Psychology, BS (Accelerated)
Program at a Glance
Program
Psychology, BA (Accelerated)
Format
Online
English
Program Overview
The Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Psychology provides a rigorous foundation in psychological science and applied professional practice, preparing students for graduate study and careers in counseling, organizational psychology, human resources, and related fields. The program integrates core theoretical and empirical knowledge in psychology with the practical and ethical demands of contemporary professional life, while affording the breadth of general education and elective study characteristic of a comprehensive four-year degree.
The program is organized around the unifying framework of the School of Psychology at Golden Gate University – Human Systems in the Age of AI – which asks how human psychological capacities function, adapt, and sometimes fail inside com-plex, technology-mediated environments. This framework connects psychological knowledge to professional contexts across clinical, organizational, business, legal, and public settings, and positions psychology not as an isolated helping profession but as a discipline essential to understanding how people think, decide, relate, and lead within the evolving structures of modern institutional life.
Consistent with this framework, AI is integrated into instruction as a scaffold for learning rather than a substitute for it. Students develop the capacity to use AI critically and ethically – prompting well, evaluating outputs, and remaining aware of how working alongside intelligent systems shapes thought, judgment, and professional practice.
All students complete a common foundation in psychological science and have the option to select one of two graduate path-way tracks: the
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Pathway, preparing students for advanced study and careers in organizational consulting, talent management, leadership development, and human-centered technology strategy; or the Counseling Psychology Pathway, preparing students for graduate study and careers as licensed psychotherapists in clinical, community, and integrated care settings. Each pathway includes four designated graduate-level courses that apply toward the corresponding master’s degree upon enrollment, providing students with a direct and efficient route from under-graduate to graduate study within the School of Psychology. Alternatively, students may complete additional courses related to their field of study.
Curriculum
The Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Psychology requires completion of 90 units as follows: 30 units of General Education, 30 units of Major: Directed Electives, 12 units of Major: Free Electives, a 3-unit Core Course: Capstone, and 15 units of Free Electives. Each course listed carries three semester units of credit, unless otherwise noted. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 “C” or higher is required in all courses taken at Golden Gate University.
Students must complete the following courses:
Select 15 units from the following:
Select 6 units from the following:
* A course used to fulfill General Education requirement may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
Select 30 units from the following:
Students choose one of two Tracks below (or they may take any 12 units of undergraduate coursework, including transfer credit, or approved graduate coursework related to their program of study) to fulfill this requirement.
Note: Students who complete all four designated graduate-level courses with grades of “B” or better and apply to the MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology within two years of BA conferral are eligible for guaranteed admission, and their remaining MA coursework will be reduced from 30 to 18 units.
Note: Students who complete all four designated graduate-level courses with grades of “B” or better and apply to the MA in Counseling Psychology within two years of BA conferral are eligible for guaranteed admission and their remaining MA coursework will be reduced from 60 to 48 units.
Students must take any 12 units of undergraduate coursework, including transfer credit, or approved graduate course-work related to their program of study to fulfill this requirement.
Students may take any 15 units of undergraduate coursework, including transfer credit, or approved graduate coursework to fulfill this requirement.
Declare a Minor
Students may declare up to two minors for their bachelor’s degree programs. Students seeking to declare more than two minors will be required to appeal to the dean for approval.
Students will not be permitted to declare minors at the point of application but may do so following admission or prior to degree conferral. Students should make their minor declarations through their assigned academic advisors by submission of the Declaration of Minor form.
Students’ diplomas will list the minors that they had successfully completed at the time their degrees were conferred. Students may not declare additional minors after their degrees have been conferred.
Bachelor’s degree-seeking students may declare the minors shown below. Note: Students may not declare minors that are the same as their majors.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, students will be able to:
- Disciplinary Knowledge in Psychology: Apply foundational concepts, principles, and theoretical frameworks across psychology’s core content domains-biological, cognitive, developmental, social, clinical, and industrial-organizational-to analyze human behavior and mental processes.
- Psychological Science and Research Methods: Design, conduct, and evaluate empirical psychological research, using experimental, correlational, and qualitative methods together with statistical analysis of behavioral data.
- Ethics and Diversity in Psychological Practice: Apply the APA Ethics Code and culturally responsive practices when conducting research, assessment, and intervention with diverse individuals, groups, and communities.
- Disciplinary Communication: Communicate psychological evidence and arguments using APA conventions, and translate technical and clinical concepts for academic, professional, and lay audiences.
- Professional Development in Psychology: Demonstrate self-regulation, collaboration, and reflective practice consistent with professional standards in psychology and preparation for graduate study or applied careers.
- Integration in Human Systems: Integrate psychological knowledge with humanistic, ethical, and interdisciplinary perspectives to address contemporary challenges in human systems, including those reshaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Undergraduate Tuition
The tuition for undergraduate degree programs at Golden Gate University covers the cost of high-quality, career-focused education led by experienced faculty. This investment supports essential resources, including personalized academic advising, state-of-the-art technology, and student services designed to help adult learners succeed.
Student Experience
Explore all of the resources available to our GGU community, including career services, advising, tutoring, and support for military students and international students.
About the School of Psychology
Learn more about GGU’s School of Psychology.
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