Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology apply the science of understanding and explaining thoughts, emotions and behavior to solving real-world problems. Topics include stress, biological influences on behavior, growth and development of children and diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Elective courses may be used to specialize in a number of areas of psychology and to gain hands-on experience in research labs. The degree prepares students for graduate school and employment in a range of fields, including clinical, applied and experimental areas of psychology and related fields such as education, law, human resources and health care.
Psychology - B.A.
Contact Us
- Debra Penberthy | dpenbert@kent.edu |
330-672-0665 - Speak with an Advisor
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor: Kent Campus | Regional Campuses
Who Is The Bachelor of Arts Path Recommended For?
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology is recommended for most students interested in majoring in psychology. It is suitable for most career paths in psychology with the exception of psychiatry, as well as for those interested in pursuing careers outside of psychology such as human resources, hospitality, law, etc.
Interested in the B.S. instead? It’s a great fit for those interested in mathematics (more math classes are required for the B.S.), biology, chemistry, and the more neuroscience-oriented side of psychology (courses in biology, chemistry and anthropology can fulfill certain major requirements).
Program Information for Psychology - B.A.
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Program Description
Full Description
Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology apply the science of understanding and explaining thoughts, emotions and behavior to solving real-world problems. Topics include stress, biological influences on behavior, growth and development of children and diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Elective courses may be used to specialize in a number of areas of psychology and to gain hands-on experience in research labs. The degree prepares students for graduate school and employment in a range of fields, including clinical, applied and experimental areas of psychology and related fields such as education, law, human resources and health care.
The Psychology major includes the following optional concentrations:
- The Child Psychology concentration is designed for students who are interested specifically in children and adolescents. Topics include child development, psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence, children's cognitive processes, personality development and child-related research experience. The concentration prepares students for graduate study and employment in a range of fields, including clinical psychology, school psychology, school counseling and employment in settings such as child development centers and related agencies.
- The Counseling Careers concentration is designed to prepare students for employment in a range of fields and for master's-level study in all fields of counseling. Topics include human adjustment, stress and coping, human development, personality, psychological disorders, treatment and intervention techniques, psychometrics, psychopharmacology and clinical or counseling-related research experience.
Students interested in other career paths within psychology may pursue the major without a concentration.
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Admissions
for Psychology - B.A.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Â鶹ÊÓƵ students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Â鶹ÊÓƵ may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.
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Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Describe the basic theoretical perspectives, principles, concepts, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology.
- Understand and use fundamental data analysis techniques.
- Understand and apply basic research methods/tools in psychology and evaluate the adequacy of research designs.
- Write effectively in the discipline.
- Recognize, understand and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
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Coursework
On This Page
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 1 3 PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) PSYC 41043 BASIC LEARNING PROCESSES 3 or PSYC 41363 BIOPSYCHOLOGY Group II (Cognition) PSYC 31141 PERCEPTION 3 or PSYC 40445 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY or PSYC 40446 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE Group III (Social/Personality) PSYC 31282 PERSONALITY 3 or PSYC 31532 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 2 PSYC 41573 LABORATORY EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH: SOCIAL/CLINICAL (WIC) 3 1-3 or PSYC 41574 LABORATORY EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH: COGNITIVE/LEARNING (WIC) or PSYC 41901 WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC) or PSYC 41980 RESEARCH WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC) Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 14-16 6 3 9 3 6-7 3 General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 38 Additional Requirements or Concentrations Choose from the following: 18 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 - 1
Students in a double major with either Sociology or Criminology and Justice Studies may substitute SOC 32220 and SOC 32221 for PSYC 21621.
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On the Kent Campus, students take PSYC 41980, which has a pre/corequisite of PSYC 31574. Students who take PSYC 41901 (offered on the regional campuses only) must take an upper-division course in psychology as a corequisite. That course cannot be any of the following: PSYC 31498, PSYC 41498, PSYC 41573 or PSYC 41993.
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A minimum C grade must be earned in one course to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) Group V (Developmental) PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 or PSYC 30651 ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY or PSYC 30656 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) PSYC 21211 PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3 or PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 1 9 Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) 3 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18 - 1
Maximum 6 credit hours of PSYC 31498, PSYC 41492 and PSYC 41498 combined may be applied toward major requirements in psychology.
Child Psychology Concentration Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) PSYC 21211 PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3 or PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Concentration Electives, choose from the following: 12 PSYC 30651ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 30652SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT PSYC 30655CHILDREN'S THINKING PSYC 40112PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE PSYC 40382PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 41395SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 1 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18 - 1
Maximum 9 credit hours of PSYC 41395 may be applied toward concentration requirements.
Counseling Careers Concentration Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) PSYC 21211 PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3 PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 3 PSYC 40231 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 3 PSYC 40383 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Group V (Developmental) PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 or PSYC 30651 ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY or PSYC 30656 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING Concentration Elective, choose from the following: 3 PSYC 30111FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 30651ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 30655CHILDREN'S THINKING PSYC 40112PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE PSYC 40382PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 41364DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR PSYC 41581HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY PSYC 41595SPECIAL TOPICS IN COUNSELING CAREERS Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18 Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA 2.000 2.000 Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
- Intermediate I of the same language
- ARAB 21401
- ASL 19401
- CHIN 25421
- MCLS 10001
- MCLS 20001
- MCLS 20091
- MCLS 21417
- MCLS 21420
- MCLS 22217
- MCLS 28403
- MCLS 28404
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All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by Â鶹ÊÓƵ; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.
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Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.
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Roadmap
On This Page
Roadmaps
Psychology Major (No Concentration)
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits ! PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Two Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Three PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Four PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3 Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3 General Electives 11 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Eight Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 General Electives 7-9 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 Child Psychology Concentration
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits ! PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Two PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Three PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Four PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3 General Electives 9-11 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Child Psychology Concentration Electives 6 General Electives 6 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Child Psychology Concentration Elective 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Eight Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3 Child Psychology Concentration Elective 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 Counseling Careers Concentration
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits ! PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Two PSYC 21211 PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3 Foreign Language 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Three PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Four PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3 Foreign Language 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3 Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3 General Electives 9-11 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 3 PSYC 40231 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3 General Electives 6 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven PSYC 40383 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Semester Eight Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3 Counseling Careers Concentration Elective 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 -
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Ashtabula Campus
- East Liverpool Campus
- Geauga Campus
- Kent Campus
- Salem Campus
- Stark Campus
- Trumbull Campus
- Tuscarawas Campus
- Delivery:
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Psychology - B.A.
Graduates of Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology can pursue careers in counseling, teaching, research, and more. They are prepared for roles such as case managers, research assistants, and mental health support workers, where they can apply their understanding of human behavior to support individuals and communities. Additionally, graduates may choose to continue their studies in graduate programs, leading to more specialized roles in psychology.
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Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
3.1%
about as fast as the average
171,500
number of jobs
$79,820
potential earnings
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Industrial-organizational psychologists
2.5%
slower than the average
1,100
number of jobs
$96,270
potential earnings
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Psychologists, all other
2.3%
slower than the average
19,800
number of jobs
$105,780
potential earnings
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Psychology teachers, postsecondary
8.8%
much faster than the average
46,800
number of jobs
$78,180
potential earnings
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Social science research assistants
5.8%
faster than the average
40,100
number of jobs
$49,210
potential earnings
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Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.