Major in Psychology

This program requires completion of forty-eight (48) units in Psychology.

Required courses (20 units; usually taken during Freshman and Sophomore years):

• PSYC - 101 General Psychology
• PSYC - 260 Psychological Statistics
• PSYC - 265 Research Design
• PSYC - 270 Biological Psychology
• RCOM - 301 Writing in Psychology

Students must also select one of the following courses:

• PSYC - 301 Diversity Issues in Psychology
• PSYC - 305 Psychology of Ethnic Groups in the United States
• PSYC - 307 Cross-Cultural Psychology
• PSYC - 317 Asian American Psychology
• PSYC - 335 Psychology of Gender

Three of the following breadth courses:

• PSYC - 310 Social Psychology
• PSYC - 312 Child Development
• PSYC - 313 Abnormal Psychology
• PSYC - 318 Theories of Personality
• PSYC - 319 Learning, Memory and Cognition

One of the following experimental courses:

• PSYC - 380 Sensation and Perception (Lab)
• PSYC - 381 Experimental Developmental Psychology (Lab)
• PSYC - 382 Experimental Social Psychology (Lab)
• PSYC - 383 Cognition (Lab)
• PSYC - 386 Tests and Measurement (Lab)

Eight (8) units of upper division electives in Psychology.

Students must obtain at least a "C" grade in each required course in the major.

Learning Goals/Outcomes for the B.A. in Psychology

Students who complete the B.A. in Psychology will be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to think scientifically about human behavior and psychological processes and to differentiate conclusions based on evidence from those based on speculation or personal belief.
• Evaluate research methods and designs, to distinguish observations from conclusion.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the breadth of psychology, including different areas of psychology, such as the social, abnormal, developmental, personality, and cognitive areas, and different approaches to the study of psychology, such as biological, interpersonal, and sociological approaches.
• Show respect and appreciation for human diversity.
• Interpret the ethical practice of scientific inquiry and apply a consideration of ethical issues and values, both within and beyond the discipline, to their daily lives.
• Speak and write effectively, both generally and in the language of the discipline.
• Research, review, and critically analyze a current topic in psychology.