Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Our students become well-rounded critical thinkers who understand human cognition, emotion, behavior, social interactions and mind-brain relationships, and who find rewarding work in health and medicine, community service, law enforcement, government, education and labor relations.

Psychologists explore why humans and other living things behave as they do. Our psychology major helps students understand human cognition, emotion, behavior, social interactions and mind-brain relationships. Our students have the opportunity to explore specialized topics in psychology, such as behavioral genetics, clinical psychology, child development, women’s health, and judgment and decision making.

  • Explore how humans can best adapt to change, stress and challenges in daily life
  • Enhance your critical thinking and complex reasoning skills by exploring human behavior
  • Learn the fundamentals of psychology within the historical perspective, values and ethical standards of the field, preparing you for the workforce, or to continue your specialized education

One of the top 15 undergraduate psychology programs in the U.S.

(Social Psychology Network, 2020)

Learn from award-winning faculty, including a Fulbright scholar, American Psychological Association fellows and Association for Psychological Science fellows

Explore research programs that produce scientific, evidence-based results

Be successful.

Be prepared to meet the needs of our 21st-century society by applying your knowledge of psychology in a variety of careers. Many students who graduate with a BA in psychology continue on to graduate school and such careers as psychiatry, psychotherapy and school counseling.

 
$49,900

Median salary of CU Boulder psychology students 1–5 years after graduation

 

Psychologist, recruiter, marketing manager, program coordinator, social media manager, social work case manager and corrections officer are common opportunities for graduates

 

Work in health and medicine, community service, law enforcement, government, education or labor relations

Academic Plan & Requirements

Psychology majors must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and a minimum of 36 credit hours in psychology courses. At least 20 of these credit hours must be in upper-division coursework that includes a minimum of 10 credit hours at the 4000 level. Students must complete a minimum of 12 upper-division credit hours of psychology coursework on the Boulder campus with a C- or better. Of those 12 credit hours, one laboratory and methods course must be included.

Community & Involvement

We offer students many opportunities to network with peers and faculty, further their studies and get the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Be inspired.

An extensive alumni network of psychology majors work in a variety of industries across the globe.

Some alumni of the program include:

Erik McCarty

(BS'88)
Associate professor of orthopedics and chief of sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

Tara Nyhuis

(BA'08)
Earned a neuroscience PhD in 2013 at CU Boulder. She is director of clinical operations at Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. in San Diego, which is known for the development of an effective Ebola virus antibody therapeutic treatment that was used toward the end of the 2014–16 epidemic in West Africa.

Hardik Kumar Patel

(BA'16)
Played a major role in revitalizing the Neuroscience Club as an undergraduate. He attends medical school at the University of Miami, where he is on the founding team of a new student-run wound care clinic that operates in conjunction with the first and only syringe exchange program in Florida. He is also involved in a legislative effort to expand syringe exchange services throughout Florida.

John “Logan” Brock

(BA'16)
Named the 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate in the College of Arts & Sciences. He will attend the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in the fall.

News & Stories

College of Arts & Sciences magazine cover