Psychology, B.A.

Curriculum

Total Credits Required: 120

Concentrations and Suggested Courses

Students have the option to choose one of the following concentrations to provide depth within one of the subdisciplines of psychology:

Animal Learning and Behavior

The concentration in animal learning and behavior allows students the opportunity to pursue specialized knowledge and skills in animal learning and training. Courses in both biological sciences and behavior analysis emphasize biological bases of behavior and species-typical learning as well as standard principles of training that cross species lines. The culmination of the program is an internship with a facility or institution that emphasizes animal training, husbandry or education of the public in these areas. Previous graduates have earned internships at facilities such as Oahu’s Sea Life Park, Dolphin Quest Bermuda, Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. A minor in biology and scuba certification are recommended for this degree. Students in this concentration must take BIO 1010 Biological Discovery 1  and BIO 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology , and BIO 1020 Biological Discovery 2  and BIO 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology , or MAR 1010 Biological Discovery 1  and MAR 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology , and MAR 1020 Biological Discovery 2  and MAR 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology . The bachelor of science degree is strongly recommended for the animal learning and behavior concentration.

Clinical/Counseling Psychology

The clinical/counseling concentration exposes students to courses and field placements that emphasize the assessment and treatment of mental and emotional disorders as well as disorders of adjustment and substance abuse. Students interested in pursuing postgraduate study in clinical, counseling or school psychology, or in obtaining employment in a mental health or social service agency after graduation, should study in areas that will familiarize them with these occupations and build basic skills. Such areas of study include substance abuse, abnormal psychology, clinical psychology, professional ethics and assessment techniques.

Forensic

Forensic psychology can be defined as anything that involves the intersection of psychology and the legal system. Some forensic psychologists have a background in clinical psychology and focus on things like assessing people charged with crimes to determine competency to stand trial or whether or not the individual was legally insane at the time of the incident. Other forensic psychologists may focus on research applied to the justice system, studying such topics as eyewitness identification procedures (and errors), police interrogation procedures, police selection and assessment, confessions and false confessions, and jury decision-making, to name a few. Recent students have interned with law enforcement officers, jail staff, attorneys, treatment providers in pretrial diversion treatment programs, child and victim advocates, Federal Bureau of Investigation behavior analysts and researchers in criminology. These internships allow for studies of the impact of interventions and procedures on recidivism, trial outcomes and etiology of criminal behaviors.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Students who plan to enter business directly after graduation, or apply to an MBA program or to a graduate program in personnel or industrial/organizational psychology should select courses in psychology and business that will help define their interests, prepare them for graduate school admission or develop skills. Some useful areas of study include psychology of the workplace, business law, management, human resource management and organizational behavior. Students who choose this concentration are encouraged to add a minor in business administration.

Neuropsychology

The concentration in neuropsychology introduces students to the complex area of brain-behavior interactions. The combination of coursework and internship prepares students for graduate programs in neuroscience, cognitive neuropsychology and clinical neuropsychology. Areas of emphasis include the study of dementing illnesses, sportrelated concussion, visuospatial cognitive processing and eyetracking research. Students in this concentration are strongly encouraged to pursue the bachelor of science degree and to consider a minor in biology. Research opportunities for students who concentrate in neuropsychology include the study of dementing illnesses at the East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic, investigation of the biomechanics of sport-related concussion as well as valid baseline and post-trauma measures at the Florida Tech Neuropsychology Laboratory, visuospatial cognitive processing and brain-computer interfaces at the Cognition Applied Research Laboratory. Students in this concentration must take BIO 1010 Biological Discovery 1  and BIO 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology , and BIO 1020 Biological Discovery 2  and BIO 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology , or MAR 1010 Biological Discovery 1  and MAR 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology , and MAR 1020 Biological Discovery 2  and MAR 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology . The bachelor of science degree is strongly recomended for the neuropsychology concentration.

Psychology and Technology

The psychology and technology concentration includes elements of psychology, engineering, computer science and human factors. Areas of study include how technology influences people, how understanding of psychology contributes to design of technologies, and how we can create new technologies. The concentration offers alternative tracks for students more interested in computer science, human factors or engineering. There are few schools that offer undergraduate degrees with this combination of multidisciplinary courses. Upon graduation, students will be competitive in applying to industry jobs as well as graduate school programs in applied psychology, cognitive psychology, applied cognition, engineering psychology, human factors, human-centered design, and more. Postgraduate degree-holders with similar backgrounds have gone on to work at major companies such as Apple^®, Microsoft^® and Google.

Socio-Cultural

The social-cultural concentration is a good choice for those preparing for graduate school and those interested in social psychology, sociology, social work, business, to name a few. Some internship possibilities include a study-abroad project; work in a local program for minorities; participation in a political action organization or a nonprofit community organization; work at a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in the U.S. or abroad; a volunteer abroad program; or a theoretical research project.

Sport Psychology

Students looking forward to graduate programs in sport psychology or careers in coaching or training will take courses that are foundational to these pursuits such as physiological psychology, leadership, group behavior and sport psychology, and applied sport psychology. These classroom experiences, combined with practical training and research, give students a view of the various opportunities within this growing field as well as preparation for advanced study or practice. A minor in education is encouraged for those interested in working in secondary education.