Nov 07, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Psychology [BS]


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Students who pursue the Bachelor of Science in Psychology experience the fascinating science of human behavior and how it can be applied to many careers and other life domains.

Learn

The undergraduate degree in psychology provides students with a foundation in the research-based science of behavior and the application of that science to personal, professional, and clinical settings. The curriculum challenges students to think as, scientists and to make data-based inferences regarding the causes of behavior and how to influence it. Students also learn to use research methods and statistical techniques to inform those inferences, as well as learning to write and speak like psychologists to better convey what those inferences mean to both professional and general audiences.

Opportunities

Students pursuing this major are trained within a scientist-practitioner model that refines their ability to apply critical thinking skills and psychological understanding to human challenges. Students find themselves prepared for occupations in a number of fields including administration and management, human resources, sales and marketing, education, and social services including criminal justice, social work, counseling, and psychology. The major also prepares some students to pursue advanced graduate degrees in the behavioral sciences.

Department Information


Psychology | Ellen Koch, Ph.D., Interim Department Head | 341C Science Complex, 734.487.1155, ellen.koch@emich.edu

Advising Information


Click here to learn how to get advising in the Psychology Department

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, see General Education  or print a worksheet .  

Major Requirements: 32-39 hours


Restricted Elective Course: 12 hours


Select one course from each of the following categories:

Concentration or Elective Courses: 6-13 hours


Students have the option of completing an Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration for gaining advanced coursework and field experience in a focused area of study. The goals of this concentration are to produce undergraduate students who are prepared to (a) function as behavioral technicians serving individuals diagnosed with autism and (b) pursue advanced graduate training in behavior analysis. The Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration allows for the student to meet most (but not all) of the minimum requirements to be eligible for the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Certification exam (see below for criteria, course sequence, and experience hours). Students who do not choose this option, will select six (6) elective hours (see below for elective course options).

Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration: 13 hours


The Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration is open to any student in good standing. Completion of the course sequence will not guarantee practicum availability and placement. That is, students are encouraged to work with faculty who teach within this concentration to determine potential practicum opportunities and placements prior to enrolling in the field experience course.

Because field experience may involve children and other vulnerable populations, admission to field experience sections may be restricted based on space considerations, performance in the associated course, health issues (e.g., tuberculosis and hepatitis exposure), and legal requirements related to safety (e.g., meeting performance standards and/or restrictions based on prior convictions for relevant offenses). Admission to practicum sites will be at the discretion of the site and may be restricted based on space considerations, performance in the associated course, health issues (e.g., tuberculosis and hepatitis exposure), and legal requirements related to safety including background checks (e.g., meeting performance standards and/or restrictions based on prior convictions for relevant offenses).

Completion of the Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration course sequence is intended to satisfy the coursework requirement described by the Behavior Analysts Certification Board (BACB) so that students may be eligible to sit for the BCaBA Certification exam following the BACB’s approval of the course content and the student’s accrual of 1000 total experience hours. The experience hours each student will earn during the field experience are intended to either (a) begin the accrual of supervised field experience hours or (b) supplement the supervised field experience hours the student may have already accrued prior to enrolling in the course. Students are expected to accrue a minimum of 120 hours per semester, but can earn upwards of 300 hours (or more) per semester toward their total experience hours.

In addition to completing PSY 302W and PSY 304, students pursuing Board Certification as an Assistant Behavior Analyst must also complete the following course sequence. Students must declare concentration with UACDC.

Elective Courses: 6 hours


Students not pursuing the Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration, may elect any PSY course that is not already a requirement, to satisfy the 6 hours of elective credit. NSCI 301  may also be used as an elective.

Minor Requirement:


This major requires a minor. Please see Programs  for a list of available minors or contact your major advisor.

Program Total:


Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Critical Graduation Information


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.

 

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