Psychology
Major Requirements
Major: Psychology
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 30 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Students presenting transfer credit must meet the NDSU residence credits and the minimum upper level credit. Of the 30 credits earned in residence, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
- *
May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category.
- †
General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories.
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
College Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree – An additional 12 credits Humanities and Social Sciences and proficiency at the second year level in a modern foreign language. * | 12 | |
| Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree – An additional 6 credits in Humanities or Social Sciences * | 6 | |
- *
Humanities and Social Sciences may be fulfilled by any course having the following prefix: ADHM, ANTH, ARCH, ART, CJ, CLAS, COMM, ECON, ENGL, FREN, GEOG, GERM, HDFS, HIST, LA, LANG, MUSC, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, RELS, SOC, SPAN, THEA, WGS, or any course from the approved list of general education courses in humanities and social sciences (general education categories A and B). These credits must come from outside the department of the student’s major.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Major Requirements | ||
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (Cannot be used to satisfy general education category B.) | 3 |
| PSYC 189 | Skills for Academic Success 1 | 1 |
| PSYC 350 | Research Methods I | 3 |
| PSYC 351 | Research Methods II | 3 |
| PSYC | Electives | 6 |
| Psychology 400 Level Electives | ||
| Select two courses from each Group - A & B | ||
| Group A: | 6 | |
| Sensation & Perception | ||
| Memory And Knowledge | ||
| Attention & Thinking | ||
| Psychobiology | ||
| Neuropsychology | ||
| Experimental Developmental Psychology | ||
| Group B: | 6 | |
| Organizational Psychology | ||
| Personality | ||
| Experimental Social Psychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| The Psychology Of Aging | ||
| Advanced Psychopathology | ||
| Child Psychopathology and Therapy | ||
| Additional PSYC 400 Level Electives | ||
| May include PSYC 493 (Undergraduate Research) or PSYC 496 (Field Experience) courses taken for a grade. | 3 | |
| Other Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 324 | Writing in the Sciences (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| or ENGL 325 | Writing in the Health Professions | |
| or ENGL 459 | Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | |
| MATH 103 | College Algebra (or higher) | 3 |
| or MATH 104 | Finite Mathematics | |
| Track Elective | ||
| Students earning a Bachelor of Science degree must select one of four tracks listed below in consultation with an adviser: 1) Natural Science track; 2) Social Sciences track; 3) Minor track; or 4) Accelerated (with approval) track. | 14-16 | |
| Total Credits | 51-53 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Track: Natural Science | ||
| 14 additional credits in math/science. Prefixes accepted include: BIOL, BIOC, BOT, CHEM, ENT, GEOL, MATH, MICR, PHYS, PLSC, STAT, OR ZOO. Courses selected for this track cannot count for general education. | 14 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Track: Social Science | ||
| 14 additional credits in social sciences (excluding PSYC prefix courses). Prefixes accepted include: ANTH, CJ, ECON, POLS, SOC or HDFS general education courses or courses that include an HDFS general education prerequisite. Courses selected for this track cannot count for general education. | 14 | |
| Other courses accepted include: | ||
| Human Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Introduction to Web Design | ||
| Listening and Nonverbal Communication | ||
| Rhetorical Traditions | ||
| Contemporary Rhetoric | ||
| Critical Approaches to Popular Culture | ||
| Issues in Mass Communications | ||
| Issues in Communication | ||
| Health Communication II | ||
| Managerial Economics | ||
| Foundations of Management | ||
| Foundations of Organizational Behavior | ||
| Human Geography | ||
| World Regional Geography | ||
| Geography of North America | ||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Track: Minor Program of Study | ||
| A minor in an approved area of study. Student must official declare the minor with the Office of Registration and Records. | 16+ | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Track: Accelerated (Master of Public Health Coursework) | ||
| PH 700 | Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness | 3 |
| PH 704 | Public Health Management and Policy | 3 |
| PH 706 | Essentials of Epidemiology | 3 |
| PH 720 | Environmental Health | 2 |
| PH 725 | Promoting Health through Policy, System and Environment | 3 |
| Total Credits | 14 | |
- 1
PSYC 189 is only required for first-time, first-year students--A first-time, first-year student is defined as a student who has not yet completed a college course as a college student. Students that are not first-time, first-year students that either transfer into the university or change their major are not required to take PSYC 189.
Program Notes
- Students earning a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete the Modern Foreign Language proficiency (3-14 credits).
- Except for courses offered only as pass/fail grading, no course may be taken Pass/Fail.
- When a student selects psychology as a second major, the student will not have to complete the track elective.
- Students interested in the accelerated track must make application to the Graduate School and submit the Accelerated Declaration form prior to enrollment in any 700 level classes.
Minor Requirements
Minor: Psychology
Required Credits: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC Electives | At least one course must be a 300-400 level course | 15 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
- Courses cannot be taken P/F.