Psychology

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology Program at Cumberland University offers students a chance to explore the many fascinating topics in the field of Psychology, while also having the option to concentrate further on a particular area of interest in more depth. These areas include:

Clinical Psychology - The practice, application, and techniques of counseling and psychology.

Developmental Psychology - The stages of life development from a mental health perspective.

Experimental Psychology - The physiological, cognitive, and behavioral research that most contributes to the field.

Social Psychology - The study of prejudice, aggression, attraction, and altruism in human interactions.

The ultimate goal of Cumberland's Psychology program is to graduate students with an in-depth understanding of the field, experiential opportunities (in academia, research, and clinical practice), professional connections in their personal areas of interest, and an eagerness to begin their careers. It prepares undergraduate students for careers in area such as social work, personnel training, administration, nursing/physician assistant, top and mid-level management, sales and marketing. The program also prepares students for graduate study in fields such as law, business, and psychology. After completion of the Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, many students choose to pursue graduate studies in Psychology, including counseling, clinical, school, industrial/organizational, and or experimental specializations. Advanced courses at this University allow students to become some of the most competitive applicants for further educational experiences within the field.

Psychology faculty members are dedicated to providing learning experiences that inspire student achievement, foster academic excellence, instill ethics and values, promote service, and facilitate lifelong learning. Courses are approached in an array of styles, from lectures and collaborative assignments to experiential activities and discussion forums.

Degree Requirements

Area I – Foundation Skills - 3 hours

FSL 101

Foundations of Scholarship and Learning

FSL 101 is required for all new and transferring freshmen with less than 24 credit hours. Students must earn a "C" or higher in FSL 101.

Area I - Rhetoric and Communication - 9 hours

ENG 101	English Composition I	3
ENG 102	English Composition II	3
SPEE 220	Fundamentals of Speech	3
	or
BUA 251/ENG 251	Business Communications	3

Students must earn a "C" or higher in ENG 101 and ENG 102.

Area I - Mathematics (choose one) - 3 or 4 hours

MATH 110	Mathematics for the Liberal Arts	3
MATH 111	College Algebra	3
MATH 112	Trigonometry	3
MATH 121	Calculus I	4

Students must earn a "C" or higher in MATH 110, MATH 111, MATH 112, or MATH 121.

Area I - Computer Literacy - 3 hours

Choose one from the following:

CIS 170	Intro to Microcomputer Applications	3
	or
ED 190	Introduction to Computers for Instruction	3

Area II - The Arts - 3 hours

Choose one from the following:

ART 191	Enhancing Art Understanding	3
ENG 210	Introduction to Film Studies	3
MU 129	Music Listening	3
THR 100	Introduction to Theatre	3

Area II - Literature in English (choose one) - 3 hours

ENG 215	Introduction to Literature	3
ENG 216	Topics in Literature	3

Students must earn a "C" or higher in ENG 215 or ENG 216.

Area II - Social Science - 6 hours

PSY 201	General Psychology	3
PSY 211	Psychology of Human Growth & Development	3

Students must earn a "C" or higher in PSY 201 and PSY 211.

Area II - History - 6 hours

Choose one of two sequences:

HIS 191	World Civilization to 1500	3
	and
HIS 192	World Civilization since 1500	3
	or
HIS 201	History of the United States I	3
	and
HIS 202	History of the United States II	3

Area II - The Natural Sciences: Biology - 7-8 hours

Choose one from the following:

BIO 100	Principles of Biology	4
BIO 111	General Biology I	3

Students must earn a "C" or higher in BIO 100 or BIO 111.

Choose one from the following:

ASTR 100	Introduction to Astronomy	4
CHEM 103	Fundamentals of Chemistry	3
	and
CHEM 103L	Fundamentals of Chemistry Lab	1
CHEM 111	General Chemistry I	3
	and
CHEM 111L	General Chemistry I Lab	1
PHY 201	College Physics I	4
PHY 210	General Physics I	4
PS 100	Physical Science	4

Required Psychology Core Courses - 27 hours

PSY 205/MATH 205	Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences	3
PSY 430	History and Systems of Psychology	3
PSY 420	Abnormal Psychology	3
PSY 441/SOC 441	Research Methods for the Social Sciences	3
PSY 475	Senior Seminar in Psychology	3

Choose one Clinical Psychology course:

PSY 321	Introduction to Counseling	3
PSY 400	Theories of Personality	3
PSY 415	Psychological Testing	3

Choose one Developmental Psychology course:

PSY 311	Child Growth and Development	3
PSY 340	Psychology of Adolescence	3
PSY 461	Psychology of Adulthood and Aging	3
PSY 463	Psychology of Death and Dying	3

Choose one Experimental Psychology course:

PSY 315	Physiological Psychology	3
PSY 320	Human Learning and Cognition	3
PSY 444/SPE 444	Applied Behavior Analysis	3

Choose one Social Psychology course:

PSY 300/SOC 300	Social Psychology	3
PSY 325	Organizational Psychology	3
PSY 335	Psychology of Health and Wellness	3
PSY 410	Environmental Psychology	3

Students must earn a "C" or higher in all Psychology courses.

Psychology Electives - 9 hours

Choose nine hours from psychology at the 300 level or higher.

Students must earn a "C" or higher in Psychology electives.

General Electives - 39-44 hours

Select sufficient courses from any academic discipline to bring the total hours for graduation to a minimum of 120.

Total GEC Credit Hours (40-45 hours)
Total Psychology Core Requirements (27 hours)
Total Psychology Electives (9 hours)
Total General Electives (39-44 hours)

120 minimum hours required for graduation.