Psychology Major
The psychology major provides a broad and rigorous base of knowledge and skills in the discipline while offering students freedom in shaping a program to suit their individual needs. The University requires 124 credits and 36 courses (of three or more credits) for graduation.
Our undergraduate program prioritizes critical, scientific thinking, teaching you to analyze psychological behavior and processes. We emphasize three primary goals in your undergraduate education:
- To prepare you for graduate study in psychology;
- To enable you to apply psychological skills and knowledge in psychology-related careers, and;
- To foster your understanding of complex human behavior as it is encountered in our personal and vocational lives.
Students officially begin the major with PSYC 1200 FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY, which offers an overview of the field and is a prerequisite for the majority of upper level psychology courses. Psychology majors gain expertise in research methods by studying PSYC 2000 STATISTICS and then PSYC 2010 RESEARCH METHODS LAB. Three content courses at the intermediate (2000) level provide majors with breadth through surveys of the knowledge about at least one basic process (e.g., learning, sensation and perception, cognition) and one complex process (e.g., abnormal, development, personality, social). Two courses at the advanced (3000) level offer students detailed and in-depth explorations of a variety of subject matters. The capstone course (level 4000) gives students an opportunity to integrate diverse areas of psychology or to interrelate psychology with other disciplines.
All students are required to take at least one laboratory course beyond Research Methods Lab, which provides hands-on learning and skills in data analysis and research report writing. In addition to the variety of alternatives offered in the requirements mentioned above, the psychology major allows students to pursue individual interests and goals by including one course at any level that the student chooses as a free elective. Finally, one advanced (3000), capstone (4000), or the Elective course must be a designated Diversity course.
A grade of C- or better is required for each course counted toward the major requirement.
Majors must complete 10 psychology courses. The requirements for the major are as follows:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1200 | FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
| PSYC 2000 | STATISTICS | 4 |
| PSYC 2010 | RESEARCH METHODS LAB | 5 |
| Select one Basic Process courses, numbered 2000-2599 | 4 to 5 | |
| Select one Complex Process courses, numbered 2600-2998 | 4 to 5 | |
| Select one additional 2000-level course | ||
| Select two courses numbered 3000-3998 | 8 to 10 | |
| Select one additional elective course numbered 2100-4995 | ||
| Select one capstone course numbered 4000-4995 | ||
Any course with the PSYC subject code in the appropriate numeric range may fulfill these requirements.
Content Laboratory requirement
This is not an additional course. One of the above courses must be a laboratory course, i.e., the title contains the word "Laboratory," and the course number (mostly) ends in 01.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 2201 | LEARNING LABORATORY 1 | 5 |
| PSYC 2301 | SENSATION AND PERCEPTION LAB | 5 |
| PSYC 2401 | MEMORY LABORATORY | 5 |
| PSYC 2501 | COGNITION LABORATORY 2 | 5 |
| PSYC 2601 | LAB IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 | 5 |
| 1 | PSYC 2201 LEARNING LABORATORY and PSYC 2200 LEARNING cannot both apply to the major. |
| 2 | PSYC 2501 COGNITION LABORATORY and PSYC 2500 COGNITION cannot both apply to the major. |
| 3 | PSYC 2601 LAB IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY and PSYC 2600 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY cannot both apply to the major. |
Diversity requirement
This is not an additional course. All students majoring in psychology must now take at least one course designated as a diversity course. Diversity courses are designated advanced (3000) or capstone (4000) courses that highlight aspects of individual and cultural diversity and the interpersonal challenges that often result from diversity and context; assist students in recognizing potential for prejudice and discrimination in oneself and others; and explore how psychology can promote civic, social, and global outcomes that benefit others.
The diversity course requirement may be fulfilled by an advanced, capstone, or free elective. The course is required of all incoming majors; we encourage all current majors to enroll in a diversity course.
Any of the following courses may count toward the Diversity requirement:
Courses in this group have the PSDV attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 3530 | PSYCHOLOGY OF SEX ROLES | 4 |
| PSYC 3600 | MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
| PSYC 3610 | GLOBAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGY (ADVANCED SOCIAL SCIENCE CORE/ GLOBALISM) | 4 |
| PSYC 3700 | HUMAN SEXUALITY | 4 |
| PSYC 3730 | MEN AND MASCULINITIES | 4 |
| PSYC 4310 | AGING AND SOCIETY | 4 |
| PSYC 4820 | COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY | 5 |
| PSYC 4920 | YOUTH, VALUES, AND SOCIETY | 4 |
Students must earn a grade of at least a C- for a psychology course to fulfill the requirements of the major.
Availability
The major in psychology is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, and Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies at Rose Hill, Lincoln Center, and Westchester.
Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.
Fordham College at Lincoln Center students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.
Professional and Continuing Studies students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the PCS Core Curriculum.