Psychology (BA)

This program is offered by the College of Science and Health/Psychology Department. It is available online, at the St. Louis main campus and at select U.S. and international campuses. Please see the Locations Offering Undergraduate Programs section of this catalog for a list of campuses where this program is offered.

Program Description

The bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology is designed to provide students with a foundation in the field of psychology. Students will gain an understanding of the complexity and diversity of human behavior and the psychological theories and concepts which help explain human behavior. Consequently, students who have successfully completed the degree may be able to apply psychological principles to become a more effective manager, supervisor or educator. In addition, some students may be able to pursue a variety of career and graduate opportunities within psychology, counseling and related fields (e.g. nursing).

Students graduating with a bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology will need to pursue a graduate degree before they are able to obtain professional licensure. Students are encouraged to check entrance requirements for any post-graduate program prior to finishing their BA at Webster in the event they need to take additional coursework.

Learning Outcomes

 Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Describe the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology.
• Implement the use of scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena and demonstrate the ability to interpreted design and conduct basic psychological research using statistical analysis. 
• Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice and apply those standards to build and enhance interpersonal relationships locally and globally. 
• Demonstrate effective writing, exhibit effective presentation skills and interact effectively with others. 
• Discuss the occupational pursuits available in a variety of settings given their psychological knowledge, skills and values. 

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 40 required credit hours
• 3 international language requirement credit hours
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours
• Electives

Special Requirements

• Courses completed with a grade below a C- do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.
• Within the 6 credit hours of psychology electives, at least 3 credit hours at the 4000-level.
• No more than 6 credit hours obtained in senior thesis, practica, independent learning experiences, reading courses and assessment of prior learning may be applied toward the 40 credit hours required for the major. However, students may use any number of thesis, practica, independent learning experiences, etc. toward their overall bachelor degree requirements.
• Transfer students can apply up to 18 credit hours of approved PSYC course work from other colleges/universities toward the psychology major. Students may transfer in 3 credit hours of approved foreign language course work to meet the International Language requirement for psychology.

International Language Requirements

• A minimum of 3 credit hours in a non-native language (expertise demonstrated by coursework or testing) are required in addition to the requirements for the major. Courses used toward the international language requirement may also be used to fulfill general education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language.
• Transfer students who have completed their 3 credit hours at an institution of higher education are considered to have fulfilled the requirement, as are students who have scored a "3" or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a non-native language.
• Students whose native language is not English and who are studying English will be considered to have achieved their foreign language requirement if they successfully pass an ESL test of their English proficiency (e.g., TOEFL). Students who are from bilingual families but have no evidence of academic study of the second language on a transcript will need to take one course.

Curriculum

The 40 credit hours required for the bachelor of arts in psychology include the following:

• PSYC 1100 Introduction to Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 1800 Careers in Psychology (1 hour)
• PSYC 2750 Introduction to Measurement and Statistics (3 hours)
• PSYC 2825 Introduction to Research Methods (3 hours)
• PSYC 3025 Psychology and Ethics (2 hours)
• PSYC 4925 Senior Capstone: History, Philosophy, and Systems of Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 4950 Senior Assessment (1 hour)
• Psychology electives (at least 3 hours at the 4000-level) (9 hours)

At least ONE course from EACH of the following five content areas:

Biological Perspectives

• PSYC 3850 Sensation and Perception (3 hours)
• PSYC 4300 Health Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 4550 Drug and Chemical Dependency (3 hours)
• PSYC 4650 Biopsychology (3 hours)

Clinical and Counseling Perspectives

• PSYC 3125 Abnormal Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 3775 Personality Theory (3 hours)
• PSYC 3900 Introduction to Counseling (3 hours)
• PSYC 4225 Introduction to the Helping Professions (3 hours)

Lifespan Development Perspectives

• PSYC 2200 Child Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 2250 Adolescent Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 2300 Lifespan Development (3 hours)
• PSYC 2950 Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (3 hours)

Learning and Cognitive Perspectives

• PSYC 3325 Applied Learning Theory (3 hours)
• PSYC 3350 Cognitive Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 3525 Memory (3 hours)
• PSYC 3725 Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making (3 hours)

Social and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

• PSYC 3475 International Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 3575 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 3600 Social Psychology (3 hours)
• PSYC 3625 Motivation and Emotion (3 hours)

Recommended Courses

• PSYC 4425 Community Practicum (3 hours)
• PSYC 4825 Senior Thesis (3 hours)