Psychology Major and Minor Requirements

Department: Psychology 
Department Chair: J. Bromley 
Department Members: J. Bromley, W. Eiler, K. Flora, R. Rush 

Major: Psychology 
Minors: Psychology 
Associated Major: Neuroscience 
Associated Minor: Neuroscience 
Cooperative Program: Accelerated Master of Public Health 

Program Information: Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. Even the most introverted, isolated individuals must interact with others at some point; nobody is exempt from the findings of the field of psychology. Because most people interact with others regularly, most people use psychology on a daily basis whether they are aware of it or not. Findings from the field of psychology can be applicable to a broad range of occupations and roles, from managers to teachers to parents. Thus, psychology provides the insight to better understand ourselves and our wide network of relationships. 

Operating within the strong liberal arts structure at Franklin College, the Psychology Program communicates to students that psychology offers unique ways of thinking and knowing, which have great potential for helping people identify and cope with the world’s problems. Additionally, the program aims to develop in students the compassion, command and comprehension they will need to work toward making the world a better place for all individuals to lead satisfying and productive lives. 

The Psychology Program strives to: 

  • provide students with a broad and deep knowledge base in psychology 
  • engage students in practical applications of that knowledge base 
  • enable students to develop methodological competence and ethical sensitivity 
  • encourage students to play an active role in their education both inside and outside of the classroom. 

All major and minor courses and prerequisites must be completed with a grade of C- or better. 

Psychology Major 

Minimum of 30 semester hours as follows. A maximum of 9 credit hours of transfer credit may be applied to the 30 hours of coursework required for the psychology major. 

Core Requirements 
PSY 117 General Psychology 
PSY 227 Introductory Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology 
PSY 240 Abnormal Psychology 
PSY 320 Social Psychology 
PSY 322 Behavioral Neuroscience 
PSY 419 Advanced Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology I 
PSY 420 Advanced Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology II 
PSY 422 History and Systems 
PSY 499 Senior Competency Practicum 

Professional Development Requirements 
PDP 200 Preparing for you Internship 
PSY 482 Professional Development in Psychology 
PSY 498 Portfolio 
SNT 489 PSY Internship in Psychology 

One course from two of the following three categories 
Category A – Developmental/Applied 
PSY 226 Lifespan Development 
PSY 250 Industrial Organizational Psychology 
PSY 330 Psychology and Law
PSY 416 Health Psychology 

Category B – Personality/Counseling 
PSY 310 Introduction to Counseling 
PSY 315 Psychology of Diversity 
PSY 421 Theories of Personality 

Category C – Cognitive/Biological 
PSY 210 Introduction to Neuroscience 
PSY 324 Psychology of Learning 
PSY 326 Psychopharmacology 
PSY 328 Cognitive Psychology 

Related Field Requirement – Students are required to choose ONE of the following options 

Related Field Option – Twelve credit hours from one academic field outside of psychology as approved by the department. 
Minor Option – A minor in an academic field outside of psychology. Students must meet the requirements of the department offering the minor. 
Double Major Option – A second major at Franklin College. Students must meet all requirements for the second major and the psychology major 

Sequencing Notes: A student is strongly recommended to take PSY 227 in the first or sophomore year since PSY 227 is a prerequisite for the PSY 419/PSY 420 course sequence. Students contemplating a major or minor in psychology must receive a grade of C- or better in PSY 117 before registering for upper level classes. Another general recommendation is that PSY 320 should be completed in the junior year. Students should pay particular attention to alternate year course offerings and carefully plan, in close consultation with their advisor, the timing for taking these courses. Undergraduate research is recommended for students planning to attend graduate school. 

Neuroscience Major 
See neuroscience requirements in biology section.

Psychology Minor 

Core Requirement 
PSY 117 General Psychology 

Four of the following courses – At least one of the four courses must be a 300 or 400 level course. 
Students should select four of the following courses best suited to supplement their major emphasis or career interest, after consultation with advisor or psychology faculty. 

PSY 226 Lifespan Development 
PSY 227 Introductory Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology 
PSY 240 Abnormal Psychology 
PSY 250 Industrial Organizational Psychology 
PSY 310 Introduction to Counseling 
PSY 315 Psychology of Diversity 
PSY 320 Social Psychology 
PSY 322 Behavioral Neuroscience 
PSY 324 Psychology of Learning 
PSY 326 Psychopharmacology 
PSY 328 Cognitive Psychology 
PSY 330 Psychology and Law 
PSY 416 Health Psychology 
PSY 421 Theories of Personality 

Neuroscience Minor 
See neuroscience requirements in biology section.

Cooperative Programs in Psychology 
Franklin College offers an accelerated Master of Public Health (AMPH) in the form of a 3 + 2 combined Bachelor of Arts (3) and Master of Public Health (2) degree with the IUPUI Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health. This consists of a common core and specific courses required for each particular program. After completion of three years of college work and fulfilling Franklin College graduation requirements (except total graduation hours and completion of one of the two required diversity and international courses), students may receive a bachelor of arts degree from Franklin College upon completing one year at IUPUI, for a total of 120 semester hours. Successful completion of the first year in the cooperative program satisfies the internship or senior year experience requirement for the major. Any student following these programs who is not accepted by IUPUI after the third year could return to Franklin College and receive a bachelor of arts in psychology by completing: 1) all of the remaining requirements for the psychology major, 2) one additional diversity or international course, and 3) 120 total semester hours required for graduation. (Students with a declared enrollment in the aforementioned cooperative program will be given priority during registration in subsequent semester(s)). See the Public Health section of this catalog for more details. 

3+2 Program in Psychology and Athletic Training 
Franklin College offers an accelerated Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) track in the form of a combined Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Athletic Training, with the potential to complete both degrees in five years. This cooperative program consists of common core and specific courses required for each particular program, in addition to specific pre-requisites for application to the MSAT program. Upon acceptance to the MSAT program, the fourth year consists of primarily MSAT graduate courses, while also finishing any required undergraduate courses. After completing three years of undergraduate courses and one year in the MSAT program, students graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Franklin College. After completing the second year in the MSAT program, students graduate with their Master’s in Athletic Training. 

Students interested in this option should apply to the MSAT program by December 31st of their junior year to meet the early admission deadline for the MSAT program. Please refer to the Master of Science in Athletic Training section of this catalog for more details. 

Revised 11-23-21