Psychological Sciences, B.S.

About the Psychological Sciences, B.S.

The bachelor of science degree in psychological sciences is designed to prepare students for graduate study in experimental, theoretical, or applied psychology. The bachelor of science degree therefore offers less flexibility than the bachelor of arts, instead emphasizing a heavy concentration in psychological science. Because this degree is intended to prepare students for graduate study, participation in undergraduate research via PSY 4000 is strongly encouraged.

Communication Literacy Requirement. The required number of hours for the major is 47, including three communication literacy courses in psychology. Courses designated as meeting the communication literacy requirement are  PSY 2400 , PSY 3306 , PSY 3401 , PSY 4305 , PSY 4310 , and PSY 4334 .

At least 31 hours of the total credits toward the major must be taken from 3000- or 4000-level courses. Transfer students who major in psychology must complete at least 15 credit hours in psychology at Texas Tech. All psychology majors must have a minor.

In addition to offering regularly structured courses, the department provides opportunities to participate in various research and service activities of faculty members. These are particularly valuable for the student who intends to pursue graduate study in psychology. Interested students should confer with an advisor or any of the faculty. Such activities may contribute to the completion of major and/or minor requirements through enrollment in PSY 4000  during the junior and senior years. Nine hours of PSY 4000  may be counted toward the major and 12 hours may be counted toward the degree.

All undergraduate psychology majors must complete the following core program: PSY 1300 , PSY 2400 , and PSY 3401  (with PSY 2400  as a prerequisite). All majors must also complete at least two courses each from Group 1 and Group 2, plus at least six elective courses from the Special Topics group to reach a total of 47 hours in the major:

Core Courses (3 required, 11 credit hours):

• PSY 1300 - General Psychology   
• PSY 2400 - Statistical Methods  
• PSY 3401 - Research Methods  

Group 1 (select 2 courses, 6 credit hours):

• PSY 3327 - Introduction to Physiological Psychology  
• PSY 4323 - Perception: Theories and Applications  
• PSY 4324 - Cognition  
• PSY 4327 - Cognitive Neuroscience  

Group 2 (select 2 courses, 6 credit hours):

• PSY 2304 - Introduction to Social Psychology  
• PSY 3306 - Personality  
• PSY 4301 - Developmental Psychology  
• PSY 4305 - Abnormal Psychology  

Special Topics in Psychology (select at least 6 courses to reach the total 47 hours required in the
major – can include courses from the above lists; up to 9 hours of PSY4000 may count toward this requirement; minimum 24 credit hours):

• PSY 2306 - Child and Adolescent Psychology  
• PSY 2307 - Psychology of Gender  
• PSY 3301 - An Introduction to the Psychology of the Arts  
• PSY 3310 - Psychology and Religion  
• PSY 3317 - Principles of Learning and Memory  
• PSY 3318 - The Development of Children’s Thinking and Emotion  
• PSY 3334 - Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology  
• PSY 3335 - Industrial Organizational Psychology  
• PSY 3341 - Close Relationships  
• PSY 3345 - Clinical Sport and Performance Psychology  
• PSY 3390 - Introduction to Positive Psychology  
• PSY 3398 - Ethnic Minority Psychology   
• PSY 4000 - Individual Problems Course  
• PSY 4300 - Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior  
• PSY 4302 - Undergraduate Internship in Psychology  
• PSY 4303 - Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists  
• PSY 4306 - Constructivist and Narrative Psychologies  
• PSY 4310 - Abnormal Child Psychology  
• PSY 4325 - Drugs, Alcohol, and Behavior  
• PSY 4326 - Human Factors Psychology  
• PSY 4328 - Neuroscience of Vision  
• PSY 4331 - Social Psychology of Groups  
• PSY 4332 - Health Psychology  
• PSY 4334 - Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy   
• PSY 4384 - Forensic Psychology