PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT

 

  Nicole Maiorana, Class of 2006

David Vernon Bullough Outstanding Senior in Psychology

Recipient of the President's Medal and the SUNY Chancellor's Award

"Nothing feels better than when you master the material in a class in which you never thought you could succeed."

B.A. DEGREE CURRICULUM (36 credit hours)

A. Required Courses (15 credits)

  • PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology  (3 credits)
  • PSY 306 Statistics in Psychological Research  (3 credits)
  • PSY 450 Research Methods  (3 credits)
  • PSY 471 History and Systems of Psychology  (3 credits)
  • PSY 472 Seminar on Psychology  (3 credits)

B. Elective Courses Selected by Advisement - 300 Level  (12 credits)

1. Students must choose one course from each of the following three areas (9 credits)

a. Bio/Cognitive Psychology

  • PSY 304 Learning: Theory and Research
  • PSY 308 Sensation and Perception
  • PSY 321 Comparative Animal Behavior
  • PSY 340 Cognitive Psychology

b. Social/Developmental Psychology

  • PSY 325 Social Behavior
  • PSY 327 Adult Development and Aging I
  • PSY 355 Life-Span Developmental Psychology
  • PSY 356 Child Development
  • PSY 357 Adolescent and Young Adult Development
  • PSY 370 Environmental Psychology I

c. Clinical/Applied Psychology

  • PSY 310 Behavior Modification
  • PSY 311 Personality: Theory and Research 
  • PSY 365 Psychology in the Workplace
  • PSY 367 Organizational Psychology
  • PSY 375 Forensic Psychology
  • PSY 376 Health Psychology

2. Any additional three hours of Psychology at the 300 level (3 credits)

C. Elective Courses Selected by Advisement - 400 Level (9 credits)


1. Students must choose one course from two of the following three areas 6

a. Bio/Cognitive Psychology

  • PSY 404 Theories of Learning
  • PSY 421 Physiological Psychology
  • PSY 430 Psycholinguistics: Language Structure and Processes
  • PSY 432 Human Motivation and Emotion
  • PSY 441 Introduction to Neuropsychology

b. Social/Developmental Psychology

  • PSY 415 Competent Infant
  • PSY 416 Abnormal Child Psychology
  • PSY 417 Atypical Infant
  • PSY 427 Adult Development and Aging II
  • PSY 470 Environmental Psychology II

c. Clinical/Applied Psychology

  • PSY 411 Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY 412 Community Psychology
  • PSY 440 Addictive Behaviors
  • PSY 466 Personnel Psychology
  • PSY 480 Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Procedures
  • PSY 481 Psychological Tests and Measurements

2. Any additional three hours of Psychology at the 400 level (including PSY 488, PSY 495, or PSY 499) (3 credits)

TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS 36

 

About the Program

Students in the B.A. degree program receive a broad and comprehensive background in the science of psychology, which will qualify them to seek entry to graduate or professional schools, or to apply for jobs that require a liberal arts training. The department’s approach is both theoretical and empirical at all levels. The broad content areas represented include learning, perception, lifespan development and aging, animal behavior, industrial/organizational psychology, social processes, and normal and abnormal behavior.

B.A. Honors in Psychology: Departmental honors are for students who are performing exceptionally well in their courses. The honors designation is an adjunct to the B.A. degree with an added emphasis on independent work, and requires that students conduct a comprehensive original research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. To be considered, students must have at least 24 credit hours in psychology from Buffalo State with a minimum GPA of 3.5, and a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all courses taken at Buffalo State. In addition to the required courses in the B.A. degree program, honors students must take PSY 496 and PSY 498. A 39-credit-hour sequence of psychology courses is required for a B.A. honors degree. This requirement is identical to that of the B.A. degree except that PSY 496 is used as a psychology elective and PSY 498 is an additional required course. Students should see their adviser no later than the junior year for more information about the honors option.

Program Requirements

Intellectual Foundations Requirements 39–66 cr

Total Required Credit Hours in Psychology 36 cr

A. Required Courses (15 cr)
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
PSY 306 Statistics in Psychological Research
PSY 450W Research Methods in Psychology I: Introduction to Research Methods
PSY 471 History and Systems of Psychology
PSY 472W Seminar on Psychology

B. Electives Selected by Advisement: 300-level (12 cr)

1. Select one course from each of the following three concentrations (9 cr):

Bio/Cognitive Psychology Concentration
PSY 304 Learning: Theory and Research
PSY 308 Sensation and Perception
PSY 321 Comparative Animal Behavior
PSY 340 Cognitive Psychology

Social/Developmental Psychology Concentration
PSY 325 Social Behavior
PSY 327 Adult Development and Aging I
PSY 355 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
PSY 356 Child Development
PSY 357 Adolescent and Young Adult Development
PSY 370 Environmental Psychology I

Clinical/Applied Psychology Concentration
PSY 310 Behavior Modification I
PSY 311 Personality: Theory and Research
PSY 365 Psychology in the Workplace
PSY 367 Organizational Behavior
PSY 375 Forensic Psychology
PSY 376 Health Psychology

2. Any additional 3 credit hours of psychology at the 300-level.

C. Electives Selected by Advisement: 400-level (9 cr)

1. Select one course from two of the following three concentrations (6 cr):

Bio/Cognitive Psychology Concentration
PSY 404 Theories of Learning
PSY 421 Physiological Psychology
PSY 430 Psycholinguistics: Language Structures and Processes
PSY 432 Human Motivation and Emotion
PSY 441 Introduction to Neuropsychology

Social/Developmental Psychology Concentration
PSY 415 The Competent Infant
PSY 416 Abnormal Child Psychology
PSY 417 The Atypical Infant
PSY 427 Adult Development and Aging II
PSY 470 Environmental Psychology II

Clinical/Applied Psychology Concentration
PSY 411 Abnormal Psychology
PSY 412 Community Psychology
PSY 440 Addictive Behaviors
PSY 466 Personnel Psychology
PSY 480 Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Procedures
PSY 481 Psychological Tests and Measurements

2. Any additional 3 credit hours of psychology at the 400-level; can include PSY 488, PSY 495, or PSY 499.

All College Electives 15–42 cr

Total Required Credit Hours 120 cr