Psychology, BA to Forensic Psychology, MS Fastforward Track

Description of Program

The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program is an undergraduate degree-completion program designed for students interested in obtaining a degree in psychology. The program offers a foundation in psychology that allows for the application of psychology to bachelor’s level careers in industry, helping professions, government, and nonprofit agencies. The program also provides knowledge and skills that are a basis for further education in psychology and related fields.

The program requires the successful completion of at least 30 credits at NCU for a total of 120 credit hours. Students enter the program with at least 60 transfer credits that include the completion of all general education requirements (see Basis of Admissions for more details).

Learning Outcomes

The Learning Outcomes for the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree program are as follows:

• Students will be able to describe theories and principles in psychology to inform professional contexts
• Students will be able to describe research methods and data analysis in psychology
• Students will be able to associate psychological principles and research in personal, social, and organizational issues
• Students will be able to distinguish ethical principles in psychology in academic and professional issues
• Students will be able to discuss diversity issues in professional contexts
• Students will be able to articulate clear and effective communication for fellow professionals and the public

Basis for Admissions

Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program requires a conferred Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) with a minimum of 60 transferrable credit hours which include 36 hours of general education, and/or conferred bachelor’s level degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution with a cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.

–OR–

An official high school transcript, or the equivalent of a high school diploma* AND an official academic transcript from a regionally or nationally accredited institution, which indicates the applicant has successfully completed at least 60 semester transfer credits as defined in the Transfer of Credit policy, with a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and has met all general education requirements needed for a NCU bachelor’s degree before entering NCU.

Note: *Acceptable equivalents of a high school diploma include a) official proof of a General Education Development Certificate (GED) or b) an official State certificate received by a student after the student has passed a State-authorized examination that the State recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma. Homeschooled students must abide by the state statutes or regulations governing homeschools and, if applicable, must provide documentation of the applicant’s participation in the homeschooling process.

Degree Requirements

This degree requires a total of 120 semester credit hours, with a minimum of 60 credits in transfer from an accredited institution. In addition:

• A minimum of 30 credit hours must be in required Psychology courses
• A Grade Point Average of 2.0 (letter grade of “C”), or higher is required to remain in academic good standing and to be eligible for graduation
• Official transcripts are required to be on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
• All financial obligations to the University paid in full
• Official documents must be on file demonstrating all requirements of basis for admissions have been met

The University will accept a maximum of 90 lower and upper division semester credit hours in transfer toward the bachelor’s degree for coursework completed at an accredited college or university with a grade of “C” or better.

If a student does not have Introduction to Psychology course in transfer from an accredited institution, then the student must complete PSY-2000 - Introduction to Psychology , after completing LS-3010 - Foundations for Undergraduate Study . PSY2000 does not count toward the 30 required credits, but can be used as an elective course. PSY-4500 - Capstone in Psychology , must be the student’s last course on their degree plan.

Time to Completion

Normal time to completion for this program is 58 months.

Time to completion varies depending upon the pace in which a student completes courses and the number of transfer credits accepted. As most NCU students are working adults balancing educational, professional, and personal commitments, our academic advisors will work with you to develop a program schedule that works best for your needs.

The normal time disclosed above reflects the experience of students who may have entered under different program requirements. In the quest for continuous improvement, academic leadership has revised the program to optimize curriculum and pace, facilitate student learning, and improve chances for success. Therefore, the program is now designed for students enrolling today to take advantage of these revised course structures, lengths, and schedules. New students following the preferred schedule designed by the Dean for this program, and applying the minimum required transfer credits, can expect to finish in as little as 21 months.

FastForward Track

The BAPSY program provides an opportunity to substitute specific courses in the required course sequence with master’s level courses. Opting to complete the master’s level course substitutions provides a Fast Forward Track to a Master of Arts in Psychology program or a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program if students decide to pursue a graduate degree.

Enrollment in the BAPSY program and completion of the FastForward Track course substitutions does not guarantee admission into a graduate program. Students must meet all required Basis for Admissions (BFA) requirements as outlined in the university catalog for specific master’s programs.

Master’s level coursework completed in the BAPSY program must be completed with a grade of “B” or better to meet eligibility requirements to be applied to the applicable Master’s degree program, and be within 5 years from the time they complete the course to transfer it into the master’s degree.