B.A. in Psychology
Seek to understand what motivates people and why people behave the way they do.
Psychology majors at the University of Mississippi learn the scientific approach to the study of human and animal behavior, and can take courses in a variety of subfields, such as social, cognitive, personality, abnormal, developmental, and behavioral neuroscience. They also learn the research process: experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Key Benefits
Psychology majors gain a broad knowledge of human and animal behavior as well as skills in statistical analysis, research, testing, writing, observation, record keeping, surveying, scientific reasoning, and scientific methodology. The presence of graduate programs in clinical and experimental psychology support high level expertise for the undergraduate program.
Graduate Outcomes
A liberal arts education prepares graduates to deal with complexity and change. They gain key skills in communication, problem-solving, and working with diverse groups. Related careers in psychology include health care, behavior analysis, education, counseling and therapy, rehabilitation services, social work, drug/alcohol education, human resources, advertising, law, management, systems analysis, business, sales, urban planning, and public relations.
Experiences Offered
Psychology majors gain experience in the field through service-learning and experiential courses. They may work with faculty on research or participate in internships while earning credit towards their degree. Faculty members also provide travel courses, such as Dr. Laura Johnson's Ecology, Culture, and Youth Psychology in Tanzania.
B.A. in Psychology Faculty
The Department of Psychology at the University of Mississippi boasts faculty members with areas of specialization that include clinical, cognitive, developmental, experimental, neuroscience and social psychology.
Course Requirements
A major in psychology for the B.A. degree consists of 30 semester hours, including Psy 201, 202, 205; three of the following six core courses (Psy 301, 309, 311, 319, 320, 321); and one of the following capstone courses (Psy 340, 360, 365, 390, 392, 394, 396, 410, 415, 417, 419, 430, 451, 456, 457, 470, 475, 565). No more than 6 combined credit hours from Psy 401, 402, 403, 405, 406, 420, and/or 421 may be counted toward the major.
Admissions Requirements
Admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in psychology degree program are the same as the general undergraduate admission requirements.
Cayla Hari
Passionate about volunteer work, Cayla (B.A. in psychology and Spanish, 2018) finds meaning in helping others. She was philanthropic director for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority; a peer educator for Rebels Against Sexual Assault; president of Feed the Hunger; fundraising chair for UNICEF at Ole Miss; on the fundraising committee for Students for a Saferide; and volunteered across our community. Her philanthropy shaped her research interests in posttraumatic stress, emotion regulation, and posttraumatic growth, and presented twice at the UM Conference on Psychological Science. She wrote her honors thesis on posttraumatic stress symptoms in college students. Cayla's goal after graduation is to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, with a career combining teaching and clinical work in both Spanish and English.
Why study psychology at UM?
"Students are able tailor their experience to their interests and goals. Sure, there are required courses for the degree, but there is flexibility in choosing from a wide array of electives. The faculty have various research projects, giving students choices for working in a lab that aligns with their interests. The ability to gain solid foundation in psychology and tailor your education to your personal interests and goals is incredibly valuable."
Student Organizations
Join Psi Chi, the psychology honor society, the Psychology Club, as well as student organizations like Autism Speaks and Lambda, a support group for the LGBTQ community.