Studying psychology offers critical insights into how the human mind works. Whether you want to help people cope with traumatic experiences as a clinical psychologist or utilize your knowledge in sales and marketing, psychology will open doors to a variety of meaningful careers.
Program Overview
Explore the infinite expanses of the human mind.
In Western’s Psychology program, you’ll investigate learning, health, social influences, perception, cognition, neuroscience, human development, personality and abnormal behavior. You’ll also gain valuable insights into the statistical and experimental methodologies that psychologists use in their practice. The program also offers immersive opportunities to conduct original research and apply your skills to internship opportunities in counseling, assessment and therapeutic intervention. Through the dynamic curriculum, you’ll gain the personal and professional skills you need to thrive in a variety of occupations or purse an advanced degree in psychology.
The Psychology program offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science track. View the B.A. requirements and B.S. requirements for more information.
Becoming a catalyst for change
A Psychology degree can open up a myriad of options for rewarding work in education, criminal justice, business, public health or private practice.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
Psychology Standard Major - Bachelor of Arts
All B.A. majors must complete the 39 credit Psychology Core and require a minor in a second discipline or a second major.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
A minimum of 39 Psychology Core credits are required: | ||
Psychology Core: | ||
PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3 |
PSY 150 | Writing in Psychology | 1 |
PSY 200 | Statistics and Data Analysis | 3 |
PSY 215 | Psychology Seminar | 2 |
PSY 301 | Research Methods | 3 |
PSY 345 | Biological Psychology (with laboratory) | 4 |
One of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 269 | Human Sexuality | |
PSY 270 | Development Psychology | |
PSY 290 | Death and Dying | |
One of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 258 | Introduction to Personality | |
PSY 368 | Psychopathology | |
PSY 410 | Multicultural Psychology | |
PSY 457 | Social Psychology | |
One of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 310 | Educational Psychology | |
PSY 338 | Cognitive Psychology | |
PSY 361 | Industrial and Applied Psychology | |
One of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 369 | Health Psychology | |
PSY 437 | Behavioral Pharmacology | |
PSY 475 | Clinical Psychology | |
Psychology electives (PSY 101:497) | 8 | |
One of the following capstone courses: | 3 | |
PSY 492 | Independent Study | |
PSY 498 | Capstone Seminar in Psychology | |
PSY 499 | CAPSTONE INTERNSHIP IN PSYCH | |
Total Credits | 39 |
Degree Plan
Year One | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area I) | 3 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area I) | 3 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area II with lab) | 4 |
PSY 150 | Writing in Psychology | 1 |
PSY 269 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
Credits | 14 | |
Year Two | ||
Fall | ||
Elective | Elective or minor course | 6 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
PSY 200 | Statistics and Data Analysis | 3 |
PSY 369 | Health Psychology | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
Elective | Elective or minor course | 3 |
Gen Ed | General Education (Area II w/ lab) | 4 |
PSY 215 | Psychology Seminar | 2 |
PSY 301 | Research Methods | 3 |
PSY 368 | Psychopathology | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Year Three | ||
Fall | ||
Elective | Elective or minor course | 3 |
Elective | Elective or minor course (Upper division) | 6 |
PSY 310 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
PSY 345 | Biological Psychology (with laboratory) | 4 |
Credits | 16 | |
Spring | ||
PSY 338 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
PSY 437 | Behavioral Pharmacology | 3 |
Elective | Elective or minor course | |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Four | ||
Fall | ||
Elective | Elective or minor course (Upper division) | 6 |
Elective | Elective or minor course | 3 |
PSY 380 | Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
PSY 457 | Social Psychology | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
PSY 410 | Multicultural Psychology | 3 |
PSY 498 | Capstone Seminar in Psychology | 3 |
Elective | Elective or minor course | 7 |
Credits | 13 | |
Total Credits | 109 |
Spotlight
Careers
Take the first steps toward your academic and personal growth.
Fostering your intellectual development is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling and enriched life after graduation. Wondering how you can apply your program of choice to your intellectual and personal journey? Check out our “What Can I Do With This Major?” tool to explore the diverse opportunities and pathways within any degree program.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your ScholarshipsWestern’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your ScholarshipsAlumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Note: Students enrolled in a Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program (i.e. major) do not qualify for Western Merit Scholarship programs. See the Rady Merit Scholarship section above for scholarship opportunities.
Get Involved
Expand your community and your network.
There are so many ways that you can maximize your educational experience at Western. Take advantage of these opportunities to advance your career.
- Active Minds: An advocacy group that provides mental health education.
- Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology.
- Psychology Club: A place to participate in discourse and activities that are psychological in nature.
- Research: Students can develop their own projects under faculty supervision or participate in internship activities. If you can envision a research project, then the Psychology program can help you create and execute it.
Real-world opportunities
Psychology students have opportunities to design, evaluate and conduct research or—depending on their interest—practice the hard and soft skills used in counseling, assessment and therapeutic intervention.
News & Research
Additional Resources
Department Information
Behavioral & Social Sciences (BASS) Department
Department Chairperson
Heather Thiessen-Reily, Ph.D.Professor of History
Administrative Assistant
Patricia McCarthyDepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences Administrative Assistant
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Kelley Hall 240
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231