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 (A3) (3)3
Psychology Courses (15)
PSYC 1100Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 1101Psychology as a Major 2
PSYC 2210Psychological Statistics4
PSYC 2220Brain and Behavior3
PSYC 2211Introduction to Psychological Research3
Total Units21

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 1100Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 1101Psychology as a Major 2
PSYC 2210Psychological Statistics4
PSYC 2211Introduction to Psychological Research3
PSYC 2220Brain and Behavior3
PSYC 3311Research Methods in Psychology4
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 Units49-50

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 2201Developmental Psychology3
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 3360Cognitive Psychology3
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 Electives9
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 Units24

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 4422PSYC 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 3363Biological Psychology3
PSYC 4442Behavioral Neuroscience3
Three units chosen from:3
Industrial Psychology
Personality Psychology
Developmental Psychology
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 Units24

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 3354Organizational Psychology3
PSYC 3355Industrial Psychology3
PSYC 3377Tests and Measurements3
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 Units24

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).