Psychology Major

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Department of Psychology and Philosophy

The General Education Requirement

All students must satisfy a general education requirement consisting of ten (10) courses outside of the major department. The General Education Domain III-B (Perspectives on the Contemporary World) requirement is satisfied through the completion of the Psychology major.

Course Prerequisites

Courses may have specified conditions for enrollment, such as prior completion of less advanced courses, permission of the instructor, or appropriate placement test scores. PSYC 101 General Psychology or PSYC 200 Psychology of Development is a prerequisite for all other psychology courses except where otherwise noted. Students should refer to course descriptions in the department listings for prerequisite requirements.

Grade Recommendations

The Psychology Department requires that all Psychology majors achieve a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in PSYC 101 General Psychology before enrolling in PSYC 291 Research I: Descriptive and Correlational Methods. The Department also requires that all Psychology majors achieve a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in the mathematics requirement (MATH 117 Introduction to Statistics) before enrolling in PSYC 291 Research I: Descriptive and Correlational Methods.

Majors must also achieve a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in PSYC 291 Research I: Descriptive and Correlational Methods before being permitted to enroll in PSYC 391 Research II: Quasi-Experimental and Experimental Research Methods. The two sequential  courses provide the essential foundation for subsequent psychology courses, and a basic grasp of the concepts introduced in these courses is critical.

Finally, a minimum grade of C- (1.7) is required in each of the two (2) capstone courses that the student selects from PSYC 450 Empirical Research Thesis in Psychology, PSYC 460 History and Systems of Psychology, PSYC 480 Psychology Seminar, PSYC 495 Internship in Psychology. 

Requirements for Major in Psychology

Core Department Courses (5):

• PSYC 101 General Psychology 
• PSYC 291 Research I: Descriptive and Correlational Research Methods
• PSYC 391 Research II: Quasi-Experimental and Experimental Research Methods

Two (2) of the following four (4) 400-level Capstone courses:

• PSYC 450 Empirical Research Thesis in Psychology
• PSYC 460 History and Systems in Psychology
• PSYC 480 Psychology Seminar
• PSYC 495 Internship in Psychology

Required Major-related core courses (3):

• BIOL 142 Introduction to Human Biology
  or CHEM 131 Science - Environment and Health
• MATH 117 Introduction to Statistics
• PHIL 102 Introduction to Ethics: Why Be Moral?
  or PHIL 105 Introduction to Political and Social Philosophy
  or PHIL 118 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

^{Each of these major-related core courses also may be used to meet general education requirements.}

Concentration in General Psychology (UPSG)

Seven (7) Psychology Courses:

Domain Courses (4):
All Psychology majors are required to complete one (1) course in each of the following four (4) domains of psychological knowledge:

Biological Domain

  Choose one (1) of the following:

• PSYC 225 Biopsychology
• PSCY 245 Health Psychology
• PSYC 280 Sensation and Perception

Developmental Domain

   Choose one (1) of the following:

• PSYC 201 Child Development
• PSYC 212 Adolescent Development       
• PSYC 231 Adult Development

Learning and Cognition Domain

   Choose one (1) of the following:

• PSYC 271 Principle of Behavior Modification
• PSYC 236 Psychology of Learning
• PSYC 263 Cognitive Psychology

Sociocultural Domain

   Choose one (1) of the following:

• PSYC 215 Personality Psychology
• PSYC 224 Social Psychology
• PSYC 259 Cultural Psychology
• PSYC 286 Psychology of Women

Upper-Level Electives (3):

• All majors will complete three (3) additional upper-level Psychology courses (i.e., 300- and/or 400-level). The choice of upper-level courses is up to the student. It is recommended that students consult with their advisors in the selection of upper-level course options.

Psychology majors who are also Coordinate Majors in Education

Coordinate majors in Education who major in Psychology must take PSYC 200 Psychology of Development, a course required for provisional teaching certification.

Psychology majors who do not complete the Coordinate Major in Education or a Secondary Education Minor may use PSYC 200 Psychology of Development as a psychology elective. Any student in this situation will also need to complete PSYC 101 General Psychology if graduating as a Psychology major.

^{Effective as of the 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog}