Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Psychology, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Psychology (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Program description

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology curriculum reflects the discipline’s major functions- scientific research, teaching, acting as a healing profession and raising philosophical questions about the assumptions, values, and ideals of human beings and their societies, which reflects psychology’s origin in philosophy. Through a core set of requirements, the student systematically develops understanding and skill in scientific methods of inquiry, focusing on the human mind and behavior. To fulfill degree requirements, students may pursue the standard curriculum by selecting courses from four content areas that introduce students to the healing and philosophical sides of psychology and provide a broad understanding of the field as a whole; or the student may apply to one of several more focused concentrations that draw upon the special strengths of the VCU Department of Psychology.

Career opportunities

Some students may choose to study psychology because they enjoy the subject and wish to pursue careers requiring “any major.” In this scenario, it is critical to develop desirable skills through internships, part-time or summer jobs, or volunteer experiences. Some skills valued most by employers include communication, interpersonal leadership, teamwork, and computer skills. Other students may major in psychology because they want to work in a related field.


Many entry-level helping positions are available, however the amount of direct client contact is limited for those who only have a bachelor’s degree. Students may wish to pursue graduate education in psychology, social work, counseling, college student personnel, or other fields to increase opportunities and earning potential. Graduates can also find work with programs such as Americorps, PeaceCorps, Fulbright Student Program, or City Year.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Adult Learning and Instruction
  • Human Resources Specialist
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Marketing Specialist
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Recruiter
  • Sales Representative
  • Social and Human Services Assistant
  • Social Science Research Assistant
  • Training and Development Specialist
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Counselor
  • Higher Education Administrator
  • Psychologist
  • Researcher
  • Therapist
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Highest level of math required
  • STAT 210
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Psychology, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Psychology)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler orientation
  • Register for SDV 100
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to psychology through the career coach.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
  • Understand how you will fund your education by taking advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience Year 2
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler orientation
  • Register for SDV 100
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to psychology through the career coach.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
  • Understand how you will fund your education by taking advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Psychology, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Psychology)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
PSY 200 Principles of Psychology PSYC 101 3 Major
Foreign Language Foreign Language 101 or humanities elective (take elective course if you successfully completed through the third year of a foreign language in high school) VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking SPCH 121 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition  II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Foreign Language Foreign Language 102 or elective (take elective course if you successfully completed through the third year of a foreign language in high school) 3 to 4 General education
PSY 230 Developmental Psychology (fulfills developmental psychology requirement for major) PSYC 304 3 Major
History Select one: HIS 121 or 122 HIST 103 or 104 3 General education
BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
PSY 210 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences Note: the VCU equivalent for PSY 213 is subject to review by the Department of Psychology. Please provide syllabus information upon transfer to VCU. PSYC 2XX 3 Major
Art elective Art (select 1): ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121 VCU Equivalent 3 General education
HIS History elective (select 1): HIS 111, 112,  HIS 121, HIS 122 HIST 3 General education
ENG 200-level ENG Literature elective (select 1) ENGL 3 General education
BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major (Ancillary)
PHI 220 Ethics PHIL 201 3 General education
PSY 225 Theories of Personality (fulfills social/personality psychology requirement for major) PSYC 309 3 Major
Transfer Elective Transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
John Tyler Credits Transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
PSYC 214 Application of Statistics (see comment above for PSY 213) 0 to 3 Major
PSYC 317 Experimental Methods 3 Major
PSYC ___ Physiological/learning psychology requirement (select 1): PSYC 401, PSYC 406, or PSYC 410 3 Major
PSYC ___ Self-development/applied psychology requirement (select 1): PSYC 303, PSYC 308, PSYC 310, PSYC 318, PSYC 340, PSYC 407, PSYC 412, PSYC 415, PSYC 416, PSYC 426 3 Major
PSYC 451 History of Psychology 3 Major
PSYC ___ Select three Psychology upper-level elective (300- or 400-level courses) 9 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 18 Elective
Open electives 21 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120