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Kent State University at Trumbull

Psychology - B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program provides a comprehensive understanding of the human mind and behavior, preparing you for a wide range of career opportunities. With experienced faculty, hands-on learning opportunities and access to cutting-edge research facilities, you will gain the skills and knowledge needed to make an impact in the field.

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Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

Kent State University's Bachelor of Arts in Psychology offers students a comprehensive understanding of human behavior, mental processes, and the factors that influence them. The program covers a wide range of topics, including developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and social behavior, providing students with a strong foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of psychology. Through research opportunities and hands-on experiences, students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills that are applicable to a variety of careers. Graduates are prepared for careers in human services, healthcare, education, or business, and are also well-equipped to pursue advanced graduate studies in psychology or related fields.

Program Information for Psychology - B.A.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology apply the science of understanding and explaining thoughts, emotions and behavior to solving real-world problems. Topics include stress, biological influences on behavior, growth and development of children and diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Elective courses may be used to specialize in a number of areas of psychology and to gain hands-on experience in research labs. The degree prepares students for graduate school and employment in a range of fields, including clinical, applied and experimental areas of psychology and related fields such as education, law, human resources and health care.

The Psychology major includes the following optional concentrations:

  • The Child Psychology concentration is designed for students who are interested specifically in children and adolescents. Topics include child development, psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence, children's cognitive processes, personality development and child-related research experience. The concentration prepares students for graduate study and employment in a range of fields, including clinical psychology, school psychology, school counseling and employment in settings such as child development centers and related agencies.
  • The Counseling Careers concentration is designed to prepare students for employment in a range of fields and for master's-level study in all fields of counseling. Topics include human adjustment, stress and coping, human development, personality, psychological disorders, treatment and intervention techniques, psychometrics, psychopharmacology and clinical or counseling-related research experience.

Students interested in other career paths within psychology may pursue the major without a concentration.

Admissions for Psychology - B.A.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Describe the basic theoretical perspectives, principles, concepts, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology.
  2. Understand and use fundamental data analysis techniques.
  3. Understand and apply basic research methods/tools in psychology and evaluate the adequacy of research designs.
  4. Write effectively in the discipline.
  5. Recognize, understand and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
PSYC 11762GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
PSYC 21621QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 13
PSYC 31574RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning)
PSYC 41043BASIC LEARNING PROCESSES 3
or PSYC 41363 BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Group II (Cognition)
PSYC 31141PERCEPTION 3
or PSYC 40445 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
or PSYC 40446 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Group III (Social/Personality)
PSYC 31282PERSONALITY 3
or PSYC 31532 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 2
PSYC 41573LABORATORY EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH: SOCIAL/CLINICAL (WIC) 31-3
or PSYC 41574 LABORATORY EXPERIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH: COGNITIVE/LEARNING (WIC)
or PSYC 41901 WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
or PSYC 41980 RESEARCH WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY (WIC)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below)14-16
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)3
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)6-7
Kent Core Additional3
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)38
Additional Requirements or Concentrations
Choose from the following:18
Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration
Child Psychology Concentration
Counseling Careers Concentration
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

Students in a double major with either Sociology or Criminology and Justice Studies may substitute SOC 32220 and SOC 32221 for PSYC 21621.

2

On the Kent Campus, students take PSYC 41980, which has a pre/corequisite of PSYC 31574. Students who take PSYC 41901 (offered on the regional campuses only) must take an upper-division course in psychology as a corequisite. That course cannot be any of the following: PSYC 31498, PSYC 41498, PSYC 41573 or PSYC 41993.

3

A minimum C grade must be earned in one course to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Group V (Developmental)
PSYC 20651CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
or PSYC 30651 ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
or PSYC 30656 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING
Group VI (Clinical/Counseling)
PSYC 21211PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
or PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 19
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
Kent Core Additional3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18
1

Maximum 6 credit hours of PSYC 31498, PSYC 41492 and PSYC 41498 combined may be applied toward major requirements in psychology.

Child Psychology Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
PSYC 20651CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Group VI (Clinical/Counseling)
PSYC 21211PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
or PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Concentration Electives, choose from the following:12
PSYC 30651
ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 30652
SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
PSYC 30655
CHILDREN'S THINKING
PSYC 40112
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
PSYC 40382
PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 41395
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 1
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18
1

Maximum 9 credit hours of PSYC 41395 may be applied toward concentration requirements.

Counseling Careers Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
PSYC 21211PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
PSYC 40111PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 3
PSYC 40231PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 3
PSYC 40383INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
Group V (Developmental)
PSYC 20651CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
or PSYC 30651 ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
or PSYC 30656 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING
Concentration Elective, choose from the following:3
PSYC 30111
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 30651
ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 30655
CHILDREN'S THINKING
PSYC 40112
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
PSYC 40382
PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 41364
DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
PSYC 41581
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 41595
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COUNSELING CAREERS
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:

  1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
  2. Elementary I and II of a second language
  3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  • Intermediate I of the same language
  • ARAB 21401
  • ASL 19401
  • CHIN 25421
  • MCLS 10001
  • MCLS 20001
  • MCLS 20091
  • MCLS 21417
  • MCLS 21420
  • MCLS 22217
  • MCLS 28403
  • MCLS 28404
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2

Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.

Roadmap

Roadmap

On This Page

Roadmaps

Psychology Major (No Concentration)

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
!PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3
General Electives 11
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Psychology (PSYC) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
General Electives 7-9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Child Psychology Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
!PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3
General Electives 9-11
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Child Psychology Concentration Electives 6
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Child Psychology Concentration Elective 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group VI (Clinical/Counseling) 3
Child Psychology Concentration Elective 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Counseling Careers Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
!PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
PSYC 21211 PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
PSYC 21621 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
PSYC 31574 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (ELR) 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement or General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3
Group IV (Application of Psychological Science) 1-3
General Electives 9-11
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
PSYC 40111 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 3
PSYC 40231 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
PSYC 40383 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Group I (Behavioral Neuroscience/Learning) or Group II (Cognition) or Group III (Social/Personality) or Group V (Developmental) 3
Counseling Careers Concentration Elective 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Ashtabula Campus
    • East Liverpool Campus
    • Geauga Campus
    • Kent Campus
    • Salem Campus
    • Stark Campus
    • Trumbull Campus
    • Tuscarawas Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Psychology - B.A.

Graduates of Kent State’s B.A. in Psychology are well-prepared for careers in mental health services, social work, human resources, and research. The program’s comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the scientific study of behavior, cognition, and emotion, equipping students with the skills to understand and analyze human development, mental health, and social dynamics. Graduates often pursue roles as behavioral health technicians, human resources specialists, case managers, and research assistants, contributing to fields such as mental health counseling, social services, and organizational psychology.

Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists

3.1%

about as fast as the average

171,500

number of jobs

$79,820

potential earnings

Industrial-organizational psychologists

2.5%

slower than the average

1,100

number of jobs

$96,270

potential earnings

Psychologists, all other

2.3%

slower than the average

19,800

number of jobs

$105,780

potential earnings

Psychology teachers, postsecondary

8.8%

much faster than the average

46,800

number of jobs

$78,180

potential earnings

Social science research assistants

5.8%

faster than the average

40,100

number of jobs

$49,210

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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