Skill sets
- writing and communication
- problem-solving
- data analysis
- leadership and mentoring
- teamwork
The department offers a BA in Psychology, a co-major and minor in Neuroscience, and a co-major and minor in art therapy.
The Psychology undergraduate curriculum is structured to provide students with four key elements:
Psychology is a versatile major.
Our discipline encompasses all of the many different factors that affect human thoughts, feelings, behavior, and development. We study changes in the brain, how families affect children, how people form impressions of other people, how people make decisions, and how communities and cultures affect people’s lives. The breadth of coverage in our discipline provides you with the background to face many different challenges in the world today that require an understanding of human behavior. It also gives you a perspective on why you are who you are and helps you discover who you want to become.
The Psychology Department expects that graduating students in the major will reach the following 5 goals:
The following are suggested course schedules that represent a common and recommended way to fulfill the Psychology Major requirements. You should consult with your advisor about your specific goals and plans. Using the Checklist for Majors, identify a primary and a backup topic sequence.
Year | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
---|---|---|
1st Year | PSY 111 STA 261 |
PSY 2XX (Primary Topic Sequence) |
2nd Year | PSY 293 PSY 2XX (Backup Topic Sequence) |
PSY 294 PSY 2XX (Breadth) |
3rd Year | PSY 3XX (Topic Sequence) PSY 2XX (Breadth) |
PSY 3XX or 4XX (Topic Sequence) PSY 2XX (Breadth) |
4th Year | PSY 410 (Capstone) PSY 3XX or 4XX (to complete at least 2 courses at or above 300 and additional 2 at or above 400) |
Year | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
---|---|---|
1st Year | PSY 111 STA 261 |
PSY 293 PSY 2XX (Primary Topic Sequence) |
2nd Year | PSY 294 PSY 2XX (Backup Topic Sequence) |
PSY 3XX (Topic Sequence) PSY 2XX (Breadth) PSY 2XX (Breadth) |
3rd Year | PSY 3XX or 4XX (Topic Sequence) PSY 2XX (Breadth) |
PSY 410 (Capstone) PSY 3XX or 4XX (to complete at least 2 courses at or above 300 and additional 2 at or above 400) |
The Department of Psychology encourages eligible students to engage first-hand in the research process by conducting an honors thesis in psychology. In the Departmental Honors Program, advanced students work closely with a faculty advisor to develop and conduct an original research project.
In classes, you might hear about ongoing research at Miami University, or if you participate in a lab, you might help with various aspects of the research process. The honors thesis provides an opportunity for you to take your engagement in research to the next level. Now, you will be joining the research community by contributing your own ideas and findings about psychological processes and phenomena.
Conducting an honors thesis is excellent preparation for graduate study, even in areas outside of psychology. Postgraduate programs value independent scholarship, ability to solve problems, cooperative work with other people, experience in statistical analyses, and original writing, all of which are frequently core aspects of an honors thesis experience.
To be eligible for departmental honors in Psychology, you should apply in the fall semester of your junior year. The requirements are as follows:
The honors sequence in psychology consists of these components, to be completed during the junior and senior years:
Email Dr. Heather Claypool, claypohm@miamioh.edu for more information.
Miami University student Cynthia Wang presented her honors project, "Fine Print and the Law: Assessing the Comprehensibility of Online Legal Documents" at the Society for Computation in Psychology conference.