Psychology, B.S. - M.A. Accelerated Pathway

The B.S. in Psychology (Concentration: B.S. to M.A. Accelerated Pathway) provides high-achieving students with the opportunity to complete foundational graduate coursework during their senior year of undergraduate study in order to accelerate graduate degree completion. This competitive program allows admitted students the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree and the M.A. in Psychology (Concentration: Accelerated Pathway) in five years at Southern Connecticut State University. 

The graduation requirements are listed below. In addition, students select free electives to reach 120 credits overall required for the degree, and this program requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA for graduation.  The department website provides an overview of the program, admission requirements for the major (when applicable), faculty biographies, learning outcomes, and careers: https://www.southernct.edu/academics/psychology/programs. 

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (46 Credits)

All bachelor’s degree programs include liberal education (LEP) and writing (W) course requirements. To review more detailed information, please visit General Education (LEP) Degree Requirements.   

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (47 Credits)

(*) When up to three courses in the major/cognate may also satisfy LEP requirements, they are recommended below; only two courses within Explorations (T2) may be fulfilled by courses in the same subject.  

'C' or better required in all PSY courses, except PSY 100

Students may choose to follow one of three recommended tracks in consultation with an adviser: Behavioral Neuroscience (BNS); Cognitive Science (CS); Applied Psychology and Assessment (AP&A).

Recommended courses for each track are noted on the courses below. That these are simply recommendations – none are specifically required for the tracks.

Psychology Requirements (41 Credits)

Survey of field and program (4 credits)
Take two required courses:
PSY 100 – Introduction to Psychology (T2MB)*
PSY 300 – The Psychology Major: Curriculum and Careers

Scientific Inquiry (7 credits)
Take two required courses:
PSY 259 – Statistics in Psychology
PSY 393 –Research Methods in Psychology

Individual and Social System (3 credits)
Choose one of:
PSY 227 – Social Psychology
PSY 228 – Personality

Development AND/OR Applied (6 credits)
Choose two from:
Development:
PSY 210 – Infant and Child Development
PSY 215 – Adolescent Development
PSY 219 – Lifespan Development
PSY 315 – Adulthood and Aging
PSY 318 – Emotional and Social
PSY 322 – Early Developmental Disability
Applied:
PSY 220 – Introduction to the Mental Health Field
PSY 320 Abnormal Child Psychology [AP&A]
PSY 321 Abnormal Psychology
PSY 361 – Psychology of the Workplace [AP&A]
PSY 366 – Health Psychology [AP&A]
PSY 370– Educational Psychology [AP&A]
PSY 371 – For Early Education Majors [AP&A]
Students in the AP&A track are recommended to take either PSY 320, PSY 361, PSY 366, or PSY 370

Basic Processes (6 credits)
Choose two of:
PSY 303 – Perception
PSY 311 – Learning
PSY 313 – Cognition [CS]
PSY 332 – Human Emotions
PSY 383 – Brain and Behavior[BNS]
Students in the BNS track are recommended to take PSY 383
Students in the CS track are recommended to take PSY 313

Seminars and Advanced Scientific Inquiry, BS subset (6 credits)
Choose two of:
PSY 401 – History and Systems of Psychology [CS]
PSY 406 – Language [CS]
PSY 431 – Tests and Measurements [AP&A], [CS]
PSY 461 – Data Gathering Techniques: Assessment [AP&A], [CS]
PSY 462 – Data Gathering Techniques: Instrumentation [CS]
PSY 484 – Comparative Animal Behavior [BNS]
PSY 487 – Psychopharmacology [BNS]
PSY 494 – Seminar in the Human Nervous System and Behavior [BNS], [CS]
Students in the AP&A track should take either PSY 431 or PSY 461, and two other 400-level courses.
Students in the BNS track should take two of PSY 484, PSY 487, and PSY 494, and one other 400-level course.
Students in the CS track should take PSY 462, one of PSY 401, PSY 406, PSY 431, PSY 461, or PSY 494, and one other 400-level course.

Seminars and Advanced Scientific Inquiry (3 credits)
Choose one of:
PSY 401 – History and Systems of Psychology
PSY 406 – Language
PSY 412 – Psychology of Gender
PSY 414 – Psychology of Spirituality
PSY 415 – Topics in Development
PSY 427 – Seminar in Close Relationships
PSY 431 – Tests and Measurements
PSY 461 – Data Gathering Techniques: Assessment
PSY 462 – Data Gathering Techniques: Instrumentation
PSY 465 – Seminar in Psychological Counseling and Therapy
PSY 466 – Clinical Psychology
PSY 474 – Seminar in Behavior Theory and Practice
PSY 484 – Comparative Animal Behavior
PSY 487 – Psychopharmacology
PSY 490 – Seminar for Psychology Majors
PSY 492– Psychology and Law
PSY 494 – Seminar in the Human Nervous System and Behavior

PSY Major Elective (3 credits)
Choose one of:
PSY 197 or any PSY course at the 300- or 400-level, excluding PSY 471, PSY 472, PSY 473

Experiential Learning (3 credits)
Choose one of:
PSY 463 – Field practicum in Psychological Research or Applied Translation
PSY 467 – Laboratory Practicum in Psychological Research

Accelerated Pathway Requirements (6 Credits)
Graduate courses require a grade of 'C' or higher
PSY 500 – Design and Analysis in Psychology
PSY 589 –  Thesis Seminar

COGNATE REQUIREMENTS (9 Credits)

Recommended for the AP&A Track:
ANT 204 –  Language and Culture
BIS 3@
BIS 4@
CMD 419 –  Language Acquisition: School Age Adolescence
CSC 152 –  CS1: Programming Fundamentals
CSC 153 –  Programming II
CSC 2@
CSC 3@
ENG 316 –  Writing for Business and Industry
EXS 380 –  Sport Psychology
FIN 3@
FIN 4@
MAT 2@
MAT 3@
MAT 4@
MGT 2@
MGT 3@
MGT 4@
MKT 3@
MKT 4@
PCH 270 –  Stress Management
PCH 356 –  Maternal and Child Health
PCH 358 –  Health Policy
PCH 480 –  Health Law
PSC 260 – US Government
PSC 270 –  International Relations
PSC 310 – Comparative Public Policy
PSC 314 – Urban Politics
PSC 312 – Media and American Politics
PSC 328 –  State and Local Government
PSC 329 – Political Participation
PSC 350 – Public Leadership
PSC 351 – Public Policy Analysis
SED 481 –  Teaching Exceptional Children: Elementary
SED 482 –  Teaching Exceptional Children: Secondary
SHE 302 –  Mental Health Education
SMT 271 –  Introduction to Sports Management

Recommended for BNS Track
BIO 120 –  Microbiology
BIO 2@
BIO 3@
BIO 4@
CHE 121 – General Chemistry II
CHE 2@
CHE 3@
CHE 4@

Recommended for CS Track
CMD 200 –  Introduction to Communication Disorders
CMD 203 –  Phonetics and Phonological Systems
CMD 317 –  Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
CMD 320 –  Introduction to Hearing Sciences
CMD 420 –  Speech Science
CSC 152 –  CS1: Programming Fundamentals
CSC 153 – Programming II
MAT 139 –  Short Course in Calculus for Social Sciences
MAT 150 –  Calculus I
MAT 151 –  Calculus II
MAT 221 –  Statistics
MAT 326 –  Regression
PHI 325 –  Bio-ethics of the Life Sciences
WLL 211 –  Linguistics
WLL 403 –  Second Language Acquisition

Also applicable:
PHI 321 –  Philosophy of Science
PHY 120 – Physics for Tomorrow: Nanotechnology
PHY 2@
PHY 3@
PHY 4@