The Department of Psychology at Texas A&M University offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Psychology. Both degrees require a total of 120 hours. The two degrees are offered to allow students to complete their non-psychology course of study in fields most relevant to their interests and/or career plans. Both degrees provide students with the necessary curriculum requirements to pursue graduate study in psychology, as well as in other professional fields, such as law and medicine.
The mission of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is to provide students with a rigorous program of undergraduate education and training that encourages critical thinking and lifelong learning. The curriculum leading to a degree in psychology provides students with an understanding of human behavior and the ability to utilize scientific methods to answer questions about human behavior. Students are prepared to enter a variety of graduate and professional programs in psychology and related fields (such as law, medical school), as well as to enter entry-level employment in a number of fields (such as business, human resources). The Department represents the core areas of psychological science, including neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, industrial/organizational psychology, and social and personality psychology. Undergraduate psychology majors are provided a choice between two programmatic emphases culminating in either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree (psychology course requirements and learning outcome expectations are identical for the two degrees, but differ in terms of the non-psychology course requirements).
By completion of the degree, students in our program will be able to:
- Evaluate and synthesize discipline-specific knowledge, including 1) core content regarding methods and statistics used in psychology, 2) core content from clinical psychology, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, industrial/organizational psychology, neuroscience, and social and personality psychology, and 3) the application of this material to global, cultural, and diversity issues.
- Evaluate and explain research methods and findings through professional writing, including describing theoretical and methodological issues comprehensively and skillfully, interpreting findings accurately and logically, and using language that conveys meaning to readers with clarity and fluency.
- Evaluate and synthesize scientific findings and think critically about how to measure and solve problems.
- Adapt and apply an understanding of multiple diverse perspectives and will indicate interest in taking informed and responsible action to address local and global challenges.
Choose Your Degree
Students majoring in psychology may earn either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The psychology course requirements for the two degrees are identical; they differ in the requirements in other disciplines.
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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires courses in a foreign language and extra humanities hours.
This degree can successfully prepare you for graduate and professional programs that stress a humanities background (e.g., counseling, social work, management, law). It will also prepare you for employment in business or applied psychology.
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Bachelor of Science in Psychology
The Bachelor of Science degree requires additional hours in the physical and biological sciences.
This degree can successfully prepare you for further study in a science-oriented psychology graduate program (such as neuroscience), medical school, or other health-related graduate and professional programs (e.g., pharmacy, physical therapy). It will also prepare you for entry-level positions in business or applied psychology.