Psychology: Cognitive Psychology, BSLAS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Concentration
Cognitive Psychology is the study of basic behavioral and cognitive processes, including learning, memory, problem-solving, motivation, and language.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Concentration
Please see your academic advisor. A Major Plan of Study Form must be completed and submitted to the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office before the end of the fifth semester (60-75 hours).
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
Minimum required major and supporting course work: Normally equates to 35 hours of Psychology courses. Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level in the major must be taken on this campus.
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 Sciences | ||
| 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 as 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) | ||
| Cognitive Psychology Concentration Core Course (choose one): | 3 | |
| Cognitive Psych | ||
| Learning and Memory | ||
| Psychological Science Breadth, Group 1 (choose one): | 3 | |
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Intro to Brain and Cognition | ||
| Behavioral Neuroscience | ||
| Images of Mind | ||
Cognitive, Attention, & Perception | ||
| Cognitive Psych (if not taken to satisfy Psychology Concentration Core requirement) | ||
| Perception & Sensory Processes | ||
| Learning and Memory (if not taken to satisfy Psychology Concentration Core requirement) | ||
| Decisions & Judgement | ||
| Psychological Science Breadth, Group 2 (choose two): | 6 | |
Clinical, Community, Developmental, Diversity | ||
| The Psychology of Racism in the United States | ||
| Child Psych | ||
| Psychopathology and Problems in Living | ||
| Community Psych | ||
Social, Personality, Organizational | ||
| Intro to Social Psych | ||
| Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination | ||
| Industrial Org Psych | ||
| Psych of Personality | ||
| Cognitive Psychology Concentration Research Methods Course | 4 | |
| Cognitive Psych Lab | ||
| Cognitive Psychology Advanced Courses (choose two): | 6 | |
| Intelligence and the Brain | ||
| Human Memory | ||
| Psych of Language | ||
| Cognitive Psychophysiology | ||
| Psych and Law | ||
| Neural Network Modeling Lab | ||
| Additional Advanced (300- or 400-level) PSYC or BCOG Courses | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 35 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Concentration
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 |
| PSYC 224 or 248 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (4th level) | 4 |
| General Education course or Composition I | 3 |
| 16 | |
| Total Hours 16 | |
| Second Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| Psychological Science Breadth, Group 1 | 3 |
| Psychological Science Breadth, Group 2 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Second Year | |
|---|---|
| Second Semester | Hours |
| Psychological Science Breadth, Group 2 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Third Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| Cognitive Psychology 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 |
| Cognitive Psychology Advanced Course | 3 |
| Advanced PSYC or BCOG Course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
| Fourth Year | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours |
| PSYC 331 | 4 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| 13 | |
| Total Hours 13 | |
| 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 | 3 |
| 15 | |
| Total Hours 15 | |
Total Hours: 120
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Concentration
- 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;
- 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;
- develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Concentration
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