The Undergraduate Major

Students in class Students Talking

Degree Options and Progress

MSU Texas students are able to obtain either a Bachelor's of Arts (BA) or Bachelor's of Science (BS) in Psychology.  There is no difference between the two degrees in terms of the required psychology coursework. 

For differences between the course requirements associated with the BA and BS degrees, see the Undergraduate Catalog.  (Generally, the BA degree emphasizes humanities and world cultures whereas the BS degree places a greater emphasis on the "hard" sciences.) Employers and graduate schools typically regard each degree equally.

Students will be advised by Christina Nugent to ensure progress both within the major and towards the academic core. Students may be assigned one of the core faculty as an academic advisor during their junior or senior years.  Faculty advisors provide career counseling within the discipline, in addition to ensuring that students are making appropriate progress towards their degree.  These advisors become a strong advocate for their students, often writing letters of recommendation or serving as references for students after graduation.

Major-33 Semester Hours

Psychology Core-15 Hours
  • PSYC 1103 - General Psychology 3
  • PSYC 2203 - General Psychology II 3
  • PSYC 3303 - Writing in Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3313 - Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
Complete One 3-Hour Course From the Following 
  • PSYC 4503 - Psychological Tests and Evaluation 3
  • PSYC 4703 - Research Methods in Psychology 3 OR PSYC 4123 - History and Systems of Psychology 3
Academic Core-9 Hours
  • PSYC 3023 - Human Sexuality 3
  • PSYC 3233 - Developmental Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3413 – Ecological Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3503 - Social Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3703 - Theories of Motivation 3
  • PSYC 4113 - Industrial/Organizational Psychology 3
  • PSYC 4133 - Information Processing 3
  • PSYC 4203 - Psychology of Personality 3
  • PSYC 4223 - Evolutionary Psychology 3
  • PSYC 4303 - Critical Thinking in Psychology 3
  • PSYC 4973 - Special Topics in Psychology: Academic 3
Clinical Core-9 Hours
  • PSYC 3423 – Family Systems 3
  • PSYC 3513 - Substance Abuse 3
  • PSYC 3603 - Abnormal Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3853 - Health Psychology 3
  • PSYC 3913 - Personal Relations and Interactions 3
  • PSYC 4003 - Learning 3
  • PSYC 4103 - Clinical Psychology 3
  • PSYC 4153 - Child Clinical Psychology 3
  • PSYC 4773 - Special Topics in Psychology: Clinical 3
  • PSYC 4903 - Internship in Psychology 3