Program: Psychology BA - Andrews University

Apr 02, 2025

2024-2025 Academic Bulletin

Psychology is the study of mind and behavior, including conscious and unconscious phenomena, feelings, and thoughts. An undergraduate degree in Psychology is applicable to a wide range of occupations. Within the Psychology BA at Andrews University there are two concentrations available: General and Pre-Professional. Students enrolled in the Psychology BA will need to select a concentration prior to graduation. Whichever concentration students choose, they should consult their advisors and classes should be chosen with educational and occupational goals in mind.

Total Credits - 120

Major - 31

Core - 12

PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology Credits: 3
PSYC 105 - Careers and Plans for the Psychology Major Credits: 0
PSYC 201 - Human Development Credits: 3
PSYC 432 - Research Methods II: Introduction Credits: 3
PSYC 465 - Physiological Psychology Credits: 3

Concentrations - 19

General Concentration - 15-18

Choose one of the following:
PSYC 364 - Learning and Behavior Credits: 3
PSYC 445 - Cognitive Psychology Credits: 3
Choose two of the following:
PSYC 269 - History and Systems of Psychology Credits: 3
PSYC 450 - Social Psychology Credits: 3
PSYC 454 - Theories of Personality Credits: 3
PSYC 460 - Psychology of Abnormal Behavior Credits: 3
Concentration Electives: Choose 6-9 additional credits from available PSYC courses, or those approved by your advisor and the department chair, to equal a minimum of 31 major credits.

Pre-Professional Concentration - 16-19

The Pre-Professional concentration is designed for students planning a graduate degree in the social sciences, as it includes additional training in statistics and research methods.

PSYC 405 - Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting Credits: 1
PSYC 433 - Research Methods III: Advanced Research Design Credits: 3
PSYC 434 - Research Methods IV: Advanced Statistical Analysis and SPSS Credits: 3
Choose one of the following:
PSYC 364 - Learning and Behavior Credits: 3
PSYC 445 - Cognitive Psychology Credits: 3
Choose two of the following:
PSYC 269 - History and Systems of Psychology Credits: 3
PSYC 450 - Social Psychology Credits: 3
PSYC 454 - Theories of Personality Credits: 3
PSYC 460 - Psychology of Abnormal Behavior Credits: 3
Concentration Electives: Choose courses as needed from available PSYC courses, or those approved by the advisor and department chair, to equal a minimum of 31 major credits.

Capstone - 1-4

Choose one of the following capstone options:

Option 1:
PSYC 405 - Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting Credits: 1 (with a presentation at the meetings)
PSYC 498 - Research Project in Psychology Credits: 0–3
Option 2:
PSYC 405 - Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting
PSYC 485 - Professional Portfolio Credits: 0
Option 3:
2 credits of PSYC 480 - Field Experience Credits: 0-8
Option 4:
PSYC 490 - Practicum in Psychology Credits: 3
Option 5:
LEAD 498 - Leadership Change Project Credits: 1-3
PSYC 480 - Field Experience
(Students electing this option must be in the undergraduate leadership program and the change project must be approved and monitored by psychology faculty. PSYC490 Practicum is recommended as preparation for Psychology students completing a leadership program.)

Cognates - 13-20

BHSC 230 - Research Methods I: Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences Credits: 3
Choose one of the following ethics options: Note: Honors students who take HONS 105H, HONS 106H, and HONS 415H will meet this requirement.
RELT 340 - Religion and Ethics in Modern Society Credits: 3
RELT 385 - Bioethics and Christian Faith Credits: 3
RELT 390 - Christian Business Ethics Credits: 3
RELT 440 - Fundamentals of Spirituality & Ethics in Healthcare Credits: 3
Choose one of the following: Note: students in a pre-professional program may be required to take BIOL 222 or BIOL 166 as well. Consult with your pre-professional advisor regarding the requirements for your pre-professional program.
BIOL 165 - Foundations of Biology Credits: 4,5
BIOL 221 - Anatomy and Physiology I Credits: 4
Choose one of the following:
ANTH 200 - Cultural Anthropology Credits: 3
SOCI 119 - Principles of Sociology Credits: 3
Choose one of the following sociocultural awareness options: Note: Coming from or having lived in a country other than the USA does not meet the requirements for this section. Student mission experiences must be a minimum of 3 months and include a student or academic component in order to qualify. Tours must include an academic focus on cultural or sociocultural topics in order to qualify.
ANTH 200 - Cultural Anthropology
Credits: 3
BHSC 225 - Global Social Issues Credits: 3
PSYC 355 - Cultural Psychology Credits: 2,3
PSYC 468 - Community Psychology Credits: 3
An international student missionary experience
Attending Adventist Colleges Abroad
An AU tour which deals with cultural concepts
Additional Cognate for Pre-Professional Concentration:
PHIL 224 - Introduction to Philosophy Credits: 3

Additional Requirements

Majors are required to take the Major Field Test in Psychology. The exam assesses the following areas: memory and thinking, sensory and physiology, developmental, clinical and abnormal, social, and measurement and methodology.

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Andrews University must complete 21 credits from courses numbered 300 or above. Transfer courses taken at the lower division level will not count towards the upper division requirement.

General Education (Andrews Core Experience)

Students must fulfill all Bachelor’s Degree requirements listed in the Andrews Core Experience .

Additional Information

Field Experience and a reading knowledge of a foreign language are strongly recommended, particularly for students who plan to take graduate studies in Psychology.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the program a student will be able to:

Think critically about human thought and behavior in individuals, sociocultural and ecological systems
Select credible sources of evidence from the behavioral sciences, and specifically in the area of psychology science
Conduct effective research projects from design through data interpretation
Apply ethical standards to scholarship and practice in Psychology
Apply principles and skills from Psychology to serve their communities
Write effectively about theories, data, and practice in Psychology
Speak effectively about theories, data, and practice in Psychology
Prepare a professional plan for life after graduation
Apply principles from Psychology to understand and influence the development of faith across the life span
Know the key themes in relevant disciplines in Psychology