Psychology Major

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The psychology major is designed for students who desire to learn the fundamentals of behavioral science within the context of a traditional liberal arts education. Students receive a comprehensive exposure to the foundations of psychological theory and application, and are introduced to laboratory and field research. The psychology major prepares students for a wide variety of professional and business careers, and it provides the necessary foundation for graduate study in psychology or related disciplines.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
respect and use critical thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to understanding human behavior and psychological processes.
understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
apply psychological theory, methodology and findings to develop a greater understanding of the whole person, as an individual and as a member of a large community, society, and culture.
will be able to communicate psychological information effectively in a variety of formats.
recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.

Major Requirements (48 Units)

Foundational (20 Units - 5 Courses)

Usually taken freshman and sophomore years.

Breadth (12 Units - 3 Courses)

Complete 3 courses from the following:

Diversity (4 Units - 1 Course)

Complete 1 course from the following:

Electives (8 Units - 2 Courses)

Upper-division offerings in Psychology, 300-level or above.

Advanced Research Methods (4 Units - 1 Course)

Note:

Students must obtain at least a “C” grade in each required course in the major. Students may retake no more than one course applied towards the Psychology major.