Psychology, B.A. (Behrend)

Program Description

The Psychology program at Penn State Behrend provides students with a solid foundation in the application of psychological knowledge, skills and techniques for the solution and prevention of individual and social problems. A spectrum of courses (bio-behavioral, clinical, cognitive-experimental, developmental, educational, human factors, industrial/organizational, personality, and social) is united by a strong focus on the scientific method. All students are afforded the opportunity to participate in internships and research assistantships throughout their training. Bachelor-level graduates in psychology are equipped for various positions in human service agencies, businesses, industries, and laboratories. Those not joining the workforce following graduation most often continue their training, working towards a master's or doctoral degree in psychology; others go on to other disciplines, e.g., medical or law school. Courses within this degree can also be used to develop specialty areas such as criminal justice, sociology, or international studies.

The Bachelor of Arts degree requires nine additional credits and proficiency in a second language. The Bachelor of Arts degree helps to prepare students for careers in education-related settings, human services, clinical settings, and other related fields.

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of thought, behavior, and experience. Many people associate psychology with psychological therapy and the practice of clinical psychology. There are also many other important areas of scientific psychology, such as cognitive, developmental, industrial/organizational, and social psychology. What these subfields of psychology have in common is the use of the scientific method to understand human behavior and apply that understanding to the development of theory and practice. Psychologists are increasingly making use of neuroscience methods and theories to understand psychological phenomena. As a profession, psychology is related to fields such as health, education, marketing, human resources, social work, and more. The principles of psychology are relevant to almost all areas of human endeavor, and the career paths of psychology students reflect this wealth of possibilities.

You Might Like This Program If...

• Human behavior fascinates you.
• You wonder how personality influences behavior, how brain function relates to behaviors, how memory works, or how people make decisions.
• You’re interested in the criminal justice system and forensics.
• You want to know more about child development, parenting, and learning.
• You’re interested in human diversity in all its forms, i.e., personality, gender, and culture.
• You’d like to help people who have psychological disorders.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

13 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes 4 credits of GQ courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.

3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if world language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.

Per Senate Policy 83.80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of coursework in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned.

Requirements for the Major

Each student must earn a grade of C or better for prescribed and additional courses in the major and for each 300- and 400-level course in the major field.

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
PSYCH 100	Introductory Psychology	3
PSYCH 301W	Basic Research Methods in Psychology	4
PSYCH 406W	Advanced Research Projects in Psychology	4
PSYCH 489	Professional Development in Psychology	1
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
or ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
PSYCH 200	Elementary Statistics in Psychology	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Select 3 credits from the following:		3
CAS 100A	Effective Speech
CAS 100B	Effective Speech
CAS 100C	Effective Speech
Select 3 credits from the following:		3
ENGL 202A	Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences
ENGL 202B	Effective Writing: Writing in the Humanities
ENGL 202C	Effective Writing: Technical Writing
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing
Select 3 credits in four of the following five content categories:		12
1. Biological Bases of Behavior
PSYCH 253	Introduction to Psychology of Perception
PSYCH 260	Neurological Bases of Human Behavior
PSYCH 269	Evolutionary Psychology
2. Social/Developmental
HDFS 129	Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies
HDFS 229	Infant and Child Development
PSYCH 212	Introduction to Developmental Psychology
PSYCH 221	Introduction to Social Psychology
3. Cognitive/Learning
PSYCH 256	Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
PSYCH 261	Introduction to Psychology of Learning
PSYCH 263N	Science of Learning
PSYCH 268	Animal Minds
4. Clinical/Applied
EDPSY 14	Learning and Instruction
PSYCH 217N	The Science of Human Resilience
PSYCH 238	Introduction to Personality Psychology
PSYCH 243	Introduction to Well-being and Positive Psychology
PSYCH 244	Introduction to the Psychology of Human Factors Engineering
PSYCH 270	Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
PSYCH 281	Introduction to Industrial-Organizational Psychology
5. Diversity
PSYCH 230	Introduction to Psychologies of Religion
PSYCH 231	Introduction to the Psychology of Gender
PSYCH 232	Cross-Cultural Psychology
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 3 credits of a structured practicum, internship or an approved research experience (PSYCH 294, PSYCH 296, PSYCH 494, PSYCH 495, or PSYCH 496 may be applied to this requirement)		3
Select 3 additional credits of psychology courses at the 200, 300, or 400-level in consultation with your adviser		3
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 9 credits of 400-level psychology courses from any combination of categories in consultation with adviser (except PSYCH 494, PSYCH 495, PSYCH 496)		9

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

B.A. Degree Requirements

World Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one world language in addition to English. This proficiency must be demonstrated by either examination or course work. See the Placement Policy for Penn State World Language Courses.

B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, World Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; world language credits in this category must be in a second world language in addition to English or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language). Credits must be selected from the list of approved courses.

World Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the University Cultural Diversity (US/IL) requirement.​

Program Learning Objectives

• Career-Related Skills:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of professional options and required training for careers in the major subfields of psychology.
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify personally-relevant career options to implement their psychological knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.
• Communication Skills:
  • Communicate effectively (in writing and/or orally) the results of a project or internship.
  • Demonstrate the ability to effectively extract central points and summarize psychological research literature and to write in the format of psychological research.
• Content Knowledge:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of major psychological concepts, theories, and empirical findings.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply psychological concepts and theories to research and real life situations.
• Diversity and Ethical Considerations:
  • Show evidence of knowledge and appreciation for cultural diversity and relativity in human experience and for the complexity of human behavior and interactions.
  • Demonstrate knowledge, and the application of, basic principles of scientific and professional ethics.
  • Demonstrate sensitivity to ethical concerns and professionalism (including cultural considerations) in settings where applications of psychology and/or psychological research occur.
• Research Skills:
  • Differentiate among the research methods used in psychology and apply the designs in evaluation or development of a research study.
  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret quantitative psychological data using statistics, graphs, and data tables.
  • Use technology for studying concepts and conducting research.
• Thinking Skills:
  • Use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of information in the scientific literature to distinguish the scientific literature from other sources.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Erie

Melanie Hetzel-Riggin, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
108 Turnbull
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6949
mdh33@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Psychology, B.A. at Erie Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements:

Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in World Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as World Cultures courses.

Program Notes:

• Choose 3 credits in four of the following five categories of courses:
  • Biological Bases of Behavior: choose from PSYCH 253, PSYCH 260, PSYCH 269
  • Social/Developmental: choose from HDFS 129, HDFS 229, PSYCH 212, PSYCH 221
  • Cognitive/Learning: choose from PSYCH 256, PSYCH 261, PSYCH 263N, PSYCH 268
  • Clinical/Applied: choose from EDPSY 14, PSYCH 217N, PSYCH 238, PSYCH 243, PSYCH 244, PSYCH 270, PSYCH 281
  • Diversity: choose from PSYCH 230, PSYCH 231, PSYCH 232

Academic Advising Notes:

• The course series listed above is only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The number of electives required varies per student. Please be sure to consult with an adviser about your intended plan.

Career Paths

The B.A. in Psychology is structured within a liberal arts framework that requires study of a world language and offers coursework options. If you are interested in criminology and law, you can select courses in political sciences and sociology. Students interested in working with children and adolescents take courses in human development, family studies, counseling, trauma studies, and education. All psychology students design and conduct a capstone research project and may participate in outreach and mentoring through Penn State Behrend’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation, its Prevention of Aggression Resource Center, and its Early Learning Center.

Careers

Penn State Behrend’s B.A. in Psychology degree provides you with a strong skill set that is particularly valued in the mental health and social services fields, education, social work, medicine, business, law, and basic and applied research. Recent graduates are working as elementary and special education teachers, school counselors, clinical psychologists, lawyers, research associates, developmental psychologists, industrial organizational psychologists, human resource managers, data analysts, counselors, caseworkers, and therapeutic support staff.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Psychology graduates have earned master’s and doctoral degrees in fields such as psychology, business, human factors, law, education, medicine, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Some of the schools they have attended include Penn State, Washington University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Pittsburgh, and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Additionally, Penn State Behrend offers a Master of Arts degree in Applied Clinical Psychology that includes optional preparation for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• American Psychological Association
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology
• National Association of School Psychologists

Contact

Erie

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
170 Irvin Kochel Center
4951 College Drive
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6108
HSSOffice@psu.edu

https://behrend.psu.edu/school-of-humanities-social-sciences