Psychology (BS)

The Department of Psychology offers an undergraduate degree in psychology, designed to provide students with a liberal arts education emphasizing the biological, social, and cultural aspects of behavior. Students are prepared for graduate and professional studies as well as careers in various employment settings. To achieve these objectives, students must complete the University College core curriculum and at least fifty credit hours of course work in psychology. Besides the major, students must complete a minor or a set of free elective courses in consultation with their academic advisors. The department also offers an online degree completion program.

To achieve the program's objectives, students must complete the University College Core Curriculum and at least 59 credit hours of course work in Psychology. In addition to the major courses, students must complete 23 credit hours by combining a minor and a set of free elective courses or a group of free electives only. Students can also choose to complete the Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree with a concentration in Health Psychology or Work and Organizational Psychology by completing the required psychology courses in each concentration in lieu of 12 credit hours of psychology electives. The department also offers an 18 credit hour minor in psychology to students enrolled in other undergraduate degree programs at Fayetteville State University. 

Online Degree Completion (ODC)

The department also offers an online degree completion (ODC) program; a student must first complete all University College Core requirements to qualify for the ODC program. Transfer students can be in the ODC program if their transfer credits fulfill FSU's University Core requirements. 

Courses in the online psychology program are delivered through Canvas, a learning management system that allows students to obtain a high-quality learning experience with user-friendly course navigation and reliable accessibility.  Canvas courses typically include a variety of assignment formats, including discussion boards, documentary and podcast reviews, group work, reflection-based writing assignments, and submission of student videos or presentations.  Student learning is assessed using various methods, including traditional quizzes and non-traditional, creative tasks such as projects and e-portfolio development.  Online courses are typically offered in an asynchronous format, which means that assignments can be completed at convenient times for students rather than instructors.  Our professors realize that many online students balance competing demands related to work, family, and health. Therefore, we strive to ensure that our students experience their online course work as flexible, engaging, user-friendly, and valuable.  We welcome and encourage feedback if ever that is not the case. 

Undergraduate Program Learning Outcomes

1.    Scientific Literacy Skills (Empirical and Applied): Students will demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental content, concepts, theory, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology and identify applications of scientific principles to promote psychological well-being.

2.    Inquiry Skills: Students will formulate scientific and logical questions and hypotheses, retrieve relevant academic information and data, explore the evidence, and evaluate or conduct research; interpret and report the results of observation and experimentation; they will demonstrate knowledge of empirical approaches used in psychology and/or analyze and evaluate research findings in psychology.

3.    Communication Skills (Written and Spoken): Students will demonstrate the ability to express effectively, produce, comprehend, and analyze spoken and written communication related to the content, terminology, empirical findings, and theory in psychology and will be able to demonstrate proficiency in APA format writing.

4.    Global Literacy Skills (Diversity and Culture): Students will recognize and respect the complex influence, global diversity, and shared humanity of culture, values and belief systems, gender, ethnicity, and resource disparities and differences.

5.    Reasoning Skills: Students will expand their critical, creative thinking, and abstract reasoning skills as they demonstrate the ability to construct, communicate accurately, and evaluate the logic and evidence-based assertions, draw conclusions, tolerate ambiguity, employ skepticism, and solve problems related to psychology.

6.    Ethics and Civic Engagement (Ethics, Community Involvement, and Self-Discipline): Students will identify, reflect upon, and/or apply APA ethical standards; express commitment and effort to address community or social problems; promote psychological well-being, and employ self-discipline.

University Catalog

è Psychology, B.S.

è Psychology, Health Psychology Concentration, B.S.

è Psychology, Work and Organizational Psychology Concentration, B.S.

è Psychology Minor

What Will You Learn?

As a psychology major, you will take a combination of required and elective courses in psychology, along with a liberal arts core. These courses will expose you to the:

• general organization of the discipline and the different areas in which it is organized (developmental, clinical, cognitive, etc)
• use of statistics while measuring behavior and psychological traits
• methods necessary to achieve scientific knowledge
• different theories on learning, social behavior, and development
• the function of the brain as a source of the human mind
• difference between normal and abnormal behavior
• psychological underpinnings of culture and human society

On a broader scale, you will also gain skills that translate beyond the classroom. You will:

• Learn about contemporary issues and the role that psychology plays on them
• Understand the global and societal impacts of psychology and psychological research
• Understand your professional and ethical responsibilities as a scientist and as a professional
• Sharpen your written, oral and technical communication skills
• Think critically, clearly and logically
• Become a lifelong learner

What will you do?

Studying psychology opens the door to career paths that are important to our society as a whole. You can have access to jobs in public safety, education, business, environment, health, etc. The Master of Psychology is the first station to achieve professional goals in any of the areas of psychology. Many of our graduates, in order to become a Clinical Psychologist or to further their career goals, go on to achieve a Ph.D. in Psychology.

Areas of psychology

• Clinical psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Environmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Community Psychology
• Developmental Psychology