Academic Standards & Requirements
Psychology Major Requirements
The psychology major consists of four categories of psychology courses, plus additional support courses offered by other departments as follows:
First Tier
Introductory courses are designed to provide students with their first exposure to the field of psychology, its methods, and its tools. It is recommended that students enroll in PSY 203R/PSY 204R in their sophomore year.
Second Tier
Foundation courses are designed to deepen students' understanding of issues, methods, and theories in several major subfields of psychology. These courses are to be taken after completing PSY101 or PSY320H.
Third Tier
Intermediate/Advanced courses build on foundation courses, examine specialized areas of psychology, and operate at a higher level of sophistication.
Fourth Tier
Independent courses in which students work at an advanced level, individually or in small groups, under the guidance of a faculty member. Students are expected to draw upon knowledge and skills gained in lower-tier courses, and apply that expertise to a specific issue or problem in psychology. These courses should be taken in the junior or senior year.
Internship in Psychology
Psychology majors who meet the GPA and credit hour requirements may choose to do an internship in psychology (PSY 520). The internship gives students an opportunity to apply psychology in community, institutional and business settings. Information about the internship program is available in the Psychology Department Office. PSY 520 may be applied to the fourth level of the psychology major with the permission of the department chairperson.
Support courses
These requirements are intended to provide students with relevant intellectual skills and strengthen the students' understanding of linkages between psychology and other fields. While support course requirements differ for the BA and BS programs, all students are required to take courses in ethics, logic, mathematics, and writing. Psychology majors must also satisfy the College's laboratory science requirement with a sequence of biology courses.