Advising
Each upper-division (junior/senior) psychology student is assigned to a faculty academic advisor. They may also see any other faculty advisor on a space available basis, as well as Psychology’s professional academic advisor.
Each lower-division (first-year/sophomore) psychology student is assigned to a professional academic advisor.
Students may access advising during advisors’ office hours either by appointment or on a space available basis. See the Advising Center website and the Psychology Department website for detailed advisor assignment and office hours information.
Advising is especially important before graduation and registration deadlines.
To make the most of their education, students are encouraged to consult the Psychology Department website, which has extensive career information and links to graduate schools and programs. Students are encouraged to do their own research on graduate opportunities and prerequisites.
Lower-Division Advising:
During the first two years at SSU, psychology students take the lower-division major requirements (PSY 250, PSY 280, and MATH 165 or another approved statistics course) and lower-division GE courses. Students should meet with their assigned professional academic advisor regularly, including no later than the second semester of their sophomore year to begin planning their upper-division coursework.
Transfer Advising:
Transfer students must attend transfer orientation and then meet with a psychology faculty advisor during their first semester. Please note that PSY 300 (Psychology of Well-Being) is the only required core course that must be taken at SSU. We advise students to complete PSY 300 their first year at SSU.
Research Assistantships
The Psychology Department strongly recommends research assistant work for those students planning to go on to graduate education in psychology at the master’s or doctoral levels. Many university graduate programs require students to have experience in conducting psychological research, as well as in analyzing data and writing up the results. In order to find out more about these research opportunities, students should consult with individual faculty members who are mentoring students in faculty research projects. Research assistants typically register for PSY 481, Research Internship (C/NC). A maxiumum of 8 Credit/No Credit units may count toward the psychology major’s 40 units.
Degree Requirements
See the “Degree Requirements ” in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.
General Education Requirements (43 units)
See the “General Education ” requirements in the University Catalog for information on General Education requirements. Some major requirements may double count for GE requirements.
Major Requirements
The Psychology major consists of 40 units in the major, plus a 3-4-unit course in statistics. Many psychology majors take more than 40 units in psychology and/or add a second major or a minor in another discipline. Students are encouraged to expand their knowledge of diversity issues with coursework within the department and the university.
In addition to statistics, no more than 7 units in the major may be lower-division psychology units (PSY 250 and PSY 280 or their equivalents). At least 33 units must be upper-division psychology courses (SSU courses numbered 300 or higher). All courses for the major must be taken for a grade if this is offered, and must be passed with a grade of C- or higher. A maximum of 8 units taken Credit/No Credit may be counted toward the major—this includes research internship and special studies courses. Psychology GE courses (PSY 250 and PSY 325) count toward both the major and GE requirements.
Psychology majors meet GWAR through the successful completion of PSY 300 with a grade of C- or better.
Units
Total units in GE: 43
Total Major units: 40 (including 3 units GE overlap)
Total Support Course units: 3
Total units in university electives: 40
Total units required for graduation: 120
Return to: