Undergrad Program (BA Curriculum) - OU Department of Psychology

B.A. Curriculum

The Department of Psychology offers the B.A. degree in Psychology. This program of study culminates in a degree that provides students with the knowledge and experiences necessary to pursue post-baccalaureate education in psychology and other professional training areas, with the training required to secure employment immediately following completion of the undergraduate degree, and with the broad education essential to the formation of a well-rounded, informed individual. Any student who meets the requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences may pursue the B.A. in Psychology.

The employment outlook for individuals with an education in psychology depends on the type of degree that the person receives. The B.A. or B.S. degree is the first step. For doctoral-level psychologists, employment opportunities have flourished during the past decade. Some of the positions that Ph.D.s in Psychology fill are professors, therapists, clinical psychologists, researchers, and consultants. People with a master's degree in psychology work in a variety of settings including schools, businesses, mental health care centers, and community colleges. Graduates who do not pursue the Ph.D. after receiving their master's often obtain jobs in teaching, research, or service with some limitations that exist without the doctoral degree. Teachers at the masters' level usually work in community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities. Although a bachelor's degree in psychology will not prepare you to become a professional psychologist, an undergraduate major in psychology can provide a graduate with both a strong liberal arts education and adequate preparation for entry-level employment in one of many career paths.

Students who choose to enter the workplace with a bachelor's degree have many career options. However, those students who are the most successful are those who consult closely with faculty members about their interests, plan their psychology curriculum carefully to provide the skills essential for success in the area(s) of their interest, and carefully and strategically augment their psychology coursework with coursework from other academic areas to strengthen their background and make them distinctly attractive job candidates. This can be achieved by adding courses in such areas as computer science, business, communications, etc. Active consultation with faculty members for career counseling cannot be emphasized enough.

The following are some of the fields that graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered: administration and management, business and industry, casework, child care, employment interviewing, health services, marketing and public relations, personnel, probation and parole, psychiatric assisting, research or laboratory assisting, sales, teaching, and technical writing. Students pursuing the bachelor's degree as a terminal degree are encouraged to seek academic counseling on an intensive level with a faculty adviser, and to consult closely with the University's job placement service.