Requirements for the Major

New requirements for the Psychology major take effect in the Fall of 2002.  We strongly encourage existing majors to consider meeting the requirements of the new major. (The old major can be viewed here.)

Go here for information about doing a thesis with a Psychology Department professor.

All Psychology majors must take a total of 9 courses in Psychology, including:

• An Introductory Psychology class: either
• Psychology 101: Introduction to Psychology, or
• Psychology 102: Introduction to Scientific Psychology
• Psychology 204 (Research Design and Analysis I)
• Psychology 206 (Research Design and Analysis II) 
• Three courses selected from Lists 1 and 2 below, distributed as follows:
  • At least one course from each column, and
  • At least two courses at the 300 level.
• Psychology 396 (History and Philosophy of Psychology)

List 1:

• Developmental Psychology (PSY 251, 351)
• Social Psychology (PSY 236, 336)
• Abnormal Psychology (PSY 265)
• Personality Theory (PSY 267)

List 2:

• Learning (PSY 245)
• Perception (PSY 243)
• Neuroscience I (PSY 241, NEUR 241)
• Cognitive Psychology (PSY 378)
• Research in Behavioral Neuroscience (PSY 348)

Courses in Lists 1 and 2 represent basic content areas in psychology, and each is well represented in the psychology GRE.  These courses can be offered as lecture-based or laboratory-based courses.  Lecture-based courses are taught at the 200 level and have only one pre-requisite (PSY 101 or 102); lab-based courses are taught at the 300 level and have at least three pre-requisites (PSY 101 [or 102], 204, & 206); some 300-level lab-based courses also require the 200-level course in the area as a pre-requisite.  Cognitive and Physiological will most often be offered as lab-based courses, and Abnormal and Personality will most often be offered as lecture-based courses.

Other Psychology Courses:

• Health Psychology (PSY 230)
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 246)
• Language (PSY 260)
• Human Sexuality (PSY 272)
• Selected Topics (PSY 289, 389)
• Assessment (PSY 304)
• Counseling (PSY 380)
• Neuropsychopharmacology (PSY 390)
• Practicum (PSY 398, 399)
• Seminar (PSY 401, 402)
• Directed Study (PSY 411, 412)
• Senior Research Seminar (PSY 416)

Majors are required to take psychology courses for numerical grades, except those courses offered only on a credit/no credit basis.

Majors are required to participate in the department's assessment activities.

Majors are strongly encouraged to participate in the psychology practicum and/or directed study program during their junior and senior years.

Minor (revised Fall 2007)

Psychology minors (including students in the secondary education program) will take the following courses:

• An introductory psychology course (PSY 101)
• PSY 204 (Research Design and Analysis I)
• One course from List 1 above.
• One course from List 2 above.
• One additional course in psychology