Major in Psychology (12 Courses)

• Although 12 courses are required for the major, students may take up to 14 psychology courses.
• Students may begin to explore the major by taking PSY 101, which is a prerequisite to some research courses (PSY 225, PSY 390) and some cornerstone courses (PSY 250, PSY 251, PSY 252).
• If students have completed or earned a course equivalent for PSY 101 they should begin to explore the major by taking any cornerstone course without a prerequisite in the fall of their first year (PSY 210, PSY 290, PSY 216, PSY 240, PSY 253).
• At least one course from each cornerstone is offered every semester, and more than one cornerstone course can be taken at the same time.
• Students must complete PSY 224 before taking PSY 225 We recommend students take these research focused courses in consecutive semesters, unless they study abroad. PSY 225 is a prerequisite to PSY 390 and PSY 391, which may be taken as upper-level electives.
• If students are thinking about the neuroscience of human behavior concentration, but are not sure yet, they should take PSY 251 Introduction to Brain and Behavior in their sophomore year and should take BIO 160 in their first or second year.
• If students are thinking about the neuroscience major with a psychology pathway, they should consult the psychology department chairperson as soon as possible, and must enroll in BIO 160 during the first year.
• Capstone Seminar courses allow students to go into greater depth in various areas of psychology and have at least one cornerstone course prerequisite (most capstone seminars are offered either in the fall or the spring and students need to plan ahead).
• PSY 301 Internship in Psychology is only offered in the spring semester. Students are encouraged to take this course in the spring of the junior year, if possible, to help guide career planning for entering the workforce or graduate school. There is mandatory internship planning that takes place in the Fall semester prior to the Internship course. Students in the Mental Health or Child and Adolescent Development concentrations are required to take PSY 301 Internship.
• In consultation with a faculty mentor, students may take independent study (PSY 399) to gain more research experience in the field.
• ABA courses count as elective courses in the psychology major (PSY 253 is a prerequisite to all ABA courses).
• To maintain the academic integrity of the major, transfer courses are approved under strict conditions. Students should consult with the department chair before registering for courses outside the day school of Assumption University.

To What Careers Does a Major in Psychology Lead? 

The websites of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science offer a wealth of information about the current state of the field and career paths.

Current topics:

• http://www.apa.org/topics/index.aspx
• https://www.psychologicalscience.org/topics/research-topics 

Career paths:

• http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/index.aspx 

Learn more about ABA:

• https://www.abainternational.org/about-us/behavior-analysis.aspx
• https://www.bacb.com/about-behavior-analysis/ 

Join the psychology club or follow us on Facebook and Twitter:

• https://twitter.com/AssumptionUPsy
• https://www.facebook.com/AssumptionUMAPsychology/