for the 120 hours must be at least 2.00.
The following University Core Curriculum requirements must be completed (NOTE that the Core Curriculum is currently under revision):
General Requirements
FYS Freshman Writing Seminar (6 hours)
GHS Global and Historical Studies (6 hours)
CC1P Physical Well Being

Division Requirements
Division 1: Humanities (many options; 3 hours) (all courses are at 200+ level)
Division 2: Fine Arts (many options; 3 hours)
Division 3: Social Sciences (not required of psychology majors, but anthropology and sociology courses are particularly relevant to psychology; 3 hours)
Division 4: Natural Sciences (many options; 5 hours)
Division 5: Quantitative and Formal Reasoning (many options; 3-5 hours)
The student must have completed a major's program. A semester grade of "D [that is, D+, D, D-]" or "P" does NOT count toward required hours for a major or minor. With the written approval of his/her advisor, a student may repeat any course. Only the most recent grade will count towards the student's grade point average (see your advisor for details).
The student's academic work must be certified by the Registrar as having fulfilled all requirements.
Completion, after having attained junior standing, of a 300 or 400 level course designated as "writing intensive (e.g., PS 420W)." This course cannot be taken pass/fail.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements

A demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language. Usually this requirement is met by successful completion of 6 hours of courses numbered 200 or above. A placement test administered by the Modern Foreign Language Department will determine the particular courses you are required to take.
Computer competency requirement. The student meets this requirement by taking PS210, PS211 and PS310.

Requirements for Psychology Major

Our broad goal is to provide a knowledge of the basic principles of behavior as established by scientific procedures. Psychology majors make an intensive study of the content and methods of psychology in preparation for graduate training and later professional pursuits in the field. The knowledge and skills they acquire help them pursue careers in such fields as psychology, social work, counseling, management, human resources, public relations, sales, and health administration. Every student planning a major in psychology should begin the program in the freshman year, and should work closely with a departmental advisor. At Butler, the psychology major is integrated with an interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences education.

A major in Psychology (39 credit hours) consists of PS101, PS202, PS210, PS211, PS235, PS310, PS320, PS350, PS385, PS 440, one 400-level seminar, one 400-level course, and one other psychology course at the 300-400 level. Psychology majors are encouraged to include courses in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology as they plan their undergraduate career.

The Goals of the Curriculum

to provide a substantial breadth of exposure to the psychological literature, endowing each student with a common core of psychological knowledge,
to provide each student with basic methodological and computer skills,
to provide an intensive, sophisticated knowledge of at least one specialty within psychology.

Five seminar courses (taught on a rotating basis) enable the students to pursue their interests in advanced topics. They are: PS 475: Seminar in Cognitive Psychology, PS476: Seminar in Biopsychology, PS477: Seminar in Social Psychology, PS478: Seminar in Developmental Psychology, and PS479: Seminar in Applied Psychology.

Each seminar examines a major issue or theme within the designated field. However, the specific topic for each seminar will vary from semester to semester. For example, the Cognitive Psychology seminar may concern memory processes on one occasion, and language processes on another. Alternatively, a sixth seminar (PS491: Recent Literature in Psychology) may be taken to satisfy the seminar course requirement.

The Structure of the Major (Total hours required = 39 hours); PS101 is a prerequisite for almost all upper-level courses)

Content Core (21 hours)
PS101 Introduction to Psychology (3 hours)
PS202 Learning (3 hours)
PS235 Biological Bases of Behavior (3 hours)
PS320 Life Span Developmental Psychology (3 hours)
PS350 Social Psychology (3 hours)
PS385 Cognitive Processes (3 hours)
PS440 Psychology of Personality (3 hours)

Methodological Core (9 hours)
PS210 Research Methods/Statistics I (3 hours)
PS211 Research Methods/Statistics II (3 hours)
PS310 Statistics (3 hours) NOTE: You should make every effort to take Statistics during your sophomore or junior year. AVOID TAKING THIS COURSE AS A SENIOR.

Advanced/Specialized Courses (9 hours)
PS300-400 level course (3 hours)
PS400 level course (3 hours)
PS400 level seminar (3 hours)

The following elective courses may be useful for a psychology major:

100-level elective courses:
PS105 Careers in Psychology (1 hour credit; Pass/Fail). This course explores careers in psychology and related fields, and the preparation required for each field. This course counts for 1 hour credit toward the degree, but the credit does not apply toward the psychology major.

PS112 Professional Writing in Psychology (1 hour credit; Pass/Fail). This course promotes a variety of scientific writing skills, such as using the style approved by the American Psychological Association. These skills will help students to complete the undergraduate program. This course counts for 1 hour credit toward the degree, but the credit does not apply toward the psychology major.

300-level elective courses:
PS305 Psychology of Gender (3 hours)
PS306 Psychological Foundations of Visual Art (3 hours)
PS311 Experimental Psychology II (3 hours)
PS333 Human Sexuality (3 hours)
PS360 Industrial Psychology (3 hours)
PS391 Internship (1 hour; may be repeated up to 6 hours)
PS396 Directed Research (1 hour; may be repeated up to 6 hours)

400-level elective courses:
PS404 Sensory Processes and Perception (3 hours)
PS415 Psychological Testing (3 hours)
PS420 History of Psychology (3 hours)
PS441 Abnormal Psychology (3 hours)
PS443 Intervention in the Community/Psychotherapy (3 hours)
PS475 Advanced Seminar in Cognitive Psychology (3 hours)
PS476 Advanced Seminar in Biopsychology (3 hours)
PS477 Advanced Seminar in Social Psychology (3 hours)
PS478 Advanced Seminar in Developmental Psychology (3 hours)
PS479 Advanced Seminar in Applied Psychology (3 hours)
PS491 Recent Literature in Psychology (3 hours)
PS496 Independent Study (1 hour; may be repeated up to 6 hours)
PS499 Honors Thesis (3 hours)

Note regarding course sequencing: It is not possible to prescribe a single sequence of courses for all students. Any student's course sequence will depend on that student's initial placement in mathematics, English and foreign language courses - and on whether that student has received credit for Advanced Placement Examinations or previous college courses. However, the sample schedule on Page 6 should serve as a general guide.

Discuss your interests and career/academic objectives with your advisor. It is important that you select courses which serve your specific needs, and help to attain your specific goals. A freshman course, PS105 (Careers in Psychology) is offered to provide you with information about psychology and related fields. Another freshman course, PS112 (Professional Writing in Psychology) is offered for students who want to improve their writing abilities. This is NOT a remedial course - it teaches specialized writing skills.

As a psychology major, you should attempt to complete as many of the University Core requirements as possible by the end of your sophomore year. You should also consider adding a major, a minor, or a concentration in another discipline (consistent with your future plans). You may complete a "Combined Major". The combined major is a specialized degree in which you take the "core" courses in each of two related fields. For example, the combined Psychology/Sociology Major provides strong preparation for a student interested in pursuing a graduate degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice, counseling, or law.

Currently, Psychology students may enroll in combined majors with Anthropology, Journalism, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology (either the Social Work or the Criminal Justice track).

In addition to your major in Psychology, we suggest that you complete another major (30-55 hours), a minor (18-24 credit hours), or a concentration (12-18 hours) in another discipline.

For more information regarding a career in psychology, the American Psychological Association has an online brochure that covers the differences among the various degrees available in psychology, types of careers, and what psychologists do. It is intended to help answer your questions about what it is like to work in psychology and what educational requirements are needed. It may be found at http://www.apa.org/students/brochure/index.html.

Minors in Business Administration, Computer Science, a Modern Foreign Language (esp. American Sign Language, Chinese, or Spanish) or Philosophy are particularly good additions to a Psychology major. We encourage each psychology major to complete at least one semester of research experience in a professor's lab group (PS396, PS496), preferably starting as a freshman or sophomore.

We advise you to give serious thought to studying abroad, and to completing one or more internship placements. Those students considering graduate school in psychology should carry out an Honors Theses (PS499) and take the History of Psychology course (PS420).

The University Honors Program offers many interesting courses. If you are qualified for this program - and you find it interesting - take it. If you find it boring - don't take it just to make your transcript look good. You may qualify for either University Honors or Department Honors.

Psychology Department Faculty and Staff

Administrative Specialist: Carol Montgomery
Professors: Bohannon, Dale
Associate Professors: Lineweaver, Martin, Morris, Padgett
Assistant Professors: Giesler, Hege