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Bachelor of Arts Psychology (3 + 1)

The study of psychology is concerned with explaining, predicting, and describing the thoughts, emotions, and actions of humans and animals. A major or minor in psychology provides an excellent background for occupations in such diverse fields as business, education, and social services. A major provides the basis for graduate training leading to the pursuit of psychology as a profession in either academic or applied areas.

Many students decide to major in psychology because the CSU program prepares them to work with and help others in many different ways, from providing one-on-one, in-depth assistance to those who are suffering to conducting research into the causes of mental illness to understanding what motivates people to respond to written or oral communication. Individuals, couples, families, schools, businesses, and communities seek and use psychological services. Cleveland State University’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology makes it possible for students to pursue a four-year (baccalaureate) psychology major through a combination of courses taken at LCCC that are either LCCC courses taught by LCCC instructors or CSU courses taught by visiting CSU instructors.

CSU & LCCC – Psychology Partnership Program

CSU Department of Psychology

Parallel LCCC Program

Associate of Arts

Program Curriculum Pathways

Course selection/order may vary. All pathways are subject to change. Always review with your LCCC/Partner advisor. Course location is indicated each semester.

Disclaimer: The fluidity of these pathways is acknowledged. At each level, changes are possible as requirements, courses, course numbers, etc. may change. All efforts have been made to confirm the accuracy of the pathway by each institution. Always be aware of the date of review on the document. Always seek the assistance of an Academic Advisor or Counselor. 

Semester One Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
ENGL 161: College Composition I#3ENG 101: College Writing I
PSYH 151: Introduction to Psychology3PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
MTHM 168: Statistics3STA 147: Statistical Concepts with Apps
OT36 Arts & Humanities Course3
Elective3
SDEV 101: Introduction to the LCCC Community1No equivalency – CSU 1XX (general elective)
Semester Credit Hours Total16 

Notes:

  • The course with the (#) notation indicates the course requires a grade of “C” or higher as a pre-requisite to CSU’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) courses.

Semester Two Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
ENGL 162: College Composition II#3ENG 102: College Writing II
Psychology Elective*3
OT36 Arts & Humanities Course3
PSYH 275: Psychology of Gender
(fulfills CSU US Diversity and PSY DEI Core requirements)		3PSY 255: Psychology of Women & Gender
Elective3
Semester Credit Hours Total15 

Notes:

  • The course with the (#) notation indicates the course requires a grade of “C” or higher as a pre-requisite to CSU’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) courses.
  • The course with the (*) notation indicates a 100 or 200-level psychology course student may complete at LCCC, such as PSYH 253 or 254, based on student choice.

Semester Three Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
OT36 Social & Behavioral Sciences Course
(pick from a discipline beyond psychology)		3
OT36 Arts & Humanities Course3
OT36 Natural Science Lab Course4-5
Elective3
Elective3
Semester Credit Hours Total16-17 

Semester Four Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
OT36 Natural Science Non-Lab Course3-4
PSYH 257: Abnormal Psychology
(fulfills CSU Psychological Health Core requirement)		3PSY 345: Abnormal Psychology
PSYH 263: Personality Theories
(fulfills CSU Social/Personality Core requirement)		3PSY 342: Psychology of Personality
Elective3
Elective3
Semester Credit Hours Total15-16 

LCCC Degree Attainment – Cumulative Total Credit Hours Earned: 62-64

Student will have earned the Lorain County Community College Associate of Arts degree (#8720) at the conclusion of the above curriculum pathway.

Notes:

  • Following this curriculum pathway will include a student completing the Ohio Transfer 36 (OT36) and the Associate of Arts degree. CSU’s General Education requirements are waived for LCCC students upon successful completion of the OT36 or by completion of a LCCC Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. Students must meet with a LCCC advisor to determine whether they will be completing these LCCC credentials if deviating from this curriculum pathway. The CSU advisor will not make this determination.
    • If a student intends to transfer to CSU prior to completion of this UP curriculum pathway, or chooses to deviate from it, student must complete CSU’s General Education requirements and should follow the most current LCCC to CSU transfer guide.

Semester Five Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
PSYH 261: Social Psychology3PSY 339: Social Psychology
PSYH 271: Quantitative Methods in Behavioral Science4PSY 311: Behavioral Science Statistics ^
Foreign Language Course or Elective**3-4
Elective3
Semester Credit Hours Total13-14 

Notes:

  • Courses with the (**) notation indicate the CSU foreign language requirement. Student should discuss with the CSU UP advisor to make the most beneficial course selection. For CSU, student must complete two years of foreign language in high school or two semesters of the same foreign language in college. This CSU requirement is waived for those who graduated high school in 1987 or earlier.
  • The (^) notation is to indicate that PSY 311 is no longer offered at CSU, but still transfers as a transferable equivalency for transfer students.

Semester Six Curriculum (Enrolled at LCCC)

LCCC CourseCredit HoursPartner Institution Course Equivalency
PSYH 272: Research Methods in Psychology4PSY 412 Psychology Lab
(CSU substitutes to fulfill PSY 312 Research Methods requirement)
Foreign Language Course or Elective**3-4
Elective***3
Elective***3
Elective***
(only if needed to reach 90 credit hours for transfer)		3
Semester Credit Hours Total16-17 

Notes:

  • Courses with the (***) notation indicate an elective course student should discuss with the CSU UP advisor to ensure that enough transfer credit is completed prior to transfer and to fully maximize LCCC transfer courses.

Semester Seven Curriculum (Enrolled at CSU)

Partner Institution CourseCredit Hours
PSY 482: Biological Basis of Behavior   
or
PSY 487: Brain and Cognition
(CSU Neuroscience Core requirement)		3
PSY 368: Perceptual Processes       
or
PSY 372: Memory and Cognition
(CSU Perception and Cognition Core requirement)		3
Upper Division PSY Elective3
Upper Division Elective3
PSY 200: A Major’s Guide to Psychology at CSU1
Elective3
Semester Credit Hours Total16

Semester Eight Curriculum (Enrolled at CSU)

Partner Institution Course EquivalencyCredit Hours
Upper Division PSY Elective3
PSY 415: Evaluating Psychological Research
(CSU Capstone and WAC Choice; typically spring semester only)		3
Upper Division PSY Elective3
Upper Division Elective3
Elective3
PSY 499: Exit Evaluation0
Semester Credit Hours Total15

Cleveland State University Degree Attainment – Cumulative Total Credit Hours Earned: 122-126

Student will have earned the Cleveland State University Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree at the conclusion of the above curriculum pathway.

Notes:

  • Student must complete a minimum of 120 total credit hours for CSU graduation (including all eligible transfer credit hours from LCCC and all credit hours earned at CSU).
    • UP students are advised to not take more than 90 credit hours of transfer credit.
  • Student must complete a minimum of 42 credit hours of Junior/Senior (CSU 300/400) level courses (referred to as “upper division”). LCCC’s PSYH 271, 272, 257, 261, and 263 will transfer as 300/400 level CSU credits.
  • Student must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours through CSU. These courses can be taken online, downtown or through CSU courses offered at the LCCC campus.
  • Student must complete at least 24 credit hours of upper-division (300/400 level) coursework through CSU.
  • Student must complete at least 18 credit hours of major coursework through CSU and 12 credit hours must be 300/400 level.
  • CSU’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) requirement:
    • Only one required WAC course in major if transferring 90+ credit hours, as outlined in this curriculum pathway.
      • If deviating from this curriculum pathway, two WAC courses required if transferring 60-89 credit hours.
    • No LCCC courses apply toward the WAC requirement.
    • A grade of “C” or higher is required in WAC courses.
    • At least one WAC course must be taken within the Psychology major.
      • PSY 415 is the Psychology major capstone for UP students and fulfills the PSY WAC major requirement. PSY 415 is only offered on the LCCC campus in spring semester through the UP.
  • As indicated throughout this curriculum pathway, CSU has 15 credit hours of Psychology Core courses.
    • This Core includes at least one course from each of the following areas:
      • Psychological Health Core
      • Social / Personality Core
      • Perception and Cognition Core
      • Neuroscience Core
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Core
  • In addition to the Psychology Core courses (above), a minimum of 11 credit hours of Psychology electives is required. Psychology Electives can be chosen from LCCC or CSU Psychology classes. Core courses not used to satisfy core requirement(s) can be used to satisfy this requirement.

Transfer pathway updated 9/27/2023

Admission Requirements

  1. Applications can be submitted the semester (term) before a student intends to start the CSU program. Student should work with their LCCC Advisor and the CSU Transfer Center to determine the best time to transfer. It is recommended that UP students apply to CSU as soon as possible to take advantage of partnership program benefits. 
  2. Credit from regionally accredited institutions will be evaluated for credit at CSU. Student must earn a grade of ‘D’ or higher for a course to transfer and some courses may need repeated if a ‘C’ or higher is not earned.
  3. Be in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0+.
  4. Students earning their associate degree in high school cannot apply to the CSU partnership programs until they take college credit hours post-high school graduation. Students should work with the CSU Transfer Center for guidance on courses to take at LCCC, as up to 90 credit hours can be earned at LCCC before transferring into CSU’s program.

Application Procedures

CSU has “multi-term” registration, which means in March, students register for classes for the Fall, Spring, and Summer of the next academic year. For example, in March 2024, students register for all Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. Therefore, students expecting to take courses in any semester in the 24-25 school year are advised to apply before (or by) January 2025.

To apply to the Partnership, follow the steps below:

  1. Complete an online application.
  2. Request all regionally accredited colleges you attended to send official transcripts electronically to CSU (admissions@csuohio.edu). Request your final high school transcript be sent as well.
  3. Monitor your applicant portal for application updates and to accept your offer of admission if you are admitted.
  4. Once admitted, setup an appointment with your CSU Academic Advisor through Starfish. 
  5. Participate in a recommended orientation, sign up in your applicant portal.

Submit all college-level transcripts to:
Cleveland State University
Admissions Office
2398 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 4411

How do I know if I am in the University Partnership?

  • You are following the UP Curriculum Pathway from the associate to the bachelor’s degree.
  • For 2:2 degrees, you have been admitted to the partner institution and have registered for your first classes the upcoming semester, 3rd year of partner classes.  The first day of the 3rd year class, you are officially a UP student.
  • For 3:1 degrees, you are a UP student if you are registered for the 3rd year in either bridgework LCCC classes or UP partner classes. You may not be necessarily admitted with the UP partner just yet.  The first day of the 3rd year of UP or LCCC bridgework class, you are officially a UP student.
  • UP Office will use the email address your partner institution shares with us, which is once a semester, to email out a reminder to you about the UP program supports and services.
  • If you are unsure if you are in the UP, you are welcome to email or call the UP Office to verify your status.

How do I show proof I am a UP student to receive benefits and supports offered at LCCC

  • Go to the Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor of the LCCC Bass Library  (440) 366-4026.
  • Show your class registration for UP classes with the partner institution or LCCC bridgework classes.
  • Bass Library staff will place a color coded sticker on the back of your LCCC or partner institution ID card.  If you have no LCCC or UP ID card, a UP ID card will be issued to you.
  • You will need to get a new sticker (date specific) each semester that you are registered for UP partner classes.
  • An ID card is not required but would be needed if you are seeking benefits and supports at LCCC while in the partnership.
  • Supports and services are for Elyria Campus and the Learning Centers (Community Learning  Center at Lorain High School, Lorain Learning Center at City Center, LCCC Wellington Center, and University Partnership Ridge Campus).

Helpful Links

For More Information

In-Person Transfer Advising with CSU
Cleveland State University advisors will be on LCCC’s campus on October 18 and November 15. Schedule your advising appointment online.  

Prospective Students – CSU Admissions 
Amanda Zacur – a.zacur@csuohio.edu
216-523-7416
Request an appointment

Visit CSU
Virtual and in-person options are available! Register today.

Prospective Students – Advising
Cleveland State University Transfer Center – transfercenter@csuohio.edu
216-687-5568
Request an appointment

Admitted and Current Students – Advising
College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising
artsandsciences@csuohio.edu
216-687-9321
Request an appointment

See the Cleveland State University Academic Calendar for important academic dates and deadlines.