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College of Arts and Sciences

BA in Psychology

At a Glance

If you are interested in studying psychology or any field involving human relations, our program is for you. It’s also the first step if you are interested in becoming a psychologist, which requires graduate training after you complete the undergraduate major.

Full Time
Rolling Admission

Degrees Offered

Total Credits

Bachelor of Arts

38

Minor

18

Overview

If you are interested in studying psychology and are planning a career in business, industry, education, health services, personnel work, or in any field involving human relations, the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program is for you. It’s also the first step if you are interested in becoming a psychologist, which requires graduate training after you complete the undergraduate major.

About the Major

arts-sciences

All courses in the undergraduate curriculum incorporate the most up to date American Psychological Association learning goals for the undergraduate psychology major. These goals include: (1) Knowledge Base in Psychology, (2) Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking, (3) Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World, (4) Communication, and (5) Professional Development.

Degree Requirements

A total of 38 credits is required which includes a combination of core courses, electives, and courses from five domain areas; Developmental, Biological, Cognition and Learning, Personality and Individual Differences, and Social and Cultural.      

Required Courses

You must complete 14 credits of core courses in the following sequence:

  • Introduction to Psychology  
  • Statistics for Psychology  
  • Research Methods for Psychology
  • History and Systems in Psychology    

For more information, and to see a complete list of degree requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Additional Requirements

You must complete an additional 15 credits by taking one course from each from five domain areas. Examples include:

Developmental:

  • Lifespan Development  
  • Infant and Child Development  

Biological:

  • Physiological Psychology
  • Brain and Behavior

Cognition and Learning

  • Behavior and Behavior Change
  • Thinking, Memory, and Problem Solving  

Personality and Individual Differences

  • Personality Psychology
  • Psychology of Adjustment  

Social and Cultural

  • Social Psychology 3
  • Multicultural Issues in Psychology

For more information, and to see a complete list of additional degree requirements, visit the Course Catalog.

Electives

Three additional psychology courses are required. They may be completed from any of the Five Domain areas above or in the Applied Psychology or Advanced Studies in Psychology categories. Examples include:

Applied Psychology:

  • Career Development  
  • Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying  
  • Psychology of Gender

Advanced Studies in Psychology

  • Special Topics in Psychology  
  • Contemporary Studies in Psychology  
  • Student Internship-Junior Year  

For more information, and to see a complete list of electives, visit the Course Catalog.

Minor Requirements

We offer a minor in psychology that complements our health or natural sciences programs, as well as degrees in art, business, education, engineering, and music. A total of 18 credits is required which includes one core course:

  • Introduction to Psychology  

You also must complete 9 credits of Domain area requirements with courses such as:

  • Adolescent and Adult Development  
  • Studies in Developmental Psychology
  • Studies in Biological Psychology  
  • Studies in Cognitive Psychology  
  • Studies in Social and Cultural Psychology

Take an additional six credits of psychology coursework that is completed from any of the Five Domain areas or the courses such as:

  • Research Methods for Psychology
  • History and Systems in Psychology  
  • Psychology of Gender  
  • Psychology Applied to the Workplace  

For more information about minor requirements, see the Course Catalog.

Learning Outcomes

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology students will:

  • Identify, describe, and compare the major systems and movements in psychology.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of psychology's historical roots, major figures, and their contributions.
  • Demonstrate the ability to access psychological literature, identify the sections of a psychological research journal article, and summarize and evaluate the information therein.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method especially as it applies to psychological research.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply ethical standards in the treatment of participants within psychological research.
  • Demonstrate the ability to posit research hypotheses and to design empirical studies to assess the validity of hypotheses by choosing an appropriate research design and analytical procedures.
  • Demonstrate skills in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.
  • Demonstrate the ability to report the findings of their studies in accord with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) style guidelines.
  • Demonstrate the ability to write papers and/or communicate orally reflecting the application of psychology to a range of issues.
  • Demonstrate the ability to break down complex and ambiguous problems into their component parts and to use empirical information to evaluate a knowledge claim.
  • Demonstrate awareness, interest in, and respect for all groups.
  • Demonstrate increased understanding for a variety of groups based on at least one of the following: gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, age, or mental status.

Kicha Pinthiere

Psychology, '23

Kicha describes her internship at Intensive Education Academy in West Hartford as an amazing experience that reinforced her desire to study school psychology when she graduates. She started her UHart journey in Hillyer College before transitioning to the College of Arts and Sciences in her third year. Kicha says she was forced out of her comfort zone when she joined the UHA Steppaz (step team) which enabled her to represent UHart at other universities. She also joined UHart’s Black Student Union (BSU) which gave her the opportunity to meet other students and create bonds that didn’t just revolve around academics. Read more

I was able to shadow a school psychologist which strengthened my decision in the career path I wanted to take.

Caitlin Cabral

Psychology, '20

Upon graduation, Caitlin Cabral was hired as a project research assistant for Optum, a pharmacy benefit management company that is part of UnitedHealth Group. As part of a research assistantship with Psychology Professor Leonard Milling, Cabral investigated personality variables and their relationship with other factors. On a more day-to-day scale, she helped with directing research participants, distributing and collecting materials, scoring data, and onboarding new research team members.

Read more.

In all honesty, the Psychology Department as a whole impacted me greatly. Even when I was most overwhelmed by my workload—or just life in general—I still felt immensely supported by a team of individuals who wanted me to succeed. My professors weren’t just people I saw in class a few times a week, but mentors who I felt community and connection with.

Meet the BA in Psychology Faculty

Elizabeth Caron
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Janell Carroll
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Caryn Christensen
Associate Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Tony D. Crespi
Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Matthew Costello
Associate Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Jonathan Gordils
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Laurice Guillory
Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising
Psychology

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Sarah Ketay
Professor of Psychology
Psychology

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Robert Leve
Associate Professor
Psychology

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Mala Matacin
Co-Chair, Department of Psychology; Associate Professor
Psychology

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Jennifer McLeer
Assistant Professor
Psychology

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Jessica Nicklin
Associate Provost, Faculty Affairs and Research; Professor, Department of Psychology; Co-chair, IRB
Provost
Psychology
Administration

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Natalie N. Politikos
Professor; Director M.S. School Psychology; Vice Chair of Faculty Senate
Psychology

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Jack Powell
Professor
Psychology

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Natasha Segool
Co-Chair, Department of Psychology; Associate Professor in School Psychology
Psychology

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Olga Sharp
Director, MS in Organizational Psychology; Assistant Professor
Psychology

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Margaret R. Tarampi
Director of University Interdisciplinary Studies; Associate Professor
Psychology

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Sharmon Kennedy
Office Coordinator
Psychology

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Ofelia Santini
Office Coordinator
Psychology

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