Psychology, BSLAS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology
The Psychology major is a broad-based curriculum within a research-focused department. The program is designed both for students interested in a liberal arts education with psychology as a focal area and for students who plan to attend graduate or professional school either in psychology or in a different field such as medicine, law, social work, business administration, counseling, labor relations and many others.
The Psychology major provides both depth and breadth of knowledge in Psychology. The major consists of an introductory course, a statistics course, a breadth of knowledge or foundation in the different areas of psychology that comes from a set of core courses, a research methods course, and elective courses that give students a depth of knowledge. Each concentration, except for intradisciplinary psychology, has a core course specific to that area of psychology with a research methods course designed for that concentration. In formulating their Plan of Study, students can decide either to undertake a concentration in Intradisciplinary Psychology and select courses that focus on their own unique interests or to specialize in a particular area of Psychology by fulfilling the requirements for one of the other concentrations listed below. As undergraduate students fulfill the requirements, they also have the opportunity to participate in current research projects by working in labs. Students should contact our Undergraduate Advising Office for help in creating a plan of study and research that best meets their goals and interests.
The Department of Psychology also offers a BSLAS in Brain & Cognitive Science.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
fulfilled by PSYC 100 and any other course approved as Social & Behavioral Science | ||
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
fulfilled by PSYC 235 and any other course approved Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required) | 0-20 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation and Professional Development | ||
| LAS 101 | Design Your First Year Experience | 1 |
OR | ||
| LAS 100 & LAS 101 | Success in LAS for International Students and Design Your First Year Experience | 3 |
OR | ||
| LAS 102 | Transfer Advantage | 1 |
| Total Hours | 1 or 3 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Psychology | 4 | |
| Intro Psych | ||
| Psychological Statistics | 3 | |
| Intro to Statistics (or equivalent) | ||
| Concentration Coursework: | 28-29 | |
| Students choose from the following concentrations: | ||
| Total Hours | 35-36 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements.
| First Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| LAS 101 | 1 |
| PSYC 100 | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 |
| 16 | |
| Total Hours 16 | |
| First Year | |
|---|---|
| Second Semester | Hours |
| PSYC 235 | 3 |
| Concentration Coursework | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (4th level) | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 3 |
| 16 | |
| Total Hours 16 | |
| Second Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Coursework | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Second Year | |
|---|---|
| Second Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Coursework | 3 |
| Concentration Coursework | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Third Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Specific Advanced Course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Third Year | |
|---|---|
| Second Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Specific Advanced Course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Advanced PSYC or BCOG Course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Fourth Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Specific Research Methods Course | 4 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 1 |
| 14 | |
| Total Hours 14 | |
| Fourth Year | |
|---|---|
| Second Semester | Hours |
| Advanced PSYC or BCOG Course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 2 |
| 14 | |
| Total Hours 14 | |
Total Hours: 120
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology
Learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes are adapted from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) “Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major” (2013). These guidelines consist of general learning outcomes along with specific indicators that can be assessed. Two sets of indicators are provided by the APA depending on whether a student has completed just the foundational courses (100‐ and 200‐ level classes) or is finishing the elective courses (300‐ and 400‐ level classes) necessary for each concentration within the Psychology major. The four learning outcomes that we will be evaluating are:
- Students will demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral phenomena. This includes:
- describing key concepts, principles and overarching themes
- developing a working knowledge of the different content or program areas in psychology, and
- describing the application of psychology to everyday life.
- Students will develop scientific reasoning and problem solving skills, including effective research methods. This includes:
- using scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena; 2.2) demonstrating psychology information literacy;
- engaging in innovative and integrative thinking and problem solving;
- interpreting, designing, and conducting basic psychological research; and
- incorporating sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry when appropriate.
- Students will develop ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity. This goal encompasses:
- applying ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice;
- building and enhancing interpersonal relationships; and
- adopting values that build community at local, national, and global levels.
- Students will be prepared to apply psychology‐specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project‐management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation to optimize their competitiveness for securing places in a graduate school, professional school, or in the workforce. For example, students should be able to:
- apply psychological content and skills to career goals;
- demonstrate project‐management skills and teamwork capacity; and
- develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology
Department of Psychology
Psychology faculty
Psychology advising
psych-advising@illinois.edu
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Overview of College Admissions & Requirements: Liberal Arts & Sciences