What you will study
All students in the Psychology BS degree program take core courses that provide a
solid foundation about the field of psychology and its history. Both BS and BA students
take these foundational courses, which include:
- Abnormal Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- General Psychology
- Life-Span Development
- Social Psychology
- Theories of Personality
As a Psychology Bachelor of Science student, dive deep into research by developing
and conducting your own studies. In particular, you’ll spend a significant amount
of time in hands-on labs learning about how the scientific method applies to the field.
Other topics covered in Psychology BS courses include legal and ethical behavior in
research settings, scientific reasoning and problem solving. You’ll even gain an understanding
of the brain’s structure and function through activities such as sheep brain dissection.
Psychology BS program students take nine hours of upper-level electives, as well as
advanced courses such as:
- Research Design and Analysis I
- Research Design and Analysis II
- Physiological Psychology
Excellence in Psychology
- Our rigorous curriculum meets the standards and goals set by the American Psychological
Association for undergraduate psychology programs.
Unique learning opportunities in UCM’s Psychology Bachelor of Science program
At the University of Central Missouri, we know that experiential learning provides
the best learning outcomes for your Psychology BS degree. Through faculty partnerships,
research projects and other engagement opportunities, develop a deep understanding
of your course materials and how to apply them in the real world.
- Undergraduate research: Get direct, hands-on experience doing research by pairing with a faculty member who
shares your interests. Psychology BS students often present their findings at student
conferences, co-author presentations at major conferences and even co-author a publication
with faculty.
- Faculty mentoring: Benefit from the guidance of a faculty mentor who works with you throughout the program.
Your advisor helps you choose the right classes and helps you find Psychology BS jobs
as you near graduation.
- Leadership and community service: Get to know fellow Psychology majors by participating in one of the program’s official
student clubs: Psychology Club and Psi Chi, psychology’s international honor society.
Club members attend networking events to learn about opportunities for Psychology
Bachelor of Science jobs, do community service projects and educate each other about
the field.
- Advanced facilities: Access leading technology in the Psychology program’s advanced laboratories. Use EEGs,
EKGs and other diagnostic tools to research biosignals and brain activity. You’ll
even have access to high-tech equipment to research the assessment and treatment of
biomedical disorders in the Experimental Psychology Laboratory.
What can you do with a Psychology BS degree from UCM?
The lab courses and upper-level classes in the Psychology BS program prepare you for
immediate employment or continuation into grad school. If you go right into the workforce,
you’ll be ready for careers in addiction recovery, case management and psychiatric
technician work. You can also apply your bachelor’s degree to positions in human resources,
business administration, criminology and marketing.
If you choose grad school, the research components of the Psychology BS degree prepare
you for success. With an advanced degree, you can pursue fields that require more
training in the psychological sciences, such as behavior analysis, clinical psychology
and cognitive psychology. You can even continue into a Ph.D. program later if you
plan to pursue full-time research or college-level teaching.
Finding Psychology Bachelor of Science jobs
Use the interactive tool below for insights and details on potential Psychology BS
jobs, salaries and other career possibilities after graduation.
Financial assistance options for your Psychology BS degree
The University of Central Missouri provides you with a variety of ways to make your
undergraduate degree affordable. It’s because of our wide range of options to finance your education that LendEDU has recognized UCM as a top-ranked university for low student debt.
You don’t have to take on a heavy financial burden to earn a powerful degree. In fact,
we have some financial assistance available exclusively to students in the Psychology
Bachelor of Science program. Those scholarships, grants and awards include:
- Arthur J. Ter Keurst Scholarship
- Jerome M. Sattler Award
- Joseph J. Ryan Scholarship
- Psi Chi Awards and Grants
- Robert N. Higgins Memorial Scholarship
- Tuition Awards
You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder.
Meet Emma Gibbons
BS Psychology ’19
Hear Emma talk about how the Career and Life Design Center helps Psychology BS students
discover career opportunities and the right academic path to meet your professional
goals.
Meet Dr. Katie Jacobs
Head of the Advancement of Mental Health Lab
Dr. Jacobs brings her research on suicide warning signs and systematic interventions
into her work in the Advancement of Mental Health Lab. There, she mentors and works
with students, including majors in the Psychology BS program, interested in furthering
their understanding of this important topic.
Meet the Faculty
Meet Dr. Aqualus Gordon
Expert in human sexuality, male psychology and sports psychology
Dr. Gordon specializes in the areas where identity, culture and psychology intersect.
He brings this expertise to classes he teaches on abnormal psychology and general
psychology.
Meet the Faculty
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