2014-2015

Psychological Sciences, Bachelor of Arts

Department of Psychological Sciences

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Bachelor's degree in Psychological Sciences, earned as either a Bachelors of Arts or a Bachelors of Science, provides students with opportunities for focused study in this quintessential behavioral science and builds research skills necessary for scientific inquiry within this discipline. This degree has proven useful for careers in many areas including law, entertainment, writing, journalism, government, education, business, and the arts. A language requirement builds further understanding of the ways in which the mind works and learns.

This plan will not be available to new students after Summer 2019

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 45-46 units of major requirements
  • At least 16 units of language requirements
  • At least 18 units of minor requirements

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 125
Emphasis, Minor, or Certificate Required Required
Foreign Language Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
University Honors Program Optional
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Student Learning Outcomes

Outcomes are Aligned with Guidelines for Undergraduate Education from the American Psychological Association (Version 2.0)
 
Upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, students will be prepared in content related to the eight learning goals described below. In addition students will have the opportunity to develop transferable skills (e.g., read with comprehension and identify major points, write in a particular style, work as a productive member of a team) that will provide further preparation for workforce entry or continued education at the graduate level.
 

  • Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings in psychology and be able to apply this knowledge.
    • Describe key concepts principles, and overarching themes in psychology
    • Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains
    • Describe applications of psychology
  • Demonstrate the ability to design, conduct and interpret basic psychological research and to use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena
    • Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomenon.
    • Demonstrate psychological information literacy
    • Engage in innovative and integrative thinking and problem solving
    • Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
    • Incorporate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry
  • Develop ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in an increasingly diverse landscape
    • Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice
    • Build and enhance interpersonal relationships
    • Adopt values that build community at local, national, and global levels
  • Demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills.
    • Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
    • Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes
    • Interact effectively with others
  • Demonstrate student readiness for postbaccalaureate employment, graduate school, or professional school.
    • Apply psychological content and skills to career goals
    • Exhibit self-efficacy and self-regulation
    • Refine project management skills
    • Enhance teamwork capacity
    • Develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation
  • Environmental Sustainability: Understand and apply psychological principles to environmental sustainability issues.
    • Demonstrate understanding of environmental sustainability concepts and issues, and the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing environmental issues.
    • Develop creative, adaptive, solutions to environmental sustainability challenges using psychological theories, principles and research findings.
  • Global Education: Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of globalization and international diversity.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the interpersonal and international contexts that influence individual differences and human behavior.
    • Describe the psychological, physical, cognitive, sexual, gender, and social development of humans within varied global contexts.
    • Explain how different empirical and theoretical strategies in psychology are employed to study human behavior within varied global contexts and cultures and the limitations of each approach.
  • Diversity Education: Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of psychosocial and cultural diversity and incorporate this awareness into the understanding of psychological phenomena, application of psychological science, and the process of scientific inquiry.
    • Identify both the commonalities and diversity of humans in today's multicultural society (intrapersonal and interpersonal).
  • 8.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the sociocultural contexts that influence individual differences and anticipate that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.
    • Challenge claims that arise from myths, stereotypes, or untested assumptions related to culture and diversity.

Major Requirements

  • (Please note that NAU's Junior-level writing requirement is satisfied by taking PSY 302W, which is a required course. If a research methods course in psychology was taken at a different institution, any 3-4 unit NAU course with the NAU junior-level writing designation will satisfy this requirement.)

    Please note that of the 45-46 units required for this major, 15 units must be upper-division courses. In addition, individualized courses (PSY 485 and PSY 497) will not meet this 15-unit upper-division requirement. Three units of PSY 408C will count toward the 15-unit upper-division requirement. Finally, you can only count up to 6 units of individualized courses within the 45-46-unit major.

    In addition, at least 15 of the 45-46 units required for this major must be from courses offered by Northern Arizona University. These 15 units may not include individualized courses.

Minor Requirements

  • You must complete a minor of at least 18 units from those described in this catalog. In consultation with your advisor, you should select a minor that is appropriate for your career aspirations and educational needs. Your minor advisor will advise you about this part of your academic plan.

Foreign Language Requirement

  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP exams. 

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.