Psychology BA

Our B.A. in Psychology gives you a broad background in the major areas of Psychology, emphasizing Psychology as a scientific discipline. All B.A. degrees at UCM include a nine-hour modern language requirement. Proficiency in another language can improve your career prospects.

Course requirements include 31-34 hours of Psychology courses, depending on whether you choose lab courses or non-lab options. The curriculum starts with Psy 1000 Orientation to Psychology, which will help you understand the career options that are open to you and get you started planning your degree. That course is book-ended by our senior capstone course, Psy 4110 History of Psychology, which will help you pull together all the knowledge and skills you have developed and prepare for the next step in your career, whether that step is immediate employment or a graduate program.

UCM gives you the opportunity to select between a B.A. or B.S. in Psychology. Both degrees provide a solid foundation in psychological science and work well as the basis for entry into a bachelor’s-level career or a graduate program. The B.A. is a more flexible degree that works well for students who are interested in psychology but may wish to pursue careers or graduate study in areas other than psychology. Most psychology majors do not become professional psychologists! Instead, they use their unique combination of scientific thinking skills and knowledge about human behavior in a broad array of career paths.

One of the special things about UCM Psychological Science is the opportunity to students to do research with our department faculty. As a scientific discipline, we are constantly learning new things about behavior and how the mind works. You can be a part of that while building your skills and getting to know your faculty. Our students often present their research at student conferences, co-author presentations at major conferences, and sometimes even co-author publications with their faculty mentors.

For busy, career-driven students, the B.A. Psychology program can help you complete your degree in psychology. You can complete the psychology major requirements through a combination of online courses and courses that meet face-to-face at our beautiful facility in Lee’s Summit. You can complete the psychology requirements part-time, in four semesters, if you have already completed general education requirements or earned your Associate’s degree.