Majors and Minors

General Distribution Requirement

All courses in psychology count toward the general distribution requirement in social science except PSYC 172 or those that are largely biological (PSYC 180, PSYC 244, PSYC 246, PSYC 248, PSYC 385, PSYC 450) or topical (PSYC 194, PSYC 294, PSYC 394, PSYC 494) or are independent projects, internships or preceptorships. PSYC 180, PSYC 244, PSYC 246, PSYC 248, PSYC 385 and PSYC 450 count toward the mathematics and natural science requirement.

General Education Requirements

Courses that meet the general education requirements in writing, quantitative thinking, internationalism and U.S. identities and differences will be posted on the Registrar's web page in advance of registration for each semester.

Additional information regarding the general distribution requirement and the general education requirements can be found in the graduation requirements section of this catalog.

Honors Program

The psychology major participates in the honors program. Eligibility requirements, application procedures and specific project expectations for the department are available from either the department office or the Academic Programs and Advising Office.

Further Preparation

Students concentrating in psychology, particularly those considering graduate work in psychology or related fields, may wish to take courses in the social sciences, biology, mathematics, neuroscience, and philosophy. Members of the department can help students decide which courses best meet their academic and vocational interests.

Topics Courses

PSYC 194, PSYC 294, PSYC 394, PSYC 494

Topics courses change annually with course descriptions available at the time of registration. The course description will give the prerequisites and whether the course will count toward the Group A, Group B, or Underrepresented Populations, Paradigms, and Perspectives (UP³) major requirements. (4 credits)

Independent Study

The department offers independent study options in the form of tutorials, independent projects, internships, and preceptorships. For more information contact the department and review the Curriculum section of the catalog.

Psychology Major

Major Requirements

The major in psychology consists of eleven courses. The distribution of courses presented for a major should conform to the following pattern:

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology
Note: Students can earn credit equivalent to PSYC 100 by scoring a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in Psychology, by scoring a 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate higher level Psychology exam, or by submitting qualifying GCE A-Level grades. Students who do so are still required to take 11 courses for the major.
PSYC 201 - Research in Psychology I and PSYC 301 - Research in Psychology II
Three other courses at the intermediate level, at least one of which must be from Group A and at least one of which must be from Group B.
Three upper level courses (300-level courses, not including PSYC 301). A 4-credit independent study, internship, or preceptorship may also fulfill one of the upper level course requirements with prior departmental permission.
One course from the Underrepresented Populations, Paradigms, and Perspectives (UP³⁾requirement. UP³ courses have as their central theme one or more of the following: a focus on historically underrepresented perspectives, paradigms, or populations in psychology; a critical lens on issues of power and privilege in the field; an analysis of the implications of exclusion or marginalization in the field of psychology or on psychological experience.
- UP³ Courses:
  PSYC 264 - The Psychology of Gender
  PSYC 350 - Race in Developing Lives
  PSYC 364 - Lives in Context: Psychology and Social Structure
  PSYC 368 - Psychology of/and Disability
  PSYC 380 - Community Psychology and Public Health
  
  This requirement may be met at any level of the curriculum, and courses that fulfill this requirement may also satisfy other requirements for the major (e.g., Race in Developing Lives fulfills both the UP³ requirement as well as the upper level course requirement). Topics courses that are offered occasionally may sometimes fulfill the UP³ requirement.
One course approved to satisfy the capstone requirement in psychology

PSYC 401 - Directed Research in Psych
PSYC 402 - Clinical Science Capstone
PSYC 450 - Research in Hemisphere Asymmetries

Note: Occasionally, other courses in psychology may be offered that satisfy the capstone requirement (with prior departmental permission).

One other psychology course.

No more than one independent project, internship or preceptorship can count towards the major.

Psychology Minor

Minor Requirements

The minor in psychology consists of six courses. Students must complete the introductory course PSYC 100*, a statistics or research methods course (STAT 155, MATH 354 or PSYC 201), and four additional courses beyond the introductory level, selected in consultation with a member of the department. At least one of these courses must be an intermediate course from Group A or Group B (see the catalog description for the psychology major for a list of these courses), and at least one must be an upper level course (numbered greater than 301). Independent projects, internships and preceptorships may be included in the minor only with departmental permission.

*Students can earn credit equivalent to PSYC 100 by scoring a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in Psychology; by scoring a 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher-Level exam; or by submitting qualifying GCE A-Level grades. Students who do so are still required to take 6 courses for the minor; i.e., a statistics or research methods courses and five additional courses beyond the introductory level, selected in consultation with a member of the department.

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