Social Psychology Major (BA)

Psychology Department | College of Liberal Arts

Program Declaration

At time of admission to the University or by completion of a Major, Minor, Concentration Declaration Form or Inter-College Transfer Form .

Degree Requirements

If this is the student’s only or primary major, the degree requirements below must be completed for graduation. See graduation requirements for more information.

University Requirements

College of Liberal Arts Requirements for Bachelor of Arts

Major Requirements

Complete at least 39 credits from thirteen courses including seven foundational courses, six electives, and a senior capstone.

Pass/fail: No more than one course taken pass/fail may be applied toward the major.
Residency: At least nine courses for the major must be completed at UMass Boston.
Course limitations: Only one of the following courses may be counted toward the major: PSYCH 430, PSYCH 479, PSYCH 496/497, SOCIOL 460, SOCIOL 478/479.
Course reuse: Students with a double major in criminal justice may only apply SOCIOL 101 and SOCIOL/CRMJUS 351L toward the second major.

Course Requirements

Foundational Courses (21 to 22 Credits)

Take seven courses from the list below.

PSYCH 100 - Introductory Psychology 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 101 - Introductory Psychology 4 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 101 - Introduction to Sociology 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 230 - Social Psychology 3 Credit(s)
or
SOCIOL 281 - Society and the Individual 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 341 - Elements of Sociological Theory 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 201 - Introduction to Behavioral Research 3 Credit(s)
or
SOCIOL 351 - Methods of Sociological Research 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 370 - Statistics 3 Credit(s)
or
SOCIOL 350 - Elements of Social Statistics 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 250 - Learning and Memory 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 255 - Perception 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 360 - Behavioral Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)

Concentration Electives (18 Credits)

Take three psychology and three sociology electives from one of the two concentrations areas below.

PSYCH 496/497 or SOCIOL 478/479 may be counted as one course toward the major with permission of the faculty advisor to the Social Psychology major only, and only when it can be demonstrated that the research question pursued concerns a topic relevant to the theme of the student’s chosen concentration.

PSYCH 250 or PSYCH 255 may be counted as one of the required foundational courses OR as an elective in the individual in social context concentration. The same course cannot be counted in both areas.

Only one intermediate Psychology course (PSYCH 215, 241, 242, 250, 255) will be counted towards the electives in the individual in social context concentration.

Systems and Social Influence Concentration

PSYCH 234 - Psychology of Cross-cultural Relations 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 333 - Group Dynamics 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 335 - Social Attitudes and Public Opinion 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 338 - Community Psychology 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 339 - Psychology Of Law 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 403 - Gender, Culture, and Health 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 200 - Race and Ethnic Relations 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 201 - Youth & Society 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 232 - The Sociology of Work 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 242 - The Family 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 268 - Religion in Contemp Society 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 300 - The Sociology of Media and Mass Communication 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 375L - Indian Cinema 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 382 - The Sociology of Gender 3 Credit(s)

Individual in Social Context Concentration

PSYCH 215 - Abnormal Psychology 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 241 - Infancy and Childhood Development 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 242 - Adolescence 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 250 - Learning and Memory 3 Credit(s)
or
PSYCH 255 - Perception 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 333 - Group Dynamics 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 337 - Communication and Society 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 415 - Psychological Trauma: Individual and Society 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 430 - Internship in Psychology 6 Credit(s)
PSYCH 441 - The Family and the Child: A Psychological View 3 Credit(s)
PSYCH 477 - Experimental Methods: Social 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 310 - Socialization 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 316 - Family Violence 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 346 - The Self in Society: Studies of Autobiographies 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 362 - Juvenile Delinquency 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 368 - Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 384 - Sociology of Health, Illness, and Health Care 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 386 - The Sociology of Mental Health and Illness 3 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 460 - Internship: Sociology in the City 6 Credit(s)

Senior Capstone

Any 400-level psychology course from the concentration electives can count as the senior capstone. Students may also fulfill this requirement by taking one of the sociology courses below.

A minimum grade of C- is required for a course to count as a capstone

SOCIOL 460 - Internship: Sociology in the City 6 Credit(s)
SOCIOL 470 - Senior Seminar 3 Credit(s)