Psychology

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Psychology
(907) 474-7007
www.uaf.edu/psych/

B.A., B.S., M.A. Degrees

Minimum Requirements for Degrees: 120 credits

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The Department of Psychology offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in psychology. The department’s focus is to provide breadth and depth in the science and profession of psychology with a commitment to honoring diversity and promoting human welfare. The curriculum develops cross-cultural knowledge, critical thinking, imagination, creativity, ethical principles, concern for social justice, as well as respect for and knowledge of diverse perspectives that include feminist, multicultural, indigenous, and gay and lesbian.

In addition to active engagement in the classroom, students participate in research and community service. Programs in psychology facilitate an understanding of the human experience as an interaction of biological, psychological, social and cultural processes.

Graduates of the undergraduate program in psychology have been successful in gaining entrance to graduate school in a variety of fields including psychology, medicine, business and law. Graduation with an undergraduate psychology degree has allowed students to become employed in a variety of entry-level human services and business positions.

The Alaska Natives into Psychology (ANPsych) program helps train Alaska Natives and American Indians as psychologists or other behavioral health professionals to address the significant shortage of these professionals in Alaska, particularly rural Alaska. ANPsych supports native communities in building wellness in their villages. The ANPsych program is housed in the departments of Psychology at UAF and UAA and serves as a training pipeline to provide social, financial and academic support for students and behavioral health paraprofessionals who wish to continue their education. The program strives to attract Native high school and undergraduate students seeking a degree in psychology. In addition, a select group of Native students receive similar support for advanced training in psychology at the graduate level through the UAF M.A. program in community psychology and the UAA M.S. program in clinical psychology.

Major—B.A. or B.S. Degree

  1. Complete the general university requirements.
  2. Complete the B.A. or B.S. degree requirements.
  3. Complete the following program (major) requirements:*
    1. Complete the following:

      PSY 101—Introduction to Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 275—Introduction to Social Science Research Methods 3 credits

      PSY 485—Senior Seminar 3 credits
    2. Complete 1 course from each of the following specialized areas:

      Research

      PSY/SOC 250—Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Sciences 3 credits

      PSY 475W—Research Design and Analysis in Psychology 3 credits

      PSY/SOC 480W—Qualitative Social Science Research 3 credits

      Biological Perspectives

      PSY 335—Physiological Psychology 3 credits

      PSY/SOC 370—Drugs and Drug Dependence 3 credits

      PSY 470—Sensation and Perception 3 credits

      Social Perspectives

      PSY/SOC 330—Social Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 390W,O—Industrial and Organizational Psychology 3 credits

      Psychological Perspectives

      PSY 304—Personality 3 credits

      PSY 345—Abnormal Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 440—Learning and Cognition 3 credits

      Multicultural/Diversity

      PSY 310O—Cross-Cultural Psychology 3 credits

      PSY/SOC 333/WMS 332—Human Sexuality Across Cultures 3 credits

      PSY/WMS 360O—Psychology of Women Across Cultures 3 credits

      PSY 444—Advanced Multicultural Lifespan Development 3 credits
    3. Complete 12 additional credits from the following (you may also choose from the courses listed in the specialized areas above):

      PSY 240—Lifespan Developmental Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 320—History and Systems of Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 337W—Sport Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 350—Comparative Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 380—Environmental Psychology 3 credits

      PSY/BA 436—Consumer Behavior 3 credits

      PSY 455—Clinical Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 469—Health Psychology 3 credits

      PSY 393/493—Special Topics 3 credits
    4. Complete 1 community service course.**
  4. Minimum credits required 120

* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course.
** Community service courses: PSY 310, 345, 445 and 470.
Note: Student may not count more than 6 hours of any combination of PSY 497 and 498 toward the degree.
Note: Student may apply an unlimited number of PSY 392/492 and PSY 393/493 toward the degree provided the topics are different for each course.

Minor

  1. Complete the following:

    PSY 101—Introduction to Psychology 3 credits

    PSY electives 12 credits
  2. Minimum credits required 15