Best Psychology Programs in West Virginia for 2027

Most WVU psychology majors take the BA, and it's a different degree from the BS, not just a label. The BA asks for 39 major credits, including two research methods courses with labs and one sociocultural awareness course such as multiculturalism, community psychology or health psychology. The BS stretches the major to 60 credits by adding calculus, biology and a chemistry, physics or sustainability pair. Both end in a capstone you choose: field experience, a research capstone, a teaching apprenticeship, behavior analysis options or an honors thesis. A behavior analysis certificate is available to add alongside either degree.

BA Major Credits

39 credits, with two research methods courses and labs, biological foundations and behavior principles.

BS Major Credits

60 credits, including calculus, biology and a pair of chemistry, physics or sustainability courses.

Capstone Options

Field experience, research, teaching apprenticeship, behavior analysis experiences or honors thesis.

Delivery

On campus.

Program Sources: Psychology, B.A. < West Virginia UniversityPsychology, B.S. < West Virginia UniversityPsychology, B.A./B.S. | Department of Psychology | West Virginia University

At Marshall the choice between the BA and the BS comes down to language versus lab science. The BA asks for a foreign language sequence of six to twelve hours; the BS asks for four biology, chemistry or physics courses and adds Intermediate Behavioral Statistics and Physiological Psychology. Both include Elementary Behavioral Statistics, Experimental Psychology and a one-credit Psychology as a Major course, plus one pick each from social or personality, experimental or biopsychology, and developmental perspectives. BA students finish with a capstone of their choosing: research, history and systems, an I-O practicum, a clinical practicum or a capstone seminar.

BA Language Requirement

A six-hour sequence, or twelve hours in some languages.

BS Science Requirement

Four of biology, anatomy, physiology, genetics, neuroscience, chemistry or physics courses, plus Physiological Psychology.

BA Capstone Choices

Research in Psychology, History and Systems, I-O Psych Practicum, Practicum in Clinical Psychology or Capstone Seminar.

Upper-Level Credits

Forty-eight credit hours must be at the 300 or 400 level.

Program Sources: Psychology, B.A. | Marshall University CatalogPsychology, B.S. | Marshall University Catalog

Forty credit hours make up the psychology major at Fairmont State, and the research thread is easy to follow: Behavioral Statistics, a four-credit Research Methods course and a Research Capstone. Psychometrics, personality theory and Intervention Techniques and Applications round out the required list. Nine elective hours let you lean toward community psychology, industrial and personnel psychology, sensation and perception or substance abuse, and two practicum courses plus directed research are on that menu if you want field or lab time. A Behavioral Analytics concentration swaps free electives for 18 credits in programming, data science and data mining.

Research Sequence

Behavioral Statistics, a four-credit Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences course and a Research Capstone.

Electives

Nine credit hours, including Practicum I and II, Directed Research, Community Psychology and Industrial and Personnel Psychology.

Behavioral Analytics Concentration

Adds 18 credits: applied statistics, programming, data science and data mining.

Total Credits

120 credit hours, with 30 to 33 in the core curriculum.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology, B.S. - Fairmont State UniversityProgram: Psychology, Behavioral Analytics Concentration, B.S. - Fairmont State University

You can take West Liberty's psychology BS on campus or in a 100% asynchronous online format. The 15 required courses include Behavioral Statistics, Experimental Psychology, Biological Psychology and Cultural Psychology, and they finish with a Practicum plus junior and senior seminars. Twelve credits of electives follow, at least six in psychology, and the approved outside list includes Autism I, Zoo Animal Behavior Management and Consumer Behavior. If counseling is the goal, a Bridge to Mental Health Counseling track is attached to this program, and most students finish it in six years.

Delivery

On campus or 100% asynchronous online.

Methods Courses

Behavioral Statistics and Experimental Psychology.

Capstone Courses

Practicum, Junior Seminar and Senior Seminar.

Electives

At least 12 credit hours, with six or more in PSYC courses and others drawn from biology, criminal justice, marketing and special education.

Program Sources: Psychology (B.S.) | West Liberty UniversityWest Liberty University - Psychology (B.S.)

A Senior Thesis and Directed Readings close out the Shepherd psychology BA, after Statistics for the Social Sciences and Research Methods in Psychology. In between you pick one cognitive course with its lab (sensation and perception, memory and cognition, or learning), two from psychopathology, social psychology and personality, and one development course. Majors also complete a minor and 12 hours of foreign language. The supervised clinical practicum asks for at least 150 hours on site, about 12 a week, and placements include WVU Medicine in Martinsburg, the VA's Hope Center and an inpatient crisis unit at Berkeley Medical Center.

Required Core

Statistics for the Social Sciences, Research Methods, History and Systems, Biopsychology or Drugs and the Brain, Directed Readings and Senior Thesis.

Lab Choice

One of sensation and perception, memory and cognition, or learning, taken with its laboratory.

Clinical Practicum

At least 150 hours on site with weekly meetings with a faculty supervisor.

Degree Extras

A minor, 12 hours of foreign language and 42 hours of courses numbered 300 and above.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology, B.A. - Shepherd UniversityShepherd University | Psychology | Clinical Practicum Internships

Research methods carry a lot of weight in Glenville's 63-hour psychology major: Computer Applications in Psychology, a statistics course, Introduction to Research Methods and Advanced Research Methodology. Introduction to Research Methods is the gateway assessment and the Senior Seminar is the capstone assessment. Eighteen hours of restricted electives let you steer toward clinical work (interviewing and counseling, couples and family relationships, tests and measurements), developmental psychology, or forensic psychology with Psychology and Law, Victimology and Criminal Profiling. Applied Behavior Analysis is also on the elective list, and 27 hours of general electives leave room for a minor.

Research Courses

Computer Applications in Psychology, Behavioral Statistics or Probability and Statistics, Research Methods and Advanced Research Methodology.

Required Content

Lifespan Development, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Multicultural Psychology and Perception and Cognition.

Career Elective Paths

Suggested course lists for clinical, developmental and forensic psychology.

Capstone

Senior Seminar, which is the capstone assessment.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology, B.S. - Glenville State University

Behavior analysis, learning, social adjustment, addiction and recovery, abnormal behavior, human relations, behavior modification, and personality theory and assessment all appear in West Virginia Wesleyan's psychology offerings. If you lean toward the experimental or behavior modification side, you work in an animal testing laboratory and practice applying statistics and computers to psychology, and some students collaborate with faculty on projects that reach national journals. Practicum and internship experiences are treated as essential, and many students choose placements with children, often at the child development center on campus. Majors design and report their own study and defend it in an oral presentation.

Lab Experience

Animal testing laboratory for experimental and behavior modification students.

Practicum and Internship

Placements with children are popular, often at the campus child development center.

Research

Design, run, analyze and report a study of human or animal behavior, then defend it orally.

Topics

Behavior analysis, learning, addiction and recovery, abnormal behavior and personality assessment.

Program Sources: Psychology – West Virginia Wesleyan College

One of West Virginia's two animal behavioral labs, with operant chambers, stimulus machines and recording software, sits at WVU Tech, and the BA leans toward human behavior and counseling. Two research methods courses with labs come early, and the research methods course emphasizes behavior analysis in a laboratory setting. You then take one course from each of four clusters: behavior and cognition, clinical and individual differences, developmental psychology and social processes. The capstone pairs a psychology capstone experience with a teaching practicum, professional field experience, independent study or research. Sociology, technical writing, public speaking and a biology or chemistry sequence round out the degree.

Behavioral Lab

Animal behavioral laboratory with operant chambers, stimulus machines and recording software.

Core Courses

Research Methods and Analysis 1 and 2 with labs, Biological Foundations of Behavior and Behavior Principles.

Capstone Options

Teaching practicum, professional field experience, special topics, independent study or research.

Science Sequence

General Biology or Fundamentals of Chemistry, taken with labs.

Program Sources: Psychology | WVU Tech | West Virginia UniversityPsychology, B.A. < West Virginia University

Research skills build in steps through the 45-hour major at West Virginia State: Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, a four-credit Research Methods course where you design your own project, and a Senior Seminar that ends in a written thesis, an oral defense and a comprehensive exam. You choose two courses from each of three content groups, such as physiological, health, forensic or community psychology, and then three more of your own. The Clinical Practicum places qualified upper-level students in local mental health agencies or hospitals for supervised observation and service, and Honors Program students can take an honors senior seminar.

Core Courses

General Psychology, Psychology as a Profession, Statistics, History and Systems, Research Methods and Senior Seminar.

Content Groups

Two courses from each of three groups plus three more from any group.

Clinical Practicum

Supervised placement in local mental health agencies or hospitals, repeatable to six credit hours.

Degree Size

120 hours with 45 in the major and 39 to 41 in general education.

Program Sources: Psychology - College of Education, Health, and Social SciencesWVSU 2026-2027 Academic Catalog

You apply to one of four doctoral areas: behavior analysis, behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology or life-span developmental psychology. Each area admits only a few students a year, and the department trains them under its Junior Colleague Model, with intensive mentoring in research and teaching. The clinical area follows the scientist-practitioner model and has held American Psychological Association accreditation since 1966. All doctoral applicants are automatically considered for assistantships that carry a stipend, tuition waivers and health insurance, normally for four years after a bachelor's degree or three after an approved master's. The GRE is not accepted, and the application deadline is December 1.

Doctoral Areas

Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology and Life-Span Developmental Psychology.

Funding

Teaching, research and administrative assistantships with stipend, tuition waiver and health insurance.

Application

December 1 deadline; GRE scores are not considered.

Clinical Practica

Paid out-of-department practicum placements from the second year, or the first with a master's and applied experience.

Program Sources: Graduate | Department of Psychology | West Virginia UniversityClinical Psychology | Department of Psychology | West Virginia UniversityFinancial Assistance | Department of Psychology | West Virginia University