The following pages outline the program requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees in psychology. This information can also be found in LionPATH in the Academic Requirements pull down option within the Academics section of the front page. Consult with the Program Coordinator, Dr. Brad Pinter, for discussion of any changes or exceptions to these requirements.

Penn State Altoona Psychology Majors Checksheet

(Revised 08/2023)

Summary of Degree Requirements (A total of 124 credits is required to graduate)

  • General Education Requirements (45 credits)
  • Additional Graduation Requirements (10 credits)
  • Psychology Major Requirements (37 credits)
  • Bachelor of Arts (12-24 credits) or Bachelor of Science Requirements (24 credits)
  • Bachelor of Arts Electives (18-30 credits) or Bachelor of Science Electives (18 credits)

General Education Requirements (45 credits)

Foundations (15 credits; Interdomain course are eligible)
Course Completed
ENGL 015 or 030 (GWS)(3 credits) Yes/No
ENGL 202A (GWS)(3 credits) Yes/No
CAS 100 (GWS)(3 credits) Yes/No
Any GQ course (2 credits)
MATH 17, 24, or STAT 100 are recommended		 Yes/No
STAT 200 (4 credits) Yes/No
Knowledge (15 credits; No Inter-domain courses; no Move 3 or World Language substitutions)
Course (fill in name) Completed
GH Course (3 credits) Yes/No
GA Course (3 credits) Yes/No
GS Course (3 credits) Yes/No
GN Course (3 credits) Yes/No
GHW Course (3 credits) Yes/No
Integrative Studies (6 credits)
Course Completed
Inter-Domain G? (3 credits) Yes/No
Inter-Domain G? (3 credits) Yes/No
Exploration (9 credits; may include 6 credits of GN and up to 3 credits of GH, GA, GS, and GHW)
Courses Completed
G? (3 credits) Yes/No
G? (3 credits) Yes/No
G? (3 credits) Yes/No

NOTE: For students who began their academic careers prior to August 2023, your general education requirements are different. Please consult with your adviser and your Academic Requirements/What If Reports as shown in LionPATH.

Additional Graduation Requirements

Additional Graduation Requirements (10 credits)
Course Completed
First-Year Seminar (1 credit) Yes/No
United States Cultures and International Cultures (IL and US)(3 credits) Yes/No
United States Cultures and International Cultures (IL and US)(3 credits) Yes/No
Writing Across the Curriculum (3 credits)—PSYCH 301W automatically fulfills this requirement Yes/No

Note: IL and US courses can also be counted toward General Education or major requirements.

Note: A single course may be used to satisfy the IL and Us requirements if it is so designated.

Major Requirements (37 credits)

Prescribed Courses for the Major
Course Completed
PSYCH 100 (3 credits) Yes/No
PSYCH 301W (4 credits) Yes/No

NOTE: PSYCH 301W has a prerequisite of STAT 200.

Select one course from each of the following categories
Courses Completed
Learning and Cognition
PSYCH 256, 261, 268, 426, 427, 452, 456, 457, 458, 459, and 461		 Yes/No
Social and Personality Psychology
PSYCH 221, 231, 232, 238, 419, 420, 421, 423, 424, 438, and 479		 Yes/No
Biological Bases of Behavior
PSYCH 253, 260, 269, 441, 460, 462, 463, 464, 475, and 478		 Yes/No
Developmental Psychology
PSYCH 212, 410, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416/HDFS 445, and 474		 Yes/No
Applied and Clinical Psychology
PSYCH 243, 244, 270, 281, 370, 404, 408, 443, 444, 445, 470, 471, 473, 476, 477, 481, 482, 484, and 485		 Yes/No
Select additional 12 credits of Psychology courses
Course Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
Select a capstone course during your 7th or 8th semester
Course Completed
Capstone Options
PSYCH 439 or 490; or 493, 494, 495, and 496 depending on eligibility and availability		 Yes/No

NOTE: PSYCH course selections above must include at least 15 credits of 400-level courses. This does not mean you must take 15 additional credits. Typically, students accrue 15 credits by taking a capstone course and 4 400-level psychology courses. It would be sensible, if not explicitly required, that you take the relevant 200-level course before taking the 400-level offering.

NOTE: It is strongly recommended that students take PSYCH 301W before taking ANY 400-level psychology course.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements (12-24 credits)

Foreign Language (0 – 12 credits): Students must attain 12th credit level proficiency (not necessarily by taking 12 credits). This requirement is governed by a placement policy dictated by the number of levels of foreign language completed prior to admission to college.

Foreign Language Courses
Courses Completed
(4 credits) Yes/No
(4 credits) Yes/No
(4 credits) Yes/No

B.A. fields (9 credits)
Consists of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Foreign Languages, Natural Sciences, & Quantification. May not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; foreign language credits in this category must be in a second foreign language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language.

B.A. Field Required Courses
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Other Cultures (0-3 credits)
Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the General Education US/IL requirement.

Other Cultures Courses
Course Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No

Note: A course cannot count twice for credit, so if the Other Cultures course counts towards GH, for instance, it won’t also give credits here. In that case, the course will satisfy the Other Cultures requirement, but it will only apply the credits toward GH. That’s why the above space does not have a credit threshold.

Note: Available B.A. Requirement courses can be found in LionPATH in Class Search by using the Additional Search Criteria option.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Electives (18-30 credits)

The number of elective credits varies depending on the B.A. requirements above.

Bachelor of Science - Science Degree Requirements (24 credits)

Science Option

Select 15 credits from the following: ANTH 21; ANTH 22; B BH 101; any BIOL course; any BI SC course; any CHEM course; any MICRB course, any PHYS course

Select 15 credits
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Supporting courses: Select 6 credits in natural sciences/quantification from the following: ANTH 021, 022, 313, 401, 405, 406, 410, 460, 464, 471, 472, 473; any ASTRO; BB H 101 or higher except 145 and 310; any BIOL; any CHEM; any CMPSC; CRIMJ 310, 311; CSD 230, 331; any EARTH; any EDSGN; any EGEE; any EM SC; any FRNSC; GEOG 010, 110, 115; any GEOSC; HD FS 417, 468; any MATH; any MATSE; any METEO; any MICRB; any MIS; NUTR 251; any PHYS; STS 055, 150

Supporting Courses
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Select 3 credits in social and behavioral sciences from the following: AAA S 100, 110, 201, 403, 404; AG BM 101, 200; ANTH 001, 002, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 040, 041, 045, 057, 100, 125, 146, 152, 201, 408, 420, 422, 423, 425, 440, 447, 450, 451, 453, 454, 456, 457, 474, 475, 476; A PLNG 410, 482Y; B A 100; CAS 202, 203, 250, 352, 402, 404, 422, 450W, 452, 455, 470, 471, 475, 478; CRIM 012, 100, 113; CRIMJ 012, 013, 100, 113, 221, 421, 423, 451, 460, 462; CSD 269, 300; COMM 100, 120, 205, 370, 401, 403, 405, 407, 409, 410, 411, 413, 417, 419; any ECON; any GEOG except 010, 102, 110, 115, 404, 432, 433, 434; HIST 116, 120, 142, 151, 155, 173; HD FS 129, 229, 239, 249, 250, 311, 315, 405, 411, 412, 413, 418, 424, 425, 428, 429, 432, 433, 434, 447, 477; INTAG 100; IST 110, 313, 341, 431, 432; any LER; any LING except 102; any PL SC; RL ST 236, 237, 414, 479; any R SOC; any S T S except 055, 100, 101, 107, 122, 123, 150, 230, 428, 432, 433, 435, 457, 489; any SO SC; any SOC; SRA 111, 211, 231; WMNST 001, 102, 110, 116, 205, 250, 301, 400, 410, 424, 452, 492

Social and Behavioral Science Course
Course Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
Bachelor of Science Degree Electives (18 credits)
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Bachelor of Science - Business Degree Requirements (24 credits)

Business Option

Select 15 credits from the following: Any ACCTG; B A 100; B A 241, B A 242 OR B A 243; any SCM except 200; any ECON course; any FIN course; any H P A course; any I B course, any MGMT course; any MKTG course

Select 15 credits
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Supporting courses: Select 6 credits in natural sciences/quantification from the following: ANTH 021, 022, 313, 401, 405, 406, 410, 460, 464, 471, 472, 473; any ASTRO; BB H 101 or higher except 145 and 310; any BIOL; any CHEM; any CMPSC; CRIMJ 310, 311; CSD 230, 331; any EARTH; any EDSGN; any EGEE; any EM SC; any FRNSC; GEOG 010, 110, 115; any GEOSC; HD FS 417, 468; any MATH; any MATSE; any METEO; any MICRB; any MIS; NUTR 251; any PHYS; STS 055, 150

Supporting Courses
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

Select 3 credits in social and behavioral sciences from the following: AAA S 100, 110, 201, 403, 404; AG BM 101, 200; ANTH 001, 002, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 040, 041, 045, 057, 100, 125, 146, 152, 201, 408, 420, 422, 423, 425, 440, 447, 450, 451, 453, 454, 456, 457, 474, 475, 476; A PLNG 410, 482Y; B A 100; CAS 202, 203, 250, 352, 402, 404, 422, 450W, 452, 455, 470, 471, 475, 478; CRIM 012, 100, 113; CRIMJ 012, 013, 100, 113, 221, 421, 423, 451, 460, 462; CSD 269, 300; COMM 100, 120, 205, 370, 401, 403, 405, 407, 409, 410, 411, 413, 417, 419; any ECON; any GEOG except 010, 102, 110, 115, 404, 432, 433, 434; HIST 116, 120, 142, 151, 155, 173; HD FS 129, 229, 239, 249, 250, 311, 315, 405, 411, 412, 413, 418, 424, 425, 428, 429, 432, 433, 434, 447, 477; INTAG 100; IST 110, 313, 341, 431, 432; any LER; any LING except 102; any PL SC; RL ST 236, 237, 414, 479; any R SOC; any S T S except 055, 100, 101, 107, 122, 123, 150, 230, 428, 432, 433, 435, 457, 489; any SO SC; any SOC; SRA 111, 211, 231; WMNST 001, 102, 110, 116, 205, 250, 301, 400, 410, 424, 452, 492

Social and Behavioral Sciences Course
Course Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
Bachelor of Science Degree Electives (18 credits)
Courses Completed
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No
(3 credits) Yes/No

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