About the Program
Psychology Department
Buckham Hall A238
(716) 878-6215
https://psychology.buffalostate.edu/
The B.S. degree in Psychological Science is designed for students interested in a more traditional path in psychology that is geared towards research-focused graduate studies and careers that would emphasize more advanced research training.
B.S. Honors in Psychology
Departmental honors are for students who are performing exceptionally well in their courses. The honors designation is an adjunct to the Psychological Science B.S. degree with an added emphasis on independent work, and requires that students conduct a comprehensive original research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. To be considered, students must have at least 24 credit hours in psychology from Buffalo State with a minimum GPA of 3.5, and a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all courses taken at Buffalo State. In addition to the required courses in the B.S. degree program, honors designation requires students to complete PSY 496 and PSY 498 (Honors Thesis I and II respectively). A 45-credit-hour sequence of psychology courses is required for a B.S. honors degree. Students should see their adviser no later than their junior year for more information about the honors option.
Admission Requirements
The student must complete PSY 350 Statistics in Psychological Research with a grade of B- or higher.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. be able to select and critically evaluate existing empirical literature in a given topic area of psychology.
2. demonstrate mastery of APA technical report writing.
3. demonstrate the ability to generate a scientific hypothesis in a given area of psychology.
4. be able to apply appropriate statistical techniques used for psychology research designs.
5. demonstrate the skills to design and implement research to test scientific hypotheses.
6. demonstrate the ability to apply valid conclusions based on topic area, hypothesis, review of literature, and study outcomes
7. demonstrate an understanding of the major historical schools of thought and approaches in psychology
8. be prepared for research-focused graduate studies or careers related to psychology
Program Requirements
General Education 23 Requirements (33 credit hours)
Psychology Major Requirements (42 credit hours)
Required Courses (18 credit hours)
Complete ALL of the following Courses:
PSY101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY450 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY471 HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY472 SEMINAR ON PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY458 ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
OR PSY488 INTERNSHIP | 3 - 15 Credit Hours
OR PSY495 SPECIAL PROJECT | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
OR PSY499 INDEPENDENT STUDY | 3 - 12 Credit Hours
The prerequisite for all 300-level courses is PSY 101 with a grade of C or better unless otherwise noted.
Group Selections
Students must select one course from each of the following groups:
Biological/Cognitive Psychology (3 credit hours)
Select one of the following by advisement:
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
PSY304 LEARNING: THEORY AND RESEARCH | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY308 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY321 COMPARATIVE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY330 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER OF LANGUAGE | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY333 BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY340 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
Clinical Psychology (3 credit hours)
Select one of the following by advisement:
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
PSY392 PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY393 CHILDHOOD PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS | 3 - Credit Hours
Applied Psychology and Diversity (3 credit hours)
Select one of the following by advisement:
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
PSY310 BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY365 PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY367 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY370 ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY I | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY375 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY376 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY379 PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY381 PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTURE | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY383 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY387 PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY388 PSYCHOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING | 3 - Credit Hours
Social/Personality Psychology (3 credit hours)
Select one of the following by advisement:
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
PSY311 PERSONALITY: THEORY AND RESEARCH | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY325 SOCIAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
Developmental Psychology (3 credit hours)
Select one of the following by advisement:
Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:
PSY301 PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD ABUSE AND ADVOCACY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY355 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY356 CHILD DEVELOPMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY357 ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEVELOPMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
Advanced Electives (9 credit hours)
Select three additional courses by advisement. At least two of these must be at the 400-level.
Prerequisite for PSY350: At least sophomore status; Completion of the Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning General Education requirement – only a MAT course at MAT 114 or higher.
Prerequisite for PSY450: PSY 350 with a grade of B- or higher.
Prerequisite for PSY392 & PSY393: PSY 101 Grade of C and 3 additional hours of psychology.
All College Electives (45 credit hours)
Completion requirement
120 Total Credit Hours