The Department of Psychological Sciences encourages students to engage in critical thinking about the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of themselves and those of diverse populations around the globe. The psychology degree helps graduates gain entry into a variety of fields of study, as well as into graduate programs in Psychological Science. Students may also minor in psychology as an accompaniment to their primary area of study.
Faculty scholarship applies locally to communities and populations in North Carolina, the United States, and globally. We also mentor students towards the completion of their own projects that are specifically of interest to them, as they are gaining increased knowledge of the research process.
If you are curious to learn more about psychology, please review our course offerings and enroll in one of our foundational courses or electives, or sign up to be a research participant in one of our studies. You are also always welcome to attend a psychology club meeting or program.
Programs of Study
The planned core program of study for Psychology majors includes:
- PSY 1301 Introduction to Psychological Sciences
- PSY 2430 Writing for the Psychological Sciences
- PSY 3312 Black Psychology
- PSY 3401 Research Methods and Statistics I
- PSY 4401 Research Methods and Statistics II
- PSY 4440 Senior Seminar in Psychology
From our Foundation Areas of Study, students must also take two courses from one of the following areas and one additional course from two of the remaining areas of study:
- Biological and Cognitive Foundations
- Community, Health, and Counseling Foundations
- Social and Developmental Foundations
In addition, a student must complete two additional elective courses in Psychology.
One 4 hour seminar course with laboratory is also required to complete the major
- Seminar in Cognitive Psychology
- Seminar in Community Psychology
- Contemporary Issues in Psychology
- Seminar in Biological Psychology
- Seminar in Counseling Psychology
- Seminar in Social Psychology
Those students who intend to apply to graduate programs should also seek summer research opportunities and work with faculty members on independent research studies (if interested in traditional scientific psychology graduate programs), or seek field work (if interested in human services or counseling graduate programs). It is highly important that students who intend to apply to graduate school work toward obtaining and maintaining the highest GPA possible.
The Department of Psychological Sciences (DPS) created an honors curriculum to give exceptional students an opportunity to pursue advanced research training with faculty mentors on original empirical research, and to sharpen their analytical and communication skills. Students successfully completing the curriculum will graduate with Honors in Psychology.
The curriculum is primarily designed for students with a research and scholarly orientation toward psychology. Admission to the honors curriculum is restricted to students who apply and who meet a specified set of criteria. Application for the program is during the first semester of the student’s junior year, and students begin the curriculum in the second semester of the junior year.
To be eligible for admission, a student must have achieved at least a 3.3 GPA, overall and in their major, successfully completed the PSY 2430 (Writing in the Psychological Sciences) and PSY 3401 (Research Methods and Statistics I) requirements, and taken at least one course in a depth area. If students are enrolled in PSY 3401 at the time of application, they will need to provide evidence indicating they will successfully complete the course. In addition to what is already indicated, the following minimum criteria will need to be met in order to be admitted to the Psychological Sciences honors curriculum:
- No grade lower than a B in any PSY courses (possible one exception with a strong recommendation by a faculty member)
- Identification of a faculty mentor and a potential research project
- Recommendation by the Psychological Sciences Honors committee, who will evaluate each applicant on academic merit and professional goals.
The research intensive honors curriculum consists of three semesters of research with a faculty mentor that results in a written thesis and an oral presentation before graduation. Students who pursue the honors curriculum are only required to take three courses in a depth area (includes the one taken in breadth) as their research experience will immerse them in the content of their depth area.
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Students in the Honors Curriculum may substitute PSY 3493 (Psychological Investigation and Research I for Honors) for the required depth area seminar. They also take two courses in guided research with their faculty mentor and complete the senior seminar required of all majors. The following courses are required:
- PSY 3493 Psychological Investigation and Research I Honors - 4 SH (this substitutes for the seminar in the depth area)
- PSY 4330 Psychological Investigation and Research II Honors - 3 SH (thesis proposal and data collection)
- PSY 4393 Psychological Investigation and Research III Honor - 3 SH (thesis data collection and presentation)
- PSY 4440 Senior Seminar in Psychology
Application Timeline
- September 26th 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Honors Interest Meeting (Coltrane Hall 201) - applications become available
- October 20th by 5:00 p.m. Applications are due to Coltrane 203
- October 30th Selected students notified
Honors Curriculum Faculty
- Nelson Adams (adamsn@wssu.edu)
- Rachelle Barnes (barnesr@wssu.edu)
- Charity Griffin (griffincb@wssu.edu)
- Breonte Guy (guybs@wssu.edu)
- Naomi Hall-Byers(hallna@wssu.edu)*
- Michele Lewis (lewismi@wssu.edu)
- Kelly Minor (minork@wssu.edu)
- Rashunda Stitt (stittrl@wssu.edu)
You may contact faculty members directly if you are interested in working with them! Please direct any general questions about the curriculum to *Dr. Hall-Byers (Honors Curriculum Coordinator) at hallna@wssu.edu or 336-750-2627.
All Introduction to Psychological Sciences (PSY 1301) students must participate in research or complete alternative assignments in order to satisfy course requirements. Students enrolled in PSY 1301 should consult with their respective instructor to clarify the requirements and the number of research credits they need to earn.
