Bachelor's in Psychology

The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree — available as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) — centers on developing and applying a scientific understanding of mind and behavior in four major areas of psychology: clinical, cognitive, developmental, and social. 

You’ll gain a foundation that prepares you for entry into a variety of professions where understanding the principles of behavior and cognition is important. Most of UNCG’s tenure-line psychology professors operate a research lab that gives you opportunities to learn, publish research, and present at scientific conferences.

b.s. or b.a. — which psychology degree is right for you?

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology offers additional upper-level classes to help you receive more thorough preparation for graduate programs, compared to the B.A. degree. For example, the B.S. degree has a STEM Proficiency Requirement that can be fulfilled with an intermediate psychological statistics course, a neuroscience course, honors thesis preparation, or numerous other options at the 300 to 400 level.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology offers broader training in psychology that prepares you for careers outside the field, as well as graduate study in basic or applied psychology. If you anticipate directly entering the workforce after completing your undergraduate degree, you may prefer the B.A. degree path.

bachelor of arts in Psychology PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS

• Our faculty have received research grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More than $17 million in grant funding has been awarded over the last five years to research with our faculty as Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators.
• The Department of Psychology is currently home to 19 research labs and centers across a range of topics, conducting cutting-edge research on basic and applied psychology.
• Faculty and students present their research at major national and international conferences and publish in prestigious scientific journals, including Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Science, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Child Development, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

THE bachelor of arts in Psychology STUDENT EXPERIENCE

• Courses provide a structured, sequenced exposure to six core areas in psychology: behavior analysis; biopsychology; clinical psychology; cognitive psychology; development psychology; and social psychology. Bachelor’s in Psychology degree students take a broad sampling of these areas at the intermediate level, but can choose a narrower or broader sampling of upper-level courses.
• Our curricula afford hands-on experience with scientific psychology via laboratory courses and field experiences.
• Both B.S. and B.A. in Psychology degree students can pursue Disciplinary Honors in Psychology.
• Enjoy opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research, manuscript preparation, and specialized skills like functional neuroimaging, impedance cardiography, and social media and text analyses.
• As an undergraduate researcher, you may take advantage of opportunities to present your work in high-profile venues, including national and international conferences.
• Our annual Kendon Smith Lecture Series brings preeminent scholars to campus to discuss topics like Aging and Cognition, Vulnerability to Mental Illness, Early Childhood Mental Health, and Development of Memory.

AFTER GRADUATIng with your Psychology degree

• Graduates can enter the workforce in fields including healthcare, government, teaching, and research.
• The program prepares students for advanced study in psychology, counseling, law, medicine, education, nursing, and other disciplines focused on human behavior.
• Potential career paths include psychologist, criminologist, doctor, human resources manager, lawyer, science journalist, social worker, substance abuse counselor, mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, and marketing manager.
• Our graduates have gone on to attend advanced degree programs at the UNC School of Medicine, Florida State University, Princeton University, Duke University, University of Maryland, and Wake Forest School of Medicine.

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