
BS Business Psychology Curriculum
The BS in Business Psychology program features a two-year, upper-division, undergraduate curriculum for transfer students. It is designed to provide a strong foundation in business and to integrate core psychological principles throughout. Each quarter, students take a mix of business and psychology classes.
The goal of the curriculum is to produce graduates who have the ability to apply the science of human behavior to practical business problems.
Students learn to apply theories in psychology to business challenges, such as employee motivation, sales and marketing, consumer behavior, and human resource management. They learn to analyze business problems through the lens of psychology and to develop effective solutions.
Guaranteed Classes
Class space is guaranteed, and PAU students are never frozen out of classes or placed on waitlists.
Most students complete these requirements prior to enrolling.
Area A-1: English Language | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Area A-2: Critical Thinking | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Area A-3: Communication | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Area B-1: Physical Science | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Area B-2: Life Science | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Area C: Arts and Humanities | Minimum of 9 semester units or 12 quarter units; Select courses in at least two disciplines |
Area D: Social Sciences | Minimum of 9 semester units or 12 quarter units; Select courses in at least two disciplines |
Area E: Human Understanding and Development | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units |
Mathematics | Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units; College Algebra (non-remedial) or higher |
Core Course Requirements (all courses, 56 units) |
Units |
---|---|
BUSI302 Business Writing Fundamentals | 4 |
BUSI303 Business Communication | 4 |
BUSI309 Organizational Behavior | 4 |
BUSI310 Employee Motivation and Satisfaction | 4 |
BUSI320 Fundamentals of Management | 4 |
BUSI340 Human Resource Management | 4 |
BUSI381 Career Planning and Development | 4 |
BUSI383 Introduction to Marketing | 4 |
BUSI395 Fundamental of Accounting and Finance | 4 |
BUSI405 Information Technology Management | 4 |
BUSI406 Senior Seminar | 4 |
BUSI412 Corporate Accounting and Finance | 4 |
BUSI430 Business Ethics | 4 |
MATH325 Research Methods & Data Analysis or PSYC 360 Research Design and Methods |
4 |
Non-Core Course Requirements (choose from courses below to complete 36 units) | |
BUSI410 Consumer Behavior Analysis | 4 |
ANTH351 Multicultural Studies -or- ANTH350 Cultural Anthropology -or- ANTH 370 Ethnic Identity & Social Stratification -or- SOC 300 Social Problems |
4 |
ECON400 Global Economics -or- POLI310 International Political Economy |
4 |
PSYC320 Social Psychology | 4 |
PSYC325 Psychology of Leadership and Team Development | 4 |
PSYC331 Theories of Personality and Assessment -or- PSYC330 Theories of Personality |
4 |
PSYC365 History of Psychology | 4 |
PSYC440 Human Behavior& Interpersonal Effectiveness | 4 |
PSYC381 Developmental Psychology -or- PSYC380 Psychology of LifeSpan Development |
4 |
MGMT400 Strategic Management & Negotiation | 4 |
BUSI490 Senior Internship (must complete 2 consecutive quarters of internship; 8 units) | 8 |
Special Topics in Psychology | 4 |
Senior Seminar
The Senior Seminar is a capstone course offered during the last quarter of the program. The course is adapted each year to reflect current business trends and issues. The course helps students integrate the principal theories and concepts of the program and to demonstrate the skills they will be applying in their careers following graduation.

Fall Year 1 | ||
Research Methods and Data Analysis | Monday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Business Writing Fundamentals | Online | Online |
Fundamentals of Management | Online | Online |
Winter Year 1 | ||
Business Communication | Monday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Organizational Behavior | Online | Online |
Social Psychology | Online | Online |
Spring Year 1 | ||
Introduction to Marketing | Monday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Multicultural Studies | Online | Online |
Theories of Personality and Assessment | Online | Online |
Summer Year 1 | ||
Human Resource Management | Monday | 6:00 - 10:00 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Employee Motivation and Satisfaction | Online | Online |
History of Psychology | Online | Online |
Fall Year 2 | ||
Information Technology Management | Tuesday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Career Planning and Development | Online | Online |
Human Behavior & Interpersonal Effectiveness | Online | Online |
Winter Year 2 | ||
Psychology of Leadership & Team Development | Tuesday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance | Online | Online |
Consumer Behavior Analysis | Online | Online |
Spring Year 2 | ||
Corporate Accounting and Finance | Tuesday | 6:00 - 9:30 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Business Ethics | Online | Online |
Option 2: Senior Internship | Online | Online |
Summer Year 2 | ||
Senior Seminar | Tuesday | 6:00 - 10:00 pm PST Synchronous via Zoom |
Option 1: Senior Internship | Online | Online |