Major Requirements
A Major in Psychology requires 35 credits which fit readily into most schedules, even with a late change of major. Most majors take additional courses in Psychology. Be careful, however, not to exceed the College's 48-hour rule, which mandates that no more than 48 credits in one major count toward a student's total 120 credits needed for graduation (although students may take more than 48 hours in the psychology department if they choose).
Please note that there are two separate degrees offered by the Psychology department: a B.A. and a B.S. degree. Students seeking a B.S. degree are required to complete the same courses as the B.A. students and three additional courses in computer science, mathematics, biology, chemistry, geology, or physics. This is in addition to satisfying the GER1 and GER2. The preferred science is Biology. A combined interdisciplinary degree in Neuroscience is also available, as described in the current Catalog.
Below is a breakdown of the psychology courses available for students to choose from, arranged into four sections. Electives as shown below are effective for majors declaring in Fall 2011 and later. Click on the name of a course to see a description.
Note: Requirements for the Psychology Major are determined by the course catalog that was in effect at the time you formally declared. Here is a summary (pdf).
1. Introductory Package (take all of these):
(Psyc 201 or 202 are prerequisites for all advanced courses)
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PSYC 201: Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science |
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1Statistics courses in other departments may not be substituted for PSYC 301. |
2. Electives:
A. Breadth requirement - Take at least two from each category
Social Science
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Natural SciencePSYC 311 Cognitive Psychology |
B. Depth requirement - Take at least two of theses
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PSYC 402 Exceptional Children ¹ |
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¹ At least 29 credits must be other than practicum courses (PSYC 402, 404 and 498) ² Up to 3 credit hours of Independent Study (PSYC 490 or 491) may be applied toward the advanced elective credits |
If you need help picking classes, see the suggested course groupings depending on your interest area, especially if you are double majoring or minoring in psychology or plan to go into another field.
3. Advanced Research (take one of these):
4. Other Electives (do not count towards the 35 credit requirement):
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PSYC 303 History and Systems of Psychology |
Credit Calculation
|
Credits |
PSYC 201 |
|
3 Credits |
PSYC 202 |
|
3 Credits |
PSYC 301 |
|
4 Credits |
PSYC 302 |
|
12 Credits |
4 Courses PSYC 310-320 |
|
6 Credits |
2 Courses PSYC 350-480 |
|
4 Credits |
1 Course PSYC 410-422 |
|
35 Credits |
Total |
New course numbers effective for Fall 2011 are reflected above.
The official description of the Psychology Major is available in the Course Catalog.
Download the Declaration of Major Form (pdf) from the Registrar's website and follow the instruction under Advising and Declaring a Major.