Psychology Major

If you are pursuing an undergraduate degree in Psychology at NIU, you must choose to get a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree or a Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.) degree. Course requirements within the Department of Psychology are the same for the B.A. and B.S. degrees, but there are substantial differences between the degrees with respect to required course work outside of the department. The specific requirements for each degree are highlighted below.

To declare Psychology as your major, meet with your advisor and then complete the "Major Request" form.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Be sure to check the NIU Catalog for University and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements for a B.A. degree. For example, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires two years of college-level foreign language credits (or four years of high school foreign language) for a B.A.

Department of Psychology requirements for the B.A.:

• Stat 208 or Stat 301 (must get a C or better before taking Psyc 305)
• Psyc 102 and Psyc 305
• Any two Psychology Lab courses (see prerequisites)
• 21 Psychology elective hours:
  • 15 must be in 300-400 level courses
  • no more than 6 of the 21 hours may be in 100-200 level courses
  • 3 hours of Psych 485 (Independent Study) may be included as electives
  • credit for Psych 219 may not be applied toward a major in Psychology

Download and print a B.A. advising worksheet

Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.)

Be sure to check the NIU catalog for University and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements for a B.S. degree.

Department of Psychology requirements for the B.S.:

• Students must choose between 3 groups of classes:
  • Group 1: Math 210, Math 211, Stat 301, and a CSCI course OR
  • Group 2: Math 229, Math 230, Stat 350, and a CSCI course OR
  • Group 3: Math 211, Stat 301, and a 7-9 hour lab sequence in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, or Physics
• Psyc 102 and Psyc 305 (must get a C or better in Stat 301 or Stat 350 as a prerequisite)
• Any 2 Psychology Lab courses (see prerequisites)
• 21 Psychology elective hours
  • 15 must be in 300-400 level courses
  • no more than 6 of the 21 hours may be in 100-200 level courses
  • 3 hours of Psych 485 (Independent Study) may be included as electives
  • credit for Psych 219 may not be applied toward a major in Psychology

Download and print a B.S. advising worksheet