Major & Minor Requirements

The Department of Psychology offers both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree in psychology in addition to an interdisciplinary major in cognitive science. There is also an interdisciplinary concentration in neuroscience.

The Psychology Major

Note: The grade point average of the department-specific and related-area coursework comprising the major must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.7).

For the Bachelor of Arts degree

10 units, including

PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychological Science
PSYC 200 Methods and Analyses
PSYC 299 Integrated Topics
One course from PSYC 310-329
One course from PSYC 330-349
One additional course from PSYC 310-349
One course in the 433-449 series
Three electives at the 300 or 400 level

For the Bachelor of Science degree

14 units, including

PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychological Science
PSYC 200 Methods and Analyses
PSYC 299 Integrated Topics
One course from PSYC 310-329
One course from PSYC 330-349
One additional course from PSYC 310-349
One course in the 433-449 series
Three electives at the 300 or 400 level
MATH 211 or 231 Calculus I
MATH 212 or 232 Calculus II
One unit, chosen from MATH 235 Multivariate Calculus MATH 245 Linear Algebra MATH 312 Differential Equations CMSC 150 Introduction to Computing CMSC 155 Introduction to Scientific Computing
One unit, chosen from BIOL 201 Genetics CHEM 141 Introductory Chemistry: Structure, Dynamics and Synthesis PHYS 127-128 General Physics I and II PHYS 131-132 General Physics with Calculus I and II

For both degrees

Note: No more than one unit of Psychology 299 may be applied to the 10 units required in psychology. No more than one unit of internship and two units of Psychology 361 may be applied to the major.

The Senior Capstone Experience

The department's senior capstone experience is intended to provide psychology majors with an intensive and integrative experience in psychology to culminate their undergraduate careers.

Students pursuing either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree must choose one of three Senior Capstone options:

Option 1 Advanced seminar. One course in the Psychology 433-449 series to be taken during the fall or spring semester of the student's senior year.
Option 2 Senior research and one advanced seminar. One course in the Psychology 433-449 series to be taken during the fall or spring semester of the student's senior year, and collaboration with a faculty member on a year-long senior research project in 461 and 462 courses.
Option 3 Senior honors research and two advanced seminars. One course in the Psychology 433-449 series to be taken during the fall semester of the student's senior year, a second course from this series to be taken during spring of the senior year, and collaboration with a faculty member on a year-long senior honors research project in 491 and 492 courses.

The Psychology Minor

Note: The grade point average of the coursework comprising the minor must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.7).

7 units, including

PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychological Science
PSYC 200 Methods and Analyses
PSYC 299 Integrated Topics
One course from PSYC 310-329
One course from PSYC 330-349
One additional course from PSYC 310-349
One elective at the 300 or 400 level