The Council on Academic Affairs voted unanimously in favor of a new supervised research course in psychology and a change in the revision of the psychology bachelor of arts degree.

Bill Addison, psychology department chair, said the changes were needed to better prepare psychology students for study in the field and help students graduate in four years.

Members of the psychology department attended Thursday’s CAA meeting to discuss the plans for Psychology 4100, a faculty supervised research course.

Addison said that psychology students have been working with faculty on research projects for years, but needed recognition for their efforts.

The new course would provide students with experience and recognition by giving them credit hours for their work, he said.

Students will be able to take nine credited hours of the course, but only three hours will count towards electives. Addison said this would provide psychology students with variety in their elective classes.

The CAA also approved a change in requirements for a psychology bachelor of arts degree.

Students are now required to take only 39 hours, including a math course, instead of 42.

“Many students have problems getting through the math requirement,” Addison said.

In response, the psychology catalog limits the number of credit hours in psychology courses for undeclared majors. This will prohibit students from filling psychology requirements before completing the math course.