What undergraduate degrees can be earned at Wright State?
Psychology involves the scientific investigation into the mental and physiological processes, as well as the social and situational factors, underlying the behaviors of human and non-human animals. Insights from these investigations contribute to new knowledge and understanding, and may be used to solve important problems. Experts in the field of psychology may have undergraduate degrees (A.A., B.A., or B.S.) or graduate degrees (M.A., M.S., Psy.D., or Ph.D.) and may pursue careers in diverse areas including advertising, business, conflict resolution, consulting, counseling/therapy, criminal justice, education, engineering, health, human resources, marketing, media, military science, politics, public service, rehabilitation, social and behavioral science, social policy, sports, teaching, and others.
Students pursuing undergraduate degrees at Wright State University can earn the Associate’s of Arts (AA, Lake Campus only), Bachelor’s of Arts (BA), and Bachelor’s of Science (BS) Degrees.
Both programs give the student a broad introduction to contemporary Psychology and provide a sound basis for advanced study at the graduate level in Psychology and other related fields. The Department also offers a minor in Psychology for students in other majors.
For those students interested in a more rigorous academic experience, consider pursuing a concentration in psychology. (requires an application for admission + 3.2 gpa )
Bachelor of Science (BS) students may choose among 3 concentrations in:
- Behavioral Neuroscience – Examines physiological & neurological influences on attitudes, cognition, & behavior
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Applies psychology to workplace and organizational dynamics
- Cognition & Perception – Applies psychology to to human performance, decision making, and effectivenes
BS psychology majors with ambitions for medical school may also elect to pursue a pre-med plan of study.
Contact Information
For more information about the undergraduate program in psychology, contact the Psychology Undergraduate Program (PUP) Office in 342 Fawcett Hall at 937-775-4155. You can also email us at: psychadv@psych.wright.edu or Also check us out on facebook at: facebook.com/wsupsych.
Degree Admission Requirements
- Earn at least a 2.25 Grade Point Average (GPA) overall, and a 2.25 GPA in psychology (based on at least 2 psychology courses, including transfer courses).
- Obtain at least 20 semester credits overall (this includes PSY credits + credits from non-PSY coursework from Wright State or from other institutions).
Transfer Students
Students who are transferring to Wright State from another institution must meet all the requirements of the major of psychology, the College of Science and Mathematics and Wright State University Requirements.
The Degree Audit Report (DARS) for transferring students must be updated by the PUP Office before it is correct. Once the DARS is updated, it will appear on Wings Express as "advisor reviewed." If the advisor reviewed DARS is not available, please visit the PUP Office in 342 Fawcett, or call 937-775-4155, for a request.
What course differences exist between the BA and BS degrees at Wright State?
Algebra Requirements
- BA: MTH1260 Intermediate Algebra (or score of 4 on WSU Math Placement Test)
- BS: MTH1280 College Algebra (or score of 5 on WSU Math Placement Test)
Additional Course Requirements
- BA: Complete 18 credit hours (about 6 courses) in coursework from any the following colleges: Liberal Arts, Education, Business, Creative Arts, and Human Services
- BS: PSY3X30 (Select Topics in Research Methods), PSY4010 (Advanced Topics in Research Methods), PSY4020 (Advanced Experimental Design, or CS1160 - Introduction to Computer Programming)
General Elective Requirements
- BA: Complete 14 credit hours in coursework from from ANY college
BS: Complete 23 credit hours in coursework from from ANY college
What's similar between the BA and BS degrees at Wright State?
- GPA admission requirements (psych gpa 2.25 / overall gpa 2.25)
- Credit hour admission requirements (20 semester hours)
- Graduation credit hour requirements (120 semester hours)
- Wright State Core (General Education) credit hour requirements (38 semester hours)
- Introduction to Psychology, Psychology Core Courses (Pick 6), Research Methods in Psychology I & II, Psychology Capstone courses (Pick 2), and Psychology Electives (BA, pick 4 / BS, pick 3)
The Psychology Undergraduate Curriculum at Wright State University.
Core Courses offer instruction on psychological theory providing key insights about the processes underlying mental functioning (e.g., thinking, memory), affect (e.g., feelings and emotions), and behavior. These courses establish the foundation for Wright State’s undergraduate curriculum in psychology, helping students to understand how and why people think, feel, and behave the way they do. Among the areas where students will learn are (1) basic processes – topics that illustrate primary functions on how the mind analyzes information (cognition & learning), how people learn (conditioning & learning), perceive the world around them (perception), and how physiological processes shape psychological experiences (behavioral neuroscience). Students are also required to take courses examining the (2) integration of basic processes – where instruction explores factors contributing to mental illness and psychological distress (abnormal psychology), conditions that help to explain human individuality (personality), reasons contributing to changes across the lifespan (developmental), and the social circumstances shaping peoples’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (social). Finally, students will learn about (3) the applications of basic processes by examining workplace phenomena that affect job performance, decision making, and satisfaction (industrial organizational psych), identifying and testing design alternatives that better accommodate human ability and motivation (engineering psych), assessing the validity of the tools used to measure psychological phenomena (tests & measures), and exploring the connections between mental and physical health (health psychology).
Research Methods Courses provide instruction into the various approaches, procedures, techniques and concerns involved in psychological research, with special attention devoted to the importance of research in psychology, defining research questions, reviewing scholarly literature, data collection, statistical analysis, and scientific writing. In contrast to the psychology core courses, which define the important areas of psychology, methods courses help students understand how psychological insights are tested and validated with the help of science. Students will learn about the scientific method, the significance of basic and applied research, data management, hypothesis testing, the distinction between descriptive and inferential statistics, how to write research reports in APA format, how to use PSYInfo – the research database containing scholarly publications written in the field of psychology and related disciplines.
Capstone Courses provide instruction in a specific topic area in psychology leading to the proposal, writing, and defense of a research paper. Capstones are designed around writing that leverages students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired from research methods, core theory courses, and other coursework completed throughout the student’s undergraduate experience. The importance of writing and a process for writing are explored. Students are required to submit multiple drafts of their writing for review. Final drafts of students’ written work is expected to be of high quality reflecting faculty feedback regarding course content, paper structure, and writing style (APA). In addition to completing the paper, students are also expected to defend the papers publicly by giving a formal oral presentation. Two capstone courses are required after completing the research methods course requirements.
Elective Courses provide instruction across a vast array of topics. Students can elect to take courses on such topics as influence and persuasion, the psychology of men and women, the psychology of incarceration, human sexuality, forensics, stereotypes and prejudice, etc. Students are required to complete elective courses, but may choose them based on the student’s individual interests and eligibility.
Additional Courses (specific to BS degree) provide the opportunity for students to acquire knowledge and develop additional skills in statistics and data analysis (PSY4010 and PSY4020), and research methodology (PSY3X30) in a specific topic area in psychology (i.e., cognition and learning, personality, developmental, social, conditioning and learning, perception, or neuroscience). These courses are designed to foster a greater appreciation for the tools and techniques used by experts in the field of psychological science. Although specific to the BS degree, BA students are also free to take these courses if they meet the prerequisites.
Click here for all the PSY course descriptions
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Honors Program
The Psychology Honors Program provides students an opportunity to enrich their undergraduate education with an intensive program of independent study and research. The focus of the program is on psychological research and it is especially valuable for students who plan to pursue graduate education. Students work individually with a faculty member, their thesis advisor, on state-of-the-art research which could be of such merit that it will be submitted to a scientific journal for publication. Students will be active participants in all aspects of the research, including conception, design, implementation, analysis, and writing. Honors students must complete a written honors thesis and must orally present and defend their research in the honors seminar.
Honors Designations
Students who successfully complete all program requirements earn the designation of "Psychology Honors Scholar." Students who also complete the university honors requirements earn the designation of “University Honors Scholar.” These designations are indicated on transcripts.
Admission Requirements
Students must satisfy the following requirements for admission to the honors program.
- A student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on all work including all transfer credit.
- A student must have earned at least 50 semester-hours. Entry should be as early as possible as soon as this requirement has been met. Completion of the program requires at least three full academic year semesters with the final term being a spring semester before you graduate.
- A student must have successfully completed PSY 3010 and 3020. Only in exceptional cases, and with thesis advisor's and honors program director’s approval, will a student be admitted before PSY 3010 and 3020 has been completed.
- A student must obtain an honors program faculty member who agrees to supervise the student's thesis. Only full-time regular tenured or tenure-track Psychology faculty may supervise honors theses. See the list on page 5 of Honors Program Application Form. Exceptions must be approved by the Departmental Honors Program Director.
Psychology Honors Program Application Form
Application to the Psychology Honors Program is available in the PUP Office, 342 Fawcett. For further information, contact the Director of Psychology Honors Program at 937-775-2391.
