The Department of Psychology at BSU offers students two options for the major: the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS). Either can be completed fully online.
The psychology major at Bemidji State University prepares students to work in the field of psychology. Students can choose to double major or add a minor in preparation for other fields in addition to psychology.
There are no special admission requirements for the psychology major. The major is open to anyone who has been accepted as a student to BSU. Becoming a psychology major or minor is easy—you just need to complete the Student Personal Data form and submit it to the Records office.
Recommended Plan of Study
Students may either fulfill the requirements listed in the current year’s academic catalog or in the catalog from the year in which they began the program. Beginning in Fall 2024, we will be restructuring the major. Students who enter the program in Fall 2024 will follow the new structure, while students already in the program will have the option to stay on their existing catalog or update to the new catalog. Talk with your advisor if you are interested in updating your catalog year.
| Year | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | PSY 1100 Introductory Psychology (4 cr.) | PSY 2217 Abnormal Psychology (4 cr.) |
| Sophomore | PSY 2227, Learning & Cognition | PSY 3237, Lifespan Development (4 cr.) |
| Junior |
PSY 3401, Basic Statistics (4 cr.) 3000 level psychology electives (6 or more cr.) |
PSY 3402, Research Methods (4 cr.) 3000 level psychology electives (6 or more cr.) |
| Senior | 4000 level psychology electives (4-5 cr.) | 4000 level psychology electives (4-5 cr.) |
Courses in psychology often fill quickly, especially online. It is very important to register for your courses as soon as possible once the registration period has opened. If you do get closed out of courses, you have several options.
- Join the course waitlist at the university. You’ll be notified with a 24-hour window to register if a spot becomes available. Monitor your BSU email frequently if waitlisted.
- Check course availability daily, as spots often open up before the semester starts.
- Contact the instructor for permission to join a full class. They may allow additional students a week before classes begin, prioritizing those with greater need. Instructors can add students to classes over the course limit after the university waitlist system shuts down. This will happen a week before classes start.
- Have a backup plan and register for alternative courses. Your backup doesn’t have to be in psychology; you can fulfill BSU Core Curriculum or work towards additional credits for your degree. These additional credits can be in any subject area related to your interests. Most students will find that they even have time to work on a minor or second major in another field while completing their psychology degree.
Deciding Between the BA and BS
There is no difference in requirements—we offer both degrees to make it easier for students to pursue a double major.
In general, if you are pursuing a BA in another field, you should pursue a BA in psychology. If you are pursuing a BS in another field, opt for the BS track in psychology. Otherwise, you’ll need to accumulate more than the standard 120 credits for your bachelor’s degree. Both degrees are highly respected in the field of psychology.
We also offer a minor.
Online Options
Students can earn either a BS or a BA in psychology through completely online coursework. This program offers great flexibility to working or off-campus students. We offer all required courses for the major at least once a year, if not once a semester and electives are offered during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Please contact the Online Program Coordinator if you have specific questions about transferring your AA degree or other college credits into your BSU degree.
Advising
If you are new to BSU and declared psychology as your major when you were first accepted, you will automatically be assigned an advisor in the psychology department. If you declared psychology as your major after you were admitted to BSU, you can choose a psychology instructor to be your advisor; just ask the instructor to contact the Advising Success Center and add you as an advisee. Otherwise, you can contact the psychology department chair and asked to be assigned to an advisor.
Early in your college career, you should discuss your interests and career goals with your advisor and work out a plan of study that best fits your needs. You should visit with your advisor at least once a semester before you register for classes to discuss your progress and update your plans.
“I have always really struggled with school and that includes an attempt at college before I joined the Navy. Since starting in the BSU psychology program I have achieved an almost perfect GPA, it is because of the BSU psychology staff’s unending commitment to their student’s success that this is possible.”
— Christian Sipe, Psychology Major
Read more about Christian’s experience
Transferring Psychology Courses
Students with Psychology courses from other colleges can have these courses transferred into the BSU Psychology major or minor. To earn a BSU Psychology major or minor, however, at least one-third of your psychology courses (16 credits for the major and 6 credits for the minor) must come from BSU.
To count towards the BSU Psychology major or minor, transfer courses must come from a Psychology program at the student’s previous college. This will usually be reflected in the course number with a prefix of PSY or PSYCH, as in “PSY 1100 Introductory Psychology”. Courses from other departments, such as Education or Social Work cannot be transferred into the psychology major. Successfully completed advanced placement (AP) Psychology courses from Minnesota high schools can be substituted for the department’s required course in Introductory Psychology (PSY 1100) once the course is transferred to the University.
To transfer courses from other colleges into the BSU Psychology major or minor, talk to your advisor and complete a Course Substitution/Transfer Equivalence Form; this form needs to be approved by the Psychology Department Chair. A copy of the courses syllabus should be submitted to the Psychology Department Chair with the form. A separate form is required for each college or University you have attended.
Returning Students
Psychology students returning to BSU after a period of absence should contact the Psychology Department Chair to make a plan of study for completing their degree. Returning students may have the option of completing the program requirements that were in place at the time they were first enrolled as a psychology major at BSU or completing the requirements of the current program. Courses completed more than 10 years ago may not be accepted toward the completion of a degree and must be approved by the Department Chair.
Electives
The psychology major is designed to allow students to tailor their course work to their career goals and interests through the selection of appropriate electives at the 3000 and 4000 level in their junior and senior years. These electives are generally selected after a student has satisfied the lower level core course requirements for the major.
Non-Practitioner Career Focus
Students wanting to pursue careers as industry or academic psychologists, but not practitioners, should choose electives in the major that will prepare them for master’s and doctoral degree programs in the field. These are courses that will give them a strong foundation in the science of psychology. This foundation is important whether you are planning to go into an applied field, like clinical or industrial psychology or focus your career in an area of psychological research.
Recommended electives include:
- Cognitive Psychology (PSY 3437)
- Social Psychology (PSY 3367)
- Psychological Measurement (PSY 4347)
- Advanced Statistics and Research Design (PSY 4403)
- Research Laboratory (PSY 4447)
- Sensation and Perception (PSY 4459)
- History and Systems of Psychology (PSY 4487)
- Other courses related to particular fields of interest in experimental psychology
Practitioner Career Focus
Students wanting to pursue careers in the human services with a bachelor’s degree in psychology should choose electives in the major that will prepare them for work in the field. These courses include:
- Counseling and Crisis Intervention (PSY 3332)
- Group Processes (PSY 3337)
- Behavioral and Cognitive Intervention (PSY 4328)
- Psychological Measurement (PSY 4347)
- Personality Theories (PSY 4467)
- Pre-Internship Seminar (PSY 4870)
- Internship in Psychology (PSY 4970)
4000 Level Electives
The psychology major requires nine credits of psychology courses at the 4000 level. Teaching assistantships, internships and Pre-internship Seminar (PSY 4870) cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
For more information on the courses in this program, visit the course catalog.
Neuroscience Focus
Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field encompassing biology, psychology, chemistry and physics. It examines how the nervous system’s structure, function and evolution impact behavior. In colleges, neuroscience degrees are usually housed in either biology or psychology departments. Specialties in the field include behavioral, cognitive, social and molecular neuroscience. A neuroscience degree can lead to careers such as experimental psychologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist or neurological surgeon.
| Year | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
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| Freshman |
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| Sophomore |
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| Junior |
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| Senior |
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CHEM 4412 Biochemistry II (3 credits) |
Regional Graduate Neuroscience Programs
A career in Neuroscience requires advanced training beyond the undergraduate level. Here is a list of some Graduate level Neuroscience programs in our area:
- Mayo Graduate School
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- North Dakota State University
- South Dakota State University
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
School Psychology Focus
The main role of a school psychologist is to assess children’s needs and abilities and consult with teachers and parents. While most work in schools, some are in hospitals, mental health centers or private practice. The career requires at least a master’s degree or doctorate and a year-long internship. Completing the psychology major at BSU is a good way to prepare for admission to graduate programs in school psychology. The job outlook for this field is strong.
While at BSU, students interested in school psychology should major in psychology and strive to earn a grade point average of 3.0 or greater. In addition to the required core requirements of the major, students interested in school psychology would also benefit from taking the following elective courses.
- PSY 2200 Human Sexuality (3 credits)
- PSY 3332 Counseling and Crisis Interventions (4 credits)
- PSY 3337 Group Processes (3 credits)
- PSY 3437 Cognitive Psychology (3 credits)
- PSY 4328 Behavioral and Cognitive Intervention (4 credits)
- PSY 4347 Psychological Measurement (3 credits)
- PSY 4459 Sensation and Perception (4 credits)
- PSY 4588 Multicultural Psychology (3 credits)
- PSY 4870 Pre-Internship Seminar (1 credits)
- PSY 4970 Psychology Senior Internship (6-12 credits)
Many of our students will choose to do an undergraduate internship working with a school psychologist in the schools.
Regional Graduate School Psychology Programs
There are several school psychology graduate degree programs in our region and many more nationwide. Some of the local programs are listed here.
- Minnesota State University – Mankato
- MSU Moorhead
- University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
- University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin – River Falls
- University of Wisconsin – Stout