Psychology

Students must earn a "B-" or better in PSY 1012.

Students must earn a "C" or better in each course taken to fulfill all other concentration requirements.

Program Overview:

The Psychology concentration provides students with a background in the science of mind and behavior and an understanding of how empirical methods are used to study human cognitive, behavioral, motivational, social, and emotional processes. Requirements for the concentration include introductory and survey courses, specialized seminars, laboratories, and a research thesis. Psychology is intrinsically interdisciplinary, as the field lies at the nexus of the biological and social sciences. Consequently, students concentrating in psychology benefit from coursework taken outside of the field. Students interested in pursuing graduate study in psychology should work closely with a member of the psychology advisory board to insure a sufficient preparation. Our undergraduate concentration is broad and research-based in order to best prepare our students for entry into this competitive field.

Psychology


Advisory Board

Dr. Julie Earles   |   Dr. Kevin Lanning

Dr. Laura Vernon   |   Dr. Shaina Rowell



Available options:

Concentration in psychology; Minor in psychology

Alternative Requirements for students entering prior to Summer 2021

Psychology Advising Worksheet

 

Concentration

A. Foundations in Psychological Science (7 credits)

Course # Course Name Credits
PSY 1012 * Honors General Psychology  3
PSY 3213, 3213L ** RI: Honors Research Methods in Psychology/Lab  4

*Note: Students must earn a "B-" or better in PSY 1012.

**Note: PSY 3213 and PSY 3213L must be taken concurrently and should be taken in the sophomore or junior year. The only prerequisite for these courses is PSY 1012.

B. Foundations in Biology and Neuroscience (7-8 credits)

Required:

Course # Course Name Credits
BSC 1010, 1010L Honors Biological Principles/Lab  4

 

Electives:

One of more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
BSC 2084 Honors Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology  3
BSC 4930 Honors Variable Titles 3
PSB 3340  Honors Behavioral Neuroscience  3
PSB 3441  Honors Drugs and Behavior  3
PCB 3703, 3703L, or BSC 2085, 2085L  Honors Human Morphology and Function 1/Lab or Honors Anatomy and Physiology 1/Lab  4
PCB 3063  Honors Genetics  3
ZOO 4742  Honors Human Neuroanatomy  3
PSB 4243 Honors Neuroscience of Addiction  3

Note: Students in the Max Planck Honors Program may count Introduction to Neuroscience Research (PSB 4003, 1 credit) and two distinct MPHP Enrichment courses (1 credit each) as their 3 credit, Group A elective.


C. Foundations in Mathematics and Computational Science (6-7 credits)

Required:

Course # Course Name Credits
STA 2023  Honors Introductory Statistics  3


Electives:

One or more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
STA 3164  Honors Intermediate Statistics  3
MAC 2311  Honors Calculus  4
PSY 4302, 4302L  Honors Psychometrics/Lab 4
COP 3076 Honors Introduction to Data Science 3
COP 2000 Honors Foundations of Programming 3
ISS 4304 Honors Computational Social Science 3


D. Surveys of Psychology as a Social Science (6 credits)

Two or more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
PPE 3003  Honors Personality  3
DEP 3053  Honors Psychology of Human Development  3
SOP 3004 * Honors Principles of Social Psychology  3

*Note: Unlike in the College of Science, in the Wilkes Honors College, the only prerequisite for SOP 3004 is PSY 1012.


E. Surveys of Psychology as a Natural Science (3 credits)

One or more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
PSB 3441  Honors Drugs and Behavior  3
EXP 3604  Honors Cognition 3
PSB 3340  Honors Behavioral Neuroscience  3


F. Surveys of Psychology as a Health Science (3 credits)

One or more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
CLP 4143  Honors Psychopathology
(Abnormal Psychology) 
3
CLP 4314  Honors Health Psychology 3
PSY 4930 Honors Psychotherapy Systems 3


G. Seminars and Advanced Coursework in Psychology (9 credits)

Three or more of the following:

Course # Course Name Credits
PSY 4936 Honors Advanced Seminar in Psychology  3
ISS 4304  Honors Computational Social Science  3
EXP 4631  Honors Thinking and Decision- Making  3
EXP 3202  Honors Sensation and Perception  3
PCB 3411  Honors Animal Behavior  3
PSY 4930  Honors Evolutionary Psychology  3
DEP 4463C  Honors Lab in Cognitive Aging  3
DEP 4464  Honors Psychology of Aging  3
PSY 4604  Honors History and Systems of Psychology  3
ANT 4495 Honors Research Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology  3
DEP 4095 Honors Personality and Social Development  3
POS 4206  Honors Political Psychology  3
PSY 4930  Honors Positive Psychology  3
PSY 4930  Honors Psychotherapy Systems  3
PSY 4930 Honors Variable Titles 3
PSY 4915 Honors Directed Independent Research in Psychology 3

Note: In lieu of three classes from Group G, students may take two classes from G and one additional class from Group D, E, or F.

H. Advanced Writing and the Honors Thesis (7 credits)

Course # Course Name Credits
PSY 4933 

ISC 3933 

ISS 2932 
Honors Advanced Writing in Psychology (or)
Honors Interdisciplinary Science  and Math Seminar (or) 
Honors Writing in the Social Sciences 1 
1
IDS 4970  RI: Honors Thesis  6 (2 X 3 credits) 
  Total Credits 48-50

Notes: Students must earn at least a B- in PSY 1012 and a C in all other courses for these to count towards the psychology concentration. 

At least five psychology courses in Groups C - G must be taken at the Honors College. 

Interdisciplinary courses (prefixes IDS, ISS, etc.) may be substituted for coursework in psychology with the permission of a member of the psychology advisory board and an approved petition for a course substitution. 

A course used to fulfill one psychology concentration requirement may not also be used to fulfill another psychology concentration requirement.

Students are reminded they need 42 upper-level (3000 or 4000-level) credits to graduate.

Minor

The Psychology minor concentration provides students with a background in the science of mind and behavior, and an understanding of how empirical methods are used to study human cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional processes. To complete the psychology minor concentration, students complete the following courses totaling 16 credit hours: 

  • PSY 1012 Honors General Psychology (3 credits)
  • PSY 3213 Honors Research Methods in Psychology and PSY 3213L (4 credits)
  • Three additional 3-credit upper-level psychology courses (9 credits). 

Note: At least four of the psychology courses must be taken at the Honors College.