Dec 13, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog

Psychology, B.A.


About the Psychology Bachelor’s Program


The undergraduate psychology curriculum is designed to provide a core of knowledge of the subject matter in experimental, theoretical, and applied psychology. Sufficient curricular flexibility is provided to permit students to emphasize the acquisition of useful vocational and personal skills for later life and to prepare students for a graduate degree program in psychology, related fields, or both.

Communication Literacy Requirement. The required number of hours for the major is 35, including three communication literacy courses in psychology. Courses designated as meeting the communication literacy requirement are PSY 2400 , PSY 3306 , PSY 3318 PSY 3398 PSY 3401 PSY 4300 PSY 4305 , PSY 4310 , and PSY 4334 .

At least 24 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 with faculty members. These are particularly valuable for the student who intends to pursue a career 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. Six 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 from Group 1 and Group 2, plus four elective choices:

CORE COURSES (3 required, 11 credit hours)


GROUP 1 (select 2 courses, 6 credit hours)


GROUP 2 (select 2 courses, 6 credit hours)


Special Topics in Psychology (select 4 courses—can include courses from Group 1 and Group 2—12 credit hours)


Recommended Sample Curriculum


First Year


Fall

Total: 15

Spring

Total: 16

Second Year


Fall

Total: 16

Spring

  • Life and Physical Sciences 4 Semester Credit Hours (Choose from the Life and Physical Sciences section of the Arts and Sciences General Degree Requirement  list.)
  • PSY Group 2 - 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • English Literature 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • PFW Elective 1 Semester Credit Hour (Choose from the Personal Fitness and Wellness section of the Arts and Sciences General Degree Requirement  list.)
  • PSY Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours*
Total: 14

Third Year


Fall

  • PSY Group 1 - 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Foreign Language 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Minor Electives 6 Semester Credit Hours
  • PSY Elective - 3 Semester Credit Hours*
Total: 15

Spring

Total: 15

Fourth Year


Fall

Total: 15

Spring

Total: 14

Total Hours: 120


* PSY 3398 and some Language, Philosophy, and Culture and Creative Arts courses also count toward the Multicultural requirement .

NOTE: PSY 2400  and PSY 3401  always meet the communication literacy requirement; another communication literacy PSY course is required.

Foreign Language

A student must complete 6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is credit for the freshman level. This credit can be determined through a credit by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements  for further explanation.