College Schools, Departments & Programs

Psychological and Brain Sciences

Certificate in the Psychology of Business
Purpose

A student may earn a certificate as part of completing the bachelor's degree and in addition to completing requirements for a major. Through academic, applied, and research experiences in this interdisciplinary certificate program, students will develop an in-depth understanding of how psychological concepts can be applied in a business setting in fields such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Human Factors, Design, Marketing, and Advertising. The certificate is designed to prepare students for either further graduate training in applied business psychology or for advanced entry level positions in industry.

Admission

The Certificate in the Psychology of Business is a selective admission certificate program.  In order to be eligible for admission to the certificate, students must:

  1. Have a GPA of 3.000 or higher in their major
  2. Complete the following prerequisite courses:
    • One of the following options (a or b):
      1. Both PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I and PSY-P 102 Introductory Psychology II
      2. PSY-P 155 Introduction to Psychological and Brain Sciences
    • PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques

Students should consult the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences website for additional information about applying, including application deadlines, required materials, and an overview of the application process.

Requirements

Students must complete at least 24 credit hours, including the following requirements:

  1. Core Courses. Complete both of the following requirements (a and b):
    1. Choose one of the following courses:
      • PSY-P 304 Social Psychology and Individual Differences
      • PSY-P 335 Cognitive Psychology
    2. PSY-P 452 Psychology in the Business Environment
  2. Advanced Courses. Complete all of the following requirements (a–c):
    1. 300-level Psychology course. Choose one course from the following:
      • PSY-P 323 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
      • PSY-P 336 Psychological Tests and Individual Differences
      • PSY-P 350 Human Factors/Ergonomics
      • PSY-P 366 Consumer Psychology
      • PSY-P 357 Topics in Psychology ("Psychological Principles of Marketing and Advertising" topic only)
    2. 400-level Psychology course. Choose one course from the following:
      • PSY-P 421 Laboratory in Social Psychology
      • PSY-P 435 Laboratory in Human Learning and Cognition
      • PSY-P 447 Social Influence Processes
      • PSY-P 449 Social Psychology of Public Opinion
      • PSY-P 453 Decision-making and the Brain
      • PSY-P 457 Topics in Psychology ("Brain Imaging, Biometrics, and Business" topic only)
    3. Advanced course outside of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Choose two (2) courses from the following:
      • MSCH-A 315 Advertising and Consumer Culture
      • SOC-S 302 Organizations in Society
      • SOC-S 315 Work and Occupations
      • BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing
      • BUS-M 311 Introduction to Marketing Communications
      • BUS-Z 302 Managing and Behavior in Organizations
      • BUS-Z 304 Effective Negotiations
      • BUS-Z 370 Integrated Business Core—Leadership Component
      • BUS-M 303 Marketing Research
      • BUS-M 344 Creativity and Communication
      • BUS-M 405 Consumer Behavior
      • SPEA-A 354 Arts Marketing Fundamentals
      • SPEA-V 236 Management Concepts and Applications I
      • SPEA-V 241 Management Foundations and Approaches
      • SPEA-V 362 Nonprofit Management and Leadership
      • SPEA-V 373 Human Resources Management in the Public Sector
      • SPEA-V 379 Performance Measurement and Program Evaluation
      • SPEA-V 432 Labor Relations in the Public Sector
      • SPEA-V 435 Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
      • SPEA-V 476 Compensation Strategy and Systems
      • SPEA-V 477 Strategic Human Resource Management
      • Other course approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies
  3. Capstone Requirement. Complete both of the following requirements (a and b):
    1. Applied Business Experience. Select one (1) course from the following:
      • ASCS-X 373 Internship: Theory into Practice
      • Other course approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies
    2. Laboratory Research Experience. Select one (1) course from the following:
      • PSY-P 404 Computer and Statistical Models in Psychology
      • PSY-X 397 Supervised Research I
      • PSY-X 398 Supervised Research II
      • PSY-X 497 Supervised Research III
      • PSY-X 498 Capstone Supervised Research
      • Other course approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

In fulfilling these requirements, students must meet all other College requirements for certificates.