Psychology, BS

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology are designed to introduce the student to the broad spectrum of psychological knowledge, skills, and professions. At the undergraduate level, the Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) which involves 45 required credits in Psychology (15 required courses) covering the core knowledge upon which Psychology is based, such as research design and methodology, statistics, and physiological psychology/neuroscience. Students majoring in Psychology can also have a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which prepares students to earn their BCaBA Certification at LSUS. Beyond Psychology, a B.S. degree in Psychology at LSUS requires a solid foundation in the Biological and Physical Sciences and a wide range of courses in other Social Science disciplines. An undergraduate major involves a total of 120 credit hours. A Psychology major must also pass each required Psychology course with a grade of C or better to count toward graduation. A B.S. degree in Psychology prepares students for entry-level employment in human service agencies and organizations, industrial settings, laboratories, and any profession that involves understanding human interaction and behavior. Alternately, some Psychology majors elect to pursue postgraduate study in fields such as Law or Medicine. Many Psychology majors decide to pursue advanced training in one of the specialty areas of Psychology such as Clinical or Counseling, Forensics, School Psychology, Health Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology and many others.

The LSUS Department of Psychology also offers four graduate degree programs: the Specialist in School Psychology (SSP), the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MSCMHC), the Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (MSCRC), and the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (MSABA). The graduate programs are described more fully elsewhere in this catalog (see GRADUATE STUDIES). The SSP program is a 72-hour professional degree program (two years of academic study plus one-year internship) and is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The SSP degree leads directly to state certification/licensure as a School Psychologist, as well as the national credential (NCSP). Both the MSCMHC and the MSCRC programs are 60 hours (2 years) and are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Both counseling degrees are designed to lead to licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Louisiana. The MSABA program (45 hours) is for students seeking to complete the coursework training and degree requirements and earn supervised fieldwork hours toward national certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, and state licensure as a Behavior Analyst (LBA) from the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board.