Current Requirements

This concentration can lead to the Bachelor of Science degree. The B.S. degree requires a total of 60 credits of B.S. degree eligible courses (including those taken to satisfy the concentration requirements).

BBCS Concentration worksheet (PDF file)

Prerequisites to Concentration

One Introductory Psychology course from the following list.
NOTE: Only one of the following prerequisite courses may be taken for credit. Prerequisite credits do not count toward the number required for the concentration.

Please note: Beginning in Fall 08, students will be required to take the following as prerequisites to the concentration: Intro Psych, Stats requirement, Two Core Courses. Additionally, the concentration will then require 24 concentration credits (in non-prerequisite courses).

PSYCH 111 : Introduction to Psychology (no credit granted to those who have completed 112 and/or 113)
PSYCH 112 : Introduction to Psychology as Natural Science
PSYCH 114 : Honors Introduction to Psychology (no credit granted to those who have completed 111, 112 or 113)
PSYCH 115 : Honors Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science (no credit granted to those who have completed 114)

Concentration Requirements

A minimum of thirty-four (34) credits in post-introductory courses, to include the required courses listed below.

BBCS Core Requirement

One course from each of the following two groups must be completed (for a total of two classes). Courses used to satisfy the Core Course Requirement may not also be used to satisfy the Advanced Course in Biopsychology and Cognitive Psychology requirement.

Group I: Biopsychology
PSYCH 230 (330) : Introduction to Biopsychology 4 cr or
PSYCH 335 : Introduction to Animal Behavior 4 cr

Group II: Cognitive Psychology
PSYCH 240 (340) : Introduction to Cognitive Psychology 4 cr or
PSYCH 345 : Introduction to Human Neuropsychology 4 cr

Advanced Courses in Biopsychology and Cognitive Psychology

Four courses for a minimum total of 12 credits in biopsychology or cognitive science, selected from the following list. Psychology 230, 335, 240, or 345 may be used only if they are not also used toward the Core Requirement above.

PSYCH 230 (330) : Introduction to Biopsychology 4 cr
PSYCH 232 : Evolutionary Biology and Human Disease 4 cr
PSYCH 240 (340) : Introduction to Cognitive Psychology 4 cr
PSYCH 335 : Introduction to Animal Behavior 4 cr
PSYCH 338 (437) : Primate Social Behavior I 4 cr
PSYCH 344 : Second Language Acquisition 3 cr
PSYCH 345 : Introduction to Human Neuropsychology 4 cr
PSYCH 346 (443) : Learning and Memory 3 cr
PSYCH 347 (444) : Perception 3 cr
PSYCH 348 (447) : Psychology of Thinking 3 cr
PSYCH 349 : Talking Minds 3 cr
PSYCH 400 : Special Problems in Psychology as a Natural Science 1-4 cr
PSYCH 420(507) : Faculty Directed Advanced Tutorial Reading for Psychology as a Natural Science 1-6 cr
PSYCH 431 : Biopsychology of Animal and Human Behavior 3 cr
PSYCH 432 : Reproductive Behavior in Mammals 3 cr
PSYCH 433 : Biopsychology of Motivation 3 cr
PSYCH 434 : Biopsychology of Learning and Memory 3 cr
PSYCH 435 : Biological Rhythms and Behavior 3 cr
PSYCH 436 : Drugs of Abuse, Brain and Behavior 3 cr
PSYCH 437 : Current Topics in Biopsychology 3 cr
PSYCH 438 : Hormones and Behavior 3 cr
PSYCH 439 : Behavioral Biology of Women 4 cr
PSYCH 445 : Psychology of Language 3 cr
PSYCH 446 : Human Factors Psychology 3 cr
PSYCH 447 : Current Topics in Cognition and Perception 3 cr
PSYCH 448 : Mathematical Psychology 3 cr
PSYCH 449(542) : Decision Processes 3 cr
PSYCH 530 : Advanced Topics in Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology 3 cr
PSYCH 531 : Advanced Topics in Biopsychology 3 cr
PSYCH 532 : Mammalian Reproductive Endocrinology 4 cr
PSYCH 533 : Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society 3 cr
PSYCH 541 : Advanced topics in Cognition and Perception 3 cr
Other (as approved by Faculty Concentration Advisor)

Statistics

(One course)
STATS 350 (402) : Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (Required) 4 cr
NOTE: Students interested in a stronger mathematical foundation in statistics may substitute:
STATS 425 : Introduction to Probability 3 cr and
STATS 426 : Introduction to Theoretical Statistics 3 cr.
Other courses, as appropriate, may be substituted with approval of a biopsychology concentration advisor.

Lab Requirement

At least two different courses for a minimum of five credits total from the following list of classes. At least one course must come from the Methods-based lab group. Each course must be taken for a minimum of two credits and be completed in a single academic term. Only one non-departmental course may be elected to satisfy the lab requirement.

Methods-Based Lab Courses
PSYCH 231 : Brain, Learning & Memory 4 cr
PSYCH 303 : Research Methods in Psychology 3 cr
PSYCH 331 : Laboratories in Biopsychology 4 cr
PSYCH 341 : Advanced Lab in Cognitive Psychology 4 cr
PSYCH 342 : Laboratory in Judgment and Decision Making 3 cr

Biology-based Labs (courses not offered through the Psychology Department)
Only one biology-based lab may be used towards the BBC lab requirement.
Biology 226 : Animal Physiology Lab 2
Biology 429 : Lab in Cell and Molecular Biology 3 cr
EEB 493 : Lab in Animal Behavior 3 cr MCDB 306 : Intro Genetics Lab 3 cr
MCDB 308 : Developmental Bio Lab 3 cr
MCDB 429 : Lab in Cell & Molecular Biology 3 cr


Research-Based Lab Courses
PSYCH 322 (408) : Field Practicum in Research Techniques/Natural Science (graded CR/NC) 1-4 cr
PSYCH 326: Faculty Directed Early Research for Psychology as a Natural Science 1-4 cr
PSYCH 331 : Advanced Lab in Biopsychology 4 cr
PSYCH 422 (505) : Faculty Directed Independent Advanced Research/Natural Science 1-6 cr
PSYCH 424 (510) : Senior Honors Research I/Natural Science 2-4 cr
PSYCH 426 (511) : Seniors Honor Research II/Natural Science 2-4 cr

Psychology As a Social Science Requirement

One course from the following list:
PSYCH 250 (350) : Introduction to Developmental Psychology 4 cr
PSYCH 260 (360) : Introduction to Organizational Psychology 4 cr
PSYCH 270 (370) : Introduction to Psychopathology 4 cr
PSYCH 280 (280) : Introduction to Social Psychology 4 cr
PSYCH 290 (390) : Introduction to Personality Psychology 4 cr

Cognate Course Requirement

One course from the following list (or an approved substitute):
Anthropology 467 : Human Behavioral Ecology 3 cr
Anthropology 568 : Primate Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 3 cr
Biology 208 : Introduction to Embryology 3 cr
Biology 222 : Introduction to Neurobiology 3 cr
Biology 225 : Principles of Animal Physiology: Lecture 3 cr
Biology 305 : Genetics 4 cr
Biology 310 (or 311 or 412) : Introduction to Biochemistry 4 cr
Biology 390 : Evolution 4 cr
Biochemistry 415 : Introduction to Biochemistry 3-4 cr
EEB 381 : General Ecology 5-6 cr
EEB 433 : Ornithology 4 cr
EEB 440 : Biology of Fishes 3 cr
EEB 442 : Biology of Insects 5 cr
EEB 450 : Biology of Amphibians & Reptiles 5 cr
EEB 451 : Biology of Mammals 4 cr
EEB 478 : Advanced Ecology 3 cr
EEB 481 : Population Dynamics & Ecology 4 cr
EEB 492 : Behavioral Ecology 4-5 cr
EECS 281 : Data Structure and Algorithms 4 cr
EECS 492 : Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 4 cr
Linguistics 315 : Introduction to Sentence Analysis 3 cr
Linguistics 514 : Semantics and Pragmatics 3 cr
Linguistics 555 : Introduction to Cognitive Grammar 3 cr
MCDB 307 : Developmental Biology 3 cr
MCDB 418 : Endocrinology 3 cr
MCDB 422 : Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology 3 cr
MCDB 425 : Systems Neurobiology 3 cr
MCDB 534 : Developmental Neurobiology 3 cr
Philosophy 345 : Language and Mind 3 cr
Philosophy 450 : Philosophy of Cognition 3 cr
Philosophy 482 : Philosophy of the Mind 3 cr
Statistics 406 : Introduction to Statistical Computing 4 cr

Note: Other courses can be used as a cognate if they are approved by a concentration advisor.