Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Psychology

Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours

General Requirements

  1. The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.
  2. For transfer students, 18 semester credit hours may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Psychology Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Psychology at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.

    PSY 1300Introduction to Psychology3
    TCCN: PSYC 2301
    PSY 3300Lifespan Development3
    TCCN: PSYC 2314
    PSY 2301Introduction to Statistics3
    TCCN: PSYC 2317
    PSY 3331Social Psychology3
    TCCN: PSYC 2319
    PSY 3315Psychopathology3
    TCCN: PSYC 2320
    PSY 3322Brain and Behavior3
    TCCN: PSYC 2330
    Total Hours18
  3. A science minor must be selected from the Departments of Anthropology (elective courses must include biological, forensic, or archaeological content), Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics, or Physics.
  4. Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses). Of these, at least 18 advanced hours must be in Psychology. Sufficient courses from the minor and other electives must be selected to ensure a total of 36 hours of advanced coursework.
  5. This major requires 36 semester credit hours including the following Psychology courses:
    PSY 1300Introduction to Psychology3
    PSY 2100Professional Seminar1
    PSY 2301
    PSY 2101
    Introduction to Statistics
    and Introduction to Statistics Laboratory
    4
    PSY 3402Experimental and Research Methods4
    PSY 3322Brain and Behavior3
    PSY 4391History and Theory3
    Group A - Human Development3
    Lifespan Development
    Adolescent Psychology
    Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
    Group B - Individual Differences/Social Behavior3
    Psychopathology
    Personality Psychology
    Social Psychology
    Group C - Cognition and Learning3
    Sensation and Perception
    Cognitive Processes
    Learning and Memory
    PSY Electives9
    Total Hours36
  6. Nine hours of writing intensive (WI) courses are required for graduation.
  7. The minimum number of hours required for this degree program is 120. The number of free elective hours a student will complete depends on the number of hours a student may need to achieve the required 120 total or 36 advanced hours.

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
Communication Component Code 0103Communication Component Code 0103
Mathematics Component Code 02033Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 03013-4
Modern Language 14104
BIO 1320 (TCCN BIOL 1308)
 
PSY 1300 (TCCN PSYC 2301)23
BIO 1330
BIO 1130 (TCCN BIOL 1306 & 1106)
 
US 11001American History Component Code 0603
 Government/Political Science Component Code 0703
 Modern Language 14204
 14 16
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 03013-4Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 3
BIO 1321 (TCCN BIOL 1309)
 Government/Political Science Component Code 0703
BIO 1331
BIO 1131 (TCCN BIOL 1307 & 1107)
 PSY 2301
PSY 21012
4
Creative Arts Component Code 050 [TCCN HUMA 1315]3PSY 3315, 3316, or 33313
American History Component Code 0603Minor3
Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 (not to include PSY 1300)3 
PSY 21001 
PSY 3300, 3312, or 33133 
 16 16
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ENG Literature (Component Area Option Code 090/094)43Component Area Option 0903
PSY 340224PSY Electives6
PSY 332223Minor6
Minor6 
 16 15
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
BS Literature or Technical Writing3PSY 3321, 3341, or 43423
PSY Elective3PSY 43913
Minor3Electives (as needed)6
Electives (as needed)6 
 15 12
Total Hours: 120
1

Students minoring in Biology are required to complete BIO 1330 & BIO 1130 and BIO 1331 & BIO 1131.

2

Foundation course for all serious study of psychology; much material covered in later courses depends on a thorough knowledge of topics in these courses. Students must complete a three-semester prerequisite sequence prior to taking PSY 4391 and Group C courses. PSY 1300 is a prerequisite for all other PSY courses (except PSY 2311).

3

One course from the following may be chosen to satisfy the Mathematics Component Code 020: MATH 1312 (TCCN 1342)  MATH 1315 (TCCN 1314), MATH 1317 (TCCN 1316), MATH 1319 (TCCN 1324), MATH 2321 (TCCN 2313), MATH 2417 (TCCN 2412), or MATH 2471 (TCCN 2413).

4

An ENG Literature course may be selected from the following: ENG 2310 (TCCN ENGL 2322), ENG 2320 (TCCN ENGL 2323), ENG 2330 (TCCN ENGL 2332), ENG 2340 (TCCN ENGL 2333), ENG 2359 (TCCN ENGL 2327), ENG 2360 (TCCN ENGL 2328), ENG 2371