Psychology Degree

About the Degree

We offer Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in psychology. Either degree provides an excellent foundation for students who wish to earn advanced degrees in pursuit of a career in psychology or for students who choose to pursue a career at the bachelor’s level. General education and psychology requirements are the same for the two degrees, but the B.A. includes an emphasis on modern language, whereas the B.S. includes an emphasis on math or science. Nearly half of recent graduates have entered into master's or doctoral programs; these students might become counselors or professors. Some students pursue degrees in law, occupational therapy, or physical therapy after receiving their bachelor’s degree in psychology. Other students have established careers at the bachelor’s level in areas such as casework, corrections, behavior analysis, management, and human resources.

What Can I Do With This Major?

Your Future with Our Psychology Degree

As a graduate of Missouri Southern's psychology program, you will take your knowledge about the human mind and behavior into a career with broad potential. There are many options within mental health, therapy and counseling, public and private healthcare, education, and the justice system. With an education enhanced by an emphasis on research and applied areas of psychology, our majors can:

Continue to graduate school to become a clinical psychologist, counseling psychologist, applied behavior analyst, physical therapist, or occupational therapist.
Pursue a meaningful job in the human services as a case manager working with children, adolescents, older adults, or people with disabilities.
Use the skills in business environments in human resources, public relations, or marketing research.
Utilize a variety of transferable skills to a job in a non-profit or government organization.

What You'll Learn:

To describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.
To use and evaluate theories to explain and predict behavior and mental processes.
To use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.
To demonstrate a breadth of psychological knowledge.
To read, summarize, and interpret complex ideas from psychological sources and research.
To interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research.
To apply ethical standards when evaluating psychological science and practice.
To demonstrate effective writing and presentation skills for different purposes
To develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.

This Degree is Great for You if:

You have an interest in the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
You would like a solid grounding in the scientific method, and how to conduct social science research.
You're interested in working in the mental-healthcare field, for example as a counselor or case manager.
You think you'd like to continue your studies with a master's degree or doctorate in a psychology or a related field.