Undergraduate Major
The Bachelor of Science program in Psychology aims to provide a general background for career and/or advanced studies in fields which presuppose understanding of human behavior, such as clinical/counseling psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, medicine, education, social work, and law.
Students who major in psychology are required to complete an introductory course and 44 semester hours in upper division courses in psychology. Students also complete the Core Curriculum, as required by the University. Please review the suggested block schedule for majors. Students should also discuss their career aspirations and elective choices with their faculty advisor. Students must maintain contact with a departmental advisor each semester to aid in course selection, planning, and scheduling.
The following only affects students who started Fall 2024 or later. Psychology majors should maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75. Students whose cumulative GPA drops below 2.75 will have 2 semesters to get it back above the 2.75 threshold; if they fail to do so, they will have to change majors. Before switching to a PSYC major, students must have taken at least 1 PSYC course or have AP PSYC credit and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75.
Psychology Honors Track
Continuing to enhance the robust portfolio of opportunities for our undergraduate students’ engagement in research is one of our goals. Undergraduate research sharpens students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills by allowing them to design and conduct research in their major/field of study. Research involvement also provides experiential and high-impact learning for our students, which is a top priority for undergraduate education at Xavier. Currently, all psychology majors are required to take statistics and research methods courses. In addition to these foundational course requirements, the Psychology Honors Track allows select students to conduct a senior honors research study mentored by a faculty member.
Students interested in declaring this track should aim to apply by the end of the Fall Semester of their Junior Year if they meet the following eligibility requirements:
- They have a PSYC GPA of at least 3.5
- They have at least a B in all the statistics and research methods courses (PSYC 210, 212, 221/223, & 222/224)
- A full-time faculty member from the School of Psychology has agreed to chair their senior honors thesis
Students interested in applying to graduate school are strongly encouraged to pursue the Psychology Honors Track. More information about this track and the senior thesis is provided in the Psychology Honors Track Guide.
Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology Specialization
Students interested in seeking employment in the general business field and/or pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in I-O Psychology are strongly encouraged to declare the I-O Psychology Specialization.
Required Courses (12 credit hours):
- MGMT 200 (3 cr): Organizational Management
- PSYC 321 (3 cr): Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- PSYC 379 (3 cr): Tests & Measures in Psychology
- PSYC 400+ Elective Relevant to I-O (3 cr)
Strongly Recommended (3 credit hours)—choose 1 of the following:
- SHRM 300 (3 cr) – Human Resource Management
- MGMT 360 (3 cr) – Staffing
- MGMT 370 (3 cr) – Training and Development
- MGMT 314 (3 cr) – Leadership
Students interested in adding the PSYC Major to their degree plan should contact:
Dr. Dalia Diab, Associate Director