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Psychology

Psychology (B.A.)

Students earning an undergraduate degree in psychology will gain the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level professional responsibilities in a variety of community, business, government, and educational settings. Students will also be prepared for graduate study in psychology and related fields.

The psychology major consists of a core of required courses plus completion of coursework chosen by students to reflect their interest, career aspirations, or graduate study ambitions.

Students take courses that emphasize effective scientific reasoning (construction of knowledge), critical thinking (analysis of knowledge), communication (transmission of knowledge), and transfer (application of knowledge). Psychology graduates interested in working in mental health-related professions might find employment in substance abuse treatment programs, family and child services, crisis counseling centers, and other human services agencies. Those majoring in psychology can also choose courses that help prepare them for graduate study in psychology and counseling. Marymount offers graduate programs in counseling and forensic and legal psychology, and more information about these programs can be found in the university’s Graduate Catalog.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to

  • demonstrate critical evaluation of a psychological topic through effective writing;
  • apply psychological research methodologies and statistical techniques to a research question;
  • apply specialized psychological knowledge in an internship setting;
  • demonstrate effective presentation skills within the discipline.

Internship Prerequisites: When other requirements are successfully completed in the senior year, the student brings closure to the program with an internship (PSY 400). Prerequisites for the internship are a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better, a grade of C- or better in all courses required in the major, senior academic standing, a minimum of 12 credits earned at Marymount, and completion of the required prerequisite courses.

Minimum Grade Requirement: A minimum grade of C- is required for all courses in the major.

Degree Requirements — Psychology

Liberal Arts Core and University Requirements

See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core for details.

Major Requirements

To fulfill the requirements of the major, all students in this program will take the following coursework in a sequence determined in collaboration with a faculty advisor. Some courses also satisfy Liberal Arts Core and/or University Requirements.

PSY 101 General Psychology

PSY 105 General Psychology Laboratory

PSY 110 Human Growth and Development

PSY 200 Careers in Psychology or CCS 399 Career Strategies and Success

PSY 201 Statistics for the Social Sciences

PSY 220 Social Psychology

PSY 230 Abnormal Psychology or PSY 240 Personality Theories

PSY 250 Biological Bases of Behavior

PSY 260 Learning and Cognition

PSY 302 Research Design for Psychology

Three (3) psychology 300/400-level electives, one must be a Writing-Intensive (WI) course

PSY 400 Internship or PSY 405 General Psychology Laboratory Instructor Practicum

PSY 497 Senior Seminar

Sample Degree Plan — Psychology

Please note that this is a sample plan; all students must consult with an advisor in making course selections.

Year One — Fall

PSY 101 General Psychology (SS-1 core course) § *

PSY 105 General Psychology Lab §

EN 101 Composition I (WR core course)*

Mathematics (MT) core course*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course (economics, politics, or sociology)*

DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar*

Year One — Spring

PSY 110 Human Growth and Development §

PSY 201 Statistics for the Social Sciences §

EN 102 Composition II (WR core course)*

Introductory History (HI-1) core course*

TRS 100 Theological Inquiry (TRS-1) core course*

Year Two — Fall

PSY 220 Social Psychology §

PSY 260 Learning and Cognition (DSINQ) core course § *

Natural Science (NS) core course with lab (biology recommended)*

PH 200 Introduction to Philosophy (PH-1 core course)*

One (1) elective

Year Two — Spring

PSY 200 Careers in Psychology or CCS 399 Career Strategies and Success §

PSY 230 Abnormal Psychology* or PSY 240 Personality Theories §

PSY 250 Biological Bases of Behavior §

PSY 302 Research Design for Psychology (DSINQ) core course

Introductory Literature (LT-1) core course*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) or Natural Science (NS) core course*

Year Three — Fall

One (1) 300-level Writing-Intensive (WI) psychology course §

Advanced Philosophy (PH-2) or Philosophical Ethics (PH-E) core course*

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course*

Two (2) electives

Year Three — Spring

One (1) 300/400-level psychology course§

Advanced Theology/Religious Studies (TRS-2) or Theological Ethics (TRS-E) core course*

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course*

Two (2) electives

Year Four — Fall

PSY 497 Senior Seminar (DSINQ) core course§*

One (1) 300/400-level psychology course§

Advanced Social Science (SS-2) core course*

Two (2) electives

Year Four — Spring

PSY 400 Internship§*

Two (2) electives

§ Requirement for the major

* Fulfills Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements. See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core and Course Descriptions for further information.

Forensic Psychology (Minor)

This minor is open only to psychology majors.

Minor Requirements

CJ 209 The Criminal Justice System

CJ 311 Correctional Institutions

LA 302 Criminal Litigation

PSY 326 Forensic Psychology

PSY 332 Psychology of Addictions

SOC 305 Criminology

One (1) course from the following: SOC 131 Principles of Sociology, SOC 200 Law and Society, SOC 203 The Global Village

Psychology (Minor)

This minor is open to students of any major.

Minor Requirements

PSY 101 General Psychology

PSY 105 General Psychology Laboratory

PSY 110 Human Growth and Development

One (1) course from the following: PSY 220 Social Psychology, PSY 230 Abnormal Psychology, PSY 240 Personality Theories

One (1) course from the following: PSY 250 Biological Bases of Behavior, PSY 260 Learning and Cognition

One (1) 300/400-level psychology course

Catalog Contents

General Information

Admission

Financial Information

Academic Support Services

Academic Information and Policies

University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Programs

Course Descriptions

Accounting Courses

Applied Arts Courses

Astronomy Courses

Biology Courses

Business Law Courses

Center for Career Services

Chemistry Courses

Communication and Media Design Courses

Criminal Justice Courses

Economics Courses

Education Courses

English Courses

EN 090 Introduction to College Reading

EN 100 Introduction to College Writing

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

EN 150 Introduction to American Sign Language

EN 200 Elements of Literary Study

EN 201 World Literature: The Ancient World

EN 202 World Literature: The Middle Ages

EN 203 World Literature: Renaissance through Enlightenment

EN 204 World Literature: Romanticism through Post-Modernism

EN 205 American Literature I

EN 206 American Literature II

EN 207 Theater History

EN 211 Principles of Language

EN 212 Topics in Acting

EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema

EN 225 Literary Superheroes

EN 227 Short Fiction

EN 230 American Multicultural Literature

EN 240 Introduction to Visual and Cultural Studies

EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London

EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing

EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition

EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice

EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice

EN 303 Literary Nonfiction

EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing

EN 308 Style and Revision

EN 321 Modern Drama

EN 322 19th-Century British Poets

EN 323 Modern Poetry

EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition

EN 340 Major Women Writers

EN 350 The American Dream

EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence

EN 355 Shakespeare

EN 357 Topics in Literature Before 1800

EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English

EN 400 Internship

EN 421 Project

EN 424 Senior Seminar

EN 426 Studies in the Novel

EN 428 Studies in Contemporary Literature

EN 429 Topics in Performance

EN 433 Research

EN 490 Major Author(s)

Finance Courses

Fine Arts Courses

First-Year Seminar Courses

French Courses

Geography Courses

Geology Courses

German Courses

Global Scholars Courses

Health And Human Performance Courses

Health Care Management Courses

Health Information Management Courses

History Courses

Honors Courses

Human Resource Management Courses

Humanities Courses

Information Technology Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Interior Design Courses

Legal Administration Courses

Liberal Studies Courses

Literature Courses

Management Courses

Management Science Courses

Marketing Courses

Mathematics Courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Courses

Nursing Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physical Science Courses

Physics Courses

Politics Courses

Psychology Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Theology and Religious Studies Courses

University Leadership

Notices to Students

Index