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 202 - Research in Psychology II 
  Note: Students may take both MATH 155 - Introduction to Statistical Modeling  and MATH 254 - Probability and Mathematical Statistics  in place of PSYC 201 . Students who plan to follow this path must consult with a member of the psychology department as soon as possible to ensure adequate preparation for PSYC 202 - 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.
  • Group A
    PSYC 240 - Principles of Learning and Behavior 
    PSYC 242 - Cognitive Psychology 
    PSYC 244 - Cognitive Neuroscience 
    PSYC 246 - Exploring Sensation and Perception 
    PSYC 248 - Behavioral Neuroscience  
  • Group B
    PSYC 250 - Developmental Psychology 
    PSYC 252 - Distress, Dysfunction, and Disorder: Perspectives on the DSM 
    PSYC 254 - Social Psychology 
    PSYC 256 - Personality Psychology  
  • Other Intermediate Courses
    PSYC 180 - Brain, Mind, and Behavior 
    PSYC 220 - Educational Psychology 
    PSYC 262 - Asian American Psychology 
    PSYC 264 - The Psychology of Gender 
    PSYC 266 - History of Psychology 
    PSYC 268 - The Psychology of Multiculturalism: Identity in Diverse Societies  

• PSYC 300 - Directed Research in Psych  
• Three upper level courses (courses numbered 301 or above). 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 266 - History of Psychology 
    PSYC 268 - The Psychology of Multiculturalism: Identity in Diverse Societies 
    PSYC 370 - Understanding and Confronting Racism 
    PSYC 379 - Cultural Psychology 
    PSYC 380 - Community Psychology and Public Health 
    PSYC 488 -African American Psychology
    PSYC 488 -Lives in Context
    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., Cultural Psychology fulfills both the UP³ requirement as well as the upper level course requirement).

• One other psychology course.

No more than one independent project, internship or preceptorship can count towards the major. The capstone requirement in psychology is satisfied by  PSYC 300 - Directed Research in Psych.

Due to the high degree of potential overlap between major plans in Psychology and Neuroscience Studies, students seeking to complete both majors must list, on each plan, at least four courses that do not appear on the other plan.