Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
As prerequisites for acceptance into the B.A. in Psychology, students must complete the following as a "Pre-psychology major." Upon completion of the requirements, the student's major will be changed automatically from "Pre-psychology" to "Psychology" status. Following formal entrance to the Psychology major, students may proceed with PSYC 3311 and the following upper-division courses meeting requirements in the major: PSYC 3355, PSYC 3357, PSYC 3359, PSYC 3360, PSYC 3362, PSYC 3363, PSYC 3364, PSYC 3377, or PSYC 3386, along with the 4000-level culminating experience courses. Students enrolled in a Pre-psychology course will be allowed to enroll in PSYC 3311 for the following semester with the understanding that all Pre-psychology requirements will be completed successfully by the start of that semester. Prior to completing the prerequisites that comprise the Pre-psychology major, students who have completed PSYC 1100 may enroll in select upper division Psychology courses, the exceptions being noted above.
There are two formal concentrations within the Psychology B.A..These are Biological Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology. In declaring a major, students have three options. They can select General Psychology (no formal concentration), Biological Psychology, or Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
Through regular advising and the guidance of our faculty, students who opt for the General Psychology degree will be able to create an individualized plan including an informal concentration in any of a number of subareas within psychology such as clinical/counseling psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and experimental psychology.
Requirements to enter the B.A. in Psychology
| General Education Basic Skills in English (A1) (3) | 3 | |
| General Education Basic Skills in Mathematics (B4) (3) | 3 | |
| Psychology Courses (15) | ||
| PSYC 1100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 1101 | Psychology as a Major | 2 |
| PSYC 2210 | Psychological Statistics | 4 |
| PSYC 2220 | Brain and Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 2211 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 3 |
| Total Units | 21 | |
Students may earn no grade lower than a “C” (2.0) in each of these courses. In addition, students must have a GPA of 2.5 in the Pre-psychology major and an overall University GPA of 2.25.
Students are encouraged to complete PSYC 1101 early in the curriculum. Students should complete PSYC 3311 by the end of their junior year.
Requirements (49-50 units)
Total units required for graduation: 120
Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology
| Required Courses for the Psychology B.A. (25-26) | ||
| PSYC 1100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 1101 | Psychology as a Major | 2 |
| PSYC 2210 | Psychological Statistics | 4 |
| PSYC 2211 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 3 |
| PSYC 2220 | Brain and Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 3311 | Research Methods in Psychology | 4 |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Social Psychology | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Advanced Culminating Experience (3-4 units) (includes Writing Designation) | 3-4 | |
Students select a course in consultation with a Psychology Department advisor | ||
| Concentration (24) | ||
| Students must complete the requirements of one of the concentrations listed below. | 24 | |
| Total Units | 49-50 | |
Students enrolling in the Psychology Honors Program during their senior year will take PSYC 5597 and PSYC 5598 in addition to the above requirements.
Concentrations (24 units)
General Psychology Concentration (24 units)
(Program Code: PSYC)
| PSYC 2201 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYC 3324 | Developmental Psychobiology | |
| Students may substitute PSYC 2240 for this requirement. Students may only apply one of PSYC 2201 or PSYC 2240 to the Psychology major. | ||
| PSYC 3360 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYC 3364 | Perception | |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Learning and Motivation | ||
| Biological Psychology | ||
| Six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Industrial Psychology | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Tests and Measurements | ||
| Introduction to Psychotherapy | ||
| Upper Division Psychology Electives | 9 | |
| Students intending to apply to doctoral programs in psychology are encouraged to take the following courses: PSYC 3357, PSYC 3377, PSYC 4410, PSYC 5953. | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
For the General Psychology Concentration, the Advanced Culminating Experience requirement is typically met by choosing a course from either the Advanced Experimental Psychology Option (PSYC 4431, PSYC 4432, PSYC 4433, PSYC 4434, PSYC 4435, PSYC 4436, PSYC 4437, or PSYC 4438) or the Advanced Seminar in Psychology Option (PSYC 4421, PSYC 4422, PSYC 4423, PSYC 4424, PSYC 4425, PSYC 4426, PSYC 4427, or PSYC 4428).
Biological Psychology Concentration (24 units)
(Program Code: PBIO)
Biological psychology represents a course of study focusing on the neurological and physiological bases of human behavior. You will study such things as the brain processes implicated in various psychological disorders, the neurological basis of addiction, and the specific ways in which psychotropic drugs influence the brain and behavior.
| PSYC 3363 | Biological Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 4442 | Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Industrial Psychology | ||
| Personality Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
or PSYC 2240 | Introduction to Child Development | |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Perception | ||
| Foundations of Biopsychology | ||
| Six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Learning and Motivation | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Introduction to Psychopharmacology | ||
| Upper-division Biopsychology Electives | ||
| Six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Health Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychobiology | ||
| Drugs and Behavior | ||
| Methods in Human Neuroscience | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Learning and Motivation | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
| Neuropsychiatric Disorders | ||
| Advanced Psychological Statistics | ||
| Advanced Seminar in Psychology: Biological | ||
| Advanced Seminar in Psychology: Learning and Motivation | ||
| Introduction to Psychopharmacology | ||
| Current Methods in Neuroscience | ||
| Neural Mechanisms of Learning and Memory | ||
| Neural Substrates of Psychiatric Disorders | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
For the Biological Psychology concentration, the Advanced Culminating Experience requirement is typically satisfied by taking either PSYC 4433 (Experimental Psychology: Biological) or PSYC 4436 (Experimental Psychology: Learning and Motivation).
Students intending to apply to doctoral programs in biopsychology are encouraged to take appropriate course work in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology Concentration (24 units)
(Program Code: PYIO)
Industrial/Organizational Psychology concerns the psychology of the workplace. I/O psychologists are concerned with personnel selection, gender equity in work settings, understanding and improving relations between employer and employee, program evaluation, employee mental health, and many other issues regarding the interface between psychology and business.
| PSYC 3354 | Organizational Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 3355 | Industrial Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 3377 | Tests and Measurements | 3 |
| Six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Learning and Motivation | ||
| Biological Psychology | ||
| Perception | ||
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Developmental Psychology (may substitute PSYC 2240 for PSYC 2201 with department consent) | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Personality Psychology | ||
| A minimum of six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination | ||
| Advanced Psychological Statistics | ||
| Diversity, Work, and Family | ||
| Occupational Health Psychology | ||
| Work Across the Lifespan | ||
| Internship | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
For the Industrial-Organizational Psychology concentration, the Advanced Culminating Experience requirement is typically satisfied by taking either PSYC 4428 (Advanced Seminar in IO Psychology) or PSYC 4438 (Experimental Psychology: Industrial and Organizational).