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 9A | PSYCH 9B | PSYCH 9C |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
SOC SCI 3A | Intro. Soc. Sci. course | |
Sophomore | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 10A | PSYCH 10B | PSYCH 10C |
Psych. Core course1 | Psych. Core course1 | Psych. Core course1 |
Intro. Soc. Sci. course | General Education | General Education |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
Junior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Psych. Core course1 | General Education | U-D Psych. course1 |
Module2 | Module2 | Module2 |
Experimental3 | Electives | Electives |
Electives | U-D Psych. course | Electives |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
U-D Psych. course | U-D Psych. course | Electives |
PSYCH 199 | PSYCH 199 | Electives |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
- 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 9A | PSYCH 9B | PSYCH 9C |
HUMAN 1A | HUMAN 1B | HUMAN 1C |
HUMAN 1AS | HUMAN 1BS | HUMAN 1CS |
MATH 2A | MATH 2B | STATS 7 |
Sophomore | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 10A | PSYCH 10B | PSYCH 10C |
Psych. Core course1 | Psych. Core course1 | Psych. Core course1 |
Intro. Soc. Sci. course | Intro. Soc. Sci. course | General Education |
1 Computer Tech. course | General Education | General Education |
* Apply to honors in spring | ||
Junior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 112A | PSYCH 112BW | PSYCH 112C |
Psych. Core course1 | U-D Psych. course | U-D Psych. course |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 199 | PSYCH 199 | PSYCH H101C |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
- 1
Psychology core course, an upper-division course with the ending number “0.”
Sample Program — Transfer Psychology Track
Junior | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 10A | PSYCH 10B | PSYCH 10C |
1 Computer Tech. course | Psych. Core course1 | Psych. Core course1 |
Psych. Core course1 | U-D Psych. course | U-D Writing course |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
U-D Psych. course | U-D Psych. course | U-D Psych. course |
Experimental2 | Psych. Core course1 | U-D Psych. course |
U-D Psych. course | Electives | Electives |
Electives | Electives | Electives |
- 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.
Sample Program - Honors in Cognitive Sciences
Freshman | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 9A | PSYCH 9B | PSYCH 9C |
MATH 2A | MATH 2B | Science course (C) |
Science course (C) | Science course (C) | General Education |
General Education | General Education | Elective |
Sophomore | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 10A | PSYCH 10B | PSYCH 10C |
COGS 14P | Science course (C) | COGS 109 |
Science course (C) | General Education | Science course (C) |
General Education | Core 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 107 | COGS 106 | COGS 108 |
Research Methods (B) | Elective | Elective |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
COGS H101A | COGS H101B | COGS H101C |
Research Methods (B) | Elective | Elective |
Core elective (E) | Elective | Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
Sample Program - Honors in Psychology, B.S.
Freshman | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 9A | PSYCH 9B | PSYCH 9C |
LPS 31 | Science course | Science course |
Science course | General Education | General Education |
General Education | Elective | Elective |
Sophomore | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 10A | PSYCH 10B | PSYCH 10C |
Computer Tech Requirement | Additional Science course | Psych Module |
Additional Science course | General Education | Additional Science course |
General Education | Core course | General Education |
Junior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Core course | Research Methods | Core course |
Elective | Core course | Psych Module |
Research Methods | Psych Module | Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH H101A | PSYCH H101B | PSYCH H101C |
Research Methods | Elective | Additional Psych Course |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
Sample Program - Honors in Psychology, B.A.
Freshman | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH 9A | PSYCH 9B | PSYCH 9C |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
SOC SCI 3A | Intro. Soc. Sci. course | |
Sophomore | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Intro. Statistics | Intro. Statistics | Intro. Statistics |
Psych. Core course | Psych. Core course | Psych. Core course |
Intro. Soc. Sci. course | General Education | General Education |
General Education | General Education | General Education |
Junior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
Psych. Core course | General Education | U-D Psych. course |
Psych. Module | Psych. Module | Psych. Module |
Research Methods | Elective | Elective |
Elective | U-D Psych. course | Elective |
Senior | ||
Fall | Winter | Spring |
PSYCH H101A | PSYCH H101B | PSYCH H101C |
U-D Psych. course | U-D Psych. course | Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |