COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology at Wichita State University requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and is designed to provide students with a strong scientific understanding of human behavior, mental processes and social interactions. In addition to completing the university’s General Education requirements (34–35 credit hours) and Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements (36 credit hours), students must complete at least 31 credit hours in psychology, with a minimum of 9 psychology credit hours earned at Wichita State. The major begins with PSY 111 General Psychology, which introduces the fundamental concepts and principles of psychology. Students then complete the research methods core, including PSY 301 Psychological Statistics and PSY 311 Research Methods in Psychology, developing quantitative analysis, research design and data interpretation skills that are highly valued in both graduate education and professional settings. The curriculum requires 15 credit hours from core content areas, allowing students to study subjects such as Biological Psychology, Psychology of Learning, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychology of Personality, Developmental Psychology, Systems and Theories in Psychology, and Psychological Testing and Measurement. These courses provide broad exposure to how people think, learn, develop, interact and behave across different stages of life and social environments. Students also complete 6 additional credit hours of upper-division psychology electives, enabling them to explore specialized interests and career goals. The remaining 18–19 credit hours are open electives that can be used to pursue a minor, second major or complementary coursework in areas such as business, sociology, criminal justice, social work or pre-law. The program develops strong analytical, communication, research, critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities that are applicable across many industries. Graduates are prepared for entry-level careers in human resources, business, community services, education, healthcare support and research, while also gaining excellent preparation for graduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, law, industrial-organizational psychology and other professional fields. The degree’s flexibility makes it especially attractive for students seeking diverse career opportunities and further educational advancement.