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-I 120 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-I 120, but are strongly urged to take PSY-B 303 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-W 131 Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I
- Second semester of English composition (ENG-W 231 is recommended.)
- COMM-R 110 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 the list of course choices located in the School of Science Area requirements under "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin.
List S Social Sciences Competency: Choose one course from the list of course choices located in the School of Science Area requirements "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin. The Social Sciences course cannot be a psychology course.
One additional course from either the Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences list of course choices.
List C Cultural Understanding Competency: Choose one course from the list of course choices located in the School of Science Area requirements under "Undergraduate Programs" in this bulletin. The Cultural Understanding course cannot be a psychology course.
For the most current list of courses in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Understanding, please refer to the IU Indianapolis 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 in the Department of Psychology 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 your academic advisor or the School of Science Peer Advising 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-M 118 Finite Mathematics and CSCI-N 207 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 college algebra and trigonometry (total of 6 credit hours). In addition, one 3-cr. computer programming course is required. MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics, MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus, and CSCI-N 207 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 your academic advisor or the School of Science Peer Advising 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 IU Indianapolis 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-B 110 Introduction to Psychology
- PSY-B 203 Ethics and Diversity in Psychology
- PSY-B 303 Career Planning for Psychology Majors
Research Methods Sequence (Two courses, one labs; 9 credit hours)
- PSY-B 305 Statistics (P: MATH-M 118 or other upper-level mathematics course)
- PSY-B 311 Research Methods in Psychology (P: PSY-B 305)
- PSY-B 312 Research Methods Lab in Psychology (P: PSY-B 305)
Psychology Foundation Courses (Four courses, 12 credit hours)
- PSY-B 310 Lifespan Development
- PSY-B 320 Behavioral Neuroscience*
- PSY-B 340 Cognition
- PSY-B 370 Social Psychology
Psychology Content Courses (three courses; 9 credit hours)
Select three of the following courses:
- PSY-B 307 Tests and Measurement
- PSY-B 322 Introduction to Clinical Psychology
- PSY-B 334 Perception
- PSY-B 344 Learning
- PSY-B 346 Theories of Personality
- PSY-B 356 Motivation
- PSY-B 358 Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- PSY-B 360 Child and Adolescent Psychology
- PSY-B 365 Health Psychology
- PSY-B 376 The Psychology of Women
- PSY-B 380 Abnormal Psychology
- PSY-B 385 Positive Psychology
- PSY-B 386 Introduction to Counseling
- PSY-B 394 Drugs and Behavior
- PSY-B 396 Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Capstone (One course; 3 credit hours)
Select one of the following courses:
- PSY-B 433 Capstone Laboratory in Psychology
- PSY-B 454 Capstone Seminar in Psychology
- PSY-B 499 Capstone Honors Research*
*PSY-B 499 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 academic 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 (including PSY-B 305 Statistics and PSY-B 311/PSY-B 312 Research Methods and Lab). Except under special circumstances, capstone courses are taken during the senior year.
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. Students should talk to an advisor to determine which elective courses fit best with their academic and career goals.
