Psychology, BS

What you will study

All students in the Psychology BS degree program take core courses that provide a solid foundation about the field of psychology and its history. Both BS and BA students take these foundational courses, which include: 

• Abnormal Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• General Psychology
• Life-Span Development
• Social Psychology
• Theories of Personality

As a Psychology Bachelor of Science student, dive deep into research by developing and conducting your own studies. In particular, you’ll spend a significant amount of time in hands-on labs learning about how the scientific method applies to the field. 

Other topics covered in Psychology BS courses include legal and ethical behavior in research settings, scientific reasoning and problem solving. You’ll even gain an understanding of the brain’s structure and function through activities such as sheep brain dissection.

Psychology BS program students take nine hours of upper-level electives, as well as advanced courses such as:

• Research Design and Analysis I
• Research Design and Analysis II
• Physiological Psychology

 

 

Unique learning opportunities in UCM’s Psychology Bachelor of Science program

At the University of Central Missouri, we know that experiential learning provides the best learning outcomes for your Psychology BS degree. Through faculty partnerships, research projects and other engagement opportunities, develop a deep understanding of your course materials and how to apply them in the real world.

• Undergraduate research: Get direct, hands-on experience doing research by pairing with a faculty member who shares your interests. Psychology BS students often present their findings at student conferences, co-author presentations at major conferences and even co-author a publication with faculty.
• Faculty mentoring: Benefit from the guidance of a faculty mentor who works with you throughout the program. Your advisor helps you choose the right classes and helps you find Psychology BS jobs as you near graduation.
• Leadership and community service: Get to know fellow Psychology majors by participating in one of the program’s official student clubs: Psychology Club and Psi Chi, psychology’s international honor society. Club members attend networking events to learn about opportunities for Psychology Bachelor of Science jobs, do community service projects and educate each other about the field.
• Advanced facilities: Access leading technology in the Psychology program’s advanced laboratories. Use EEGs, EKGs and other diagnostic tools to research biosignals and brain activity. You’ll even have access to high-tech equipment to research the assessment and treatment of biomedical disorders in the Experimental Psychology Laboratory.

 

What can you do with a Psychology BS degree from UCM?

The lab courses and upper-level classes in the Psychology BS program prepare you for immediate employment or continuation into grad school. If you go right into the workforce, you’ll be ready for careers in addiction recovery, case management and psychiatric technician work. You can also apply your bachelor’s degree to positions in human resources, business administration, criminology and marketing. 

If you choose grad school, the research components of the Psychology BS degree prepare you for success. With an advanced degree, you can pursue fields that require more training in the psychological sciences, such as behavior analysis, clinical psychology and cognitive psychology. You can even continue into a Ph.D. program later if you plan to pursue full-time research or college-level teaching.

Finding Psychology Bachelor of Science jobs

Use the interactive tool below for insights and details on potential Psychology BS jobs, salaries and other career possibilities after graduation.

 

 

Financial assistance options for your Psychology BS degree

The University of Central Missouri provides you with a variety of ways to make your undergraduate degree affordable. It’s because of our wide range of options to finance your education that LendEDU has recognized UCM as a top-ranked university for low student debt.

You don’t have to take on a heavy financial burden to earn a powerful degree. In fact, we have some financial assistance available exclusively to students in the Psychology Bachelor of Science program. Those scholarships, grants and awards include:

• Arthur J. Ter Keurst Scholarship
• Jerome M. Sattler Award
• Joseph J. Ryan Scholarship
• Psi Chi Awards and Grants
• Robert N. Higgins Memorial Scholarship
• Tuition Awards

You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder.