| Course | PS115 Psychology Program and Profession |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Degree and concentration exploration |
| Length | About 660 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PS115 Unit 2
Addictions, Applied Behavior Analysis or the General Track: A PS115 Unit 2 Degree and Concentration Exploration
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
PS115: Psychology Program and Profession
Unit 2 Degree and Concentration Exploration
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The writer and the employer details are composite; course titles come from the Purdue Global 2026-27 catalog; the sources cited are real.
My Goal
I want to counsel people with substance use disorders. I came to that goal from eight years as a pharmacy technician, where I see customers at hard moments and have no training to help them. This paper asks which concentration in the Bachelor of Science in Psychology best prepares me for that work, and what the degree can and cannot do toward it.
The Concentrations I Considered
The 2026-27 catalog lists several routes through the degree. I compared three of them against my goal.
The addictions concentration adds four courses to the psychology core: Psychology of Addiction, Models of Peer Recovery, Psychopharmacology of Alcohol and Drugs, and a capstone in addiction (Purdue University Global, 2026). Each matches part of what counselors do. The addiction course covers how dependence develops and is treated; the peer recovery course covers the recovery support roles that now work alongside counselors; the psychopharmacology course covers how substances act in the body, which builds directly on what I already know from the pharmacy.
The applied behavior analysis concentration includes courses in behavior assessment, behavior intervention, experimental analysis and ethics in behavior analysis. It prepares students for work as behavior technicians and toward board certification in behavior analysis. It interested me because of a coworker's son whose behavior therapy has helped him, but its focus is changing behavior through the environment, most often with children with developmental disabilities, not counseling adults with addiction.
The general track keeps every option open. Its advantage is flexibility; its disadvantage, for me, is that I would graduate without the addiction-specific courses that a counseling employer or graduate program would look for.
The addictions concentration matches my goal course by course; the general track matches it only in theory.
What the Bachelor's Degree Can and Cannot Do
Before choosing, I checked what counseling in Ohio requires, because the Bureau of Labor Statistics says requirements vary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Ohio's chemical dependency board issues tiered credentials, and the higher tiers, including the one that allows a counselor to practice independently and supervise others, require a graduate degree along with supervised hours and an exam. A bachelor's degree in a behavioral science supports an entry-level credential under supervision.
That changed how I see the degree. It is the right first step and the addictions concentration is the right version of it, but it is not the whole route. If I want to counsel independently, I will need a master's degree in counseling or a related field. Landrum and Davis (2014) advise psychology majors to plan for graduate study early if their goal requires it, because grades, research experience and recommendations from the bachelor's years shape admission, and that advice now applies to me.
Choice and Next Steps
I am choosing the addictions concentration. It matches my goal course by course, and it builds on my pharmacy experience in the psychopharmacology course. I am adding two steps to my plan. First, I will confirm the current credential requirements directly with Ohio's board rather than relying on summaries. Second, I will talk with an academic advisor about which courses and experiences would strengthen an application to a master's program in counseling in about four years.
What I Still Need to Learn
I do not yet know how many supervised hours each Ohio credential requires, or whether my pharmacy work could count toward any of them. I also want to understand how peer recovery specialists differ from counselors, since the peer recovery course suggests the field has more roles than I realized. The later units on careers and degree planning should answer both questions.
References
Landrum, R. E., & Davis, S. F. (2014). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (5th ed.). Pearson.
Purdue University Global. (2026). 2026-2027 catalog. https://catalog.purdueglobal.edu/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. In Occupational outlook handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm
The Purdue Global PS115 Unit 2 instructions
For Unit 2, PS115 asks you to explore the psychology degree's concentrations and explain which fits your goal. Start by restating the goal plainly. Describe two or three concentrations from the current catalog in terms of their actual courses, not their titles alone, and show how each would or would not prepare you. Check what the career itself requires in your state, since a concentration can fit a goal that the bachelor's degree alone cannot reach. Make a choice and explain it, including what the degree can and cannot do toward the goal. Note any next steps the research suggests, such as talking with an advisor or a licensing board. Cite the catalog and at least one professional source on the career.
How the PS 115 Unit 2 example is put together
The exploration restates the counseling goal and then examines three options. The addictions concentration is described course by course, from the psychology of addiction to psychopharmacology, which builds on pharmacy knowledge. Applied behavior analysis is credited for its clear certification path and set aside for its different focus, and the general track is weighed for flexibility. A highlighted line contrasts matching course by course with matching only in theory. A section on state requirements finds tiered credentials, with independent practice needing a graduate degree, and cites Landrum and Davis on planning early for graduate study. The choice follows with two next steps, and a final section lists what the writer still needs to learn about supervised hours and peer roles.
Reading the PS115 Unit 2 grading rubric
Credit in this paper depends on matching a goal to real requirements. Explorations that compare concentrations by their names, without looking at the courses inside them, tend to earn less. Instructors look for a check of what the career demands, including state rules where they apply, because that is where many first plans change. Committing to one concentration, and saying why the others fit less well, outscores an even-handed survey that never picks. Honesty about what a bachelor's degree can and cannot do is rewarded. Sources matter: the catalog for the program and a professional or government source for the career, cited in APA style. A paper that identifies concrete next steps shows the exploration is part of planning rather than an isolated assignment.
PS115 Unit 2 help: mistakes that cost points
The most frequent weakness is choosing a concentration by its title, assuming that a counseling-sounding name leads directly to counseling work. Another common problem skips the career requirements entirely, so the paper never discovers that the goal needs a graduate degree. Students sometimes rely on school marketing pages or unsourced career sites. Some papers describe every concentration evenly and never choose. Others choose without explaining why the alternatives fit less well. Before submitting, list the actual courses in each concentration you considered, find one official source on the credential your goal requires in your state, state your choice in one sentence, and add one next step that follows from what you learned.
Get a PS115 Unit 2 example written to your instructions
Share your goal, the concentrations you are weighing and the instructions with the rubric. A custom paper compares the concentrations against your goal and explains the choice. Turnaround is 24-48h, free the first time. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More PS115 papers and BS in Psychology samples
- PS115 Unit 1: Psychology Introduction Board Post
- PS115 Unit 3: Fields of Psychology Comparison
- PS115 Unit 4: Library Research and APA Exercise
- PS115 Unit 5: Ethics Case Paper
- PS115 Unit 6: Seminar Reflection
- PS115 Unit 7: Career Research by Degree Level
- PS115 Unit 8: Skills Inventory
- PS115 Unit 9: Degree Map
- PS115 Unit 10: Degree and Career Plan
PS115 Unit 2 questions, answered
Can I change concentration later?
Usually, though changing late can add courses; check with an academic advisor.
What if no concentration fits my goal?
The general track keeps options open, and the paper can say so.
Does the paper need sources?
Yes, the catalog and a professional source on the career path.
Where can I find a free PS115 Unit 2 sample paper?
The complete PS115 Unit 2 exploration is on this page, weighing three psychology concentrations against a composite student's goal of addiction counseling.
Does a PS115 concentration paper need to mention licensing?
When the goal requires a license, yes; checking it is what reveals whether the bachelor's degree reaches the goal or begins the route.