BA Psychology

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Program Overview

The Chicago School’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program is a 120 credit hour program consisting of a 44 credit hour General Education foundation, optional minors in health science, addiction studies, and applied behavior analysis, a variety of electives that are pre-requisites for The Chicago School graduate programs, and a 45 credit hour psychology major. Taught by practitioner faculty, the goal of this program is to provide strong preparation in the development of skills related to an understanding of human behavior in order to work within a variety of professional roles and professional settings, as well as to prepare students for graduate study in psychology, counseling, or health sciences.

Program Philosophy

The BA Psychology program is designed to provide students a basic foundation in psychology and research while deepening their ability to apply knowledge regarding principles of psychology to various settings. Students will be able to apply learned theories, concepts, and best practices absorbed from the various minors within the program including Health Science, Addiction Studies, and Applied Behavior Analysis. The  program is designed to accommodate those who seek to complete their degree while effectively maintaining both their professional and personal commitments. This program provides a gateway to graduate programs in the field of psychology thereby further enhancing the student’s psychological knowledge.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the psychology major coursework, students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Participate in their diverse communities through their knowledge of individual and group behaviors as well as their civic understanding.
• Apply psychological principles to individual, social and organizational issues.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal communication skills that include effective speaking and listening skills.
• Interact and collaborate with others effectively.

Diversity

• Recognize, understand and respect sociocultural, international and cognitive diversity, especially in regard to its impact on psychology

Professional Behavior

• Analyze personal issues and questions by applying psychological and ethical principles.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues that frame the practice of psychology.

Scholarship

• Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories, empirical findings, and historical and current trends within the field of psychology.
• Read analytically, write clearly, using the APA Style Manual, and speak articulately about the study of psychology.
• Critically and creatively evaluate psychological concepts and research.
• Acquire information through library research with the use of computer search engines and information databases.
• Design research projects using quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods.

Licensure

For information on where The Chicago School meets, does not meet, or has not determined if the program meets licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit: https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/admissions/licensure-disclosures/.

Admission Requirements

*The Chicago School is not currently enrolling new students in this program at the Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Diego Campuses.

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

Admission to the BA Psychology program is open to any person who meets entrance requirements as outlined below. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to successfully complete an undergraduate degree program. Generally, a high school cumulative GPA of a 2.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. However, applicants with a cumulative high school GPA below 2.3 or applicants seeking admission with a GED will be considered for admission with the submission of additional required documents. It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all undergraduate schools where credit was received (and no degree was earned) to support their application and request for transfer credit.  (See Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy). The Chicago School does not accept transfer credit for BA300 Foundations of Psychology, BA340 Research Methods, BA380 Statistics, and BA400 Capstone.

Factors and materials to be considered for admission will include:

• Completed application and $50 application fee
• Applicants must provide proof of the qualifying conferral - high school graduation (or the equivalent) or proof of an earned Associate degree. Information about acceptable proof of qualifying conferral can be found here.  

Applicants with a cumulative high-school or undergraduate GPA below 2.3 and applicants seeking admission with high school equivalency documentation that does not show a GPA (such as GED, home school, or testing) are required to submit additional documentation.

• Curriculum Vitae/ Resume
• One Letter of recommendation (optional)
• Essay of intent
• Please compose a written essay to answer the questions below. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, and three pages (approximately 500-750 words) while clearly addressing the program for which you are applying.
• Psychology is a vast discipline with many career options:
  • Why are you interested in this particular program to earn your undergraduate degree in psychology?  Cite specific experiences and examples.
  • What are your professional career goals as they relate to this degree?  Why do you believe this program will assist you in reaching these goals?
  • Why is it important to you to study this discipline at a school that emphasizes cultural awareness, competence, and understanding of diversity (see our Commitment to Diversity Statement)?
  • If you are a first generation undergraduate degree student, please integrate this into your essay.
• SAT/ACT scores are not required for admission, however applicants who have taken the SAT/ACT may submit their scores to enhance their application.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $100 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School has established agreements between the BA Psychology program and the programs listed below to allow qualified students to enroll in master’s level courses while completing their bachelor’s degree that will then count toward the master’s degree. Click on the link of the program that interests you for details.

• Early Acceptance into EdS School Psychology    
• Early Acceptance into Master of Public Health  
• Early Acceptance into MA Applied Behavior Analysis   
• Early Acceptance into MA Behavioral Economics    
• Early Acceptance into MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling         
• Early Acceptance into MA Counseling Psychology           
• Early Acceptance into MA Forensic Psychology (Licensure Track)         
• Early Acceptance into MA Forensic Psychology (Non-Licensure Track)  
• Early Acceptance into MA Industrial and Organizational Psychology    
• Early Acceptance into MA International Psychology         
• Early Acceptance into MA Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy           
• Early Acceptance into MA Organizational Leadership          
• Early Acceptance into MA Psychology          
• Early Acceptance into MS Applied Behavior Analysis    

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. 

Pathways to Success

Students must enroll in and successfully pass BA305 Pathways to Success in their first term in the BA program. Students who do not pass the seminar will be re-enrolled every term until they earn a Satisfactory grade (pass).

Psychology Major Capstone

The BA 400 Capstone Course  is designed to allow students the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from their undergraduate courses into a comprehensive presentation. The Capstone Course is an independent study project that consists of a formal research project, intended to demonstrate skill in research and critical thinking. The project is composed of a detailed research question and a literature review component. Students are encouraged to design projects that prepare them to achieve their next goal, whether academic or professional. While no actual data is generated or data analyzed, the project is intended to incorporate and expand upon the depth of knowledge gained from previous years of study, and the student’s personal educational and professional interest.

Ethical Guidelines

Students are expected to learn and to follow the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association, APA’s current Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct for Psychologists during and after their work at The Chicago School, as well as the professional norms, standards, and guidelines relevant to the profession. A class in ethics is required, and student adherence to ethical codes is evaluated both formally and informally.