About the Program
A specialized B.S. degree in psychology is offered in the following concentrations: biological psychology, clinical psychology, environmental psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, psychology of aging, and psychology of infancy. The B.S. program is designed for a very limited number of students who seek an intensive preparation in one of the above areas. Emphasis is placed upon intensive practicum work and independent study. Students have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor.
B.S. 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.S. 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.S. degree program, honors students must take PSY 496 and PSY 498. A 42-credit-hour sequence of psychology courses is required for a B.S. honors degree. PSY 496 and PSY 498 may be used, where applicable, as elective courses in these programs. Students should see their adviser no later than the junior year for more information about the honors option.
Admission Requirements
1. The student must be enrolled in the B.A. program and be in good academic standing at the college before they can apply to the B.S. program.
2. The student applying for the B.S. program must have received a minimum grade of B in the first course of the required sequence of B.S. courses for that concentration.
3. For guidance in the application process, the potential B.S. applicant must meet with the faculty coordinator for the specialized B.S. concentration in which the student is interested.
4. A psychology department faculty member must formally sponsor the student.
5. The student must be able to complete a minimum of one academic year of supervised work with their sponsor in the B.S. program prior to graduation.
6. Final acceptance into the B.S. program requires approval of the candidate by the psychology department.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. demonstrate an understanding of the major historical schools of thought and approaches in psychology.
2. demonstrate mastery of APA technical report writing.
3. be prepared for careers related to psychology or graduate studies.
4. be able to select and critically evaluate existing literature in a given topic area of psychology.
5. demonstrate the ability to generate a scientific hypothesis in a given area of psychology.
6. demonstrate the rudimentary skills to design and implement research to test scientific hypotheses.
7. be able to apply appropriate statistical techniques for a given research design.
8. demonstrate the ability to apply valid conclusions based on topic area, hypothesis, review of literature, and study outcomes.
Program Requirements
General Education 23 Requirements
33 credit hours 33
Psychology Major Requirements (39-42 credit hours)
Required Courses (18 credit hours)
PSY 101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 3
PSY 350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 3
PSY 450 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS 3
PSY 471 HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY 3
PSY 472 SEMINAR ON PSYCHOLOGY 3
Note: PSY 350, PSY 450 and PSY 472 must be taken in sequence. A grade of C or higher is required in PSY 101 and PSY 350. The prerequisites for PSY 350 are at least sophomore status and completion of the IF Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning requirement (MAT courses only and at MAT 114 level or above).
The prerequisite for all 300-level courses is PSY 101 with a grade of C or better, unless otherwise noted.
Select one from the following: 3
PSY 488 INTERNSHIP (3-15)
PSY 495 SPECIAL PROJECT (1-3)
PSY 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY (3-12)
Concentration Courses (21-24 credit hours)
Students are required to complete one of the following concentrations. At least two courses for each concentration must be at the 400 level (excluding the courses listed in Required Courses). 21-24
Biological Psychology Concentration (24 credit hours)
Select five of the following by advisement:
PSY 304 LEARNING: THEORY AND RESEARCH
PSY 308 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
PSY 321 COMPARATIVE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
PSY 333 BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
PSY 376 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 421 PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 441 INTRODUCTION TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Elective courses selected by advisement (9 credit hours)
Clinical Psychology Concentration (24 credit hours)
PSY 311 PERSONALITY: THEORY AND RESEARCH
PSY 392 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY1
PSY 480 PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PROCEDURES
PSY 481 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS
Elective courses selected by advisement (12 credit hours)
Environmental Psychology Concentration (24 credit hours)
PSY 370 ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY I
PSY 470 ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY II
Elective courses selected by advisement (18 credit hours)
Industrial/Organization Psychology Concentration (24 credit hours)
PSY 365 PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
PSY 367 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
PSY 466 PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY
Elective courses selected by advisement (15 credit hours)
Psychology of Aging Concentration (21 credit hours)
PSY 327 ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING I
PSY 355 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 427 ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING II
Elective courses selected by advisement (12 credit hours)
Psychology of Infancy Concentration (21 credit hours)
PSY 355 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
or PSY 356 CHILD DEVELOPMENT
PSY 415 THE COMPETENT INFANT
PSY 417 THE ATYPICAL INFANT
Elective courses selected by advisement (12 credit hours)
All College Electives
Select 45-48 credit hours from the following: 45-48
Clinical Psychology (18-36 credit hours)
Environmental Psychology (24-36 credit hours)
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (18-36 credit hours)
Psychology of Aging (21-39 credit hours)
Psychology of Infancy (21-39 credit hours)
Total Credit Hours 120
1 Prerequisite: PSY 101 Grade of C and 3 additional hours of psychology.