Which degree is right for me?

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers three degrees for majors in Psychology. Each degree program has different academic requirements in the category of supporting classes.  The BA/Social Sciences is the program followed by 85% of Psychology majors and is most similar to the psychology major at other institutions.  Students who are uncertain of their program should probably select this degree.  The BA/Natural Sciences requires supporting classes in natural sciences instead of social sciences to benefit students transferring to the department with numerous credits in biology, chemistry or physics or who wish to take their supporting classwork in these fields.  The BS degree is designed to accommodate the needs of majors who intend to pursue careers health or science fields and includes most of the required course work for a pre-med curriculum.

Students in all three programs receive the same fundamental preparation in psychology and are similarly prepared for careers after graduation.  While the BS does prepare students for application to health career graduate education by meeting prerequisite requirements, there is no intent to create career tracks for the three degrees.  Students should select their degree on the basis of their interests and current strengths, to maximize success in their program.  Students without strong preparation and interest in the natural sciences are encouraged to select the BA/Social Sciences.

Early difficulty in supporting classes for the BS degree (Bio 240/242, Chem 201/202, Phys 221/222 or Math 205 with grades below a B-) should prompt a reconsideration of the BS program and an immediate consultation with the undergraduate advisor.

For specific requirements and a printable program form, select from one of the degree programs below:

Bachelor of Arts, Social Science Concentration

Bachelor of Arts, Natural Science Concentration

Bachelor of Science

Requirements for majors

Admisson to the major:  See Application section for admission criteria for the Psychology major

Completion of the major for the degree requires:

• Completion of one the three degree programs (BA/SocSci, BA/NatSci, BS)
• 121 of degree-applicable credit hours (minimum) completed
• At least 50 credit hours of 300+ level course work completed
• No more than 40 credit hours within Psychology for the BA degree and no more than 60 hours for the BS degree can be applied to the overall hour total
• Have at least a 2.0 GPA overall and 2.0 in all Psychology classes taken at the University of Louisville
• Apply for graduation online through ULink prior to the beginning of the semester in which you wish to graduate
• Complete the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment in Psychology (currently a multiple choice quiz) prior to the end of the graduation semester

Requirements for minors:

Admission to the minor:  See Application section for admission criteria for the Psychology minor

Completion of the minor requires: