Psychology Curriculum and Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Arts
(click this link for a psychology major downloadable course checklist PSYC Grad Checklist )
Semester 1
ENGL 101 Composition and Rhetoric (GEC 1): 3
MATH 126 College Algebra (GEC 2): 3
PSYC 101 Intro to Psychology (GEC 6): 3
HIST 179 World History to 1500 (GEC 3): 3
Foreign Language: 3
TECH 100 Freshman Seminar (GEC 6): 1
Total hours: 16
Semester 3
PSYC 202 Research Methods: 3
PSYC 363 Personality Theory: 3
BIOL 111 General Biology (GEC 2): 3
BIOL 111 Biology Lab: 1
ENGL 305 Technical Writing (GEC W): 3
Foreign Language: 3
Total hours: 16
Semester 5
PSYC 302 Behavior Principles: 4
PSYC 362 Psychology Assessment: 3
Fine Art Elective (GEC 5): 3
Upper Division Open Elective: 3
Humanities Elective: 3
Total hours: 16
Semester 7
PSYCH 491 Field Experience OR
PSYCH 495 Independent Study OR
PSYCH 493 Special Topics: 3
Upper Division Restricted Electives: 6
SOCA 101 Intro to Sociology (GEC 7): 3
Humanities/Art Elective: 3
PSYCH 401 Psychology Capstone: 1
Total hours: 16
Semester 2
ENGL 102 Composition and Rhetoric (GEC 1): 3
STAT 210# Stats for Health Sciences (GEC 2): 3
PSYC 241 Intro to Human Development: 3
HIST 180 World History since 1500 (GEC 9): 3
Foreign Language: 3
PSYC 201 Psychology as a Profession: 1
Total hours: 16
Semester 4
PSYC 301 Bio Found of Behavior: 3
PSYC 351 Topics in Social Psychology: 3
BIOL 112 General Biology (GEC 2): 3
BIOL 112 Biology Lab: 1
SPCH 270 Effective Public Speaking: 3
Foreign Language: 3
Total hours: 16
Semester 6
PSYC 474 Behavior Modification: 3
PSYC 382 Exceptional Children: 3
Restricted Electives: 6
ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics (GEC 4): 3
Total hours: 15
Semester 8
SOCA 207 Social Problems: 3
SOCA 105 Intro to Anthropology (GEC 8): 3
PSYC 424 Learning & Behavior Theory: 3
Restricted Electives: 8
Total hours: 17
Twelve credit hours in a single foreign language (elementary and intermediate levels). NOTE: 1 year of Spanish at the high school level equals SPAN 1, a second year of high school Spanish equals SPAN 2, and so on.
STAT 210 may be substituted with ECON 225: Economics Statistics
PSYCH 491, 495 or 493: One of these three must be taken. If more than one is taken, then the additional credits may be applied to restricted electives.
Requirements to graduate:
Minimum 36 psychology credits for the major, 128 credits overall for graduation.
An overall 2.0 average in all psychology courses attempted is required for graduation.
In addition, a minimum grade of C is required in the following courses: PSYC 101, 201, 202, 241, 251, 301 and 302 and STAT 210.
Restricted Electives
Restricted Electives may be taken in: psychology, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, criminal justice, foreign language, economics, sociology, mathematics, fine arts, history, nursing or political science. Nine of the credit hours must be in 300/400 level courses.
Note: Courses that fulfill GEC 5 Artistic Expression (3 credits) include: ART 101, ENGL 241, ENGL 131, ENGL 242, ENGL 225, ENGL 261, ENGL 232, ENGL 262, ENGL 233, ENGL 263, ENGL 234, ENGL 272, ENGL 235, MUSC 170, MUSC 175
Humanities/Art Electives
Any courses in the following subjects fulfill the psychology humanities/art electives:
English Art History Philosophy Music Drama/Theater Foreign Languages
Note that GEC courses and courses otherwise already required for the Psychology degree are not permitted to count as a Humanities/Art elective.
Psychology Minor
18 semester hours minimum including PSYC 101, 241, 9 hours of PSYC electives and STAT 211. Minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all PSYC courses attempted.
Community Service Requirement
All Psychology majors must complete 30 hours of community service as a condition of earning the Bachelor’s degree. Consult the psychology faculty for a listing of current eligible projects.
Course Descriptions
The courses offered in psychology at WVU Tech are listed below in the following format:
Psychology (course #). Course Title. Credit hours. Prerequisite(s). Description.
101. Introduction to Psychology. 3 hr. Survey of general psychology.
201. Psychology as a Profession. 1 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Orientation to opportunities for experience, employment, and graduate and professional training in psychology. This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
202. Research Methods in Psych. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101 and STAT 211 or ECON 225. Research methods in experimental, developmental, clinical, and community-social psychology in the laboratory and the natural environment. (Course listed as PSYC 2 through 1992-1993).
241. Intro to Human Development (Lifespan). 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Survey of human psychological development across the life span with emphasis on change in biological, cognitive, and social-emotional processes. Special attention given to theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and practical issues.
281. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101 .Introduction to major categories of behavior disorders; etiology, prevention, and treatment.
293. Special Topics in Psychology. 1-3 hr. PR: Consent. Contemporary topics in psychology considered at an intermediate level for both psychology majors and majors in other areas.
301. Biol Foundations of Behavior. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101 and PSYC 202. Introduction to animal behavior. Survey of fundamental concepts (evolution, genetics, adaptation and learning) and research methods in understanding animal behavior including primate species. Includes laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
302. Behavior Principles. 4 hr. PR: PSYC 202. Principles of behavior and learning and the significance of these principles for psychological theory and application; laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
331. History & Systems of Psych. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 241, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. A survey of psychology from its origins in philosophy, biology, and physics through the early major schools of psychological thought to modern perspectives on the science of behavior and its applications to human affairs.
343. Child & Adolescent Behavior. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theory and research on major psychological processes in childhood and adolescence; maturation, personality, socialization, sensory, and cognitive development.
351. Topics in Social Psychology. 3 hr. Social factors that determine human behavior, survey of research in selected areas of social psychology and their implications for social phenomena.
362. Psychological Assessment. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 241, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Psychometric theory and development of psychological assessment instruments. Includes behavioral, personality, intellectual, neuropsychological, forensic, achievement, and aptitude assessment.
363. Personality Theory. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 241, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theoretical and empirical readings in a survey of major perspectives in personality theory, including dynamic, cognitive, humanistic, and behavioral.
382. Exceptional Children. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Exceptional mental retardation or advancement; organic disabilities having behavioral consequences, such as cerebral palsy or deafness; and behavior disorders.
423. Cognition and Memory. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theoretical and empirical issues in cognitive psychology. Topics include mechanisms and theories of attention, memory, language, and conceptual processes.
424. Learning and Behavior Theory. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 302; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Advanced course in empirical and theoretical issues in the psychology of learning.
474. Behavior Modification. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 302; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Basic principles of behavior and their application to changing significant human behavior. Includes clinical, educational, parenting, industrial/organizational, community, and other applications.
491. Field Experience in Psych. S. 1-18 hr. PR: junior or senior psychology major and consent (application and interview). (May be repeated to a maximum of 18 hours, does not count as credit toward the major.) Prearranged experiential learning program to be planned, supervised, and evaluated for credit by faculty and field supervisors. Involves temporary placement with public or private enterprise for professional competence development.
493. Special Topics. 1-6 hr. Investigation of topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
495. Independent Study. 1-3 hr. PR: Consent. (No more than 10 hours may be applied to the 42 hours of psychology to which Psychology majors are limited.) Individually supervised reading, research, and/or applied projects.