Bachelor of Science in Health Psychology

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Help People Heal

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

The EWU 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.

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Program Locations

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

Cheney Campus

EWU School of Psychology 
Martin Hall 135 ▪ Cheney, WA 99004
📧 psychology@ewu.edu | ☎ 509.359.6227

Bellevue Campus

EWU Psychology at Bellevue College
D171D Bellevue College ▪ Bellevue, WA 98007
📧 ewubc@ewu.edu | ☎ 425.564.5100

Online

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

Why Study Health Psychology at EWU?

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.

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Affordability

Graduate debt-free with competitive tuition rates.

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Flexibility

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

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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 EWU catalog, 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)

Math and English proficiency is a prerequisite for many of these courses.
Completing PSYC 309 prior to PSYC 310 is highly recommended.

Grade Requirements: 

  • To declare the BS Health Psychology major, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA ≥2.0 and taken and passed PSYC 100 or its equivalent with a grade ≥C
    • 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.
  • PSYC 100, PSYC 231, PSYC 309, PSYC 310, and PSYC 490C must be passed with a grade ≥C.
Required Courses
PSYC 100GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY5
PSYC 201LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT5
PSYC 231SCIENCE OF STRESS AND COPING3
PSYC 302ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY5
PSYC 309SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY5
PSYC 310PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS5
PSYC 316HUMAN MEMORY AND COGNITION5
PSYC 317HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY5
PSYC 324CONDITIONING AND LEARNING (only one course will count toward the major)4
or PSYC 325 COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE
PSYC 420BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR5
Electives–choose two from the following9-10
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
COMPUTER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
FOUNDATION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY
TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS
DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
HUMAN SEXUALITY
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
COLLABORATIVE CARE & BHSS INTERNSHIP PREP
RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY
HAPPINESS AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Focus Experience8
Take 8 credits of PSYC 495, PSYC 498, and/or PSYC 499 in any combination for a total of 8 credits.
INTERNSHIP
SEMINAR
DIRECTED STUDY
Required Capstone4-5
SENIOR CAPSTONE: THE TRADITION OF PSYCHOLOGY
SENIOR THESIS
Total Credits68-70

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. 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. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015PSYC 201 (Social Science BACR 2)5
MATH 1075Humanities & Arts BACR 115Natural Science BACR 115
PSYC 100 (Social Science BACR 1)5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Global Studies - graduation requirement15PSYC 231 (Natural Science BACR 2)3PSYC 202 (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
 Elective - minor or general elective3 
 15 16 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
PSYC 3095PSYC 3025PSYC 3105
PSYC 3165PSYC 4205PSYC 3254
PSYC 3175Health Psychology Elective25PSYC 495, 498, or 499 (Focus Experience Elective)4
 15 15 13
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
PSYC 324 or 3254PSYC 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5Elective - minor or general elective5
PSYC 495, 498, or 499 (Focus Experience Elective)4Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
Health Psychology Elective25Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective3  
 16 15 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.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Electives–choose two from the approved list.

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. 

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

No. This program does not require a foreign language. 

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. 

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