2024-25 Edition

Psychology, B.A.

NOTE: Students may complete either the B.A. in Psychology, the B.S. in Psychology, or the B.S. in Cognitive Sciences. You may not double major within the majors offered by the department. The courses in this major are designed to provide students with a strong foundation in general psychology. 

All students must meet the University Requirements.
All students must meet the School Requirements.
Departmental Requirements for the Major

School requirements must be met and must include 18 courses (70 units) as specified below:

A. Complete the following:
PSYCH 9A- 9B- 9C Psychology Fundamentals
and Psychology Fundamentals
and Psychology Fundamentals
B. Two introductory courses (eight units) in the social sciences selected from:
Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology
Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Introduction to Language and Culture
Introduction to Economics
Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to Political Science: Micropolitics
Introduction to Human Geography
Introduction to Sociology
Globalization
Social Problems
or one or two quarters of the following when topic is not psychology:
Honors: Critical Issues on the Social Sciences
and Honors: Critical Issues on the Social Sciences
and Honors: Critical Issues on the Social Sciences
C. A one-quarter course and laboratory in experimental psychology or research methods selected from the following:
Experimental Psychology
and Experimental Psychology Laboratory
Research Methods in Psychology
and Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory
Cognitive Robotics
and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory
NOTE: These courses have as prerequisites PSYCH 9A, PSYCH 9B, PSYCH 9C and one year of mathematics/statistics (see course listings). These prerequisites are strictly enforced. PSYCH 112A, PSYCH 112LA are the first quarter of a multi-quarter sequence that satisfies the upper-division writing requirement and allows students to plan and conduct research projects. Students taking these courses should plan to continue in them through at least the second quarter. Students who intend to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement in some other way should consider taking PSYCH 112D and PSYCH 112LD, PSYCH 112M and PSYCH 112LM, or PSYCH 112R and PSYCH 112LR to fulfill the laboratory requirement.
D. Select four upper-division Psychology core courses (16 units). These courses are designated with an ending number "0" and include the following:
Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology
History of Psychology
Personality Theories
Perception and Sensory Processes
Cognitive Science
Learning and Decision Making
Human Memory
Psychology of Language
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Brain Disorders and Behavior
E. Select seven additional courses (four or more units each) with emphasis in psychology, distributed as follows:
1. No more than one of the seven may be lower-division. PSYCH 7A may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
2. Three of the upper-division courses used to satisfy requirements D and E must be taken from one of the following modules: Psychology 110–119 (Research Methodologies), 120–129 (General Psychology), 130–139 (Perception and Sensory Processes), 140–149 and 150–159 (Learning and Cognition and Language Sciences combined), 160–169 (Cognitive Neuroscience), and 170–179 (Interdisciplinary Studies).
3. Certain courses offered in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Social Ecology may be used in partial satisfaction of this requirement. A total of three of these courses (12 units) may be used in this way with a maximum of two from either of these Schools.
Psychology and Social Behavior courses that do not overlap with Psychology courses may be used along with PSY BEH 193E (same as CRM/LAW C105) and BIO SCI D137, BIO SCI E174, BIO SCI N110, and BIO SCI N159.
4. No more than three of the courses (each of four or more units) may be numbered 190–199.

NOTE: Psychology majors are strongly encouraged to take BIO SCI 35 toward satisfaction of the science and technology portion of the general education requirement (category II). Furthermore, it is strongly recommended that students who intend to pursue post-baccalaureate work in psychology take the PSYCH 112A-PSYCH 112BW-PSYCH 112C sequence. Most psychology graduate programs require statistics (which, at UCI, may be satisfied by taking PSYCH 10A-PSYCH 10B-PSYCH 10C or SOC SCI 10A-SOC SCI 10B-SOC SCI 10C), but some require calculus (which, at UCI, may be satisfied by taking MATH 2A-MATH 2B).

General

Freshman
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 9APSYCH 9BPSYCH 9C
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
 SOC SCI 3AIntro. Soc. Sci. course
Sophomore
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 10APSYCH 10BPSYCH 10C
Psych. Core course1Psych. Core course1Psych. Core course1
Intro. Soc. Sci. courseGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
Junior
Fall Winter Spring
Psych. Core course1General EducationU-D Psych. course1
Module2Module2Module2
Experimental3ElectivesElectives
ElectivesU-D Psych. courseElectives
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
U-D Psych. courseU-D Psych. courseElectives
PSYCH 199PSYCH 199Electives
ElectivesElectivesElectives
ElectivesElectivesElectives
1

 Psychology core course, an upper-division course with the ending number “0.”

2

Select three courses from one module sequence: Psychology 110–119 (Research Methodologies), 120–129 (General Psychology), 130–139 (Perception and Sensory Processes), 140–149 and 150–159 (Learning and Cognition and Language Sciences combined), 160–169 (Cognitive Neuroscience), and 170–179 (Interdisciplinary Studies).
 

3

For Experimental course select one course and lab course: PSYCH 112A, PSYCH 112M, PSYCH 112R.
 

 Sample Program — Graduate School Track

Freshman
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 9APSYCH 9BPSYCH 9C
HUMAN 1AHUMAN 1BHUMAN 1C
HUMAN 1ASHUMAN 1BSHUMAN 1CS
MATH 2AMATH 2BSTATS 7
Sophomore
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 10APSYCH 10BPSYCH 10C
Psych. Core course1Psych. Core course1Psych. Core course1
Intro. Soc. Sci. courseIntro. Soc. Sci. courseGeneral Education
1 Computer Tech. courseGeneral EducationGeneral Education
  * Apply to honors in spring
Junior
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 112APSYCH 112BWPSYCH 112C
Psych. Core course1U-D Psych. courseU-D Psych. course
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 199PSYCH 199PSYCH H101C
ElectivesElectivesElectives
ElectivesElectivesElectives
ElectivesElectivesElectives
1

 Psychology core course, an upper-division course with the ending number “0.”
 

Sample Program — Transfer Psychology Track

Junior
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 10APSYCH 10BPSYCH 10C
1 Computer Tech. coursePsych. Core course1Psych. Core course1
Psych. Core course1U-D Psych. courseU-D Writing course
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
U-D Psych. courseU-D Psych. courseU-D Psych. course
Experimental2Psych. Core course1U-D Psych. course
U-D Psych. courseElectivesElectives
ElectivesElectivesElectives
1

 Psychology core course, an upper-division course with the ending number “0.”
 

2

For the Experimental course, select one course and lab course: PSYCH 112A, PSYCH 112M, PSYCH 112R.

Honors Program in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences

The Honors Program in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences is an advanced educational and research program for outstanding undergraduate students in these two majors.

The program emphasizes advanced competence in scientific research, and allows participants the opportunity to pursue advanced work in independent research, in addition to earning honors upon graduation. While the program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study or seeking challenging research experiences as a capstone to their undergraduate experience, all Psychology and Cognitive Sciences majors who meet the minimum eligibility requirements are welcome to apply.

The program has a limited number of openings and seeks to attract outstanding students who plan to undertake postgraduate education in some field of cognitive/psychological sciences.

Students with junior standing are required to identify a faculty advisor and a research project, and submit a formal application in spring quarter prior to the start of the senior year. To qualify for the honors program, the students must meet the GPA requirement (3.2 within their major), provide an analytical writing sample, and submit a one-page research plan. In addition, a letter of recommendation from a faculty advisor who agrees to oversee the proposed research must be provided.

Students who participate in the program are expected to enroll in the Honor Seminar series (COGS H101A-COGS H101B-COGS H101C/PSYCH H101A-PSYCH H101B-PSYCH H101C). Honors students must successfully complete a senior honors thesis and present their research as part of the course work.
 
The honors seminar series may be used to satisfy three of the courses required under requirement E (seven additional courses with an emphasis in psychology) of the B.A. in Psychology major, requirement G (four courses with an emphasis in psychology) of the B.S. in Psychology major, and under requirement E (upper-division core electives) of the B.S. in Cognitive Sciences major.
 
Sample Program - Honors in Cognitive Sciences
Freshman
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 9APSYCH 9BPSYCH 9C
MATH 2AMATH 2BScience course (C)
Science course (C)Science course (C)General Education
General EducationGeneral EducationElective
Sophomore
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 10APSYCH 10BPSYCH 10C
COGS 14PScience course (C)COGS 109
Science course (C)General EducationScience course (C)
General EducationCore course (D)General Education
Junior
Fall Winter Spring
Core course (D)Research Methods (B)Core course (D)
Core elective (E)Core elective (E)Core elective (E)
COGS 107COGS 106COGS 108
Research Methods (B)ElectiveElective
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
COGS H101ACOGS H101BCOGS H101C
Research Methods (B)ElectiveElective
Core elective (E)ElectiveElective
ElectiveElectiveElective
Sample Program - Honors in Psychology, B.S.
Freshman
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 9APSYCH 9BPSYCH 9C
LPS 31Science courseScience course
Science courseGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationElectiveElective
Sophomore
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 10APSYCH 10BPSYCH 10C
Computer Tech RequirementAdditional Science coursePsych Module
Additional Science courseGeneral EducationAdditional Science course
General EducationCore courseGeneral Education
Junior
Fall Winter Spring
Core courseResearch MethodsCore course
ElectiveCore coursePsych Module
Research MethodsPsych ModuleElective
ElectiveElectiveElective
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH H101APSYCH H101BPSYCH H101C
Research MethodsElectiveAdditional Psych Course
ElectiveElectiveElective
ElectiveElectiveElective
Sample Program - Honors in Psychology, B.A.
Freshman
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH 9APSYCH 9BPSYCH 9C
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
 SOC SCI 3AIntro. Soc. Sci. course
Sophomore
Fall Winter Spring
Intro. StatisticsIntro. StatisticsIntro. Statistics
Psych. Core coursePsych. Core coursePsych. Core course
Intro. Soc. Sci. courseGeneral EducationGeneral Education
General EducationGeneral EducationGeneral Education
Junior
Fall Winter Spring
Psych. Core courseGeneral EducationU-D Psych. course
Psych. ModulePsych. ModulePsych. Module
Research MethodsElectiveElective
ElectiveU-D Psych. courseElective
Senior
Fall Winter Spring
PSYCH H101APSYCH H101BPSYCH H101C
U-D Psych. courseU-D Psych. courseElective
ElectiveElectiveElective
ElectiveElectiveElective