Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Psychology students working on color composition by painting.

Undergraduate Experience

If you are interested in understanding people—how they think, behave, and interact with other people, technology, or the world around them—in order to improve their personal and professional well-being, then a Bachelor of Science in Psychology or a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors from Michigan Tech is for you. 

Both of our undergraduate degree programs provide you with a range of skills that will give you a competitive edge in today’s job market:

  • Strong critical-thinking skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary teams
  • The ability to apply psychological research to the workplace and design
  • Enhanced interpersonal skills, including cross-cultural understanding
  • Insight into human reasoning and decision-making

Bachelor’s Degrees

Psychology—BS

Skills in understanding the human condition are in demand. If you are intrigued by the inner workings of the psyche, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan Tech will allow you to mold that curiosity into a meaningful career. Our curriculum is designed to be flexible. You can choose to study psychology in general, or focus in one of three concentration areas: clinical/counseling psychology, social psychology, or cognitive psychology. Explore your interests and design a personalized curriculum to help you meet your specific career goals or prepare to pursue a graduate degree across a range of specialties. 

Human Factors—BS

Are you interested in both people and technology? Our Bachelor of Science in Human Factors integrates coursework in psychology, human-centered design, engineering, computer science, and business to prepare you to solve problems where humans and technology intersect. In this program, you'll learn by doing. Real-world projects and research, combined with the ability to customize your degree with one of three concentrations, will make you a competitive candidate in just about any industry. Accelerate your career by earning a human factors master’s degree in just one extra year.

What is Human Factors?

 

 

  • 100%
    undergraduate students involved in research
  • 6
    labs for undergraduates to hone their research skills
  • 90%
    graduate school acceptance rate (over 3x national average)
  • 6:1
    student-faculty ratio

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about the Cognitive and Learning Sciences department undergraduate degree programs at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Minors

Specialize in a secondary discipline outside of or complementary to your major, expand your knowledge base, and boost your potential career options with a psychology minor. Want a future career in law or medicine? A minor in a pre-professional program such as Law and Society or Pre-Health prepares you for graduate school. Or choose any of the other 80+ minors. Although you can declare a minor anytime, we recommend that you begin your minor studies as early as possible in your academic career. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.

Undergraduate Advising

A positive and productive advising relationship is a key component of your success at Michigan Tech. You and your academic advisor will develop your academic plan, and your advisor will help you follow and complete your plan to ensure your success at Michigan Tech.

CLS Advising

Study Psychology and Human Factors at a Technological University

You enjoy studying people—how they think, behave, and interact with other people, technology, or the world around them—in order to improve their personal and professional well-being. As a psychology or human factors student, you will gain foundational knowledge and develop valuable analytic, quantitative, and communication skills required to succeed in solving problems, whether in research, the job market, or graduate school. And you will do it on a technological campus, working side-by-side with other STEM students to create a more human-centered world.

  • Get personalized attention: 6:1 student to faculty ratio. Nearly every major class is taught by one of our core faculty. Your instructors will  take the time to get to know you and help you explore career possibilities through hands-on experiences. Faculty are doing interesting research in a variety of domains; you can join their lab or develop your own research ideas with them.
  • Customize your education: Our programs are flexible by design, allowing you to create a personalized program of study to explore your interests and build a unique portfolio of skills and experiences that sets you apart on the job market. Take any one of Michigan Tech’s 80 minors to tailor your education to fit your individual pathway.
  • Engage in research: As an undergraduate, work on research with a faculty mentor in one of our research labs. Gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art research methods and tools. Research experiences give students a competitive advantage when applying for graduate school and for research-based jobs in industry.
  • Gain hands-on experience through internships or Enterprise: Through these signature programs, you can build your skill sets in real-world settings without needing to take a semester off to do so. Past internship locations have included the Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being, the Copper Country Intermediate School District, U.P. Kids foster and adoption services, the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter for Domestic Abuse, and many others. Enterprises are student-run business teams that work with industry clients to design solutions for real world problems. These experiences provide students with valuable experience in team building, project management, and end-to-end original product development.

Tomorrow Needs You

Supercharge your understanding of people and how they interact with the world around them at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to help people, solve real-world problems, and succeed in academia, research, and the high-tech world of the future.

"This is a community. You have people to go to. You start making friends who have similar interests, and you have faculty that really care for you as a person."Kallie Weecks '23, BS Psychology