- Argue that psychology is an empirical science that seamlessly connects with other social and natural sciences and that it can be clearly delineated from pseudoscience and pop psychology.
- Demonstrate an attitude of critical thinking and objectivity with psychological knowledge, in contexts and towards authority.
- Demonstrate research skills in research design and validity, data analysis and interpretation, data reporting, and applied ethical standards.
- Explain substantive content in key fields of psychology including social and personality psychology, development and abnormal psychology, learning and cognition, as well as perceptual psychology and neuroscience.
- Effectively and fluently communicate psychological content in an oral presentation format and in writing (includes use of the Style Manual of the American Psychological Association).
- Apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings in daily life and to solve problems.
These learning outcomes align with the European qualification framework.
Program Requirements
For successful completion of the BS in Psychology degree, students must complete all components of the program, which carry a total of 240 ECTS over 8 terms (4 years). The program consists of:
| PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS | ECTS |
|---|
Compulsory Core Psychology Courses
| 102 ECTS |
Elective Psychology Courses
| 48 ECTS
|
General Education Courses
| 90 ECTS
|
| Total ECTS | 240
|
For a complete list of degree requirements, refer to the
Psychology Degree Requirement page.
Sample Study Plan
Below you will find a complete list of the courses and the course descriptions. In addition, you can find a sample study plan
here.
Compulsory Core Computer Science and Engineering Courses
PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychological Science6 ECTS
This course introduces students to the scientific field of behavior and mental processes through studying and critically reviewing psychology's basic principles and theories. By overviewing the major areas of contemporary psychology, students will learn more about the vast field of psychological science.
*All Psychology majors are expected to complete PSYC 101 in the first semester of their first year.
PSYC 282 Research Design in Psychology6 ECTS
This course is the first part of the core research requirements for undergraduates in psychology. It introduces students to the basic concepts in research methods and statistical analyses for psychological research. This course provides students with a solid foundation in the basic research methods and statistical analyses that will be needed for PSYC 284 and PSYC 490. Moreover, this course teaches them how to develop and write a proposal to conduct psychological research, consistent with the Style Manual of the American Psychological Association.
PSYC 284 Statistical Analysis in Psychology6 ECTS
This course introduces students to basic concepts in statistics and the R environment and language for statistical computing. The course enables students to (1) understand the principles of statistical theory, (2) be able to critically appraise the use of the most common statistical tests in research publications, and (3) conduct and report statistical analyses on their own research data. Prerequisite: PSYC 282.
PSYC 308 Child and Adolescent Psychology6 ECTS
This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the psychological development of children and adolescents. Through exploring theoretical frameworks, research, and real-world applications, students will gain insight into the cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral changes that occur throughout childhood and adolescence. The course will also address the impact of environmental factors, such as family dynamics, school settings, and societal influences, on child and adolescent development. Prerequisite: PSYC 310.
PSYC 310 Lifespan Developmental Psychology6 ECTS
This course provides an introduction to various aspects of human development. It teaches biological, cognitive and psychosocial aspects of human development through the lifespan. Particular attention is paid to the role of nature and nurture in human development. The emphasis is placed on empirical research and current advances in the field of study of human development.
PSYC 312 Social Psychology6 ECTS
This course introduces the students to the scientific field of social psychology through the study and critical review of this subfield's basic principles and theories. It tackles various issues ranging from how we form attitudes to interact in groups, from love and intimacy to prejudice and discrimination. In this course, we aim to develop a well-rounded understanding of the field of social psychology and how it translates into the real world. Together, we will bridge research with application and theory with real-life relevance—all while gaining knowledge and actively engaging in invigorating discussions.
PSYC 314 Adult Abnormal Psychology6 ECTS
This course will cover the major theories and controversies around the concept of abnormal behavior, its assessment and diagnosis. We will cover most of the psychological disorders seen in adulthood, their symptomatology, causal theories, risk factors, and treatments.
PSYC 316 Personality Psychology6 ECTS
This course examines contemporary personality theories, methods, and applications. Classic theories of personality are discussed within the context of current evidence, with particular emphasis on trait approach, evolutionary, social, cross-cultural, and cognitive approaches to personality and individual differences.
PSYC 320 Psychology of Learning and Behavior6 ECTS
This course investigates the principles of learning and behavior. The psychology of learning, or behavioral psychology, is not to be confused with educational psychology. This course introduces students to the psychology of learning by examining the classical and operant (instrumental) conditioning paradigms, both from an experimental and an applied perspective.
PSYC 322 Behavioral Neuroscience6 ECTS
This course provides an introduction to the physiological and biochemical processes in the brain that underlie behavior and mental processes. The course purpose is to offer students a solid foundation in neuroscience, focusing on brain anatomy, its functional roles, and the mechanisms connecting brain activity to behavior. Course objectives include understanding the brain’s complexity, developing critical thinking skills, and exploring current research. Learning outcomes include the ability to describe brain structures and their functions, appreciate the complexity of the human brain, critically assess ethical issues in neuroscience, and effectively communicate these concepts through speech and writing.
PSYC 324 Sensation and Perception6 ECTS
This course introduces students to the physiology and mechanisms of human vision, hearing and smell, with an emphasis on vision and hearing. Students will learn how external stimuli (light, sound, odors), are encoded by sensory receptors and transformed into perceptual experiences. The course will cover the physiology of sensory organs, neural pathways, and perceptual phenomena from everyday life (e.g., illusions, adaptation), that illuminate how sensory input is represented in the brain. The course will also cover methods used to measure and quantify human perception and performance (e.g., psychophysics, signal detection theory).
PSYC 326 Cognitive Psychology6 ECTS
This course introduces students to theory and research on human cognition, including perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning and problem solving. Students will learn how sensory input and complex events are represented and stored in the brain, and how this information is used in everyday behavior.
PSYC 488 Undergraduate Seminar in Psychology6 ECTS
This course develops the ability to understand and evaluate empirical research in psychology through critical readings of research articles within one or more subdomains of psychology. The aim is to develop an understanding of research questions and methods, including study design, statistical methods and interpretation of data. Students learn to think critically about empirical work and to generate their own ideas within a testable framework. The course will develops academic writing and presentation skills, including the ability to summarize research, formulate logical arguments and critique empirical literature. Pre- or corequisite: PSYC 284.
PSYC 490 Independent Study I6 ECTS
This course trains students to plan, conduct, and write up a full empirical study. The content is dependent on a faculty-member’s research program. Prerequisites: PSYC 282, PSYC 284, PSYC 488.
PSYC 491 Independent Study II6 ECTS
This course trains students to plan, conduct, and write up a full empirical study. The content is dependent on a faculty-member’s research program. Prerequisites: PSYC 490.
Elective Psychology Courses
PSYC 280 History and Systems of Psychology6 ECTS
This course explores the historical development of psychology, focusing on how human behavior has been conceptualized across different periods and cultural contexts. The course purpose is to trace the origins and evolution of primary psychological schools of thought, from early philosophical ideas to contemporary approaches. Course objectives include understanding key psychological theories, engaging with philosophical issues surrounding the study of the mind and behavior, and developing critical thinking skills. Learning outcomes include understanding psychology's history, critically analyzing behavior, and effectively communicating these insights in speech and writing.
PSYC 309 Child and Adolescent Abnormal Psychology6 ECTS
This course introduces students to the major theories and treatment perspectives of abnormal behaviors in children and adolescents including autism and schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, phobias, and depression. Prerequisites: PSYC 308, PSYC 430.
PSYC 329 Cognitive Neuroscience6 ECTS
This course is designed to give students in-depth exposure to the various developments, theories and research methods in cognitive neuroscience. The emphasis of the course is on the systems level. Each week, students are to examine the neural underpinnings of a broad class of mental processes and put them into the larger context of the psychological sciences.
PSYC 401 Educational Psychology6 ECTS
This course provides students with an introduction to the field of Educational Psychology, focusing on the application of psychological theories and research to educational settings. Students will explore topics such as cognitive development, learning theories, motivation, individual differences, and classroom management. Emphasizing both theoretical and practical aspects, the course will examine how psychological principles can enhance teaching and learning processes, supporting student development and academic success. By the end of the course, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and apply educational psychology in diverse learning environments.
PSYC 430 Clinical Psychology6 ECTS
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the professional field of clinical psychology, including primarily, the psychologist’s tasks of assessment and treatment. Various tools for diagnosis and approaches to psychotherapy will be examined. Current issues in the field including ethical dilemmas, training practices, evidence-based psychotherapy and specialties will also be reviewed.
PSYC 434 Positive Psychology6 ECTS
The course aims to bring positive psychology to life by addressing the key theory, research and applications in this field. Positive psychology is a science of positive individual traits and subjective experiences promising to prevent pathologies and enhance humans’ quality of life. The primary focus is on what makes life meaningful and worth living. Key areas that are studied are courage, wisdom, hope, creativity, future mindedness, happiness, empathy and spirituality. These form the factors that further allow humans, communities and societies to flourish.
PSYC 435 Political Psychology6 ECTS
The aims of the course include introducing students to the field of political psychology, its key concepts and methodologies. Furthermore, students will be developing their presentation, essay writing and research skills.
PSYC 437 Introduction to Cognitive Science6 ECTS
Cognitive science is the study of human and artificial intelligence, from perception and action to language, reasoning and consciousness. The field draws on diverse disciplines including psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience and philosophy. These sub-disciplines share the goal of “understanding the representational and computational capacities of the mind, and their structural and functional representation in the brain” (Sloan Report, 1978). In this course, we will examine the contributions of these disciplines toward understanding various aspects of cognition and trace the development of the field from its origins to the present.
PSYC 438 Applied Behavioral Analysis6 ECTS
This course introduces students to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA is an area in behavioral psychology concerned with applications of behavioral principles, such as reinforcement and shaping, to a wide range of socially and/or clinically important problems. Research has shown that ABA is one of the most effective treatments in autism intervention. It is also effective in educational settings, business domains (e.g., Organizational Behavior Management), and self-management and self-control matters, to name a few. This course examines these and other basic topics covered in ABA.
PSYC 439 Psychology of Trauma6 ECTS
This course is aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the impact of various types of trauma including developmental trauma, torture and imprisonment, domestic violence, war trauma, and single incident traumas such as natural disasters, accidents or sudden losses. We will discuss several theories of trauma that explain the experience cognitively, neurologically, emotionally and physiologically. The course will also cover the socio-political considerations of trauma as well as resilience, recovery and post-traumatic growth.
PSYC 440 Special Topics in Psychology6 ECTS
This course provides an in-depth understanding of a topic within a subdomain of psychology (e.g., Applied Behavioral Analysis, Industrial Psychology, Psychology of Religion, Sensory Plasticity and Perceptual Learning). Topics depend on instructor specialty, and course offerings vary across terms.
PSYC 440A Special Topics in Psychology (Psychology of Sexuality and Gender)6 ECTS
This Special Topics course offers an in-depth exploration of the psychological aspects of human sexuality and gender. Through a combination of theoretical perspectives and empirical research, students will examine how biological, psychological, cultural, and social factors influence sexual behavior, identity, orientation, and gender expression. Topics will include the development of sexual and gender identity, the psychology of attraction and relationships, sexual orientation, the intersection of gender and sexuality with mental health, sexual difficulties and paraphilias, and the role of media and culture in shaping societal norms.
PSYC 441 Programming for Experimental Psychology6 ECTS
This course trains students to use programming software for experimental psychology (e.g., PsychoPy, Matlab), providing a core skill for research in the cognitive neurosciences. Students learn to code experiments involving the display of one or more stimulus types and one or more independent variables. The course provides a strong grounding for advanced studies in cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology more generally. Recommended for students opting for a cognitive research topic for their final year research project. Prerequisites: PSYC 282, PSYC 284.
PSYC 442 Industrial and Organizational Psychology6 ECTS
This course is designed to provide an overview of I/O Psychology including individual, group, and organizational issues resulting in enhanced understanding of the world of business and related career concerns. Industrial and organizational psychology is the application of psychological principles, theory, and research to the work setting. It is the scientific study of employees, workplaces, and organizations. Industrial and organizational psychologists contribute to an organization's success by improving the workplace and the performance, satisfaction, and well-being of its people. An I/O psychologist researches and identifies how employee behaviors and attitudes can be improved through hiring practices, training programs, and feedback and management systems.
Sample Study Plan
After completing the BS degree, students are usually recommended to continue with graduate studies. This helps to specialize and focus on a sub-discipline in psychology.
The career options for psychologists range from work in educational and clinical settings to work in research institutions and wider industries. Depending on the area of specialization, psychologists acquire skills necessary to work in the below fields.
Elective Psychology Courses
Careers in healthcare and therapy
- Chartered psychologist
- Psychotherapist
- Social worker
- Counselor
Careers in education
- Educational psychologist
- School psychologist
- School teacher
Careers in research
- Scientist in various agencies (government, universities, companies, charities, NGOs) and in various roles (from research assistant to principal investigator, dependent on further qualifications)
Less typical careers with a psychology degree:
- Human resources
- Media and communications
- Criminal justice and rehabilitation
- Advertising and marketing
- Business and management
- Sports
- Public agencies
- The legal sector
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
This program is officially accredited and approved by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA). For detailed information, you can view the official approval report on the
CYQAA website.
