Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior—how individuals think, feel, and behave. Graduates will have a strong background in scientific thinking and be able to apply psychological research and principles to the study of contemporary problems in a variety of fields.
Students in the psychology program will develop an understanding of:
- How people perceive and process information and how they use that information to make decisions.
- Psychological theories in a variety of fields including social, cognitive, clinical, industrial-organizational, development, and neuroscience.
- How to apply psychological theories to real-world problems.
- How to design research studies, analyze results, and communicate results to a variety of communities.
A flexible curriculum allows the degree to be customized. Students can elect to specialize in clinical, culture and diversity, industrial/organizational, behavioral health and wellness, and rehabilitation services. Students will work with a faculty mentor to craft a program of study that supports their interests and career goals. Options for pre-medicine and honors law are available.
All students complete a capstone project designed to integrate and apply the concepts and skills learned throughout the curriculum. The capstone will be an individually tailored project defined in collaboration with a faculty adviser which will typically involve either a field placement or research component.
The psychology degree will prepare graduates for a wide range of professions in business and industry, community organizations, and health services. The program will also prepare graduates to be competitive for a wide range of graduate training programs in psychology at the masters and doctoral levels. In addition, many students will find psychology highly beneficial as a pre-professional major for advanced studies in medicine, dentistry, law, business, or public administration.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Requirements | (28) | |
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to the Profession | 3 |
| PSYC 204 | Research Methods in Behavioral Science | 4 |
| PSYC 221 | Introduction to Psychological Science | 3 |
| PSYC 301 | Industrial Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYC 303 | Abnormal Psychology | |
| PSYC 310 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 320 | Applied Correlation and Regression | 3 |
| or PSYC 409 | Psychological Testing | |
| PSYC 414 | Neural and Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 435 | Child Development | 3 |
| or PSYC 436 | Adult Development | |
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Human Motivation and Emotion | 3 | |
| Learning Theory | 3 | |
| Cognitive Science | 3 | |
| Psychology Electives | (12) | |
| Choose 12 credit hours 1 | 12 | |
| Psychology Capstone Project | (3) | |
| PSYC 485 | Senior Capstone Project I | 3 |
| Mathematics Requirements | (8-10) | |
| PSYC 203 | Undergraduate Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| Select one of the following options: | 4-6 | |
Option 1: | ||
Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Geometry for Architects | 3 | |
| Introduction to Calculus | 3 | |
| Thinking Mathematically | 3 | |
Option 2: | ||
| Preparation for Calculus | 4 | |
Option 3: | ||
| Calculus I | 5 | |
| Computer Science Requirement | (2) | |
| CS 110 | Computing Principles | 2 |
| Natural Sciences Requirements | (10-11) | |
| Recommend BIOL 105 and/or BIOL 114 and PHYS 120 and/or PHYS 200; take two in one discipline and one from a different discipline. Must take at least one lab (BIOL 109 and/or BIOL 117 recommended). | 10-11 | |
| See IIT Core Curriculum, section D | ||
| Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements | (21) | |
| See IIT Core Curriculum, sections B and C | 21 | |
| Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) | (6) | |
| See IIT Core Curriculum, section E | 6 | |
| Free Electives | (33-36) | |
| Select 33-36 credit hours | 33-36 | |
Minimum degree credits required: 126
| 1 | 12 credit hours of psychology electives are required (chosen from any psychology course at the 300- or 400-level that is not part of the required core courses), or 12 credit hours in a specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology. |
Bachelor of Science in Psychology Curriculum
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | Semester 2 | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 100 | 3 | PSYC 301 or 303 | 3 |
| PSYC 221 | 3 | Science Elective1 | 3 |
| Humanities 200-level Course | 3 | Science Lab Elective1 | 1 |
| Science Elective1 | 3 | Mathematics Elective2 | 3 |
| Science Lab Elective1 | 1 | Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
| Mathematics Elective2 | 3 | Humanities or Social Sciences Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | Semester 2 | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 203 | 4 | PSYC 204 | 4 |
| PSYC 310 | 3 | Social Sciences Elective (300+) | 3 |
| Science Elective1 | 3 | Social Sciences Elective (300+) | 3 |
| Humanities Elective (300+) | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Humanities Elective (300+) | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Year 3 | |||
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | Semester 2 | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 320 or 409 | 3 | PSYC 435 or 436 | 3 |
| PSYC 414 | 3 | Psychology Elective | 3 |
| Psychology Elective | 3 | IPRO Elective I | 3 |
| CS 110 | 2 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Year 4 | |||
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours | Semester 2 | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 4853 | 3 | Psychology Elective | 3 |
| PSYC 423 or 426 | 3 | IPRO Elective | 3 |
| Psychology Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credit Hours: 126 | |||
| 1 | Recommend BIOL 105 and/or BIOL 114, and PHYS 120 and/or PHYS 200; take two in one discipline and one from a different discipline. Must take at least one lab (BIOL 109 and/or BIOL 117 recommended). See IIT Core Curriculum, section D. |
| 2 | Select from any two of MATH 119, MATH 122, or MATH 130, or MATH 148, or MATH 151. |
| 3 | Capstone project must be approved by adviser. |
Psychology Specializations
Clinical Psychology
A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for this specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 303 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Health Psychology | 3 | |
| Clinical Psychology: Assessment and Treatment | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sports Psychology | 3 | |
| Child and Adolescent Disorders | 3 | |
| Behavior Change Principles and Practice | 3 | |
Culture and Diversity
A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for this specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Prejudice and Stigma | 3 | |
| Cross-Cultural Psychology | 3 | |
| Medical Aspects of Disabling Conditions | 3 | |
| Multicultural and Psychosocial Issues in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling | 3 | |
| Global Chicago | 3 | |
| Social Inequality | 3 | |
| Problems of Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Religious States | 3 | |
| Global Migration | 3 | |
Health Psychology
A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for this specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 330 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Nutrition and Wellness | 3 | |
| Exploring Food Science & Tech | 3 | |
| Nutrition, Metabolism, and Health | 3 | |
| Food and Behavior | 3 | |
| Occupational Health Psychology | 3 | |
| Child Development | 3 | |
| Adult Development | 3 | |
| Global Health | 3 | |
| Comparative Health Systems | 3 | |
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for this specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 301 | Industrial Psychology | 3 |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Applied Correlation and Regression | 3 | |
| Occupational Health Psychology | 3 | |
| Psychological Testing | 3 | |
| Development and Evaluation of Training in Organizations | 3 | |
| Groups and Leadership at Work | 3 | |
Rehabilitation
A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for this specialization. Note that courses taken in the required core psychology curriculum cannot be counted towards specialization requirements. Only 6 credit hours in a specialization may be taken in a field outside of psychology.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling | 3 | |
| Medical Aspects of Disabling Conditions | 3 | |
| Multicultural and Psychosocial Issues in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling | 3 | |
| Rehabilitation Engineering Technology I: Survey of Interdisciplinary Application of RET | 3 | |
| Psychiatric Rehabilitation | 3 | |
