To fulfill the requirements of the psychology major, you must take at least eleven courses. Four out of the eleven courses are required of all students, and the remaining seven courses can be selected from the rest of the available classes. The credit value of the courses in psychology varies, so be sure to keep close track of how the psychology course credits contribute to your overall graduation requirements.
All psychology majors must take the following four courses:
PS 101 General Psychology
PS 213 Psychological Statistics
PS 215 Research Methods
PS 401 History and Systems of Psychology
Please note that you must obtain a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in each of the above courses in order to take the next course in the sequence and in order to remain a psychology major. In other words, you must earn a "C" or better in General Psychology to take Research Methods I. You must then earn a "C" or better in Research Methods I to take Research Methods II, and so on.
Psychology majors also must choose at least two courses from the following four:
PS 25O Social Psychology
PS 252 Psychological Development of Children
PS 254 Adolescent & Adult Development
PS 256 Abnormal Psychology
And at least one course must be taken from these three:
PS 270 Cognitive Psychology
PS 272 Psychology of Learning
PS 274 Physiological Psychology
At least three 300-level courses must be taken:
PS 301 Psychology of Religion
PS 303 Organizational Behavior
PS 304 Gender Issues
PS 305 Ethical Issues in Psychology
PS 307 Behavior Modification
PS 310 Drugs and Behavior
PS 312 Perception
PS 321 Psychological Assessment
Finally, one 400-level course, in addition to PS 401History of Psychology, must be taken:
PS 406 Senior Research (fall semester)
PS 408 Senior Research (spring semester)
PS 416 Advanced Topics: Mind and Body
PS 416 Advanced Topics: Intelligence
PS 416 Advanced Topics: The Self
PS 416 Advanced Topics: Thinking and Reasoning
PS 450 Practicum I: Interpersonal Skills
PS 460 Practicum II: Working in the Mental Health System
A description of each of these courses and their prerequisites can be found in the 2002-2003 college catalogue. Pay particular attention to the prerequisites of each course. It is important to be aware that admittance into courses is not automatic. Instead, all courses beyond General Psychology require that you have a particular background of courses, and in some cases a course may require you to obtain the instructor's permissions and/or have maintained a certain GPA level. For example, admittance into PS 450 Practicum I: Interpersonal Skills requires that you be a senior who has taken PS 213, PS 215, and PS 225, and who has maintained a GPA of 3.0 in the major.