Psychology

BACHELOR OF ARTS

On this page: Major Description | Learning Objectives | Degree Planning

Do courses like Abnormal Psychology and Intergroup Relations sound exciting to you?
Do you want to explore a career in mental health counseling or community development?

two students walking past each other in front of books

The Psychology major at the University of Washington Bothell offers students the opportunity to study social problems and improve the well-being of people in their communities. While the field draws heavily from psychology, it also draws from texts and research in sociology, community development, ecology, public health, anthropology, cultural and performance studies, public policy, social work, and social justice movements. Through community based research, community psychologists produce knowledge that can inform social policies, social service work, helping practices, and community change.

PURPOSE

Psychology students are passionate about understanding the well-being of individuals and communities. Students interested in examining social problems will thrive within the Psychology major.

PRACTICE

Courses in the Psychology major focus on theory and practice in psychology. Students also learn research methods in various fields including sociology, public health, anthropology, cultural studies, and social justice.

PROFESSION

Graduates have pursued careers in human services, community development, mental health, family and youth programs, counseling, program evaluation, community arts, and public relations.

Learning objectives

The major curriculum advances the five core IAS learning objectives. Additionally, students taking courses and/or majoring in Psychology:

  1. Develop an understanding of human development and well-being within an ecological framework.
  2. Draw upon the strengths and perspectives of diverse stakeholders in defining and solving social problems.
  3. Utilize interdisciplinary methods and approaches to community action and research.
  4. Understand, evaluate and participate in the development of effective intervention, prevention, and health promotion strategies and programs for individuals, small groups, and communities.
  5. Integrate knowledge across disciplines and contexts in ways that respect different approaches to understanding human development and well-being.
  6. Work collaboratively across diverse groups and organizations through Community-Based experience and internships.

Contacts

Please contact the Psychology Faculty Coordinator if you have any questions, concerns or ideas about the Psychology major.

Plan your degree

If you would like to explore the major, consider taking one of the below courses. Any of these selections will help familiarize you with the academic program and prepare you for advanced coursework in the major.

  • BIS 170 Introduction to Psychology
  • BIS 215 Understanding Statistics
  • BIS 220 Developmental Psychology
  • BIS 222 Introduction to Human Sexuality
  • BIS 225 Social Psychology
  • BIS 270 Abnormal Psychology

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Students must complete the following prerequisites, with a minimum 2.0 grade, to declare the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology major.

  • BIS 170 Introduction to Psychology (or PSYCH 101 equivalent)
  • BIS 215 Understanding Statistics (or B MATH 215, B BUS 215, STAT 220, STAT 290, or equivalent)
  • B WRIT 133, B WRIT 134, or ENGL 131
  • B WRIT 135 or ENGL 141
Ready to apply?

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Degree Requirements

Total = 70 Credits
*IAS will maintain the list of courses

School of IAS Requirements & Policies

  • Residency Requirement: 30 credits must be completed in residency at UW Bothell
  • Cumulative GPA Requirement: Major GPA must be at a cumulative of 2.00 or higher
  • Interdisciplinary Practices & Reflection (IPR): The IPR requirement can overlap with 70 credit major coursework or it can be completed through elective credits. Please see the IPR page for course options.
  • Upper Division Credit Policy: Of the credits applying to Psychology major requirements, a minimum of 35 credits must be completed at the Upper Division (300-400) level.

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A. Psychology core courses

  • BISPSY 337 Risk and Resilience (not offered regularly)
  • BISPSY 343 Community Psychology (Autumn Quarter)
  • BISPSY 348 Cultural Psychology (Winter Quarter)
  • BISPSY 350 Intergroup Relations (Spring Quarter)

B. Research Methods courses

  • BIS 312 Approaches to Social Research Methods (min 2.0 grade)

C. 200-level Psychology courses (10 credits)

  • BIS 220 Developmental Psychology
  • BIS 222 Introduction to Human Sexuality (equivalent to PSYCH 210)
  • BIS 225 Social Psychology (overlapping with PSYCH 245)
  • BIS 270 Abnormal Psychology

See your Academic Advisor if you have transferred in one of the 200 level Psychology Courses

D. Upper Division Psychology courses (15 credits)

  • BIS 316 Topics in Psychology (can be taken maximum 3 times, different topics)
  • BIS 348 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • BIS 349 Personality Psychology
  • BIS 364 Realities & Representations of Adolescent Development
  • BIS 368 Asian American Psychology
  • BIS 369 Indigenous Psychology and Health
  • BIS 422 Clinical Psychology
  • BIS 438 Prevention and Promotion
  • BIS 449 Advanced Topics in Psychology
  • BIS 450 Decolonizing Psychology
  • BISPSY 489 Projects in Psychology
  • BISPSY 337 Risk and Resilience (If not taken as a core)
  • BISPSY 343 Community Psychology (if not taken as a core)
  • BISPSY 348 Cultural Psychology (if not taken as a core)
  • BISPSY 350 Intergroup Relations (if not taken as a core)

E. Psychology electives (15 credits)

  • BIS 115 Digital Cultures
  • BIS 140 Numbers in News Media
  • BIS 162 Race, Gender, and Sexuality through Film & TV
  • BIS 165 Introduction to Ethnic Studies
  • BIS 180 Introduction to Human Geography
  • BIS 181 Introduction to Sociology
  • BIS 193 Introduction to Philosophy
  • BIS 216 Introduction to Cultural Studies
  • BIS 219 Politics of Sex Education
  • BIS 226 Foundations of US Social Services
  • BIS 235 Critical Media Literacy
  • BIS 238 Language, Identity, Culture, and Power
  • BIS 249 Introduction to Labor Studies
  • BIS 252 Politics of Science
  • BIS 255 Critical Diversity Studies
  • BIS 256 Intro to African American Studies
  • BIS 257 Intro to Asian American Studies
  • BIS 258 Intro to Latinx Studies
  • BIS 279 Introduction to Law & Society
  • BIS 282 Introduction to Globalization
  • BIS 307 Environmental Justice
  • BIS 317 Language, Society, and Cultural Knowledge
  • BIS 336 History of Mass Incarceration in the US
  • BIS 352 Mapping Communities
  • BIS 353 Human Rights in Theory and Practice
  • BIS 365 Institutions and Social Change (formally BISSTA 304)
  • BIS 367 Ethics and Society (formally BISSTA 359)
  • BIS 380 Bioethics
  • BIS 384 Health, Medicine and Society
  • BIS 445 Meanings and Realities of Inequality
  • BIS 448 Social Policy
  • BIS 456 Climate Anxiety, Grief, and Resilience
  • BIS 483 Community Organizing
  • BISAES 305 Power, Dissent, and American Culture
  • BISAES 367 Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
  • BISGST 303 History and Globalization
  • BISGWS 301 Critical Gender & Sexuality Studies
  • BISLEP 302 Policy Analysis
  • BISSTS 231 Genes, Genomes and Heredity
  • B BIO 310 Brain & Behavior
  • B BIO 320 Behavioral Neuroscience
  • B BIO 394 Special Topics in Neuroscience
  • B BIO 480 Neurobiology

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Psychology is a dynamic major that offers students various pathways for academic and professional development. Students should take courses that provide a foundation for and a broad perspective on psychology. But the field also draws from theory and practice in sociology, community development, social ecology, public health, anthropology, cultural and performance studies, public policy, social work, and social justice movements. Students should aim to define and develop their own interdisciplinary perspectives and contextual approaches for the study of social problems and the promotion of people’s well-being. Students have freedom to define the major for their own goals and interests, but that means they also have the responsibility for making it meaningful. 

Tips for determining what courses to take and when to take them:

  1. When possible, take 200-level psychology courses before taking 300-level or 400-level psychology courses. 200-level psychology courses (e.g., BIS 270: Abnormal Psychology, BIS 220: Developmental Psychology) are basic courses meant to provide foundational knowledge that is helpful for doing well in more advanced courses (e.g., BIS 337: Risk and Resilience, BIS 422: Clinical Psychology, or other advanced topics courses). 
  1. BISPSY 343: Community Psychology should be taken before taking any other 300-level psychology course or 400-level psychology courses. This course introduces students to a community psychology perspective that is incorporated in all specialized and upper-level courses. 
  1. BIS 337: Risk and Resilience should be taken before BIS 438: Prevention and Promotion; BIS 270: Abnormal Psychology should be taken before BIS 422: Clinical Psychology. These courses are paired and meant to build upon one another. Therefore, to benefit from the instruction students should take the more basic course prior to taking the more advanced course. 
  1. When possible, take the required methods course early (BIS 312: Approaches to Social Research Methods). This course provides necessary knowledge for understanding 300- and 400-level specialized courses (e.g., BIS 337: Risk and Resilience; BIS 349: Personality Psychology; BISPSY 489: Projects in Community Psychology; BIS 490: Program Evaluation), and should ideally be taken prior to the last 3 quarters in the major. 
  1. Check BIS 316: Special Topics in Psychology and BIS 449: Advanced Topics in Psychology for additional psychology courses that are not offered on a regular basis (e.g., Brain and Behavior). 
  1. Note that not all psychology courses have the name psychology in the title. For example, the following courses do not include “psychology” in their title: BIS 337: Risk and Resilience; BIS 435: Interactive Learning Theory and Practice; BIS 438: Prevention and Promotion; BIS 449: Empathy; or, BIS 490: Community-Based Program Evaluation. Also, some courses that are not focused on psychology per se will be very valuable for Psychology majors, for instance BIS 314: Mapping Communities, or BIS 445: Meanings and Realities of Inequality. 
  1. Students have some choices about which psychology courses they take and the areas of psychology they emphasize (e.g., clinical or developmental), but we recommend that students aim for at least 4 courses in foundational psychology (these are listed in the next section). 
  1. Start thinking about what courses will be required by or desirable to graduate programs or employers, and plan your schedule accordingly. Many courses offered only once a year (e.g., developmental psychology or personality psychology) may be required for admission to particular graduate programs. Some 400-level courses will provide students the chance to do significant integrative projects that will make grad school applications competitive (e.g., BISCP 489, BIS 438, or BIS 490). These kinds of courses also provide the kinds of interactions with faculty that ground effective letters of recommendation. 

Foundational courses in psychology:

Although psychology will be applied/applicable in a wide variety of IAS courses, and a wide variety of IAS courses will be applicable to psychology and psychologists, we offer a solid range of courses that specifically introduce, develop, and apply psychological theory and research.  

We strongly recommend that students in the Psychology major take at least 4 of the following courses (in addition to BISPSY 343: Community Psychology), and probably more if they plan on graduate study in some area of psychology. Again, it works best if they are taken sequentially (200-level before 300-level before 400-level). 

  • BCUSP 170: Introductory Psychology (taken prior to entering the major) 
  • BIS 220: Developmental Psychology 
  • BIS 225: Applied Social Psychology 
  • BIS 270: Abnormal Psychology 
  • BIS 337: Risk & Resilience 
  • BIS 348: Cultural Psychology 
  • BIS 349: Personality Psychology 
  • BIS 422: Clinical Psychology (take after BIS 270) 
  • BIS 434: Psychology and the Visual Arts 
  • BIS 435: Interactive Learning 
  • BIS 437: Narrative Psychology 
  • BIS 438: Prevention & Promotion (take after BIS 337) 
  • BISCP 489: Projects in Community Psychology 

Also, some courses offered under BIS 316 (special topics), BIS 449 (advanced topics), or BIS 490 (senior seminar), particularly BIS 490: Empathy and BIS 490: Program Evaluation. 

Examples of coursework pathways emphasizing particular areas within psychology:

Listed below are three possible coursework pathways within the major that, along with other elective courses related to particular problems, communities, or settings, would help students acquire and articulate a clear skill set and knowledge base for different career interests. These are not meant to be the only pathway options, and some pathways may combine various interests. For example, students interested in early intervention for youth might want to combine and tailor the first and second, or the second and third pathways. 

Mental Health/Human Services Path

  • BIS 220: Developmental Psychology 
  • BIS 270: Abnormal Psychology 
  • BIS 333: Individual and Society (Udell) 
  • BIS 349: Personality Psychology 
  • BIS 359: Ethics in Society 
  • BIS 422: Clinical Psychology 
  • BIS 437: Narrative Psychology 
  • BIS 449: Advanced Topics in Psychology: Empathy 

Prevention and Health Promotion Path

  • BIS 220: Developmental Psychology 
  • BIS 225: Applied Social Psychology 
  • BIS 270: Abnormal Psychology 
  • BIS 314: Topics in Geography: Mapping Communities 
  • BIS 337: Risk and Resilience 
  • BIS 348: Cultural Psychology 
  • BIS 435: Interactive Learning: Theory and Practice 
  • BIS 438: Prevention and Promotion 
  • BIS 445: Meanings and Reality of Inequality 
  • BISPSY 489: Projects in Community Psychology 

Community Organizing/Community Development Path

  • BIS 304: Institutions and Social Change 
  • BIS 314: Topics in Geography: Mapping Communities 
  • BIS 318: Performance, Identity, Community, & Everyday Life 
  • BIS 337: Risk and Resilience 
  • BIS 348: Cultural Psychology 
  • BIS 435: Interactive Learning: Theory and Practice 
  • BIS 438: Prevention and Promotion 
  • BIS 445: Meanings and Reality of Inequality 
  • BISPSY 489: Projects in Community Psychology 

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Plan your career

Take advantage of the free resources offered by UW Bothell’s Career Services team.  From mock interviews to internships and events, Career Services has everything you need to plan for your future! 

  • Did you know? UW Alumni can access Career Services for three years after graduation (and Veterans have lifetime access)!  

The University of Washington offers numerous free resources to help IAS students prepare for a career after college. Featured career planning tools are listed on the IAS Student Resources page. 

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Undergraduate degrees offered in the School of IAS prepare students for a wide variety of graduate programs.  If you think you might be interested in earning a master’s or doctoral degree, start planning now! 

Tips for exploring graduate school 

Make an appointment for graduate school coaching

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