Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Sciences Degree (BA)

We offer the Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Sciences (BA) degree to students interested in studying human behavior in preparation for either employment after completing the undergraduate psychology degree or in preparation for applied psychology and other related graduate programs (e.g., counseling, social work, management).

This degree is earned through on-campus learning. Some, but not all, classes may be available online.

The BA degree in Psychological Sciences requires 30 credit hours in psychology coursework and 3 credit hours of statistics:

  • General Psychology (Psych 1000)
  • A statistics course (Stat 1200 or its equivalent)
  • A research methods sequence (Psych 3010/3020/Capstone)
  • Four psychology distribution courses
  • Two elective psychology courses

Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences Degree (BS)

We offer the Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences (BS) degree to students interested in a more science-oriented curriculum to better prepare them for further study in science-oriented psychology graduate programs (e.g., neuroscience, quantitative psychology) or medical school (e.g., Doctor of Medicine/MD, psychiatry), or other health-related graduate programs (e.g., pharmacy, physical therapy). The required science track is not noted on the BS diploma or transcripts, but students can indicate the science track on resumes and/or graduate school application forms.

This degree is earned through on-campus learning. Some, but not all, classes may be available online.

The BS degree in Psychological Sciences requires 30 credit hours in psychology coursework and 3 credit hours of statistics:

  • General Psychology (Psych 1000)
  • A statistics course (Stat 2500 or its equivalent)
  • A research methods sequence (Psych 3010/3020/Capstone)
  • Four psychology distribution courses
  • Two elective psychology courses

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Degree (BA) Online and in Collaboration with the University of Missouri-St. Louis

The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (BA) degree is offered completely online at the University of Missouri in coordination with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Students in this program apply to one campus, but pursue their degree through both psychology departments. This allows students to choose from courses offered on either campus, according to their needs and interests.

This degree is be earned completely online.  Students can learn more about online learning from Missouri Online by clicking here.

The BA degree in Psychology requires 30 credit hours in psychology coursework and 3 credit hours of statistics:

  • General Psychology (Psych 1000)
  • Exploring Psychology Careers (Psych 1000)
  • A statistics course (Stat 1200 or its equivalent)
  • A research methods sequence (Psych 3010/3020/Capstone)
  • Four psychology distribution courses
  • Two elective psychology courses

What Are The Differences Between the Psychological Sciences BA and BS?

  1. The Math Requirement:
    1. BA majors enrolling at MU in the Fall Semester 2019 or later are required to complete the Math Pathways requirement with one of the following courses: Math 1050 (Quantitative Reasoning), Math 1100 (College Algebra), or Statistics 1200 (Introductory Statistical Reasoning).
    2. BS majors are required to complete Math 1100 (College Algebra).
  2. The Statistics Requirement:
    1. BA majors are required to complete Statistics 1200 (Introductory Statistical Reasoning).
    2. BS majors are required to complete Statistics 2500 (Introduction to Probability & Statistics I) or its equivalent. The BS statistics requirement can also be met with the completion of both Stat 1200 (Introductory Statistical Reasoning) and Stat 2200 (Introductory Statistical Methods).
  3. The Foreign Language Requirement:
    1. BA majors are required to complete a 12- to 13-credit hour single foreign language sequence. Students that completed four full units of a single foreign language sequence in high school are exempt from the foreign language requirement.
    2. BS majors are required to either complete a 12- to 13-credit hour single foreign language sequence or complete a Foreign Language Alternative. The Foreign Language Alternative requires any combination of 12 credits of 2000-level or above coursework from the following departments: Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, South Asian Studies, and Spanish. Only the BS allows for the Foreign Language Alternative. We do not accept the Foreign Language Alternative for the BA. BS majors that decide to switch to the BA will be required to complete a single 12-13 hour single foreign language sequence.
  4. Required Science track for BS:
    1. The BS requires an approved 12- to 13-hour science track of coursework in one of the following subjects: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics. The BA does not include a required science track.
Contact

We have a Canvas page with continually-updated information on the psychology major, minor and certificates, and with opportunities for current students.  To self-enroll in the Canvas page click this link.