Psychology BS

Lab Image Psychology is the study of human behavior, cognition and emotion. Psychologists want to know how people perceive, learn, think and interact with others. The practice of psychology helps people improve learning, performance and mental health.

The Psychology degree program in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences approaches the field from a scientific perspective, applying behavioral science research methods. Students will gain hands-on experience through research in professors’ labs, internship placements and individualized study with faculty of specialized topics.

Degree Program	Honors Programs
Degree Plans	Program Contacts
Advising	Program Faculty
Career Preparation	Program Resources
Internships	Organizations

Degree Program

The BS in Psychology requires 120 credit hours. The Psychology minor requires 18 credit hours.

Students are required to earn two Research Exposure Credits (REC) for each behavioral science core course in which they are enrolled for a maximum of six total credits each semester.

The UT Dallas undergraduate catalog provides an overview of the Psychology program, lists the major and minor requirements, and explains the fast-track program, which enables undergraduate students to take up to 12 hours of graduate courses that will count toward both UT Dallas bachelor and graduate degrees. To compile all your academic, campus and extracurricular interests into a presentation you can print out, follow the steps to Create Your Own Guide to UT Dallas.

Degree Plans

Lab Image Students may select the Psychology BS degree plan or a BS plan that includes EC-6 teacher certification:

Psychology BS

Four-Year Schedule

Psychology with EC-6 Teacher Certification

Students may also double major in Child Learning and Development and Psychology:

Double Major (CLD and PSY)

Double Major (CLD and PSY) with EC-6 Teacher Certification

The University’s course look-up site will help you find specific classes and times to fit your degree plan and schedule. The CourseBook site links to syllabi, class evaluations, and textbooks for all of UT Dallas courses. The School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences' projected schedule of core classes will help you in your planning.

Advising

Visit with a Behavioral and Brain Sciences academic advisor to create a degree plan. Freshmen must visit with an advisor before registering. All other students should consult an advisor before registering each semester.

To learn more about the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Advising and Mentoring System, visit our advising website.

Career Preparation

Undergraduate degrees in psychology provide students a number of career path options. Further study in graduate school can lead to professional careers as academic, clinical, counseling, industrial and other kinds of psychologists. Psychology is also a useful major for students planning careers in law, management, medicine or social work. A psychology major provides students with the knowledge about human behavior and methods of research and data analysis that is valuable in many occupations. All majors are strongly encouraged to take PSY 3100 Careers in Psychology early their sophomore or junior year to increase their competitiveness for admissions to graduate school or entry into the job market.

Internships

Lab Image Undergraduate juniors and seniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to enroll in an internship class. This class enables students to receive credit for one of four types of internship opportunities, each of which involves roughly eight hours of practicum work per week.

Read more about Behavioral and Brain Sciences internships.

Honors Programs

Incoming freshman with high standardized test scores and a high school GPA of 3.6 or higher should consider applying to Collegium V, a University-wide honors program.

Majors in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences who have completed at least 15 credit hours with a GPA of 3.4 or higher may apply to earn BBS School Honors.

Students intending to pursue doctoral-level graduate training in psychology, education, medicine, or related fields should consider applying to the Dean’s Scholars Program.