BS in Psychology Curriculum

The BS in Psychology requires a minimum of 120 credits for degree completion.

Students majoring in psychology must complete a psychology concentration, a minor, or a second major.

Please see footnotes for additional information.

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All CAS students must complete one modern language through the 102 level. Students who have taken a language in high school should take the modern language placement test for that language. Placement scores at the 201 level or higher demonstrate language competency and will place out of the language requirement.

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Students must earn a grade of C- or higher before moving on to the next course.

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Students must take three of the four required perspectives at Quinnpiac University.

Psychology majors also have the opportunity to engage in supervised fieldwork and intensive study within one of three concentrations.

Applied Clinical Science Concentration

Students may apply to enroll in the applied clinical science (ACS) concentration within the psychology major. The program prepares students for careers related to clinical psychology and provides the basis for graduate work in fields such as social work, counseling and school psychology. A minimum 3.00 overall GPA is required to participate in the ACS concentration fieldwork courses. Space is limited in the fieldwork courses and, therefore, in some years enrollment in the concentration may be awarded on a competitive basis.

ACS students must take:

The ACS program emphasizes:

1. Mental health fields as possible careers.
2. Conceptions of mental illness, both past and present.
3. Evidence-based treatment techniques in clinical psychology and related fields.

Applied Cognition Concentration

The applied cognition concentration focuses on providing students with the opportunity to gain job-relevant skills while exploring cognition. Students are exposed to major theories and methods in cognitive psychology, along with applications of cognitive psychology to the workplace (e.g., design thinking, task analysis, survey design) and careers that use insights and methods from cognitive psychology (e.g., behavioral engineering). Because cognitive psychology draws on a range of disciplines, students will also have the opportunity to explore cognition from a different field.

Applied Cognition students must take:

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Elective from a related discipline (e.g. computer science, philosophy, industrial or software engineering) to be decided upon by student in consultation with a faculty member in the cognitive perspective.

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Skill-building through internship, independent research or relevant training (e.g. certification of technical skill) to be decided upon by student in consultation with a faculty member in the cognitive perspective.

The Applied Cognition program emphasizes:

1. Applying theories and methods from cognitive psychology to real-world contexts.
2. Exploring and experiencing multidisciplinary careers in cognitive psychology.
3. Building marketable skills that are relevant for a range of careers (e.g., public speaking, collaboration), as well as specific skills that are relevant for jobs in cognitive psychology (e.g., task analysis, survey design).

Applied Research Concentration

This concentration offers advanced education in psychological research design and analysis, as well as hands-on experiential learning opportunities to help prepare students for graduate work or careers in research. Students will demonstrate an understanding of ethical principles involved in research, gain hands-on experiential learning with one or more research projects, and give a live presentation regarding their work. Applied Research students must take:

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These 3 credits must include hands-on experience with data analysis and “dissemination” of these data. This dissemination should include an oral presentation (“talk”), poster presentation, or written paper.

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These 3 credits can include an additional semester of an independent research project or research-related internship. It can also include advanced coursework (e.g., advanced statistics, data science, data visualization) or other approved related coursework in consultation with the Applied Research Concentration coordinator.

The Applied Research program emphasizes:

1. Gaining hands-on experiential learning through engaging in independent and collaborative research projects.
2. Preparing students for graduate work in various psychology fields or careers in research.
3. Building marketable skills that are relevant for a range of careers (e.g., public speaking, collaboration), as well as specific skills that are relevant for research-related jobs (e.g., survey design, statistical analysis).

Applied Work and Organizational Psychology Concentration

Students may elect to enroll in the applied work and organizational psychology program within the psychology major. The program exposes students to career possibilities in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology areas and provides the basis for further study related to fields such as I-O psychology and management. Applied work and organizational psychology students must take:

The applied work and organizational psychology program emphasizes:

1. Using psychological principles to study and improve working conditions.
2. Developing and practicing marketable skills that are relevant for a range of careers (e.g., public speaking, collaboration), as well as specific skills that are relevant for jobs in industrial-organizational psychology or human resource management (e.g., job analysis, test validation, training design).
3. Gaining relevant, hands-on experience in careers related to industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management.

Shown below is one of many possible paths through the curriculum. Each student's individual academic plan is crafted in consultation with their academic adviser.