Psychology + Design B.A.
The Bachelor of Arts in Design and Psychology degree integrates principles of both psychological research and design toward user-friendly/user-centered practices and approaches in the design, development, and analysis of software, hardware, and other technology-based applications. It involves designing, researching and programming technological interfaces and products in a way that is easy and intuitive for people to adapt to and use. The Design and Psychology curriculum integrates software skills with creative decision-making as well as integrating human perspective into the design process.
Within the Psychology major, students learn to apply a broad range of psychological concepts that describe and explain the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of humans; apply basic statistical concepts; create psychological research designs; and evaluate psychological research.
The Design integration will provide students with additional skill sets in user-experience design, web design and coding, typography, communication, human-centered design methods/design research, digital accessibility, and data visualization and information design.
Skills developed within this major include learning the ability to apply a broad range of psychological concepts that describe and explain the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of humans; apply basic statistical concepts; create psychological research designs; evaluate psychological research; typography; design principles; motion graphics animation; web coding; user experience design and user interface design (including the design of mobile and web apps); data visualization; design research methods; analytical skills; communication skills; time management skills; problem-solving skills.
Job Outlook
An integrated Design and Psychology degree prepares students for careers in: user experience design (UX) / design research, user interface design (UI), interaction design (IxD), programming, web/mobile app development, motion/animation, 3D modeling, data analyst, computer system analyst or related fields that include extended reality technologies (virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality).
The Bachelor of Arts in Design and Psychology degree prepares students for careers in User Experience Design and User Interface Design (UX/UI). A multi-disciplinary field, UX/UI teams can include designers, developers, psychologists, and researchers. As UX/UI is an emergent field, design or psychology undergraduate programs rarely include comprehensive user experience content that would enable graduates to find employment in UX/UI jobs directly out of school. Presently, most psychology or design undergraduates would need to pursue additional certification, master's-level or doctoral education. In addition to preparing undergraduates to step directly into UX/UI careers, graduates of the integrated Design and Psychology program would also have the experience and knowledge for positions in web design, graphic design, digital design, 2D animation, research psychology, statistics or human factors.
Annual Wage Information for UX/UI Careers
- Annual Mean Wage (web developers): $87,690
- Annual Mean Wage (web and digital interface designers): $81,890
- Median pay for Web and Digital Interface Designers: $83,240
According to the 2024 salary guide provided by the staffing agency Robert Half, wages in Cleveland/northeastern Ohio can be broken down into the following categories and corresponding pay:
- UX Designer: $84,480 (25th percentile)-$129,840 (75th percentile)
- UX Researcher: $85,200 (25th percentile)–$120,960 (75th percentile)
- Product Designer: $70,800–$102,000
- User Interface Designer: $73,680–$113,040
- Interaction Designer: $70,800–$96,240
- Web Developer: $87,360-$130,080
- Front-End Developer: $82,080–$118,560
- Mobile Applications Developer: $117,360-$164,880
Curriculum
A minimum of 120 credit hours are required to earn the Bachelor of Arts in Design and Psychology degree. The major program requires completion of 52 credits in the major.
Design Courses
- ART 242: Intro to Typography
- ART 244: Intro to Visual Technology
- ART 327: Intermediate Visual Technology: 3D Modeling
- ART 342: Advanced Typography
- ART 343: Data Visualization & Info Design
- ART 346: Human-Centered Graphic Design (design research)
- ART 347: Intermediate Visual Technology: Web
- ART 348: Intermediate Visual Technology: Motion
- ART 390: Internship
- ART 436: Digital Art
- ART 448: Motion Graphics and Animation
- ART 450: Design Capstone
Psychology Courses 45
- PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
- PSY 200: A Major's Guide to Psychology at CSU
- PSY 217: Behavioral Science Statistics: Description
- PSY 312: Research Methods
- PSY 317: Behavioral Science Statistics: Inference
- PSY 339: Social Psychology
- PSY 342: Psychology of Personality
- PSY 356: Multicultural Psychology
- PSY 368: Perceptual Processes
- PSY 372: Memory and Cognition
- PSY 370: Psychology of Learning
- PSY 385: Psychology of Motivation
- PSY 412: Psychology Laboratory
- PSY 415: Evaluating Psychological Research
- PSY 487: Brain and Cognition
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