Arts & Sciences Psychology
Description
The undergraduate degree program in psychology is designed to provide you with educational and research experiences that can prepare you for graduate or professional school in academic psychology, medicine, dentistry, nursing, public health, and law—to name a few. The bachelors degree program in psychology can also prepare you for diverse careers in applied fields such as counseling, business, and health and human services. If you plan to major in psychology, we recommend that you meet with our advisors as early as possible to plan a program of study consistent with your interests and goals.
Options in the Major
Students may choose to focus their advanced coursework in ways that meet their specific interests and career goals. All students complete a core set of requirements and can determine, in consultation with faculty and their academic advisor, which specific option to follow. The option will be documented on the final transcript.
Psychological Science Option
The standard option for the major, it provides flexibility for students to explore the breadth of the field and prepares them for a range of careers and graduate or professional schools.
Clinical Science and Human Services Option
Prepares students for careers or graduate or professional schools in a full range of clinical science and human service fields. In addition to the three learning outcomes for the major, students in the Clinical Science and Human Services Option will understand evidence-based principles and practices for improving human health and behavior.
Neuroscience Option
Prepares students for careers or graduate or professional schools in a full range of neuroscience and biomedical fields by combining traditional natural science ancillary coursework with psychology. In addition to the three learning outcomes for the major, students in the Neuroscience Option will understand neuroscientific methods along with principles and theories underlying behavior.
College Admission
The entrance requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), including any of the majors or minors offered through the college, are the same as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln General Admission Requirements. In addition to these requirements, the College of Arts and Sciences strongly recommends a third and fourth year of one foreign language in high school. Four years of high school coursework in the same language will fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences’ language requirement. It will also allow students to continue language study at a more advanced level at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and provide more opportunity to study abroad.
Academic and Career Advising
Academic and Career Advising Center
Not sure where to go or who to ask? The Advising Center team in 107 Oldfather Hall can help. The Academic and Career Advising Center is the undergraduate hub for CAS students in all majors. Centrally located and easily accessed, students encounter friendly, knowledgeable people who are eager to help or connect students to partner resources. Students also visit the Advising Center in 107 Oldfather Hall to:
- Choose or change their major, minor, or degree program.
- Check on policies, procedures, and deadlines.
- Get a college approval signature from the Dean’s representatives.
CAS Career Coaches are available by appointment (in-person or zoom) and located in the CAS Academic and Career Advising Center, 107 Oldfather Hall. They help students explore majors and minors, gain experience, and develop a plan for life after graduation.
Assigned Academic Advisors
Academic advisors are critical resources dedicated to students' academic, personal, and professional success. Every CAS student is assigned an academic advisor based on their primary major. Since most CAS students have more than just a single major, it is important to get to know the advisor for any minors or additional majors. Academic advisors work closely with the faculty to provide the best overall support and the discipline specific expertise. They are available for appointments (in-person or zoom) and through weekly virtual drop-ins. Assigned advisors are listed in MyRED and their offices may be located in or near the department of the major for which they advise.
Students who have declared a pre-health or pre-law area of interest will also work with advisors in the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center (Explore Center) in 127 Love South, who are specially trained to guide students preparing to enter a professional school.
For complete and current information on advisors for majors, minors, or pre-professional areas, visit https://cas.unl.edu/major-advisors, or connect with the Arts and Sciences Academic and Career Advising Center, 107 Oldfather Hall, 402-472-4190, casadvising@unl.edu.
Career Coaching
The College believes that Academics + Experience = Opportunities and encourages students to complement their academic preparation with real-world experience, including internships, research, education abroad, service, and leadership. Arts and sciences students have access to a powerful network of faculty, staff, and advisors dedicated to providing information and support for their goals of meaningful employment or advanced education. Arts and sciences graduates have unlimited career possibilities and carry with them important career competencies—communication, critical thinking, creativity, context, and collaboration. They have the skills and adaptability that employers universally value. Graduates are prepared to effectively contribute professionally and personally with a solid foundation to excel in an increasingly global, technological, and interdisciplinary world.
Students should contact the career coaches in the Arts and Sciences Academic and Career Advising Center in 107 Oldfather Hall, or their assigned advisor, for more information. The CAS career coaches help students explore career options, identify ways to build experience and prepare to apply for internships, jobs, or graduate school, including help with resumes, applications, and interviewing.
ACE Requirements
Students must complete one course for each of the ACE Student Learning Outcomes below. Certified course choices are published in the degree audit, or visit the ACE website for the most current list of certified courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACE Student Learning Outcomes | ||
ACE 1: Write texts, in various forms, with an identified purpose, that respond to specific audience needs, integrate research or existing knowledge, and use applicable documentation and appropriate conventions of format and structure. | ||
ACE 2: Demonstrate competence in communication skills. | ||
ACE 3: Use mathematical, computational, statistical, logical, or other formal reasoning to solve problems, draw inferences, justify conclusions, and determine reasonableness. | ||
ACE 4: Use scientific methods and knowledge to pose questions, frame hypotheses, interpret data, and evaluate whether conclusions about the natural and physical world are reasonable. | ||
ACE 5: Use knowledge, historical perspectives, analysis, interpretation, critical evaluation, and the standards of evidence appropriate to the humanities to address problems and issues. | ||
ACE 6: Use knowledge, theories, and research perspectives such as statistical methods or observational accounts appropriate to the social sciences to understand and evaluate social systems or human behaviors. | ||
ACE 7: Use knowledge, theories, or methods appropriate to the arts to understand their context and significance. | ||
ACE 8: Use knowledge, theories, and analysis to explain ethical principles and their importance in society. | ||
ACE 9: Exhibit global awareness or knowledge of human diversity through analysis of an issue. | ||
ACE 10: Generate a creative or scholarly product that requires broad knowledge, appropriate technical proficiency, information collection, synthesis, interpretation, presentation, and reflection. | ||
College Degree Requirements
College Distribution Requirements – BA and BS
The College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements are common to both the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees and are designed to ensure a range of courses. By engaging in study in several different areas within the College, students develop the ability to learn in a variety of ways and apply their knowledge from a variety of perspectives. All requirements are in addition to University ACE requirements, and no course can be used to fulfill both an ACE outcome and a College Distribution Requirement.
- A student may not use a single course to satisfy more than one College Distribution Requirement, with the exception of CDR Diversity. Courses used to meet CDR Diversity may also meet CDR Writing, CDR Humanities, or CDR Social Science.
- Independent study or reading courses and internships cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements.
- Courses from interdisciplinary programs will be applied in the same area as courses from the home/cross-listed department.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Distribution Requirements | ||
| CDR: Written Communication | 3 | |
| Select from courses approved for ACE outcome 1. | ||
| CDR: Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences with Lab | 4 | |
| Select from biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, geology, meteorology, mathematics, and physics. Must include one lab in the natural or physical sciences. Lab courses may be selected from biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics. | ||
| Some courses from geography and anthropology may also be used to satisfy the lab requirement above. 1 | ||
| CDR: Humanities | 3 | |
| Select from classics, English, film studies, history, modern languages and literatures, philosophy, and religious studies. 2 | ||
| CDR: Social Science | 3 | |
| Select from anthropology, communication studies, geography, national security studies, political science, psychology, or sociology. 3 | ||
| CDR: Human Diversity in U.S. Communities | 0-3 | |
| Select from a set of approved courses as listed in the degree audit. | ||
| CDR: Language | 0-16 | |
| Fulfilled by the completion of the 6-credit-hour second-year sequence in a single foreign language in one of the following departments: Classics and religious studies or modern languages and literatures. Instruction is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. | ||
| A student who has completed the fourth-year level of one foreign language in high school is exempt from the languages requirement, but encouraged to continue on in their language study. | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 13-32 | |
- 1
See Degree Audit or a College of Arts and Sciences advisor for approved geography and anthropology courses that apply as natural science.
- 2
Language courses numbered 220 and below do not fulfill the CDR Humanities.
- 3
See Degree Audit or College of Arts and Sciences advisor for list of natural/physical science courses in anthropology, geography, and psychology that do not apply as social science.
Language Requirement
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the College of Arts and Sciences place great value on academic exposure and proficiency in a second language. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln entrance requirement of two years of the same foreign language or the College’s language distribution requirement (CDR: Language) will rarely be waived and only with relevant documentation. See the main College of Arts and Sciences page for more details.
Experiential Learning Requirement
All undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course. This may include 0-credit courses designed to document co-curricular activities recognized as Experiential Learning.
Scientific Base - BS Only
The bachelor of science degree requires students to complete 60 hours in mathematical, physical, and natural sciences. Approved courses for scientific-based credit come from the following College of Arts and Sciences disciplines: actuarial science, anthropology (selected courses), astronomy, biochemistry (excluding BIOC 101), biological sciences (excluding BIOS 100 or BIOS 203), chemistry (excluding CHEM 101), geography (selected courses), geology, life sciences, mathematics (excluding courses below MATH 104), meteorology, microbiology (excluding MBIO 101), and physics (excluding PHYS 201.)
See your Degree Audit or your assigned academic advisor for a complete list, including individual classes that fall outside of the disciplines listed above. Up to 12 hours of scientific and technical courses offered by other colleges may be accepted toward this requirement with approval of the College of Arts and Sciences. See your assigned academic advisor to start the approval process.
Minimum Hours Required for Graduation
A minimum of 120 semester hours of credit is required for graduation from the College of Arts and Sciences. A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required.
Grade Rules
Restrictions on C- and D Grades
The College will accept no more than 15 semester hours of C- and D grades from other domestic institutions except for UNO and UNK. All courses taken at UNO and UNK impact the UNL transcript. No transfer of C- and D grades can be applied toward requirements in a major or a minor. No University of Nebraska–Lincoln C- and D grades can be applied toward requirements in a major or a minor. International coursework (including education abroad) with a final grade equivalent to a C- or lower will not be validated by the College of Arts and Sciences departments to be degree applicable.
Pass/No Pass Privilege
The College of Arts and Sciences adheres to the University regulations for the Pass/No Pass (P/N) privilege with the following additional regulations:
- Pass/No Pass hours can count toward fulfillment of University ACE requirements and college distribution requirements up to the 24-hour maximum.
- Most arts and sciences departments and programs do not allow courses graded Pass/No Pass to apply to the major or minor. Students should refer to the department’s or program’s section of the catalog for clarification. By college rule, departments can allow up to 6 hours of Pass/No Pass in the major or minor.
- Departments may specify that certain courses of theirs can be taken only on a P/N basis.
- The college will permit no more than a total of 24 semester hours of P/N grades to be applied toward degree requirements. This total includes all Pass grades earned at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and other U.S. schools. NOTE: This 24-hour limit is more restrictive than the University regulation.
Grading Appeals
A student who feels that he/she has been unfairly graded must ordinarily take the following sequential steps in a timely manner, usually by initiating the appeal in the semester following the awarding of the grade:
- Talk with the instructor concerned. Most problems are resolved at this point.
- Talk to the instructor’s department chairperson.
- Take the case to the Grading Appeal Committee of the department concerned. The Committee should be contacted through the department chairperson.
- Take the case to the College Grading Appeals Committee by contacting the Dean’s Office, 1223 Oldfather Hall.
Course Level Requirements
Courses Numbered at the 300 or 400 Level
Thirty (30) of the 120 semester hours of credit must be in courses numbered at the 300 or 400 level. Of those 30 hours, 15 hours (1/2) must be completed in residence at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Residency Requirement
Students must complete at least 30 of the 120 total hours for their degree at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Students must complete at least 1/2 of their major coursework, including 6 hours at the 300 or 400 level in their major and 15 of the 30 hours required at the 300 or 400 level, in residence. Credit earned during education abroad may be used toward the residency requirement only if students register through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Catalog to Use
Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. Beginning in 1990-1991, the catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.
Transfer Students: Students who have transferred from a community college may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This decision should be made in consultation with academic advisors, provided the student a) was enrolled in a community college during the catalog year they are utilizing, b) maintained continuous enrollment at the previous institution for 1 academic year or more, and c) continued enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within 1 calendar year from their last term at the previous institution. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year and within the time frame allowable for that catalog year.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates with a major in psychology will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the main content areas of psychology, including cognitive, biological, social, and developmental.
- Interpret, design, analyze, and communicate psychological research that fosters the following transferable skills objectives:
- to be able to consider any psychological question, locate and critically review the existing literature, to form an empirically testable hypothesis of what the answer will be to the scientific inquiry into the question.
- to develop a research design necessary to identify what data to collect to test that research hypothesis.
- to use an understanding of the research design and the resulting data to statistically test the research hypothesis.
- to synthesize the literature review, research design and statistical analyses to describe and communicate the new information acquired from the investigation.
- to know how to use the existing literature to design future research to examine the replicability of the research results.
- Explore and develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.
Graduates with a major in psychology, neuroscience option will:
- Understand the role of brain and behavioral processes in psychological and social problems.
Graduates with a major in psychology, clinical science and human services option will:
- Understand the role of sociocultural factors in psychological and social problems.
Major Requirements
Psychology core requirements plus one of the three options: Psychological Science, Clinical Science and Human Services, or Neuroscience.
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| required courses 1 | ||
| PSYC 100 | Career Planning for Psychology Majors | 1 |
| PSYC 181 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 263 | Introduction to Cognitive Processes | 3 |
| PSYC 273 | Brain & Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 288 | The Psychology of Social Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 289 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 350 | Research Methods and Data Analysis | 4 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 21 | |
| Option | ||
| Complete the requirements for one of the three options: Psychological Science, Clinical Science and Human Services, or Neuroscience. See below for specific option requirements. | ||
- 1
Students are strongly advised to complete Core Requirements before the advanced psychology courses within the options.
Psychological Science Option
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Psychology Courses | ||
| Select an additional 18 hours of advanced PSYC courses at the 300 or 400 level, including at least 9 hours at the 400 level. 1 | 18 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 18 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Clinical Science and Human Services Option
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Psychology of Diversity | ||
| Psychology of Gender | ||
| Psychology of Racism | ||
| Additional Courses | 15-16 | |
| Select five of the following: | ||
| Addiction | ||
| Psychopathology and Mental Health | ||
| Psychology and Law | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Family Violence | ||
| Advanced Research Design and Data Analysis | ||
or PSYC 451 | Multivariate Research Design and Data Analysis | |
| Motivation and Emotion | ||
| Human Sexuality and Society | ||
| Clinical Psychology | ||
| Child Behavior and Development | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18-19 | |
Neuroscience Option
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Natural Science Foundations | ||
| BIOS 206 | General Genetics | 4 |
| CHEM 109A & CHEM 109L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| or CHEM 113A & CHEM 113L | Fundamental Chemistry I and Fundamental Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| LIFE 120 & LIFE 120L | Fundamentals of Biology I and Fundamentals of Biology I laboratory | 4 |
| LIFE 121 & LIFE 121L | Fundamentals of Biology II and Fundamentals of Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 141 | Elementary General Physics I | 4-5 |
| or PHYS 211 | General Physics I | |
| Required Neuroscience | ||
| PSYC 465 / BIOS 465 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 23-24 | |
| Additional Courses 1 | ||
| Select four of the following: | 12-13 | |
| Learning and Motivation | ||
or PSYC 370 | Evolution, Behavior and Society | |
| Advanced Research Design and Data Analysis | ||
or PSYC 451 | Multivariate Research Design and Data Analysis | |
| Developmental Biopsychology | ||
| Behavior Genetics | ||
| Human Memory | ||
| Animal Learning & Cognition | ||
| Perception | ||
| Psychoneuropharmacology | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 12-13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 35-37 | |
- 1
Up to 3 hours of PSYC 498 may be substituted if related and by approval of the advisor.
Additional Major Requirements
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A grade of C or above is required for all courses in the major and minor.
Pass/No Pass Limits
Excluding PSYC 100, up to 3 hours of Pass/No Pass credit may be counted toward the major or minor.
Requirements for Minor Offered by Department
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| PSYC 181 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 4 | |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Select at least 14 hours of additional PSYC courses at the 200 level or above, including at least 9 credit hours at the 300 level or above. 1 | 14 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
- 1
No more than 3 hours from the following courses can count toward the minor: PSYC 495, PSYC 497, PSYC 498, and PSYC 499.
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A grade of C or above is required for all courses in the major and minor.
Pass/No Pass Limits
Excluding PSYC 100, up to 3 hours of Pass/No Pass credit may be counted toward the major or minor.
Prerequisites: Psychology major or permission
Pass/No pass only. Students should take this course as early in their studies as possible, even if they have not taken PSYC 181.
Description: Survey of careers frequently sought by psychology majors, and recommendations for course work and experience for attaining students' career goals. Includes departmental, college, and university resources of value to students' educational and career objectives, and preparation for graduate study in psychology and related fields.
| Credit Hours: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 1 |
| Max credits per degree: | 1 |
| Grading Option: | Pass No Pass |
Credit Hours:1
ACE:
Description: Introduction to concepts and research in the areas of biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and health-related bases of behavior, with emphases on critical thinking, research methods, and integration across areas of psychology.
This course is a prerequisite for: EDPS 386; ETHN 310, PSYC 310; GERO 446, GERO 846, PSYC 446; PSYC 263; PSYC 273; PSYC 289; PSYC 350; PSYC 368; PSYC 370; PSYC 380; PSYC 387; PSYC 459
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $15 |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
Prerequisites: Good standing in the University Honors Program or by invitation.
Description: Introduction to concepts and research in the areas of personality, attitudes, emotion, learning, memory, perception, and physiological bases of behavior.
This course is a prerequisite for: EDPS 386; ETHN 310, PSYC 310; GERO 446, GERO 846, PSYC 446; PSYC 263; PSYC 273; PSYC 289; PSYC 350; PSYC 368; PSYC 370; PSYC 380; PSYC 387; PSYC 459
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $15 |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
Prerequisites: Good standing in the University Honors Program or by invitation.
University Honors Seminar 189H is required of all students in the University Honors Program. Letter grade only.
Description: Topic varies.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
Prerequisites: PSYC 181.
Description: Introduction to the psychological processes involved in pattern recognition, memory, human learning, problem solving, language development, verbal communication, and decision making, as viewed from an information processing standpoint.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181
Credit cannot be earned in both PSYC 273 and PSYC 373.
Description: Introduction to concepts and research to understand relations between bodily processes and behavior, with a focus on human brain structure and function.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 4 Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 4 Science
Description: Social factors influencing the values, attitudes, and behavior of the individual, including language, propaganda leadership, and group identifications.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
Prerequisites: PSYC 181 or equivalent.
Description: Developmental approaches to human behavior from conception to senescence. Theories, methods, and results of research.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Topics vary.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181 or permission.
Description: Examines psychological theory and research on the topic of immigration. Includes the impact of immigration on individual development (e.g., socialization, identity formation, acculturation) and family functioning (e.g., intergenerational relations, gender roles).
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Survey of theory and research on the psychological aspects of ethnicity and racism, gender, sexual orientation, including biological, social, and cultural influences. Causes and nature of prejudice in US society towards minorities and women. Research methods for key topics with these identified groups.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 9 Global/Diversity
Description: Applications of psychological principles to understand human transactions with their environments and find behavior-based solutions to environmental problems.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship
Prerequisites: 10 credit hours in Psychology, including PSYC 181
Description: Presentation of basic designs, methods, and data analysis techniques employed in psychological and behavioral research. Critical review of existing research, development of empirical hypotheses, design of research to test those hypotheses, statistical analysis and interpretation, and presentation of results. Create, perform, and present an individual research project.
This course is a prerequisite for: PSYC 459
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $10 |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 10 Integrated Product |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:ACE 10 Integrated Product
Prerequisites: PSYC 273
Description: Introduction to factors relevant to substance-related disorders including biological, psychological, social, and clinical. Issues in research, theory and practice are considered.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181 or equivalent
Description: Introduction to processes of instrumental and classical conditioning in animals and humans, and to theories of and research on motivation.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181
Description: Application of modern evolutionary theory to contemporary societal problems. Understanding human behaviors such as aggression, parenting and social systems, the role of evolutionary thought in medicine, and evolutionary approaches to cognition and intelligence.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181 or equivalent
Description: Diagnosis and treatment of mental health challenges in the context of relevant biological, experiential, and cultural factors.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 181 or equivalent.
Description: Introduction to factors influencing personality and its development; the dynamics of personality adjustment.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Topics vary.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing
Description: Survey of the relationships between psychology and the law, legal system and legal process. Issues in research, theory, and practice considered.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: 12 hrs PSYC.
Description: Theory and research on the role of gender in human behavior and attitudes. Diverse theoretical positions on the development of gender and the biological, social, and cultural bases that influence the relationship between gender and a variety of areas of human experience (e.g., intelligence and achievement, emotion, relationships, sexuality, physical fitness, stress, and coping).
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 350.
Description: Major terms and issues in psychology that pertain to race and racism in the United States. General principles of the psychology of racism that are universal. Psychology of the major racial minority groups in the United States examined through their unique cultures, histories, traditions, and collective identities. Research methods for the psychology of racism reviewed as a basis for interpreting research results.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing.
Description: The relationship between psychological factors and physical health. Health behavior, health decision-making, health promotion and coping from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing
Description: Overview of the multiple forms of family violence through a psychological perspective, including child maltreatment (physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment), intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. Scope of the problem, etiology, consequences, intervention, prevention, and current controversies are addressed.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Currently important fundamental issues in psychology, focusing on controversies within the science of psychology.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Major social and psychological changes that occur as a function of aging. Both normal and abnormal patterns of developmental change including their implications for behavior.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 350 with a grade of B or better
PSYC 450/850 (usually offered in the fall) and PSYC 451/851 (usually offered in the spring) can be taken in any order.
Description: Presentation of advanced, experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental research designs and statistical models employed in psychological and behavioral research. Factorial ANOVA and ANCOVA designs and analysis, with interpretation and presentation of the results in oral, written, and web-based formats. Create, perform, and present an individual research project.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $15 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 350 with a grade of B or better
PSYC 450/850 (usually offered in the fall) and PSYC 451/851 (usually offered in the spring) can be taken in any order.
Description: Presentation of multivariate research designs and statistical models employed in psychological and behavioral research. Analysis using multiple regression and linear discriminant function models; interpretation and presentation of the results in oral, written, and web-based formats. Create, perform, and present an individual research project.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $15 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 273
Description: Age-related behavioral changes in humans and other animals using genetic, neural, hormonal, and evolutionary concepts and data. Behavioral systems, such as sexual and parental behaviors, aggression, communication, social affiliation, and cognition.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 273
Description: Introduction to concepts and research in behavior genetics. The role of heredity in normal and disordered behaviors will be examined, with a special emphasis on the mechanisms by which genetic variation influences individual differences in behavior.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Introduction to one of the most important human behaviors, language, from the viewpoint of the psychologist.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 263
Description: Issues in human memory within the context of cognitive psychology: attention; short and long term memory; retrieval processes; semantic memory; how long-term memory is involved in comprehension and knowledge; how emotion affects memory; and the major research paradigms used in the study of memory.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing
Description: Evaluation and discussion of studies in learning and cognition that draws from the research literature with nonhuman animals.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing
Description: Major problems and methods involved in the study of motivation and emotion including theoretical considerations.
This course is a prerequisite for: EDPS 967
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Analysis and comparison of approaches to the study of current problems in human perception and information processing. Psychophysical judgment, signal detection theory, perception of form and space, and the role of imagery in perception.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Understanding behavioral and psychological phenomena using pharmacological tools. Topics from neurobiology of receptor functioning to the concerted actions of neural mechanisms that are believed to produce such phenomena as fear and anxiety, substance abuse, and neurological disorders.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 273
Description: Relationship of physiological variables to behavior, an introduction to laboratory techniques in neuropsychology.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 263.
Description: Theory and research on human attention and the critical link between attention and performance within the context of cognitive psychology. The influence of various factors on attention (e.g. emotion, video games, cognitive disorders) and how these influence behavior (e.g. eye movements, perception, motor control, search).
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing
Open to advanced students planning careers in the professions in which knowledge of human behavior and society is important (e.g., helping professions, medicine, law, ministry, education, etc.).
Description: Interdisciplinary approach to the study of human sexuality in terms of the psychological, social, cultural, anthropological, legal, historical, and physical characteristics of individual sexuality and sex in society.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 288
Description: Current problems, methods, and findings in the study of individual behavior as it is influenced by the social environment.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PSYC 380
Description: Fundamental procedures in clinical practice, a critical evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Current issues in theory and research in developmental psychology examined (e.g., emotional development, the changing American family, the preschool years, social understanding), along with methods of research in these and other areas.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Topics vary.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Students who have secured and internship may request permission to enroll.
Description: Experience within a psychological perspective in a variety of off-campus settings.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Pass No Pass |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
P/N only.
Description: Development as an undergraduate learning assistant in Psychology courses.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Pass No Pass |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent research or participation in a faculty research initiative.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent work on an undergraduate thesis.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent work on a thesis.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
PLEASE NOTE
This document represents a sample 4-year plan for degree completion with this major. Actual course selection and sequence may vary and should be discussed individually with your college or department academic advisor. Advisors also can help you plan other experiences to enrich your undergraduate education such as internships, education abroad, undergraduate research, learning communities, and service learning and community-based learning.
Psychology - Psychological Science (B.A.)
Critical - A minimum 2.00 GPA required for graduation.
- ***Total Credits Applying Toward 120 Total Hours***
- Complete 30 hours in residence at UNL
4. Complete 30 hours at the 300 or 400 level.
Career Information
The following represents a sample of the internships, jobs and graduate school programs that current students and recent graduates have reported.
Transferable Skills
- Understand human interactions and behaviors in multiple environments
- Evaluate human behavior and explain social phenomena
- Conduct and present research to large and small groups
- Develop a strong awareness of self and others
- Offer empathetic, sensitive, and patient interactions with others
- Communicate clearly using different forms of writing to and for a variety of different audiences
- Confidently navigate complex, ambiguous projects and environments
- Define problems and identifying causes
- Listen actively and facilitate individual and group communication
- Understand and utilize a variety of research methodologies
Jobs of Recent Graduates
- Behavioral Health Technician, CenterPointe – Lincoln, NE
- Behavioral Specialist, APEX Regional Children's Program – Glenwood, IA
- Bioinformatics Data Analyst, Neogen GeneSeek – Lincoln, NE
- Clinical Research Coordinator, Avera Research Institute – Sioux Falls, SD
- Family Support Worker, Jenda Family Services – Lincoln, NE
- Neuroscience Research Assistant, Boys Town National Research Hospital – Omaha, NE
- Patient Appointment Service Specialist, Mayo Clinic – Rochester, NY
- Program Director, CEDARS Youth Services – Lincoln, NE
- School Psychologist Intern, Educational Service – Omaha, NE
- Social Service Worker, State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services – Lincoln, NE
Internships
- Child Advocacy Center Intern, Child Advocacy Center - Lincoln NE
- Human Resources Intern, Integrated Life Choices - Lincoln NE
- Women's Advocate, Friendship Home - Lincoln NE
- Legislative Intern, Nebraska Unicameral Legislature - Lincoln NE
- Community Development Intern, City of La Vista - La Vista NE
- Victim Witness Intern, Lincoln Police Department - Lincoln NE
- Public Relations Intern, American Red Cross - Lincoln NE
- Special Events Intern, National Baseball Hall of Fame - Cooperstown NY
- Animal Care Intern, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Center - Louisville NE
- Sales Intern, Sandhills Publishing - Lincoln NE
- More...
- Children's Advocate Intern, Frienship Home - Lincoln NE
- Communications Intern, Nebraska Appleseed Foundation - Lincoln NE
- Youth Treatment Specialist, Child Guidance Center - Lincoln NE
- Adult Protective Services Intern, Nebraska Dept of Health & Human Services - Lincoln NE
- Intern, Nebraska State Penitentiary - Lincoln NE
Graduate & Professional Schools
- Master’s Degree, Applied Behavioral Analysis, University of Nebraska–Omaha – Omaha, NE
- Master’s Degree, Business Administration, University of Nebraska–Lincoln – Lincoln, NE
- Master’s Degree, Forensic Psychology, University of Denver – Denver, CO
- Master’s Degree, Marriage & Family Counseling, California Lutheran University – Thousand Oaks, CA
- Master’s Degree, Public Policy, University of California–Irvine – Irvine, CA
- Master’s Degree, School Psychology, University of Central Florida – Orlando, FL
- Master’s Degree, Social Work, University of Nebraska–Omaha – Omaha, NE
- Doctoral Degree, Industrial–Organizational Psychology, Saint Louis University – St. Louis, MO
- Doctoral Degree, Neuroscience, Colorado State University – Fort Collins, CO
- Doctoral Degree, Clinical Psychology, Michigan State University – Lansing, MI