Degree Requirements

Psychology Majors

Students should select a psychology department faculty member as their primary or secondary advisor when they declare a major or minor in psychology.

Students may obtain either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Psychology at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### University.

Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology

The B.A. degree in Psychology requires the completion of ten courses in Psychology. Required courses for the B.A. include the following:

• Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the AP Psychology exam will receive credit toward graduation only. Psychology majors/minors (including those with an AP Psychology exam score of 4 or 5) must still complete PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### or an equivalent Introductory Psychology course that includes a rigorous laboratory. Majors/minors with transfer credit from another university (PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology) do not need to complete PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology. They may begin with PSYC 200 - Research Methods and Statistics or an elective. However, majors/minors with PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit who do not complete PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### must complete one additional Psychology elective.  PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology does not satisfy a Science (Y) GE. 
• Transfer Credit: Students may waive the PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology requirement with approved PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit from an Introductory Psychology transfer college or university course. Note, however, that PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology does not fulfill a Y (Science) GE and does not count toward the courses for the major/minor. Thus, students with PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit will need to complete one additional PSYC elective course to meet the required number of courses for the B.A. degree (see below for more information on Elective Courses). If a student with PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit elects to take PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· #########, the PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit will be forfeited.

• Two Combinations of Topical Psychology Course Plus Research Course (a Total of 4 Courses)

  • Research courses must be taken concurrently with their accompanying topical courses. The first topical/research course combination must be at the 200-level; the second topical/research course combination must be at the 300-level. Specific courses that fulfill the topical/research course combinations are listed below (these courses vary be semester):

  • 200-Level Topical/Research Course Combination Options

    Course List

    Code	Title
    PSYC 200 and successful completion of Citi Program's Research Ethics & Compliance are prerequisites for all 200-Level Topical/Research Course Combination Options.
    PSYC 210	Development in Infancy and Childhood
    PSYC 211	Research in Development in Infancy and Childhood
    PSYC 220	Social Psychology
    PSYC 221	Research in Social Psychology
    PSYC 230	Organizational Psychology
    PSYC 231	Research in Organizational Psychology
    PSYC 240	Theories of Personality
    PSYC 241	Research in Personality Psychology
    PSYC 245	Adolescence
    PSYC 246	Research in Adolescence
    PSYC 250	Abnormal Psychology
    PSYC 251	Research in Abnormal Psychology
    PSYC 265	Cultural Psychology
    PSYC 266	Research in Cultural Psychology
    PSYC 270	Health Psychology
    PSYC 271	Research in Health Psychology
    PSYC 290	Psychology of Thinking
    PSYC 291	Research in Psyc of Thinking

  • 300-Level Topical/Research Course Combination Options

    Course List

    Code	Title
    A 200-Level Topical/Research Course Combination and successful completion of the Citi Program's Research Ethics & Compliance training are prerequisites for all 300-Level Topical/Research Course Combination Options.
    PSYC 310	Research in Psychology of Learning
    PSYC 311	Research in Psychology of Learning
    PSYC 330	Cognitive Psychology
    PSYC 331	Research in Cognitive Psychology
    PSYC 340	Sensation and Perception
    PSYC 341	Research in Sensation and Perception
    PSYC 350	Biological Psychology
    PSYC 351	Research in Biological Psychology
    PSYC 355	Clinical Psychology
    PSYC 356	Research in Clinical Psychology
    PSYC 380	Nonverbal Behavior in Human Interactions
    PSYC 381	Research Nonverbal Behavior in Human Interactions
    PSYC 385	Adult Development and Aging
    PSYC 386	Research in Adult Development and Aging

• Two Psychology Elective Courses
  • These 2 courses must be chosen from Psychology course offerings at the 200, 300, or 400- level. PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology or PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit is usually the only prerequisite for PSYC elective courses.
• The following courses do NOT count toward the elective courses required for the major:

• Course List

  Code	Title
  PSYC 202	Field Experience in Psychology
  PSYC 361	Directed Study
  PSYC 362	Directed Study
  PSYC 363	Independent Study
  PSYC 364	Independent Study
  PSYC 451	Senior Research
  PSYC 452	Senior Research

• Transfer Courses & Off-Campus Study:
  • ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### University works to make study abroad possible for all students. The Psychology Department encourages students to study abroad during their junior year. A maximum of one elective Psychology course for the B.A. major can be fulfilled with transfer course credit from either an Off-Campus Study program or another U.S. college or university. For a transfer course to count toward this requirement for the major or minor, the transfer course must be equivalent to 3-4 credit hours in a Psychology course at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· #########, and must have been reviewed and approved, in advance, by the Psychology Department Chair. To request review of a potential transfer course, please submit to the Psychology Department Chair the Off-Campus Study transfer credit form along with a complete and current syllabus from the transfer course. Transfer and Off-Campus Study courses cannot be approved without a syllabus reviewed by the department chair.
  • Additional Psychology courses taken from an Off-Campus Study program will not count toward the Psychology major or minor, but may be eligible for credits toward graduation at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· #########.

  • Other Psychology courses taken from another U.S. college or university may not be eligible to fulfill course requirements for the Psychology major or minor at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· #########; eligibility decisions are made on a course-by-course basis by the Psychology Department at ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· #########.

  • Some ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### students studying abroad conduct independent research or internships as part of their study abroad experience. We encourage students to visit the Off-Campus Study office to explore options. Students who conduct human subjects research while abroad must follow the policies described on the University IRB website in My±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### at Campus Resources => Provost => Institutional Review Board (IRB) - for Research involving Human Participants, and then scroll down to "Off-Campus Study & Human Subjects Research."

• Students with PSYC 199 - Introductory Topics in Psychology credit will need to complete one additional PSYC elective course (for a total of 3 elective courses) to meet the required number of courses for the B.A. major (see section above on Introduction to Psychology for more information).
• One 300-level Psychology Seminar Course 

  Course List

  Code	Title
  PSYC 300	Seminars
  PSYC 301	Seminar: Psychology of Women
  One 200-level PSYC Research Course is a prerequisite for all PSYC seminar courses.
  PSYC seminars are open to students in their junior and senior years only.

   

  Course List

  Code	Title
  PSYC 401	Assessment Exam
  This zero-credit course is used to track each Psychology major's completion of the required departmental assessment exam. This course is required for students matriculating in and after fall 2019. It is optional for all other majors.
  PSYC 410	History and Systems of Psychology
  This course is open to students in their junior or senior year only.

The flexibility of the B.A. requirements places maximum responsibility upon the student to select a course of study most compatible with their future goals. For example, PSYC 370 - Advanced Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences is helpful for many upper-level courses and is required for admission into many graduate schools. PSYC 370 - Advanced Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences is a prerequisite or corequisite for PSYC 451 - Senior Research (fall) and PSYC 452 - Senior Research (spring).  Students contemplating graduate school are strongly encouraged to become involved in research activities in the department (e.g., Directed Study, Independent Study, Senior Research, Research Assistant, ±Ø²©ÓéÀÖ,±È²©ÓéÀÖÍøÖ· ######### Summer Science Scholars). Students interested in the intersection of biology and behavior may be attracted to the Neuroscience Concentration. Students interested in the application of psychology to organizations and businesses may be drawn to the Organizational Studies (OS) Program. All students are encouraged to work closely with their advisors in developing an appropriate set of career steps and program of courses in the major.

Requirements for the B.S. in Psychology

The B.S. degree in Psychology requires the completion of eleven courses in Psychology and four cognate courses from the Natural Sciences Division departments outside Psychology (excluding Astronomy and Neuroscience); Environmental Studies is not in the Natural Sciences Division. Required courses for the B.S. include the following:

• Four Cognate Courses in the Natural Sciences Division (Outside of PSYC)
  • This requirement may be fulfilled by taking two courses from two different departments or by taking all four courses from a single department.
  • Each of the four courses must be courses that meet the requirements for the major in that department. For purposes of the Psychology B.S. cognate requirements, Computer Science and Mathematics courses are considered as being from different departments.
  • Courses offered by disciplines without a major (e.g., Astronomy or Neuroscience) do not meet this cognate requirement. Courses from Environmental Studies and other Departments/Programs outside the Natural Sciences Division do not meet this cognate requirement.
  • Other details about the Psychology B.S. degree requirements appear in the B.A. Major sections above.

Psychology Minor

Students with a major in another department will find a minor in psychology to be a significant contribution to their education. To best complement the major area of study, students should carefully select those psychology courses that have the most direct relevance to that major. These choices should be made in consultation with a member of the psychology faculty.

A minor in psychology requires the completion of seven courses in Psychology. Required courses for the minor include the following: