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BA in Psychological Sciences

Degree Program Description

The study of Psychology aims to understand the mind, behavior, and mental health. The Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Sciences (BA) degree is for students interested in studying human behavior in preparation for either employment after completion of the undergraduate psychology degree, or in preparation for applied psychology and other related graduate programs (e.g., counseling, social work, management). Regardless of a student’s ultimate goals, our faculty members believe that students will be best served by completing a rigorous research-oriented program of study. Therefore, students should expect their instructors to take a scientific approach to the particular psychological content of each course. Psychological Sciences majors work in diverse fields such as community and social services, human resources, management and business, health care, student affairs and services, law enforcement, education, and scientific research.

Major Program Requirements

In addition to University, general education, and College of Arts and Science requirements, students must also meet the following major program requirements. All major requirements in the College of Arts and Science must be completed with grades of C- or higher unless otherwise indicated. Students are reminded to check the Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions and prerequisite information.

Major Core Requirements

  • The psychology major requires 30 credit hours in psychology coursework. 
  • All courses that count toward the psychology major requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better. Grades of D+ or below or U will not be accepted. This includes STAT 1200 or its equivalent (a required course for all psychology majors).
  • Students must complete STAT 1200 and PSYCH 3010 as a prerequisite for PSYCH 3020. PSYCH 3020 is a prerequisite for the capstone lab. PSYCH 3020 may be taken concurrently with PSYCH 4976HW or PSYCH 4976W. PSYCH 3020 must be completed before PSYCH 4977HW or PSYCH 4977W. We make no other exceptions to the research methods sequence requirements.
  • Students must complete at least two psychology courses (6 credit hours) numbered 4000 or above. The Psychology capstone lab may be used to meet this requirement. 
  • Students must complete at least one psychology course numbered 3000 or above that is designated Writing Intensive. A WI psychology capstone lab can meet this requirement. 
  • Students may use no more than 12 hours of Special Problems Courses, Special Readings Courses, or Internship Courses (PSYCH 2950, PSYCH 4940PSYCH 4950 & PSYCH 4960) toward graduation. Within the 12 hours, no more than 9 hours may be Special Problems Courses. (i.e., psychology research credit hours). A student may complete either 6 hours of PSYCH 2950 and 3 hours of PSYCH 4950, or they may complete 3 hours of PSYCH 2950 and 6 hours of PSYCH 4950.
  • Psych majors may have up to a total of 6 hours of PSYCH 4940. Internships are not required for the psychology major.
Required Courses
PSYCH 1000General Psychology3
or PSYCH 1000H General Psychology - Honors
STAT 1200Introductory Statistical Reasoning3
or STAT 1300 Elementary Statistics
or STAT 1300H Elementary Statistics - Honors
or STAT 1400 Elementary Statistics for Life Sciences
or STAT 2500 Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
Research Methods Sequence
PSYCH 3010Research Methods in Psychology I3
or PSYCH 3010H Research Methods in Psychology I- Honors
PSYCH 3020Research Methods in Psychology II3
or PSYCH 3020H Research Methods in Psychology II - Honors
Capstone course (psychology lab course)3-6
PSYCH 4010WTopics in Psychology Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4971WDevelopmental Psychology Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4972WAnimal Learning Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4973WHuman Cognition Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4974WPsychology of Art Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4975WSocial/Personality Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4977WIndependent Research Capstone II - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4977HWHonors Research Capstone II - Honors/Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4978WClinical Psychology Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4980WHuman Relationships Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4987WCross-Cultural Psychology Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4988WMedical Decision Making Capstone - Writing Intensive3
PSYCH 4991WThe Science of Mindfulness Capstone - Writing Intensive3

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Distribution Areas

Psychology majors are required to complete four distribution courses -- two courses in each of two distribution areas. This ensures that students will have exposure to a wide range of psychological theory and research. In addition, students choose two required additional Psychology courses (6 credit hours) to receive further education according to their interests. Although the distribution areas are presented below as distinct areas of study, a great deal of overlap exists among them. Students should understand the ways in which the various areas complement one another and gain the ability to integrate information learned in the different areas.

Clinical/Social/Developmental Distribution

This distribution area studies the nature and causes of individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behavior in social situations. It analyzes the cultural and biological influences on age-related changes in cognition, emotion, and social behavior that take place throughout an individual’s lifespan. It focuses on scientific study of the causes of mental disorders as well as methods for assessing and alleviating mental health problems. It also is concerned with the study of mental health and wellness, including strategies for preventing the development of mental disorders. Courses in this distribution area include:

PSYCH 2310Social Psychology3
PSYCH 2311The Art and Science of Living3
PSYCH 2320Introduction to Personality3
PSYCH 2410Developmental Psychology3
or PSYCH 2410H Developmental Psychology - Honors
PSYCH 2411Stories and Selves3
PSYCH 2510Survey of Psychopathology3
or PSYCH 2510H Survey of Psychopathology - Honors
PSYCH 2511Military and Veterans Psychology3
PSYCH 2520Introduction to Addiction Science3
PSYCH 2810Human Sexuality3
PSYCH 2830Human-Companion Animal Interaction3
PSYCH 3232Psychology of Trauma3
PSYCH 3280Psychology of Death and Dying3
PSYCH 3310Intergroup Relations3
PSYCH 3350Positive Psychology3
PSYCH 3351Positive Motivation 3
PSYCH 3370The Science of Mindfulness3
or PSYCH 3370W The Science of Mindfulness - Writing Intensive
PSYCH 3420Cognitive Development in Childhood3
PSYCH 3430Social Development in Childhood3
or PSYCH 3430H Social Development in Childhood - Honors
PSYCH 3440Women's Professional Development3
or PSYCH 3440H Women's Professional Development - Honors
PSYCH 3510Introduction to Clinical Psychology3
or PSYCH 3510W Introduction to Clinical Psychology - Writing Intensive
PSYCH 3511Emotion Regulation and the Brain 3
PSYCH 3815Cross-Cultural Psychology3
PSYCH 3830Health Psychology3
PSYCH 3840Individual Differences3
PSYCH 3880African American Psychology3
PSYCH 4376Mental Health and Aging3
PSYCH 4440Sex Differences3
PSYCH 4441Psychology of Youths' Close Relationships3
PSYCH 4442Language and Development in Infancy3
PSYCH 4530Research in Psychopathology3
PSYCH 4540Emotional Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence3
PSYCH 4560Schizophrenia3
PSYCH 4561Psychosis and the Brain3
PSYCH 4563Behavioral and Technology Addictions3
PSYCH 4564Psychobiology of Sex and Gender3
PSYCH 4570Pediatric Neuropsychology3
PSYCH 4580Externalizing Spectrum Disorders3
PSYCH 4830Psychology of Women3

Note: Due to the overlap in course content, a student may receive credit for only one of the following three courses: PSYCH 2410 or PSYCH 2410H, or ESC_PS 2500.

Note: Due to overlap in content, a student may not receive credit for both PSYCH 3350 AND ESC_PS 4200.

Cognitive/Neuroscience Distribution

This distribution area studies the mechanisms of the mind and how they are altered by experience. It also examines the biological basis of the behavior of humans and animals. Courses in this distribution area include:

PSYCH 2017World of Neuroscience1
PSYCH 2110Learning, Memory, and Cognition3
PSYCH 2210Mind, Brain, and Behavior3
PSYCH 2220Drugs and Behavior3
PSYCH 2810Human Sexuality3
PSYCH 2820Minds, Brains, and Machines3
PSYCH 3110Theories of Learning3
PSYCH 3130Decisions, Values and Choice3
or PSYCH 3130H Decisions, Values and Choice - Honors
PSYCH 3140Cognitive Psychology3
PSYCH 3150Human Memory3
PSYCH 3160Perception and Thought3
PSYCH 3420Cognitive Development in Childhood3
PSYCH 3511Emotion Regulation and the Brain 3
PSYCH 3830Health Psychology3
PSYCH 3890Music and the Mind3
PSYCH 4110Perception3
PSYCH 4210Physiological Psychology3
PSYCH 4220Animal Behavior and Cognition3
PSYCH 4240Cognitive Neuroscience3
PSYCH 4376Mental Health and Aging3
PSYCH 4564Psychobiology of Sex and Gender3
PSYCH 4570Pediatric Neuropsychology3

Note: A student may not receive credit for PSYCH 2210 if it is completed after PSYCH 4210.

Psychology Electives (2000-level) 6 credit hours

Students must complete 6 credit hours of psychology elective courses numbered 2000 or above. Up to 3 credit hours may include special problems (e.g., PSYCH 2950 or PSYCH 4950), readings (e.g., PSYCH 4960) or internship (e.g.,PSYCH 4940). Capstone Labs may not be counted in this area.

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Semester Plan

Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available. Psychology majors are required to earn a C- or higher (no D+ or below) in all Psychology courses and STAT 1200.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Missouri State Law: Social Science Course *+3A&S Diversity Requirement+3
Behavioral Science Course+3Humanities (2000+ Arts and Science approved)+3
ENGLSH 1000*+3Psych Cognitive/Neuroscience Distribution Course13
Humanities Course +3Social Science Course+3
PSYCH 100013STAT 12003
 15 15
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Biological/Physical/Mathematics Science Course+3Second Language II*+4-6
Second Language I*+4-6Psych 2000+ elective3
Psych Clinical/Social/Developmental Distribution Course13PSYCH 301013
1000+ elective31000+ elective1
1000+ elective 11000+ elective 3
 14-16 14-16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Biological/Physical/Mathematics Science Course3Biological/Physical Science Course (with LAB)+3
Second Language III*+3-4PSYCH 302013
Psych Clinical/Social/Developmental Distribution Course13Social Science (2000+ Arts and Science approved)+3
Psych Cognitive/Neuroscience Distribution Course131000+ elective 3
1000+ elective (Writing Intensive)*+33000+ elective3
 1000+ elective1
 15-16 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Behavioral Science Course (2000+ Arts and Science approved)+3Humanities Course+3
Humanities Course +3Psych 4000+ elective13
Psych Capstone (Writing Intensive)1*+33000+ elective 3
3000+ elective 33000+ elective 3
3000+ elective 33000+ elective3
 15 15
Total Credits: 119-124
1

Course meets degree program requirements

*

Course meets University general education and/or campus graduation requirements

+

Course meets College of Arts and Science Foundation

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Degree Audit

The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree. 

MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.

Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.

Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.

For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.

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Major and Career Exploration

The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.

  • If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.

  • If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major

  • If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.

For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.

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