Psychology (BS)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Academic Plan Code(s): PSYCBS, PSYCBS_O

Program Information

This program can be completed 100% online.

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology prepares students for most bachelor's-level careers as well as graduate school in psychology, training in health or science fields (including medical school), and careers in other professional domains. Students develop the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to gather, interpret, and present data. Psychology students can become intelligent consumers of information and active investigators of the fields of cognition, behavior, and brain science and understand how each facet of psychology impacts everyday decision-making. Students can also choose to complete some of the required course work for a pre-med curriculum by taking supporting classes in natural sciences.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.

Degree Summary

¹

Students earning the BS in Psychology will satisfy at least 10 hours of General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program. Students who take MATH 205 and also apply it to satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning requirement will satisfy 14 hours. In either case, students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

²

Four (4) courses from any other social science or natural science department, or from Communicative Disorders (CMDS). Social science courses must be at the 300+ level and natural science courses must be at the 200+ level.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Accelerated BS in Psychology to MS in Psychological Sciences

While the Psychology BS can be completed 100% online, graduate courses taken toward the MS portion of the accelerated BS-MS option are not available 100% online.

The Soaring Scholar accelerated BS/MS program is ideally suited for undergraduate students wishing to pursue a doctoral program in psychology (or related field) or those interested in being more “work-force ready” upon graduating. It is also well-suited for qualified students interested in testing the waters of graduate school or taking a “one step at a time” approach.

Overview
Psychology majors who are considering pursuing a master's degree (MS) in Psychological Science can earn a master's degree in less time through the Soaring Scholar program. Students accepted into this program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor's degree and the eventual master's degree.

Mentorship
Each student accepted into the accelerated program will receive one-on-one mentoring as part of their training. Faculty mentors will guide the research experiences of students in the program. Students without a faculty mentor may not continue in the program.

Research
Research experience is a critical component of the BS/MS. Students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, PSYC 491 or 492 in order to apply to the Soaring Scholars program. First- and Second-year students should plan ahead and find a PSYC 491 mentor in advance of applying to the Soaring Scholars program. Look through the list of Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology faculty for professors whose research interests you. Email them, and ask if they have openings for a 491 student (let them know you are considering applying for the Soaring Scholars program). Many faculty also post current openings on the Undergraduate Psychology Research page. 

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor to determine eligibility and apply to the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program. A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Departmental Admission Requirements

Admission to the major in Psychology requires:²

1. Completion of PSYC 201 with a minimum grade of C;¹
2. Completion of General Education QR course with a minimum grade of C;^{1, 2}
3. Completion of PSYC 301 with a minimum grade of C;¹
4. Completion of PSYC 302 with a minimum grade of C;¹
5. Completion of 30 hours of degree-applicable credit with a minimum grade point average of 2.0; and
6.  A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in Psychology. 

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

¹

Grades of C- are not accepted. 

²

PSYC 205 does not count towards credit hours required for the Psychology major. 

Soaring Scholar Accelerated BS Psychology/MS Psychological Science Admission Requirements

Interested students must apply to the program by December 1 of their Junior year. Applicants must have completed PSYC 201, PSYC 301, PSYC 302*, and PSYC 491 or PSYC 492 prior to application. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a 'C' grade or better in courses required for their BS.  Students must maintain a GPA of greater than 2.5 during their enrollment in the Soaring Scholar program. Students must enter the Soaring Scholar  program with no more than 24 credit hours remaining to complete their BS degree, and they must enter the program with 9 hours of elective credit remaining in their BS degree. Students interested in applying to Soaring Scholars program for Psychology should follow the application process outlined in the Soaring Scholars Application Checklist.

* Students may be currently enrolled in PSYC 302 when applying to the Soaring Scholar program.

General Education Requirements

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

Requirements for graduation include:

• Admission to the major
• A minimum grade of C minus in courses used to meet departmental requirements in the Psychology major (minimum grade of C required in PSYC 201, PSYC 301 and PSYC 302)
• A minimum GPA of 2.0 in Psychology (PSYC) coursework

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.
Students who wish to double major in the BS in Psychology and the BS in Neuroscience degrees must complete 18 credit hours toward the Psychology (PSYC) degree that do not count towards meeting the Neuroscience (NS) degree requirements. These 18 credit hours must include the following courses: PSYC 306, PSYC 307 and PSYC 308. If these courses are taken as electives for the NS degree, additional PSYC courses must be taken in their place. Students must also complete one PSYC CUE course and one NS CUE course. For elective courses that can count toward either degree, the student must specify whether each course will count for NS or PSYC.

¹

Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken

²

In addition to courses counted toward Cardinal Core

³

May be incorporated into other degree requirements

⁴

Fulfills a Cardinal Core Requirement.

⁵

Students should confirm any substitute class with the department prior to enrollment. Students who substitute a statistics course from another department will need to take an additional Psychology elective to complete the required number of Psychology hours for the program.

⁶

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required for the degree must be at the 300 level or above.

⁷

Students who satisfy Cardinal Core Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

⁸

Grades of C minus or below are not accepted

Accelerated BS in Psychology to MS in Psychological Sciences

Soaring Scholar Program

Overview
Psychology majors who are considering pursuing a master's degree (MS) in Psychological Science can earn a master's degree in less time through the Soaring Scholar program. Students accepted into this program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor's degree and the eventual master's degree.

Mentorship
Each student accepted into the accelerated program will receive one-on-one mentoring as part of their training. Faculty mentors will guide the research experiences of students in the program. Students without a faculty mentor may not continue in the program.

Research
Research experience is a critical component of the BS/MS. Students must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, PSYC 491 or 492 in order to apply to the Soaring Scholars program. First- and Second-year students should plan ahead and find a PSYC 491 mentor in advance of applying to the Soaring Scholars program. Look through the list of Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology faculty for professors whose research interests you. Email them, and ask if they have openings for a 491 student (let them know you are considering applying for the Soaring Scholars program). Many faculty also post current openings on the Undergraduate Psychology Research page. 

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor to determine eligibility and apply to the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program. A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Flight Plan

*Soaring Scholars Follow the Flight Plan Below for Year 4 

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.