Bachelor of Science in Health Psychology

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Help People Heal

With a BS in Health Psychology, you鈥檒l gain a deep understanding of how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors affect physical health.

The 51福利社 Health Psychology program combines classroom learning with real-world experience. Courses cover topics like stress, human development, cognition, and behavior. You can choose from electives in areas such as sexuality, drugs and behavior, research methods, and interpersonal communication.

You’ll apply what you learn through field studies at medical agencies, giving you hands-on experience and skills that translate directly to the workplace or graduate school. You’ll also explore how patients interact with healthcare providers and systems.

This in-demand degree prepares you for various roles in social services and health education. Career options include behavioral support staff, community health advocate, public health coordinator, health researcher, psychoeducational group coordinator, and more.

You can also pair your Health Psychology degree with complementary minors from the College of Health Science and Public Health.

Request Info Curriculum & Requirements

Program Locations

Earn your Health Psychology BS online or at our Bellevue or Cheney campus.

Cheney Campus

51福利社 School of Psychology听
Martin Hall 135 鈻� Cheney, WA 99004
psychology@ewu.edu | 509.359.6227

Bellevue Campus

51福利社 Psychology听at Bellevue College
D171D Bellevue College 鈻� Bellevue, WA 98007
ewubc@ewu.edu | 425.564.5100

Online

Study anytime, anywhere while still getting one-on-one guidance from professors, hands-on experience, and industry connections.

Why Study Health Psychology at 51福利社?

Get a hands-on education, real-world experience, and personalized support from faculty so you can launch your career with confidence.

Academic Excellence

Our program is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Affordability

Graduate debt-free with competitive tuition rates and fees.

Flexibility

With four start dates a year, you can begin in summer, fall, winter, or spring.

Applied Learning

Engage in hands-on projects and case studies that connect theory to practice.

Career Focused

Develop skills for high-demand roles in healthcare, counseling, and wellness.

Expert Faculty

Learn from experienced professionals dedicated to your success.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official , which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Health Psychology Major, Bachelor of Science (BS)

is a prerequisite for many of these courses.
颁辞尘辫濒别迟颈苍驳听 prior to 听is highly recommended.

Grade Requirements:听

  • To declare the BS Health Psychology major, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA 鈮�2.0 and taken and passed听笔厂驰颁听100听or its equivalent with a grade 鈮
    • Transfer students may be given credit for appropriate transfer courses in the major and for electives.
    • Transfer credits will be limited to 20 lower-division courses and no more than 30 transfer credits total applied toward the degree.
  • ,听, , , and 听must be passed with a grade 鈮.

51福利社

Required Courses
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY5
LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT5
SCIENCE OF STRESS AND COPING3
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY5
SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY5
PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS5
HUMAN MEMORY AND COGNITION5
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY5
CONDITIONING AND LEARNING (only one course will count toward the major)4
or  COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE
RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY5
BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR5
Elective–choose one from the following4-5
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
or 
 HEALTH COMMUNICATION
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
FOUNDATION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY
COMPUTER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS
DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
HUMAN SEXUALITY
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
COLLABORATIVE CARE & BHSS INTERNSHIP PREP
HAPPINESS AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Focus Experience8
Take 8 credits of , , and/or in any combination for a total of 8 credits.
INTERNSHIP
SEMINAR
DIRECTED STUDY
Required Capstone4-5
SENIOR CAPSTONE: THE TRADITION OF PSYCHOLOGY
or 
 SENIOR THESIS
Total Credits68-70

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits.听Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current.听Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the听.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
55 (Social Science BACR 2)5
5Humanities & Arts BACR 115Natural Science BACR 115
(Social Science BACR 1)5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
听15听15听15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Global Studies - graduation requirement15 (Natural Science BACR 2)3 (Humanities & Arts BACR 2)5
Diversity - graduation requirement15Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
听Elective - minor or general elective3听
听15听16听15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
555
554
5Health Psychology Elective25, , or (Focus Experience Elective)4
听15听15听13
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
or 4 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5Elective - minor or general elective5
5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
, , or (Focus Experience Elective)4Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective3听听
听16听15听15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.听 Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Electives鈥揷hoose one from the approved list.

51福利社

(GER)

  • Minimum Quarter Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at 51福利社, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at 51福利社
  • Minimum Semester Credits—120 cumulative credit hours
    • 40 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 30 credits in residence (attendance) at 51福利社, with at least 10 upper-division credits in major in residence at 51福利社
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

University Competencies and Proficiencies


 

 

(BACR)

 
 

 (UGR)




 
 (for Bachelor of Arts)

Application for Graduation (use ) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the to determine .

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

51福利社

Students who earn a BS in Health Psychology from 51福利社 should be able to:

  • evaluate empirical research in health psychology;
  • explain how APA’s principles of ethics can be applied to health psychology;
  • investigate key concepts from health psychology;
  • utilize APA (American Psychological Association) style requirements when writing.

Printable Requirements

The printable degree maps are intended as a suggested planning guide. Your most up-to-date degree requirements are reflected in the and .

Applied Learning Opportunities

Students present their projects at the 51福利社 Student Psychology Research Conference

  • Classroom-Based Applied Learning/Simulation:听Practice decision-making through simulations, case studies, role playing, and other hands-on activities in the classroom.
  • Field Work: Extend learning beyond the classroom to apply knowledge in real-world settings.
  • Internships:听Get professional experience (and often credit or pay) through work related to your career goals.
  • Student Employment & Leadership at 51福利社:听Gain skills, connections, and confidence through on-campus jobs and leadership roles in student government, departments, athletics, or clubs.
  • Study Abroad:听Travel, learn, and experience new cultures while earning credit and building communication skills that help you thrive anywhere.
  • Undergraduate Research:听Collaborate with professors on real-world research projects where you ask questions, solve problems, and present what you discover.

Internships & Research

Internship Experiences
(PSYC 395/495)

Internships are one way you can satisfy the focus experience requirement to graduate with a major in Psychology. There are a wide variety of internships available in both the Cheney and Spokane area. For each credit, you are required to volunteer for 40 hours over the quarter. Typically, this is done by volunteering four hours per week for 10 weeks. You are responsible for the initial contact with the internship site. If you are interested in an internship, please email psychology@ewu.edu.

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Research Experiences
(PSYC 399/499)

Directed studies experiences are made available through individual faculty who run their own laboratory student groups. Students serve as research assistants to the faculty as they develop and conduct psychological research experiments and other scholarly research activities. Such opportunities provide students with chances to become co-presenters for research presentations done at conferences and co-authors for journal articles. Students may enroll in these “by permission only,” variable credit courses by contacting one of the faculty.

Research labs include:

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BS in Health Psychology FAQs

The BS in Health Psychology focuses on how psychological, behavioral, and sociocultural factors influence physical health and healthcare interactions. It is designed for students interested in psychology and health-aligned careers.听

It is available at the Cheney and Bellevue campuses, and fully online.

No. This program does not require a foreign language.听

You will study stress, human development, behavior, cognition, and how individuals interact with healthcare systems. Electives cover topics like sexuality, drugs and behavior, and interpersonal communication.

Yes. Field study placements at medical and social service agencies provide hands-on experience.

Yes. Students participate in active research lab groups and can present findings at regional and national conferences.

Graduates often work as behavioral health support staff, community health advocates, health researchers, or public health program coordinators. The program also prepares students for graduate studies in health psychology, clinical psychology, public health, counseling, and other areas. This major is also paired with our Occupational Therapy program.听

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