The program in psychology was constructed with the idea that all students, regardless of major, will have to solve significant psychological problems in their relations with others, at home and at work, in their personal decisions, and in their efforts to understand the problems and processes of society. The program serves students intending to do professional work in the field; liberal arts majors who are interested in psychology as part of a liberal arts education; and students of other social sciences or in a professional field such as business, education, or medicine.

The department recommends that freshmen not enroll in psychology courses unless they have a B average (3.00 GPA) or above in high school.

The major in psychology requires a minimum of 56 credits of course work. Students must complete the required courses in statistics before taking any 400-level course or any course with statistics as a prerequisite.

Because the field of psychology is varied and complex, students majoring in psychology will need guidance. All students majoring in psychology, especially those who are considering graduate work in psychology, are encouraged to plan their program with an advisor from the Department of Psychology no later than the beginning of their first term of junior standing.

Requirements for a Major

All courses taken to satisfy the requirements for a major in psychology, including the mandatory statistics courses, must be passed with a grade of C- or above.

Courses taken under the undifferentiated grading option (pass/no pass) will not be accepted toward fulfilling departmental major requirements.

In addition to meeting the general university degree requirements, the student majoring in psychology must meet the following requirements in the Department of Psychology:

All psychology majors are encouraged to begin their work in statistics as soon as possible in preparation for Psy 321, which is a prerequisite for many of the upper-division courses. Besides taking courses in a range of subjects in psychology, majors are also encouraged to take courses in human biology, philosophy of science and disciplines that provide a variety of perspectives and contexts for understanding human behavior.

Students considering graduate work in psychology should be especially well prepared in mathematics and should take experimental psychology (Psy 454). They should consider participating in research with a faculty member. They are encouraged to develop breadth by pursuing interests in diverse fields outside psychology before beginning the greater specialization of graduate work.