Minor
Psychology Minor
Discover Psychology, Personality Theory and Human Memory
Psychology Minor
Your undergraduate degree can put you in the running for the job you want. Adding a Minor could make your resume more impressive.
A Minor is a set of courses that complements your Major and helps you reach your career goals. The broader your knowledge, and the more workforce-ready skills you acquire, the better chance you'll have for a promotion or a new job. Plus, earning a Minor shows potential employers you are eager to learn and are willing to put in the extra effort.
Psychology majors learn about human behavior from a variety of theoretical and applied orientations—both traditional and contemporary. The major is designed for your if you plan on pursuing graduate school, or if you plan to enter a career in psychology or the human services following your bachelor’s degree work. Emphasis is placed on developing the ability to understand and apply research design and to evaluate psychological concepts and applications. You will conduct your own empirical or scholarly research in preparation for graduate study, and as a means to demonstrate good evidence-based practice skills. You also may choose to work in internship settings as a way to learn more about applications of psychology in human service agencies or other settings. As a psychology major or minor, you are encouraged to seek advising on all aspects of your future career from the psychology faculty.
Many of you will present your research at conferences sponsored by the Nebraska Psychological Society, the Nebraska Psychological Association, and regional organizations. These conferences provide opportunities for you to not only present their work, but to interact and network with students and faculty from other colleges and universities in Nebraska and nearby states. Bellevue University psychology majors have also had their research published in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry, one of only three journals in the United States dedicated to undergraduate research.
Courses
Psychology Minor Courses
Current students please login to BRUIN and select “Academic Progress” for your curriculum requirements.
Requirements (19 credit hours)
Required courses (6 credit hours):
(Click a course name below to view course details)
This course is an introduction to the scientific foundations of the study of behavior and a survey of basic topics of psychology such as sensation and perception, the brain and nervous system, learning and memory, language and thinking, intelligence, motivation, emotions, personality, development, stress, and abnormal behavior. This course is a prerequisite for all other courses in Psychology except PY 200, PY 211, PY 222 and PY 250
This course is an examination of research design issues in psychology and related disciplines with emphasis on accurate reading of published articles. Students write a research proposal including a literature review, an operationally stated hypothesis, and data gathering procedures. Students continuing on to PY 354 Experimental Psychology may carry out their research proposal. The mastery of APA manuscript style is an important aspect of this course. Prerequisites: PY 101 and PY 250 or MA 215 (PY 250 or MA 215 may be concurrent)
Choose one of the following courses:
This course covers major psychodynamic, behaviorist, trait, humanist, and cognitive theories of personality. Situational and biological influences, traits and cognition, life stories, psychobiography, and other contemporary issues are discussed. Application of personality theory to the understanding of individual lives is encouraged. Prerequisite: PY 101
This course examines how biological, social, cultural and psychological factors influence health and illness. Representative topics include research methods in health psychology, theories of health behavior, cultural differences in understanding health, understanding and coping with stress, understanding and managing pain, terminal illness, managing health care and controversies in health psychology. Prerequisite: PY 101, SO 101, or written permission of the instructor
This course addresses the ways in which people gain knowledge about their world and about self. Topics covered include memory and forgetting, language, thought processes, and creativity. Prerequisite: PY 101
The psychological and sociological principles that affect the behavior of individuals as members of groups. Representative topics include the biological foundations of behavior, prejudice, culture and personality, leadership, small group interaction, crowd behavior, mass media, childhood, adolescence and old age. Offered once a year, but alternates between day and evening programs. Cross listed as SO 345. Prerequisite: SO 101 and PY 101, or permission of instructor
This course emphasizes the development of theoretical approaches to learning, as well as applications of behavioral learning principles in applied contexts. The principles of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, and social learning theory will be investigated in the course. The course will also present how learning principles are used in such areas as child management, interpersonal communication, and self-control. Prerequisite: PY 101
This course is a study of biological influences on human behavior and mental processes. Includes a survey of brain and nervous system anatomy and how researchers learn about functions of these systems in relation to behavior. Emphasis is on normal development, adaptation, and learning but a variety of syndromes and problems are also included. Study of Biology or Anatomy and Physiology are helpful but not required. Prerequisite: PY 101
In addition, three more psychology courses (9 credit hours) at the 300- 400-level.
General Education Courses
Take general education courses that do more than fill a requirement. At Bellevue University, these courses build foundational skills that apply to any career—critical thinking, qualitative reasoning, and ethical leadership. And, you can take courses individually or in course clusters, which connect three courses around one theme, building skills as you go.
Elective Courses
Our broad selection of electives allows you to select courses related to your major or expand your perspective in other areas of interest.
University Accreditation
Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org).
Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important to students with financial aid, employers who provide tuition assistance, donors, and the federal government.
This program is considered a non-licensure degree/certificate program and is not intended for those seeking licensure or the practice of licensed profession. This program may be relevant to multiple occupations that do not require licensure and was not designed to meet educational requirements for any specific professional license or certification.
*Consult with an admissions counselor to determine your eligible credits, as well as to verify minimum graduation requirements for this degree. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Bellevue University makes no promises to prospective students regarding the acceptance of credit awarded by examination, credit for prior learning, or credit for transfer until an evaluation has been conducted.
Get credit for what you’ve earned.
Accelerate your path to earning a degree.
Thanks to our generous credit transfer policy, you can avoid retaking the classes you’ve already completed, and chip away at the credit requirements you need to complete your degree.
- Already have an associate degree? You could accelerate your bachelor's degree completion. Transfer your full associate degree or even your A.A.S.*
- You may be able to get credit for your military experience and training.
Finish Faster
*Acceptance of transfer credits is always subject to official transfer credit evaluation by Bellevue University.
Format
100% Online learning that works for your life and your goals.
Our flexible online courses are designed to bring quality learning into a format that fits your schedule, without sacrificing meaningful faculty feedback and collaboration with peers across the country. Stay on track with the help of your Student Coach — with you from day one to graduation.
On-campus classes offered on a convenient schedule.
If you prefer an in-person learning experience, our Omaha-area campus offers classes that accommodate the working professional’s schedule.
Tuition & Financial Aid
It’s more affordable than you think.
Earning a degree is an investment in yourself, and we want to help you make sure it’s a wise one with a generous credit transfer policy and competitive tuition rates.
2024 / 2025 Academic Year
$449 Online Cost Per Credit $339 In-Class Cost Per Credit (Daytime Residential Only)
(Additional fees may apply to individual courses within your major requirements)
Only pay for the credits you need.
Talk to us about our generous credit transfer policy so you can make more of the credits you’ve already earned count toward your degree.
Get help with financial aid.
Our counselors will guide you to find a financial aid plan that works for you. Explore all the ways to help pay for your degree.
Ready to get started?
Reach out to admissions.
- Get your questions answered about the Psychology Minor
- Understand your financial aid and scholarship options
- Map out a schedule that fits with your priorities
