Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the U.S.—opening the door to a wide variety of career opportunities or preparing you for further academic pursuits. Perhaps you’re considering becoming a high school psychology teacher or landing another psychology-related career right after college. Or maybe the academic world is your destination, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology is a solid stepping stone to further studies. Regardless of your goals, a degree in psychology will help you achieve them.
Mission
The Department of Psychological Science’s mission is to promote pre-professional and liberal learning in psychological science at the undergraduate level while emphasizing the development of a) critical thinking; b) technological competency; c) communication competency; d) diversity competency; e) personal and professional ethics; and f) a basic understanding of psychological science in both laboratory and experiential settings.
What You Will Learn
This major offers a basic understanding of psychological science in both laboratory and experiential settings. Your credits in psychological science coursework will include a solid core of introductory studies, statistics, research methods, and other foundational learning.
Upon that, you’ll build a flexible learning experience tailored to your needs and interests, with broad choices that include coursework in:
- learning and cognition
- motivation and emotion
- personality
- psychopathology
- diversity
- social psychology
What It’s Like to Major in Psychological Science at Ball State
As a psychological science major, you’ll have multiple opportunities for academic recognition, from student organizations to honor societies.
One example is our annual poster session, where you will have the chance to present your research—a great way to impress potential employers or graduate-school admissions committees.
Ball State University has a chapter of
Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology.
Each year, we recognize students who meet the membership requirements for the society. The organization dedicates itself to advancing science and supporting excellence in scholarship.
Simply being inducted into Psi Chi is an honor and a recognition of strong academic accomplishment. Membership in the society then builds upon that honor by stimulating academic and professional growth, fellowship, and practical experience.
Our Departmental Honors Program also spotlights outstanding academic achievement in psychological science.
If you’re at least a junior, have a 3.5 or higher GPA, and decide to work on an honors thesis under the watchful eye of a Ph.D. faculty mentor, you’re eligible to apply for departmental honors.
As for real-world, experiential learning, that might as well be Ball State’s middle name.
In addition to immersive learning experiences, undergraduate psychology majors have excellent opportunities to apply what they have learned in the classroom through psychology-related undergraduate internships.
Major Requirements
We require a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all completed PYSY courses.
Credits
Total to Graduate: 120
- University Core Curriculum: 81
- Major: 39
Courses
A few of the classes you will take include:
- PSYS 100 Introduction to Psychological Science
- PSYS 241 Statistics
- PSYS 284 Research Methods in Psychological Science
- PSYS 295 Career Planning in Psychology
- PSYS 285 Professional Ethics in Psychology
For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, please see our Course Catalog.
View Catalog
What Can You Do with a Degree in Psychological Science?
After Ball State, our psychology majors find employment in social service agencies, academics, business, nonprofit, and government organizations. Another popular career path for our graduates is to become a high school teacher. Our alumni have also worked in various student services positions on university campuses, and as trainers and educators for the mentally disabled.
Possible job titles (both with and without additional graduate studies) include:
Explore More Career Opportunities
Paying for Your Education
On top of the dozens of funding options offered through Ball State’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, our department awards scholarships to our own students. Find a scholarship.
Ready to Apply?
Admission to Ball State is selective, and we carefully evaluate all applications on an individual basis. Applying for admission is easy. Use our convenient, comprehensive, and secure online application.
Want to Learn More?
The best way to get a true feel for Ball State is to spend some time here, so we encourage you and your family to schedule a campus visit. Take a tour, attend an information session, meet with a professor in our area, and ask plenty of questions. Or if you’d rather speak to someone directly by phone or email, please feel free to contact us.