The Curriculum
Overview
The curriculum in psychology is designed to give each psychology major and minor a basic appreciation of the concepts and findings of psychology. It provides an understanding of the research techniques used by psychologists, and research experience as both a participant and an experimenter. Advanced courses provide an opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of the field.
The undergraduate program begins with a 100-level course introducing students to the field of psychology. This course helps prospective psychology majors and minors understand the wide variety of subspecialties within the field. As part of this course, students participate in a number of actual experiments, getting first-hand experience with psychological research.
Following this first course, students advance to 200- and 300-level courses. All students majoring or minoring in psychology take courses in both the social/personality/clinical psychology area and the neuroscience/cognition area. Courses in statistics and research design are also required, which are prerequisites for some 300-level courses. Many psychology students participate in 399-Independent Study and 397-Advanced Supervised Research. Juniors and seniors can use these courses to study a specific topic in greater depth than would be possible in our regular courses, or to become actively involved in original research with one of our faculty members.
Major in Psychology
Requirements for a major in psychology include:
- Psych 110-Introduction to Psychology
- Psych 201-Statistical Methods in Psychology
- Psych 205-Research Methods
Plus seven additional 200- or 300-level courses in psychology, which must fulfill the following requirements:
- at least two courses from the social/personality/clinical category
- at least two courses from the neuroscience/cognition category
- at least three courses must be at the 300-level
- at least one course must be an upper-level research course
In addition, all psychology majors must take five related courses. These must include:
- two courses in mathematics at the 200-level or higher
- three courses from a list of eligible courses in mathematics, computer science, statistics, and natural sciences.
See the undergraduate catalog or the department for details on requirements for the major.
Minor in Psychology
Requirements for the minor in psychology include:
- Psych 110-Introduction to Psychology
- Psych 201-Statistical Methods in Psychology
- Psych 205-Research Methods
Plus four additional 200- or 300-level courses in psychology, which must fulfill the following requirements:
- at least one course from the social/personality/clinical category
- at least one course from the neuroscience/cognition category
- at least two courses must be at the 300-level
See the undergraduate catalog or the department for details on requirements for the minor.
Honors Program in Psychology
Each spring quarter a few juniors with superior academic records are invited to participate in the senior honors program during the following year. Honors students attend special seminars and carry out a year-long research project under the direction of a faculty member. Completion of the program usually leads to graduation with departmental honors in psychology.
