Academics

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Psychology Major (Bachelor of Science)

Explore your deepest questions about the human mind in the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology program at Western Illinois University (WIU).

The psychology major curriculum, taught on our Quad Cities (until Fall 2025) and Macomb campuses, examines individual, societal, and structural factors that impact and shape the mind throughout the lifespan, from child psychology to our suite of interdisciplinary courses dedicated to aging populations. You may also choose the focused Bachelor of Science in Forensic Psychology program to pursue your specific interests.

The psychology bachelor’s degree program challenges you to learn by doing, beginning with your first weeks on campus. In three on-campus laboratories, curricular fieldwork, undergraduate research programs, and student-run services and organizations, you accumulate experience and expertise that can serve you in a wide variety of careers—from counseling and advocacy to marketing, client relations, healthcare, and beyond.

Why Earn a Psychology Bachelor’s Degree at WIU?

Dive into leading-edge research opportunities, hands-on fieldwork, meaningful involvement in the Western campus community, and specialization options you’ll find in few other institutions. The psychology bachelor’s degree program empowers you through:

  • The competitive Forensic Psychology option, available at the Macomb campus
  • Field experience credits for work in community mental health centers, rehabilitation facilities, and other local agencies
  • Hands-on practice responding to HOTLINE, WIU’s student-run crisis intervention phone line
  • Undergraduate research alongside faculty experts AND on your own original research projects in our three on-campus psychology research labs
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  • Program Curriculum

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    In the B.S. in Psychology program, cultivate essential skills in psychological study and research. Build core competencies in undergraduate research, statistical methods, human social behavior, and child development. Choose courses that closely align with your interests: cultural psychology, substance abuse, psychopathology, adolescent development, biopsychology, cognitive processes, and more.

    Along with fundamentals of psychology study and broadly applicable topics in psychology, the curriculum draws on four key focus areas: forensic psychology, aging studies, neuroscience, and mental health. Pursue one of these specialties or forge your own path through robust undergraduate research opportunities in the classroom, in the field, and in our research labs.

    With highly transferable skills in research, planning, and analysis, prepare for graduate study in psychology-related fields or professional opportunities in mental healthcare, client relations, sales, marketing, human resources, and other sectors that require keen insight into human minds.

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  • Psychology Research Labs

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    Western’s student-centered research labs empower you to conduct meaningful and impactful research as an undergraduate—experience that will set you apart to graduate school programs and future employers. Our undergraduate research community investigates topics such as factors influencing assault investigations and trials, responses to mental health treatments, and trauma-informed de-escalation tactics.

    Collaborate on faculty research or design your own research project in one of our three main research hubs:

  • Psychology Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE)

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    Gain direct research experience—an essential component of competitive undergraduate psychology study—through WIU’s PURE program. Getting involved in research gives you a hands-on, practical understanding of types of studies and methodologies. Complete six research credits in your general education-level psychology courses by participating in research studies and completing empirical research assessments.

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WIU Student Life Opportunities

Encounter diverse perspectives, gain leadership experience, and forge lasting friendships through Western’s vibrant student life events and organizations. As a psychology major, take advantage of unique social and professional connections in the Psychology Club or Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology.

What Can You Do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology?

Alongside acquiring expertise in areas like aging, neuroscience, mental health, and forensics, Western’s psychology majors establish widely used skills in empirical research, statistical methods, and written communication. This versatility equips you to thrive in a variety of professional environments with both direct and indirect connections to psychology.

A psychology bachelor’s degree prepares you for distinguished psychology graduate programs and careers in therapy, mental health counseling, and school psychology/counseling. The B.S. in Psychology alone readies you for paths like:

Job Placements

A B.S. in Psychology from WIU positions you for success in a wide variety of healthcare, research, government, and corporate contexts. Join our graduates in roles like:

  • Residential Specialist, Heritage Behavioral Health Center
  • Institutional Research Analyst, Southeast Community College
  • Training and Development Specialist, Novus International, Inc.
  • Clinical Writer, GE Healthcare
  • Various positions in police agencies and correctional facilities in Illinois and Missouri

Admissions

Ready to become a Leatherneck? Western is a test optional institution, meaning we don’t require SAT/ACT scores. Review our undergraduate admissions standards for more information about applying to the LEJA program at WIU.

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Tuition and Financial Aid

Planning your financial future at college requires accounting for a lot of moving parts! At Western, we provide easy-to-use financial aid tools like our Net Price Calculator to help you get a sense of how tuition, financial aid, and other factors combine into tangible potential costs.

Scholarships

We support your learning through departmental and institutional scholarships, including The Western Way , which covers all tuition costs and mandatory fees for eligible students. As you grow as a researcher and learner in the psychology bachelor’s degree program, you may be nominated for departmental awards like:

  • James Joyce academic and professional activity award
  • Eric Ward teaching assistants awards
  • Donald J. Poindexter research award
  • James E. Ackil neuroscience research award
  • Research grants for conducting undergraduate research and attending professional conferences

Create Limitless Career Opportunities with the Psychology Major at WIU

Rise to invigorating challenges in Western’s undergraduate research-oriented Bachelor of Science in Psychology program. Whether your passion leads you to graduate school and counseling professions or directly into a human-focused career, WIU equips you for success.

Start to uncover the inner workings of human minds: apply today!