"Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." - Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
The Psychology Major at UNO
Often referred to as a liberal arts education, an undergraduate degree in psychology is built on a strong foundation of the scientific method.
The courses required for a psychology major introduce students to a mixture of topics, providing them with the opportunity to explore and engage psychology as both a discipline and a career. At the same time, students develop research and analytic skills that are important in today's business world.
Courses of Study Offered
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
For Bachelor of Arts degree-seeking students only, students must complete 16 credit hours of college work in one foreign language (French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, or Latin), American Sign Language, or equivalent.
Successful completion of four years of a single language in high school or four college semesters will satisfy this requirement. Speakers of native languages should contact their advisor to discuss options.
To get the proper Foreign Language Placement, we ask that you take the corresponding Foreign Languages Placement Exam.
Retroactive credit forms are available in the Department of Foreign Languages, and only available after successful completion of the UNO Chinese, French, German, Spanish, or Russian course into which a student has placed or been advised to take based on being a native speaker.
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Foreign language is not required for students completing a BS degree. Instead, students must complete cognate courses, as described below.
Cognate Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Students pursuing a BS in psychology must complete 15 credit hours of a cognate set of courses. Students will select one of the five cognate sets below.
Course selection must include at least three different departments or programs. No more than 6 hours of courses may be at the 1000 level, with the remaining 9 hours taken at the 2000 level or above. Six (6) hours of cognate coursework may double count with General Education requirements.
Students may take a minor in place of the cognate under the following circumstances:
- Students pursuing Option 1 College Requirements, which requires a minor, must take a second minor to satisfy the cognate requirement; OR
- Students pursuing Option 2 College Requirements, which require additional general education courses, may add a minor to satisfy the cognate requirement.
For complete information about cognate courses, visit the BS Cognate Coursework page.
Academic Requirements for the College Degrees
Number of Hours to Graduate: College Rules
Upper-Division Rule
Students must have at least 27 credit hours of upper-division work (3000 or 4000-level courses).
Forty-Five Hour Rule
No candidate may count more than 45 credits in any one discipline toward completion of a major.
Four Hour Rule
No candidate may count more than four out of 120 credits in physical education activity classes
Psychology Concentrations
You may choose to declare an optional concentration with your psychology major. When declaring a concentration, you will choose coursework that focuses on specific areas of Psychology that provide more in-depth knowledge of the respective subject matter of the concentration. The following concentrations are offered:
| Applied Behavior Analysis |
| Cognitive Science |
| Developmental Psychology |
| Forensic Psychology |
| Industrial/Organizational Psychology |
| Mental Health |
| Neuroscience & Behavior |
| School Psychology |
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Check out our Prospective Student FAQ information flyer.
Minor
If you're not sure a Psychology major is for you, consider a psychology minor.