Psychology (B.S.)
Launch a psychology career across tech, health, business, or counseling with Illinois Tech’s STEM-designated bachelor’s degree in psychology—where human behavior meets cutting-edge research.
Shape the Future of Human Behavior with Illinois Tech’s B.S. in Psychology
As we see every day, new technologies are not only helping to innovate the world around us, but they can also disrupt how we go about our daily lives, both professionally and personally. Illinois Tech’s B.S. in Psychology positions your psychology education through this lens by exploring it through the context of emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, social robotics, social media, and more. Built for curious, driven students who want to understand the inner workings of the human mind and use that knowledge to make a real impact, the program combines highly relevant coursework with outside-the-classroom experiences that emphasize mastering and applying cutting-edge research methods and data analytics. And you’ll do so by working alongside our faculty researchers from day one.
Program Overview
Our B.S. in Psychology is designed to prepare you for a wide range of careers in technology, health care, business, research, and policy. This in-person program combines hands-on research opportunities, one-to-one faculty mentorship, and the freedom to customize your coursework around your interests, including the option to co-develop your own courses and research projects.
With specializations in clinical behavioral health psychology, culture and diversity, industrial-organizational psychology, and rehabilitation, you can chart a path as broad or focused as you choose. You can begin taking courses in either the fall or spring semester and complete the degree in four years (eight semesters), with the option to accelerate into one of Illinois Tech’s graduate programs in psychology, law, or education.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of Illinois Tech’s B.S. in Psychology program are well prepared for careers in a wide range of fields, such as:
- Therapist
- Forensic psychologist
- User experience researcher
Here are just a few of our students’ favorite courses:
- PSYC 204 Research Methods in Behavioral Science In this course, you’ll be introduced to experimental, survey, and field study methodology, including ethics; research design; the collection, preparation and analysis of data; and writing research reports.
- PSYC 312 Human Motivation and Emotion You’ll explore a broad overview of major theories about human motivation, both historical and contemporary, in course. Once you’ve received a foundation in these theories, you will explore how researchers have applied these principles in healthcare, sports, management, education, and virtual/gaming environments.
- PSYC 340 Human Sexuality You’ll get a broad overview of psychological science that focuses on gender issues—including addressing such topics as gender stereotypes, early gender socialization, gender nonconformity, love and romance, sexuality, work and leadership, and violence—in this course. You will also explore ways that gender intersects with race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, and other social categories.
Admission to all undergraduate programs at Illinois Tech is evaluated via a holistic approach that takes various factors under consideration, including your high school performance and essays. Your choice of major will impact this process as well, because each major has its own criteria for admission.
To learn more about our admission selection process, recommended high school coursework, and our admitted student profile, please visit our admission website.
Ashley A. Says...
“The diverse backgrounds of Illinois Tech’s faculty provided a wealth of knowledge in both industrial and organizational topics, and Illinois Tech’s extensive alumni network offered valuable connections.”
Ashley Aguilar (PSYC ’21, M.S. IPSY ’23)
Featured Faculty
Arlen C. Moller
Nicole Legate
Robert Keating
Kris Shiflet’s path at Illinois Tech began in architecture but ultimately led to a Ph.D in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, guided by a passion for problem solving and human behavior. Their leadership at Tech News shaped a sense of purpose and community and is now fueling their research on disability inclusion in the workplace.
Kris Shiflet (PSYC, M.S. IPSY ’25, Ph.D. IPSY 1st Year)
Interning at the Clinical Nutrition Research Center at the Institute for Food Safety and Health, Rebecca Oziemkowski is gaining direct insight into how diet and nutrition can influence the longevity of people’s lives.
Rebecca Oziemkowski (BEHW 4th Year)
A military veteran and native of the Midwest, Tim Carsel is now utilizing people analytics to improve the employee experience at Meta.
Tim Carsel (PSYC ’14)
As a leadership expert, Ashley Aguilar uses her expertise to create a tool designed to assess and develop leadership on a global scale.
Ashley Aguilar (PSYC ’21, M.S. IPSY ’23)
Now a brand-new med student, alumna Joyce Gu prides herself on the work she’s done to lift herself up and be identified as a leader who “serves for the betterment of humanity”—an ethos she aims to build upon as she works to become a physician.
Joyce Gu (BIOL/PSYS ’22)
Maya Al-Khouja’s experiences conducting research and creating a program helping to erase the stigma around mental illness set her apart as she applied to graduate school.
Maya Al-Khouja (PSYC ’16)Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How is the B.S. in Psychology different from a B.A. in Psychology at other schools?
Illinois Tech’s undergraduate program in psychology emphasizes applications involving emerging technologies, training in advanced research methods and statistics, and more opportunities for customizing experiences in and outside the classroom in collaboration with faculty experts focused on undergraduate education.
Is the B.S. in Psychology more research-heavy, theory-heavy, or applied?
The B.S. in Psychology at Illinois Tech is more research-training intensive than most undergraduate psychology programs nationally. Students work alongside faculty researchers from day one.
Does Illinois Tech offer psychology master’s programs to further my education?
Yes, students can apply for advanced standing in a master’s degree program offered at Illinois Tech and apply advanced coursework completed in their third and fourth years toward those master’s degree programs to reduce time to completion. Popular master’s degrees offered by the Department of Psychology include the master’s in clinical counseling and master’s in industrial-organizational psychology.
What kinds of jobs do graduates typically get with a psychology degree?
Graduates of Illinois Tech’s B.S. in Psychology go on to work as mental health care professionals in traditional in-person settings and for digital technology companies developing new delivery models. Graduates who choose to specialize in industrial-organizational psychology frequently work in human resources and managerial consulting.
Get In Touch
To learn more about the B.S. in Psychology, please reach out to Professor of Psychology Arlen Moller at amoller@illinoistech.edu.