Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
Nancy Rader, Associate Professor and Chair
Through a variety of activities students learn to approach the study of behavior scientifically and develop an understanding of how and why psychologists do research and how that research contributes to our understanding of human and animal behavior.
In the research-team program, groups of students and a faculty member conduct programmatic research in such areas as environmental psychology, media effects, adolescence and aging, neurophysiology, cognitive development, and motivation. The interaction of students and faculty in actual research helps shape the student's perception of psychology as a social-intellectual activity, rather than as a body of static knowledge to be passively assimilated.
The department offers a number of general psychology courses from which students majoring in other disciplines may select those most appropriate to their individual interests.
Ordinarily, in the Department of Psychology a student may take no more than 12 credits of any combination of research team, independent study or independent research, internship, or honors work with the same faculty member.
Students have the opportunity to seek graduation with departmental honors in psychology. To be eligible, a student must be a psychology major or minor in the junior year with a 3.00 average in psychology and an overall GPA of 3.00. In exceptional cases, a student with a GPA as low as 2.70 may be considered if performance in psychology courses is outstanding. In any case, grades in psychology courses must not be lower than C.
Honors projects may be lab or field studies or based on library research. A student seeking departmental honors needs a faculty sponsor from the psychology department. Other advisers may be needed depending on the nature of the project. The project must fall clearly within the field of psychology.
Once the student and sponsor have identified a topic, it must be proposed to the faculty, both orally and in writing (APA format). When the proposal is approved, work on the project should begin. While such projects are under way, meetings of all honors students are scheduled to confirm that progress is being made toward completion. The finished project must be presented to the faculty, both orally and in writing, and the faculty must vote to approve it for honors.
Ordinarily, a student may take no more than 6 credits of honors work in psychology.
Students may receive equivalent credit for 330-10300 if they score 4 or 5 on the AP examination in Psychology. AP credit cannot be used to satisfy requirements in the major.
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Psychology, including 330-12100; the proseminars 330-20100 and 330-20200 (330-20100 can be replaced by 330-10400, 330-20400, or a relevant life span development course approved by the department, if taken before declaring the major); the methodology sequence 330-20700, 330-30800, and 330-30900; and 330-31100, 330-31600, 330-33000, and either 330-32100 or 330-40700; one of the laboratory courses 330-31200, 330-31700, or 330-33100; three consecutive semesters of research team participation 330-30200, 330-30300, and 330-30400; and the senior seminar, 330-49200 |
42 |
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Total |
78 |
Total, B.A. in psychology |
120 |
This program is designed for psychology students with interests in applying psychology in organizational settings.
Psychology
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Including 330-12100; one proseminar, 330-20100 or 330-20200; methodology sequence, 330-20700, 330-30800, and 330-30900; and 330-31100, 330-31600, 330-33000, 330-33400 or 330-33500, 330-32100 or 330-40700; one laboratory course, 330-31200, 330-31700, or 330-33100; and senior seminar, 330-49200 |
36 |
Mathematics
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313-10500, or equivalent approved by the department |
3 |
Computer science
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312-11000 (qualified students are encouraged to take 312-17100 and 312-18500 instead of 312-11000) |
3 |
Economics
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306-12100 and 306-12200 |
6 |
Business
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880-22500, 882-22000, 887-20300, and 883-20300 or 884-31200 |
12 |
Communications
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225-10100, 225-10800, 225-21000 |
9 |
Six credits at level 2 or above in one of the following areas
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applied psychology, economics, human resource management, finance and investment, and corporate communications, as approved by the psychology department. Other areas will be considered following application to the department |
6 |
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Total |
45 |
Total, B.S. in applied psychology |
120 |
Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses psychology, biology, and other areas of brain research. The concentration builds on introductory courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology.
330-31100 |
Behavioral Neuroscience |
3 |
330-31200 |
Behavioral Neuroscience Lab |
1 |
330-30100 |
Methods in Neuroscience |
2 |
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Specialty area courses from among 303-20300, 303-20600, 303-21100, 303-32700, 303-34500, 303-45400 in biochemistry 302-21100, 302-35300, 302-35400 |
3 or 6 |
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Research in biology or psychology (from 330-30300, 330-30400, or 303-30200) |
3 or 6 |
Total, neuroscience concentration |
15 |
Either the specialty area or research courses must be taken for 6 credits.
This joint program with an optometry college (see p. 171) enables psychology majors to enter the optometry program after three years of undergraduate study. All graduation requirements of Ithaca College and the psychology department must be fulfilled during the first 90 credits of this program. After acceptance to the optometry program and upon successful completion of the first-year of optometry college, the bachelor's degree in psychology is awarded by Ithaca College. This program must be carefully planned with the student's adviser.
Students minoring in psychology take six semester courses in psychology, completing at least 19 credits. One of these courses must be 330-12100 General Experimental Psychology. Ordinarily 330-12100 is taken as the first course. At least two of the courses must be at the upper level (level 3 or level 4) and no more than two may be at level 1.
Students develop their minor programs in consultation with a designated minor adviser in the Department of Psychology.
The department will accept courses that are required by a student's major in fulfillment of requirements in the minor.
The Web version of the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog 2001-2002 is produced by the Ithaca College publications office. Send all comments, corrections, questions to