Fundamental psychological areas of study include: biological, clinical, cognitive,
developmental, and social approaches to the field of psychology. Throughout, students
will become familiar with the major theoretical approaches, findings, and historical
trends in psychology; understand and use major research methods in psychology, including
design, data analysis, and interpretation; and gain an understanding of applications
of psychology to personal, social, and organizational issues.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY
The degree requires completion of 120 units as follows: 36 units of general education,
39 units for the major, and 45 units ofelective courses, including courses taken to
earn minors. (See Declaring Minors for more information.) Each course listed carries
three semester units of credit, unlessotherwise noted. A cumulative grade-point average
of 2.00 “C” or higher is required in all courses taken at Golden GateUniversity.
All degree-seeking undergraduate students must complete their English, mathematics
and critical thinking requirements withintheir first 27 units at Golden Gate University,
unless they have already earned credit for the equivalent courses from another in-stitution
and have had those courses accepted in transfer by Golden Gate University. If either
Math or English requirements forthe degree have not been satisfied, newly enrolled
students must take placement tests to ensure proper placement in the appro-priate
Math or English course. Students may also choose to waive the placement tests and
enroll in the first course in either se-ries, which are
ENGL 10A and MATH 10. (See the course descriptions below to identify courses that
have prerequisite courserequirements.)
TOTAL UNITS — 120
GENERAL EDUCATION - 36 UNITS
Lifelong Learning and Self Development - 3 units
- UGP 10
- Gateway to Success (to be taken in first term of program)
Communication and Critical Thinking - 9 units
- CRTH 10
- Critical Thinking
- ENGL 60
- Research Writing
And one of the following:
- COMM 35
- Speech Communication
- COMM 40
- Understanding Communication
Quantitative Reasoning - 3 units
One of the following:
- MATH 20
- Applied Intermediate Algebra
- MATH 50
- From Numbers to Decisions
LIBERAL STUDIES — 21 UNITS
- ARTS 50
- Contemporary Arts and Culture (or any other ARTS course offered)
- HIST 50
- Contemporary American Economic History (or any other HIST course offered)
- HUM 50
- Examining the Humanities (or any other HUM course offered)
- LIT 10
- Foundations of Literary Study (or any other LIT course offered)
- PHIL 50
- Professional and Personal Ethics (or any other PHIL course offered)
- SCI 50
- Science, Technology and Social Change (or any other SCI course offered)
- SOSC 50
- American Government in the 21st Century (or any other SOSC course offered)
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS - 39 Units
FOUNDATION COURSES — 6 UNITS
- ENGL 120
- Business Writing
- MATH 40
- Statistics
PSYCHOLOGY COURSES — 27 UNITS
- PSYCH 10
- Introduction to Psychology
- PSYCH 102
- Lifespan Development: Theories & Applications
- PSYCH 108
- Research Design & Experimental Methods
- PSYCH 115
- Introduction to Biopsychology
- PSYCH 120
- Principles & Methods of Counseling
- PSYCH 121
- Abnormal Psychology
- PSYCH 125
- Psychology of Death, Dying, & Bereavement
- PSYCH 143
- Psychology of Leadership
- PSYCH 190
- Strands of a System: Psychology Capstone
PSYCHOLOGY ELECTIVE COURSES — 6 UNITS
Two of the following
- LIT 100
- Business, Psychology, & Modern Literature (If not used to fulfill Liberal Studies Core Requirement.)
- MGT 141
- Organizational Leadership
- OLHS 110
- Emotional & Social Intelligence at Work
- OLHS 111
- Engagement, Thriving, & Well-Being in Organizations
- OLHS 115
- Diversity & Inclusion in Organizations
- PSYCH 113
- Psychology and Technology
- PSYCH 198A-ZZ
- Special Topics In Psychology
ELECTIVE COURSES — 45 UNITS
Select fifteen additional 3-unit upper or lower-division courses from any subject
for a total of 45
units. Note: courses used to complete minors also count toward this requirement.
Pathway Program
This program can serve as a pathway to GGU’s graduate psychology programs. Applicants
to these programs who have previously earned bachelor’s degrees from GGU may receive
a waiver for certain required graduate-level courses with comparable undergraduate-level
coursework completed at GGU and used to satisfy the requirements of their GGU bachelor’s
degree program. See the following program descriptions for more information: MA in
Counseling Psychology, MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Conflict Resolution
Graduate Certificate, Counseling Skills Graduate Certificate, Industrial-Organizational
Psychology Graduate Certificate.
Declaring Minors
To be eligible to declare minors, students must have already completed the required
coursework, or be able to complete it intheir final terms without requiring waivers,
substitutions, or directed study courses, unless they are approved in advance by thedepartment
chair, program director, or dean.
Students may declare minors when they have completed the required coursework, or after
the “Last Day to Drop Course with-out Tuition Charge” (per the
Academic Calendar) for their final terms.
Students may not declare the same minor as their major (i.e., students majoring in
accounting may not also declare minors inaccounting.) Students may declare up to two
minors in a given degree program. Students seeking to declare more than twominors
will be required to appeal to the dean for approval. Students’ diplomas will list
the minors that they had successfullycompleted at the time their degrees were conferred.
Students may not declare additional minors after their degrees have been conferred.
Students may select from the following minors:
- Accounting Minor
- Business Minor
- Data Analytics Minor
- Finance Minor
- Human Resource Management Minor
- Information Technology Minor
- International Business Minor
- Law Minor
- Literature Minor
- Management Minor
- Marketing Minor
- Operations and Supply Chain Management Minor
- Organizational Leadership and Human Skills Development Minor
- Psychology Minor
- Public Administration Minor
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who complete the BA in Psychology, including the general education curriculum,
will be able to:
Knowledge Base in Psychology
- Describe apply concepts, principles and overarching themes in psychology.
- Develop a working knowledge of the major theoretical approaches, findings, historical
trends and content domains in psychology.
- Apply psychological principles to explain and evaluate personal, social, and organizational
issues.
- Develop innovative approaches and solutions to an existing or emerging challenge in
psychology that also draw on disciplinary perspectives in ethics, other humanities
and/or social sciences.
Critical Thinking, Scientific Inquiry, Information Literacy, and Quantitive Fluency
- Apply scientific reasoning to interpret and explain phenomena.
- Locate, evaluate and apply information, using a variety of research tools and methods
from the field of psychology.
- Address complex problems in psychology using innovative and integrative strategies
and insights leading to actionable solutions.
- Demonstrate abilities to interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research,
including qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Identify and evaluate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry.
- Analyze, interpret and explain quantitative data about topics and issues in psychology,
including complex statistical findings in graphs, studies and reports.
- Analyze and interpret quantitative data about a topic in psychology and apply results
in business/organizational or interpersonal settings, habits, and/or practices.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
- Apply ethically acceptable standards to evaluate psychological science and practice.
- Apply ethically sound principles and values to ameliorate and/or mitigate real-world
personal and/or professional challenges and to build and enhance personal relationships.
- Identify and express common values that build community at local, national, and global
levels.
- Explain how psychology can elaborate and deepen the understanding of cultural diversity,
and human biology, and lifespan development.
Communication
- Construct written communications that clearly articulate ideas and arguments appropriate
to various audiences.
- Demonstrate interpersonal communication and project management skills, either through
persuasive speech, and/or in providing clear oral directions, instructions, and/or
guidelines, that address a problem in psychology.
- Demonstrate effective presentation skills for various purposes.
Professional Development and Lifelong Learning
- Demonstrate the self-awareness and habits required to identify, integrate, and apply
new information and skills that increase personal and professional effectiveness,
including applying psychological insights and skills to career goals, exhibiting self-efficacy
and self-regulation, and developing meaningful professional direction for life after
graduation.
- Apply psychological principles to career goals.
