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Departments & Programs

Department of Psychology
Undergraduate Degree Programs

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor for determination of whether to pursue B.A. or a B.S. degree.

Degree Requirements

The School of Science Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are listed in this bulletin (see Area and General Requirements under "Undergraduate Programs").

First-Year Experience Course

Beginning freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 19 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.

Transfer students with over 19 credit hours are not required to take SCI-I120, but are strongly urged to take PSY-B303 Career Planning for Psychology Majors (1 cr.) in their first semester on campus.

Area Requirements
Area I English Composition and Communication Competency

See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

All students are required to complete three courses, totaling 9 credit hours:

  • ENG-W131 Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I
  • Second semester of English composition (ENG-W231 is recommended)
  • COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Area II World Language Competency

See the School of Science Area Requirements under "Undergraduate Programs" for details

Bachelor of Arts students must have first-year proficiency in a world language: (first-year sequence or two 4-cr. courses); or exam placement into a second-year or third-year course.

Bachelor of Science students are not required to have first-year world language proficiency.

Area IIIA Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Understanding Competencies

See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin for details.

All students are required to complete four courses, totaling 12 credit hours.

List H Arts and Humanities Competency: Choose one course from this list.  The list of course choices is located under the School of Science Area requirements under "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin. 

List S Social Sciences Competency: Choose one course from this list.  The list of course choices is located under the School of Science Area requirements "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin.  The List S course cannot be a psychology course.

One additional course from either List H or List S.

List C Cultural Understanding Competency: Choose one course from this list.  The list of course choices is located under the School of Science Area requirements under "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin.

For the most current list of courses in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Understanding, please refer to the IUPUI General Education Curriculum.

Area IIIC Life and Physical Sciences Competency

See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin for details.

Bachelor of Arts students are required to complete at least four science lectures courses (minimum of 12 credit hours), and at least one of the courses must have a laboratory component. 

Bachelor of Science students are required to complete at least four science lectures courses (minimum of 12 credit hours), and at least one of the courses must have a laboratory component.  Two of the required four courses must be biology and/or chemistry courses.

Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine which courses are most appropriate to take based on their academic and career goals.

Note: There are science courses that do not count in Area IIIC, as well as overlapping courses with credit not being allowed for both of two overlapping courses / course sequences.  A partial list can be found in the School of Science Area or General Requirements.  If you have a question about whether a course is applicable or if it overlaps with a course that you have already taken, please consult with an academic advisor or check with the School of Science Dean's Office prior to registering to confirm.

Area IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency

See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin for details.

Bachelor of Arts students must have at least one 3-cr. course in mathematics and one 3-cr. course in computer programming.  MATH-M118 Finite Mathematics and CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets are recommended to fulfill the IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency Requirement.

Bachelor of Science students must have at least two 3-cr. courses beyond algebra and trigonometry, (total of 6 credit hours).  In addition, one 3-cr. computer programming course is required.  MATH-M118 Finite Mathematics, MATH-M119 Brief Survey of Calculus, and CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets are recommended to fulfill the IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency Requirement. However, some pre-professional programs require specific mathematics courses, so students should consult with an academic advisor.

Note: There are math and computer science courses that do not count for any credit toward a degree in the School of Science or do not count as a Baccalaureate requirement.  A partial list can be found in the School of Science Area and General Requirements.  If you have a question about whether a course counts toward your degree or fulfills the Baccalaureate requirement, please consult with an academic advisor or check with the School of Science Dean's Office prior to registering to confirm.

Area IV Major Requirements

See the following section, “Major in Psychology (B.A. or B.S.).”

Major in Psychology (B.A. or B.S.)

The Department of Psychology at IUPUI has a program for majors that requires a minimum of 40 credit hours of selected course work.

Introductory Sequence (Three courses; 7 credit hours)
  • PSY-B110     Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY-B203     Ethics and Diversity in Psychology
  • PSY-B303     Career Planning for Psychology Majors
Research Methods Sequence (Two courses; 6 credit hours)
  • PSY-B305     Statistics (P: MATH-M118 or other upper-level mathematics course)
  • PSY-B311     Research Methods in Psychology (P: PSY-B305)
Psychology Foundation Courses (Four courses, 12 credit hours)
  • PSY-B310     Life Span Development
  • PSY-B320     Behavioral Neuroscience*
  • PSY-B340     Cognition
  • PSY-B370     Social Psychology
*Students earning a minor in Neuroscience should replace PSY-B320 with PSY-B301.
Psychology Content Courses (Four courses; 12 credit hours)

Select four of the following courses:

  • PSY-B201     Foundations of Neuroscience
  • PSY-B307     Tests and Measurement
  • PSY-B322     Introduction to Clinical Psychology
  • PSY-B334     Perception
  • PSY-B344     Learning
  • PSY-B346     Theories of Personality
  • PSY-B356     Motivation
  • PSY-B358     Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • PSY-B360     Child and Adolescent Psychology
  • PSY-B365     Health Psychology
  • PSY-B366     Concepts and Applications in Organizational Psychology
  • PSY-B368     Concepts and Applications in Personnel Psychology
  • PSY-B375     Psychology and Law
  • PSY-B376     The Psychology of Women
  • PSY-B380     Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY-B386     Introduction to Counseling
  • PSY-B394     Drugs and Behavior
  • PSY-B396     Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
  • PSY-B398     Brain Mechanisms of Behavior
Capstone (One course; 3 credit hours)

Select one of the following courses:

  • PSY-B433     Capstone Laboratory in Psychology
  • PSY-B454     Capstone Seminar in Psychology
  • PSY-B462     Capstone Practicum in Industrial/Organizational Psychology*
  • PSY-B482     Capstone Practicum in Clinical Psychology*
  • PSY-B499     Capstone Honors Research**

*Capstone Practicum courses require an application the semester prior to taking the course.  Ask your advisor for details.

**PSY-B499 requires an application due in April for the following academic year and a two-semester commitment that begins in the fall semester.  Ask your advisor for details.

Note:  Students should discuss capstone options with an advisor to determine which is most appropriate for you based on your career and academic goals.  Each option has a set of prerequisites that must be completed before enrolling in the capstone.

Elective Courses

Depending on your program, there will be approximately 40 credit hours of electives.  These elective courses can be used to complete minor, certificate, or double major requirements.  Psychology offers a number of courses that fulfill the RISE initiative.  Students should talk to an advisor to determine which elective courses fit best with their academic and career goals.