Major Requirements & Roadmap

Welcome to the Psychology Major Roadmap. This page is designed to help you understand the Psychology curriculum, plan your coursework, and explore what you'll learn throughout the major. Whether you're a newly declared major, a transfer student, or preparing to graduate, this page brings together the major requirements, recommended sequencing of courses, and the most recent course syllabi in one place.

Students who complete the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology develop knowledge and skills in five core areas:

  • Knowledge of psychological science
  • Scientific inquiry and critical thinking
  • Ethical and socially responsible decision making
  • Written and oral communication
  • Professional development and career readiness

Roadmap Tutorial:

We strongly encourage students to begin planning their major early. The roadmap below represents one recommended pathway that allows many students to complete the Psychology major within two years after declaring the major. Individual schedules may vary based on transfer coursework, prerequisites, internships, study abroad, work schedules, and personal interests. Start your planning by watching our roadmap tutorial and filling in our roadmap worksheet.

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PSY Major Roadmap

 

2-year Scheduling Guide:

The schedule below represents one recommended pathway through the Psychology major. Many students successfully complete the major within two years after declaring Psychology by following a schedule similar to this. Summer and Winter Session offerings vary from year to year and should be viewed as opportunities to accelerate progress rather than required components of the roadmap.
 

  Psychology Core Courses Psychology Area Courses Psychology Elective Courses Total Psychology Units
Fall Junior Year: 4 units (PSY 371, PSY 303) 6 units (Area 2, Area 3) 0 units 10 units
Spring Junior Year: 3 units (PSY 400) 6 units (Area 1, Area 2) 0 units 9 units
Fall Senior Year: 4 units (PSY 305, PSY 690) 3 units (Area 1) 3 units (Elective or Any Area) 10 units
Spring Senior Year: 0 units 3 units (Area 3) 6 units (Elective or Any Area) 9 units

Psychology Curriculum & Course Syllabi

Below is an overview of the Psychology curriculum. Each course title links to the most recent syllabus available. Course syllabi can help you learn about:

  • Course topics
  • Learning outcomes
  • Assignments
  • Grading expectations
  • Required textbooks
  • Prerequisites
  • Weekly course schedule

Because instructors regularly update readings, assignments, and course materials, syllabi may change from semester to semester. Students should always consult the current Class Schedule when registering, since not every course is offered every semester.

Degree Requirements

The Psychology major requires a minimum of 41 units. Students must complete:

  • All 14 units of Core Requirements
  • At least 6 units from each of the three Topic Areas
  • Additional Topic Area and/or Elective courses to reach the required 41 units
Core Requirements (must earn a C or better in each)
Complete all six core courses .These courses provide the statistical, research, writing, and professional foundations for the Psychology major.
Course Title Units
PSY 200 General Psychology 3
PSY 303 Psychology: The Major and the Profession (online)         1
PSY 305GW Writing in Psychology - GWAR 3
PSY 371 Psychological Statistics 3
PSY 400 Introduction to Research in Psychology 3
PSY 690 Future Direction for Psychology Majors (online; PSY303 is a prerequisite) 1
Topic Area 1 - Basic Psychological Processes (6 units required)
Explore the biological, cognitive, and learning processes that underlie human behavior. Courses examine topics such as cognition, memory, perception, learning, neuroscience, language, motivation, and artificial intelligence.
Course Title Units
PSY 432             Cognitive Development: Language, Thinking & Perception 3
PSY 490 Introduction to Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Psychology 3
PSY 491 Learning 3
PSY 492 Perception 3
PSY 493 Motivation 3
PSY 494 Cognitive Psychology 3
PSY 495 Human Memory 3
PSY 498 Cognitive Neuroscience: Psychological Models 3
PSY 531 Psycholinguistics 3
PSY 581 Physiological Psychology I 3
PSY 582 Physiological Psychology II 3
Topic Area 2 - Psychological Development & Individual Differences (6 units required)
Study how people develop across the lifespan and how individuals differ in personality, health, and psychological functioning. Courses include developmental psychology, personality, clinical psychology, health psychology, gender development, and psychopathology.
Course Title Units
PSY 430            Adolescent Psychology 3
PSY 431  Developmental Psychology 3
PSY 433 Social, Emotional, & Personality Development 3
PSY 435 Developmental Psychopathology 3
PSY 436 The Development of Femaleness and Maleness 4
PSY 442 Health Psychology 3
PSY 451 Theories of Personality 3
PSY 452 Clinical Psychopathology 3
PSY 521 Introduction to Clinical Psychology 3
Topic Area 3 - Social, Cultural, Organizational, & Community Contexts (6 units required)
Examine how people think, feel, and behave within groups, organizations, communities, and cultures. Courses include social psychology, community psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, human factors, legal psychology, family psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and psychology of social justice.
Course Title Units
PSY 440             Social Psychology 3
PSY 441 The Psychology of the Family 3
PSY 455 Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Psychology 3
PSY 456 Psychology Human Sexual Behavior 3
PSY 461 Introduction to Industrial / Organizational Psychology 3
PSY 462 Personnel Psychology 3
PSY 463 Human Factors  3
PSY 464 Psychology of Career Pursuit (online) 3
PSY 465 The Psychology of Work Life Stress 3
PSY 466 Training and Development in Organizations 3
PSY 472 Introduction to Legal Psychology 3
PSY 474 Psychology of Social Justice 3
PSY 475 Psychology of Policing 3
PSY 525 Community Psychology 3
PSY 540 Decision Making: A Perspective from Social Psychology 3
PSY 547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution 3
PSY 558 /
PSY 559		 Field Services Seminar (2 units)
Psychological Field Service (1 to 3 units)		 3 to 5
PSY 645 Group Processes 3
Electives - Extracurricular Learning & Current Issues (9 units required)
Elective courses allow students to deepen their interests, develop specialized knowledge, and gain additional experiences beyond the required curriculum. Topics include leadership, happiness, sexuality, death and dying, teaching psychology, independent study, senior projects, advanced statistics, and other emerging areas.
Course Title Units
PSY 300 Current Issues in Psychology 3
PSY 320 / 
SXS 320		 Sex and Relationships 3
PSY 330 Child Development 3
PSY 443 The Science of Happiness 3
PSY 450 Variation in Human Sexuality 3
PSY 453 The Psychology of Death and Dying 3
PSY 571 Intermediate Statistics 3
PSY 601 Theoretical Backgrounds in Psychology      3
PSY 668 The Psychology of Leadership 3
PSY 680 Peer Advising in Psychology 3
PSY 685 Projects in the Teaching of Psychology 3
PSY 693 Proseminar I 3
PSY 694 Proseminar II 3
PSY 697 Senior Project Preparation 3
PSY 698 Senior Project in Psychology 3
PSY 699 Independent Study 1 to 4