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General Advice To Majors/Minors
The following advice is general; it is not meant as a substitute for individual advising by a student's advisor. What we hope to do here is to set out some broad guidelines that will help you plan your program of study in psychology. Although these guidelines are intended mainly for use by psychology majors, they might be helpful to psychology minors as well. We will touch upon your program of study in psychology as well as your broader education in light of the general degree requirements. This page contains advise for the Freshman & Sophomore years, as well as, the Junior & Senior years.
Freshman & Sophomore years
The first two years should be used to complete some of the basic general degree requirements as well as the first courses in psychology.
Courses in English (3 to 6 credits), Communication (2 credits) and Mathematics (2 to 3 credits for B.A.; 6 credits for a B.S.), should be completed in this period. In addition to these, courses in the Natural Sciences (6 to 10 credits for B.A.; 12 to 15 credits for B.S.), History (6 for B.A.; 3 credits for B.S.), and the Humanities and Social Sciences (18 credits: 9 in the Humanities, 6 in the Social Sciences and 3 in either, for the B.A.; and 6 in the Humanities, 6 in the Social Sciences and 6 in either, for the B.S.) should also be taken. Note that there is an 8-credit requirement for Foreign Language for the B.A. but not for the B.S. There are test-out procedures for the English, Communication, Mathematics and Foreign Language requirements; see the University Catalog. The choice of individual courses in the various areas should be worked out with your advisor. You also need to have 6 credits in Writing Emphasis courses (marked with a W in the timetable); 3 credits are obtained through PSY389-Experimental Psychology which is a writing emphasis course, and the remaining 3 must be obtained in a course outside your major. There is also a 3 credit requirement in Wellness, and another 3 credit requirement in Environmental Literacy.
In psychology, the first course, PSY110-Introduction to Psychology, should be taken as soon as possible, followed by several 200 level courses.
When selecting courses in areas outside psychology two things need to be considered. The first is how well-suited a particular course is for you, in terms of its place in a broad, liberal arts education. The second is how appropriate a particular course is in terms of its relevance to your psychology major or the particular field of psychology in which you are interested. For instance, a person interested in experimental psychology may want to take several natural science courses with laboratory work. Likewise, a person interested in clinical psychology may consider taking courses in communication, political science, and sociology.
You may also want to start thinking about a minor, or even another major (for a double major). If so, you should consider how courses in the various disciplines might contribute toward a minor or a second major.
Some courses (e.g., Communication 101) might be difficult to get into at this early stage -- you should not worry about this, but plan to take it later. Do not put this course off for too long, however, since it is almost a certainty that later in life you will be expected to give oral presentations and several upper division psychology courses require them.
The end of your sophomore year or the beginning of your junior year is a good time to declare yourself a candidate for the psychology major, if you have not already done so.
Junior & Senior Years
During the Junior and Senior years you should complete 300 and 400 level courses in various disciplines (within the framework of the general degree requirements) as well as in psychology. Note that there is a "40 credit rule" which states that at least 40 credits must be earned in courses numbered 300 or above, in order to graduate.
Note also that there are particular requirements for the psychology major, as well as for the Human Services Emphasis within the major (see Program Requirements). If you have not already taken it, make sure that PSY300-Statistics is one of the first courses you take during this period. It is important to take this course early since it is the first in a sequence of three courses. The second in the sequence is PSY389-Experimental Psychology which must be taken prior to enrolling in PSY400-Advanced Experimental Psychology or PSY452-History, Systems, & Contemporary Issues.
The practicum courses, PSY402/602-Counseling & Psychotherapy and PSY482/682-Behavior Modification, which are required for the Human Services Emphasis, are limited to graduating seniors due to low enrollment limits and relatively high demand. If you intend to enroll in either of these courses, PSY402/602 or 482/682, you must see the department Program Assistant in your junior year to reserve a space in the practicum(s) for your senior year.
The junior and senior years are a good time to begin thinking about the area
of psychology in which you wish to specialize, particularly if you plan to
go on to graduate school. You should also start planning, early in your senior
year, for job placement or graduate school. See Career
Info.