Psychology Major and Minor Fact Sheet

Faculty: Bob Batsell, Karyn Boatwright, Péter Erdí, Gary Gregg, Bob Grossman, Jessica Parks, and Siu-Lan Tan

Requirements for major: Nine units. Only one unit of a Psychology SIP may count toward the nine. Required courses: PSYC 101 (General Psychology), PSYC 390 (Experimental Methods) and two 400 level courses.

Required Cognate: MATH 105 (Quantitative Reasoning & Statistical Analysis), MATH 260 (Applied Statistics), or SOAN 212 (Quantitative Analysis & Statistical Reasoning) at C- or better. MATH 260 is strongly recommended for those considering graduate study.

Lower-level Psychology Courses: Most of these courses have General Psychology as a prerequisite. See the catalog for additional or alternative requirements for specific courses.

PSYC 101 General Psychology
PSYC 201 Health Psychology
PSYC 205 Sports Psychology
PSYC 210 Developmental Psychology +
PSYC 225 Race/Ethnicity and Class
PSYC 250 Social Psychology +
PSYC 265 Cognitive Science
PSYC 270 Feminist Psychology of Women
PSYC 280 Cognition +
PSYC 285 Psychology of Music
PSYC 290 Ethology with Lab

Upper-level Psychology Courses: These courses have more prerequisites. See the catalog for the specific requirements for each course.

PSYC 310 Organizational Behavior
PSYC 330 Psychology of Prejudice
PSYC 340 Cultural Psychology
PSYC 370 Abnormal Psychology +
PSYC 390 Experimental Methods with Lab +
PSYC 410 Theories of Personality +
PSYC 415 Computational Neuroscience
PSYC 420 Learning +
PSYC 425 Physiological Psychology +
PSYC 430 Interviewing and Narrative Analysis
PSYC 440 Clinical Psychology Methods
PSYC 450 Counseling Psychology: Theory & Practice
PSYC 460 Social Development
PSYC 470 History & Systems of Psychology +

Comprehensive Examination: All majors and minors must take the E.T.S. Major Field Test early in the Spring quarter. The Department assigns grades of "Pass," "Fail," and "Pass with Distinction." This exam is passed by attaining a score above the 50th percentile of national norms (35th percentile for minors). Students who score below this level will take a written test prepared by the department. “Pass with Distinction” will be given to students who reach the 90th percentile on the E.T.S. examination and who also perform well on an oral examination administered by the Department.

Senior Individualized Project: See the Departmental handouts on S.I.P.s in Psychology.

Departmental Honors in Psychology: See the Departmental handout "Honors and Prizes in Psychology."

+Content from these courses has been featured prominently in recent Psychology Comprehensive Exams.

Recommendations for the major:

1. MATH 105 or MATH 260 or SOAN 212 (at C- or better) is prerequisite for PSYC 390 (Experimental Methods). The department strongly recommends MATH 260 if you are considering graduate school.

2. Freshman year: Take General Psychology, and then one or two other lower-level Psychology courses if you are interested. Don't rush to complete your Psychology major course requirements; you will learn more and get better grades in Psychology courses taken as a junior or senior. Don't specialize; sample all the areas of Psychology.

3. Sophomore year: Take one Psychology course each quarter to explore your interest and develop some competencies in the field. Take courses from different instructors. Try to get a variety of content and different perspectives on Psychology. There are many career development internships that will help you to explore your interests in Psychology. If you are planning a double major with Psychology, you will find that a Psychology minor is a better choice, even if you wind up in a Psychology-related field. Note: if you are planning a 9-month study abroad, you should take statistics and PSYC 390 this year. Be sure to consult a departmental advisor about your sophomore year and major plans.

4. Junior year: Begin planning your SIP and take courses to get background for your SIP. You must take PSYC 390 (Experimental Methods) prior to your SIP, in your junior Spring quarter. If you are planning to take the GRE exam, consider taking PSYC 470 (History & Systems of Psychology) to help prepare.

5. Senior year: Finish your SIP and take one or two Psychology courses each quarter. Be sure to finish your upper level courses. If you plan to work after graduation, then you may wish to take courses outside the major that will help you get a job in your area of interest. Being a Teaching Assistant for PSYC 400 in the fall or winter will give you a chance to review material for the comprehensive exam.

Requirements for a Psychology Minor

Minors must complete six units and also pass the Psychology comprehensive exam (at the 35th percentile). There are two minors in Psychology, minor in Psychology and biopsychology.

Psychology Minor (Students may not major in HDSR and minor in Psychology.)
1. PSYC 101 General Psychology and 5 other Psychology courses, excluding PSYC 390 (Experimental Methods) and PSYC 440 (Clinical Psychology Methods). Check on prerequisites for each course.

Biopsychology Minor
1. PSYC 101 (General Psychology)
2. PSYC 425 (Physiological Psychology with Lab)
3. Four additional Psychology courses including at least three of the following:
PSYC 420 (Learning), 210 (Developmental Psychology), 265 (Cognitive Science), 290 (Ethology with Lab), 280 (Cognition), 390 (Experimental Methods).