Psychology, B.A.

Program Learning Outcomes

Objective 1: Knowledge Base in Psychology  

1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and themes in psychology
1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains
1.3 Describe applications of psychology

Objective 2: Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking  

2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena
2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy
2.3 Engage in innovative and integrative thinking and problem solving
2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
2.5 Incorporate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry

Objective 3: Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World  

3.1 Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice
3.2 Build and enhance interpersonal relationships
3.3 Adopt values that build community at local, national, and global levels

Objective 4: Communication  

4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
4.2 Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes
4.3 Interact effectively with others

Objective 5: Professional Development  

5.1 Apply psychological content and skills to career goals
5.2 Exhibit self-efficacy and self-regulation
5.3 Refine project-management skills
5.4 Enhance teamwork capacity
5.5 Develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation

General Education Requirements (30-46 Credits)

Prerequisite coursework may be required to satisfy certain General Education courses and will count as elective credit.

Total Credits Required to Complete Major: 52-53 Credits

Minimum Competence Requirement

ALL PSYCHOLOGY COURSES COUNTED FOR THE PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS MUST RECEIVE A GRADE OF C- or better. Psychology majors must achieve a C average (2.0) across the courses counted for the major requirements.

Proficiency in Basic Requirements: Students must complete all Basic Requirements (PSYC 100 , PSYC 250 , PSYC 251 , PSYC 225 , and PSYC 233 ) with a minimum grade of C- in each class, and a GPA of C (2.0) across these five courses prior to taking most 300- or 400-level PSYC classes (as noted in course descriptions). Students should consult the department webpage for details about how to demonstrate the minimum competence requirements. Students with AP or transfer credits for any Basic Requirements must consult with the department about their eligibility for upper-level classes. If a D or E is earned in any Psychology course, majors may repeat each course one time to achieve the required minimum grade. Students may not go on to upper-division Psychology courses until a C- or better is earned in all prerequisites for that course. (See “Repeated Courses: D and E Grade Policy” in this bulletin.)

Department Writing Requirement

All majors must successfully complete PSYC 452  with a grade of C- or higher. One prerequisite of this course is PSYC 251  (Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods), which introduces students to writing research reports in psychology. PSYC 452  (Advanced Research in Psychology: subtitle) extends the training students receive in PSYC 251  by having them apply what they have learned to the task of producing written reports of laboratory research. PSYC 452  is a writing-intensive course.

NOTE:

1. PSYC 250  satisfies the college requirement for Numeric/Symbolic Reasoning.
2. Note that: (a) PSYC 100  is a prerequisite for all other Psychology courses; (b) Proficiency in Basic Requirements is the prerequisite for most 300-level Psychology courses; (c) All prerequisites must be completed with a minimum C- grade before taking 200-, or 300-, or 400-level Psychology courses..
3. The College requires a 1.67 grade point average in the related requirements for all majors as well as a 2.00 grade point average across the courses counted toward the major requirements..
4. Students must complete PSYC 452  at Geneseo. The prerequisites for PSYC 452  include proficiency in Basic Requirements and three 300-level PSYC courses. These 300-level courses should be courses with specific academic content. Experiential courses (PSYC 391 , PSYC 395 , PSYC 396 , PSYC 397 ) do not count as prerequisites. All prerequisites must be completed with a minimum grade of C - before taking PSYC 452 .
5. Only one course can be transferred to meet Content Area requirements.
6. No more than 3 credits from PSYC 294 , PSYC 299 , PSYC 391 , PSYC 395 , PSYC 396 , PSYC 397 , or 399 may be used to satisfy elective requirements of the major.
7. A maximum of 51 credits in psychology may be included within the 120 credits required for the degree. At least 69 credits must be completed outside of the Psychology department.
8. Any student who renders psychological services or implies to the public that they, she, or he is licensed to practice as a psychologist is acting in contravention of the laws of the State of New York Education Law, Article 153, Sections 7601-7614.
9. Majors who contemplate graduate study in psychology are encouraged to develop proficiency in computer use and/or a foreign language, and to take courses in biology.

Outline/Advising Guide