Psychology Major | Psychology Minor

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:

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.