Psychology, B.A.

(35-37 credit hours)

The subject matter of psychology spans both the biological and the social sciences and we encourage each student to develop her scientific skills in the context of a liberal arts education. The Sweet Briar psychology program gives students the self-awareness, clinical, and professional tools through classroom learning and original research experiences to develop effective and confident communicators who will be leaders in science and health-related fields.

What Can You Do With a Degree in Psychology?

~ Counseling

~ Teaching & Research

~ Health and human services

~ Psychiatry

~ Art therapy

~ Law enforcement

~ Neuroscience

~ Human resources

Required

The following requirements are needed to complete the major in psychology (36 hours):

Program Core

Complete the following courses (11 hours):

PSYC 101 - Introductory Psychology CR: 3
PSYC 219 - Statistics for Behavioral Sciences CR: 4
PSYC 310 - Experimental Psychology CR: 4

Development/Social Psychology

Choose one of the following (3 hours):

Upper-Level PSYC Electives

Choose four additional three-credit PSYC courses, at or above the 300-level (12 hours):

Senior Exercise

Generally taken in the second semester of the senior year:

PSYC 451 - Senior Exercise in Psychology CR: 0

Gender Electives

Choose one course in gender studies (3 hours):

ARAS 216 - Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient World CR: 3
PHIL 238 - Feminist Philosophy CR: 3
POLS 232 - Women, Law, and Politics CR: 3
PSYC 278 - Gender and Sexuality CR: 3

Ethics Electives

Choose one course in ethics (3 hours):

Lab Science Electives

Choose one additional lab science course, 3 to 4 credits.

Interested in Graduate/Professional Programs?

If you are interested in pursuing graduate or professional programs in psychology, the following courses are recommended as part of or in addition to the requirements listed above:

For those pursuing clinical training:
PSYC 309 - Counseling Skills CR: 3
PSYC 337 - Abnormal Psychology CR: 3
For those pursuing research training:
MATH 381 - Advanced Statistics CR: 3