Bachelor of Science in Psychology (School Psychology Accelerated Track)
Website: https://twu.edu/psychology-philosophy/undergraduate-programs/
The B.S. in Psychology (School Psychology Accelerated Track) is intended for students who enter TWU with less than 24 hours. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA to remain on this accelerated track. All students seeking admission should apply to the TWU Specialist in School Psychology Program in their Junior year through the department. If admitted at the departmental level, students must also apply through the Graduate School in the Spring of their Senior year. Please see the Graduate Catalog for information. If accelerated track GPA requirements are not met or if not accepted into the graduate program, students will be moved to the graduate preparation track.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Identify and utilize a variety of sources of information to solve problems; be able to apply different methods to collect and analyze data; apply analytical skills to summarize and draw findings from data.
- Present ideas in a clear, organized fashion both in writing and oral communication. Develop coherent written and oral arguments.
- Professional development skills, including project management and the ability to work in a team; ability to work collaboratively on complex projects; divide complex tasks down and monitor progress to completion; problem solve effectively with group members when obstacles are encountered.
Admissions
All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.
The Application deadline for each semester is 5:00 p.m. the last day of finals as published on the Registrar’s Calendar. Applications will be processed within three weeks of this deadline. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline and failure to meet this condition will require the applicant to wait until the next semester’s processing-cycle for consideration. Please ensure your application has been submitted successfully by checking your TWU email for a confirmation of submission. If you have not received a confirmation email, please resubmit your application.
Additional admission requirements for the undergraduate psychology program are as follows:
- completion of 45 semester credit hours,
- completion of PSY 1013, PSY 1603, and PSY 2513 with a grade of C or higher; and PSY 2013 with a grade of B or higher,
- consistent adherence to the Psychology Program Code of Professional Conduct policy and,
- completion of the Psychology Major Application.
Students will initially enter as pre-psychology majors. Acceptance into the Psychology program is contingent upon meeting departmental requirements. Many psychology courses require that students be a Psychology major prior to enrollment. Therefore, it is important that students complete the departmental admissions process as soon as admission requirements are met. Continued enrollment in the program is contingent upon completion of psychology and philosophy coursework with a C or higher and continued adherence to the Psychology Program Code of Professional Conduct policy.
Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA for the accelerated tracks and should enter TWU as FTIC. . All students seeking admission should apply to the TWU Specialist in School Psychology Program in their Junior year through the department. Please see the Psychology and Philosophy Graduate Programs website for information about applying to the Specialist in School Psychology. If accelerated track GPA requirements are not met or if not accepted into the graduate program, students will be moved to the graduate preparation track.
Accelerated Graduate Program Policy Guidelines
Students may apply to the accelerated graduate degree program once they have attained advanced junior standing with at least 72 undergraduate semester credit hours (SCH). Upon admission to an accelerated program, students with senior standing (90 earned SCH) may enroll in graduate courses for credit. Approved courses will apply to both an undergraduate and a graduate degree.
Conditions
- Undergraduate students may enroll in no more than 6 SCH of graduate coursework in each semester or term.
- Minimal criteria for admission will include a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. The program may set higher GPA requirements as outlined on their TWU graduate program website at the time of graduate application.
- Once admitted to an accelerated program, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the remainder of their baccalaureate degree, or their admission to the accelerated graduate program may be revoked. Academic components may set additional requirements for their programs.
Graduate Application Process
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
This academic program may have additional graduate admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the graduate program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 120-122
Major: 41 SCH
Program Code: PSYCH.BS.SCHOOLPSY CIP Code: 42.0101.00
Texas Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Life & Physical Sciences | 6 | |
| Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
| Creative Arts | 3 | |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | 3 |
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| CAO: Women's Studies | 3 | |
| CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics | 3 | |
| Total SCHs | 42 | |
Courses Required for Major
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 2013 | Professional Development in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 2023 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 2133 | Physiological Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 2303 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 2513 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 3354 | Experimental Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 3061 | Research Team III (Psychology Elective) | 1 |
| PSY 3071 | Research Team IV (Psychology Elective) | 1 |
| PSY 3943 | Psychological Tests and Measurements | 3 |
| PSY 4071 | Research Team VI (Psychology Elective) | 1 |
| PSY 4103 & PSY 4101 | Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY 4183 | Global Perspectives in Psychology | 3 |
| Advanced PSY Elective (3000 or above) | 6 | |
| Total SCHs | 41 | |
Departmental Requirements
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 1013 | Introduction to General Psychology (may be applied from core) | 3 |
| PHIL 2033 | Logic and Critical Thinking (may be applied from core) | 3 |
| PSY 3733 | Psychology of Women (may be applied from core) | 3 |
| or WS 3733 | Psychology of Women | |
| Labs for core Life/Physical Sciences (if co-requisite of core science course) | 2 | |
| Natural Science (Choose one of the following) | 3-4 | |
| Human Biology | ||
| Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | ||
| General Life Science II | ||
| Introductory Chemistry and Introductory Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| General Life Science I | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | ||
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Ethics | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Ethics and Feminism | ||
| Electives as needed | ||
| Total SCHs | 17-18 | |
Graduate Coursework
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Courses (see advisor upon admission to TWU Specialist in School Psychology Program) | 21 | |
| Total SCHs | 21 | |
Recommended Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
| PSY 1013 | Introduction to General Psychology | PSYC 2301 | 3 |
| ENG 1013 | Composition I | ENGL 1301 | 3 |
| HIST 1013 | History of the United States, 1492-1865 | HIST 1301 | 3 |
| PSY 1082 | Psychology of Adjustment | PSYC 2315 | 2 |
| UNIV 1231 | Learning Frameworks: The First Year Experience | EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300 | 1 |
| Math Core (MATH 1703 recommended) | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| PSY 1603 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 2314 | 3 |
| HIST 1023 | History of the United States, 1865 to the Present | HIST 1302 | 3 |
| PSY 2013 | Professional Development in Psychology | 3 | |
| ENG 1023 | Composition II | ENGL 1302 | 3 |
| PSY 2303 | Applied Statistics | PSYC 2317 | 3 |
| SCHs | 15 | ||
| Summer | TCCN | ||
| PSY 2513 | Abnormal Psychology | PSYC 2320 | 3 |
| PSY 2023 | Social Psychology | PSYC 2319 | 3 |
| *There is flexibility in what classes in which classes are taken in spring vs summer in Year 1. | |||
| SCHs | 6 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| POLS 2013 | U.S. National Government | GOVT 2305 | 3 |
| PSY 2133 | Physiological Psychology | PSYC 2330 | 3 |
| PSY 3354 | Experimental Psychology | 4 | |
| PSY 3061 | Research Team III | 1 | |
| Creative Arts Core | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 14 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||
| POLS 2023 | Texas Government | GOVT 2306 | 3 |
| Life/Physical Science Core | 3-4 | ||
| PSY 3071 | Research Team IV | 1 | |
| PSY 3943 | Psychological Tests and Measurements | 3 | |
| SCHs | 13-14 | ||
| Summer | TCCN | ||
| Life/Physical Science Core | 3-4 | ||
| PHIL 2033 | Logic and Critical Thinking | PHIL 2303 | 3 |
| SCHs | 6-7 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| Natural Science w/Lab for Major (see advisor) | 3 | ||
| PSY 4183 | Global Perspectives in Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 4071 | Research Team VI | 1 | |
| PSY 3733 | Psychology of Women | 3 | |
| Advanced PSY Elective | 3 | ||
| SCHs | 13 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| Advanced PSY Elective | 3 | ||
| PSY 4103 & PSY 4101 | Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| PHIL 3053, 3073 ,or 3083 | Ethics or Bioethics or Ethics and Feminism | 3 | |
| SCHs | 13 | ||
| Summer | TCCN | ||
| Elective | 4 | ||
| SCHs | 4 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| Graduate Coursework (see advisor upon admission to TWU Specialist in School Psychology Program) | 11 | ||
| SCHs | 11 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| Graduate Coursework (see advisor upon admission to TWU Specialist in School Psychology Program) | 10 | ||
| SCHs | 10 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 120-122 | ||
