Is it possible to get a liberal arts degree in psycology?

Answer 1

Answer 1: Any "Associate of Arts" (AA) or "Bachelor of Arts" (BA) degree is a "liberal arts" degree. And schools which offer both of those degrees usually offer "psychology" as a major. So, the answer, categorically, is "yes."

However, psychology is what's called a "social science." Note the word "science" in that phrase. Therefore, at many schools -- most, in fact, I'd wager -- a degree in psychology will tend to be a science degree...

...such as an "Associate of Science (AS) in Psychology," or a "Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology." The salient difference between an AA/BA and an AS/BS is that the AS/BS degrees are going to require a little bit more math and science coursework than would an AA/BA degrees.

The reason you're asking, I'll bet, is because you're hoping that you can get a psychology degree without having to take as much math and science courses as a typical AS/BS degree requires. You'd rather do the lesser amount of math/science that a typical AA/BA degree requires. That's understandable, but becausee psychology is a social science, there's going to be a certain amount of math/science that you're going to have to take to get the degree, no matter what.

In fact, get this: Some colleges/universities are required by their accreditors, for whatever reasons, to award only AA/BA degrees (and not AS/BS degrees) in certain subjects which other schools normally award only as AS/BS degrees. So some students enroll at such AA/BA-centric ("liberal arts") schools thinking that maybe they can avoid taking all the additional math/science courses typically associated with AS/BS degrees... even if they major in psychology! However, even in a case like that, one must still take all the math and science (and statistics, too) courses that any good psychology degree, regardless of school, would typically require. It's simply unavoidable; and the reason is because all such schools are "regionally" accredited, and the regional accreditors simply won't allow a psychology degree to be awarded by any of their accredited schools if said degrees don't contain enough math/science.

So, if you want a psychology degree (and, by the way, you'll definitely learn how to spell it, if you pursue such a degree), then you're going to have to take pretty much the same amount of math/science, whether the degree is designated as an AA/BA or an AS/BS. A certain amount of math, science and statistics is required of all social science degrees. An psychology is a social science degree. So just bite the bullet and take it!

Seriously, though, there's no reason to fear math and/or science. Really... I'm not kidding. People get it in their heads that it's hard, but it really isn't. There's simply a mindset -- a way of thinking -- that needs to be assumed; and then a simple logical thought process that needs to be employed, and suddenly math and science become easy... fun, even! I'm serious. Students get it in their heads that math and science is hard, and then they fear it. But there are courses you can take out there, online -- some of them even free -- that will help you to get past your fear of math and/or science. They're really excellent! And they work! Once you're no longer afraid of math/science; and once you can easily work through courses in those subjects, you'll stop being afraid of getting a psychology degree that's an AS or BS, rather than an AA or BA. Just Google phrases like "fear of math" or "fear of science" and start reading. You'll see what I'm talking about.