Bachelor of Arts: Psychology
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Describe major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
- Engage in integrative, science-based reasoning to interpret behavior and solve problems.
- Apply ethical standards outlined by the American Psychological Association to science and practice.
- Effectively write, speak, and interact with others.
- Apply psychological content and skills to career goals, and develop professional direction for life after graduation.
Program Requirements
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus (5 credit hours) | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
Major Requirements
Majors are required to complete a minimum of 36 hours of coursework in psychology. The major is comprised of required, foundational, and elective courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PSYCH 210 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 217 | Academic and Career Opportunities in Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 302 | Research Design in Psychological Science | 3 |
| PSYCH 316 | Quantitative Methods In Psychology | 3 |
| Foundational Courses | ||
| Biological | ||
| PSYCH 418 | Brain and Behavior I | 3 |
| Clinical | ||
| PSYCH 323 | Theory and Methods of Personality | 3 |
| or PSYCH 433 | Psychological Perspectives on Mental Health | |
| Cognitive | ||
| PSYCH 407 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| Developmental | ||
| PSYCH 222 | Child Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYCH 440 | The Psychology Of Aging | |
| Diversity | ||
| PSYCH 305 | Psychology of Gender | 3 |
| or PSYCH 320 | Ethnic and Diversity Perspectives in Psychology | |
| Social & Applied | ||
| PSYCH 212 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYCH 231 | Health Psychology | |
| Major Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of six hours of elective coursework not already completed above: 1 | 6 | |
| Child Psychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Gender | ||
| Ethnic and Diversity Perspectives in Psychology | ||
| Theory and Methods of Personality | ||
| Motivation and Emotion | ||
| Psychological Perspectives on Mental Health | ||
| The Psychology Of Aging | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Field Practicum | ||
| Directed Individual Research | ||
| Psychology Research Externship | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Psychology | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| 1 | A maximum combination of 3 credit hours of PSYCH 490 and PSYCH 491 and a maximum of 3 credit hours of PSYCH 461 may be used toward fulfilling elective requirement. |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 51 | |
Other Requirements
Double majors with Sociology or Criminal Justice & Criminology may use the statistics courses taught in those departments (SOCIOL 363 or CJC 303) to fulfill PSYCH 316.
Double majors with the Conservatory may apply up to 6 credits from CONSVTY 395 or CONSVTY 435 toward their psychology electives.
A grade of "C-" or higher must be achieved for any course to apply toward the major in psychology.
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
