Psych Major
101
Everything you’ve always wanted to
know about your undergraduate degree
and more!
Proudly Presented by
Psychology Peer Advising
Agenda
•Welcome
•Who’s who in the Department
•Getting involved
•On Campus resources
•BA in Psych
•Understanding your Degree
•GE Requirements
•New Polices
•Goals
•Funding
•Q& A
Welcome to the Psychology
Department!
We are impacted….that means we
have more students than space
available.
What does that mean to me?
You must apply to the major/minor
Our students: Over 1500 OF THEM!
• Majors
• Minor
• Pre-Majors (less than 60 units only)
Who’s Who
• Dr. Green
Department Chair
• Dr. Kelemen
Assistant Chair
Who’s Who
• Amy Jennings
Undergraduate
Advisor
• Diandra Rodriguez
Receptionist
Peer Advising!
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Questions, concerns, advising appointments
SRR (PSY 301, course syllabi)
GRR
CRR
The Peer Advisers!
Handouts
Videos
And more!
Psychology Building
1st Floor
 Psy 100 Main Office
Forms, add/drop, withdraw
nd
2
Floor
 Psy 206 Peer Advising
Major/Minor apps, PSY 301, Syllabi
 3rd Floor
 Psy 314
Psy Student Lounge (Coming in Fall)
Getting Involved
Student Orgs:
• PSA – open to all (PSY 101)
• Psi Chi – GPA Psych 3.4, Overall 3.0
• BPSA – speakers and events
• COR- mentoring in research
• Peer Advising – working with other
students for the department, major advising
Volunteer
Opportunities
Psych Related:
• PSY 499 – Research
• PSY 405 – Fieldwork
• 406’s – Activity
• CRR (inside Peer Advising)
• Psych Day – Community Fair 10-12
On Campus:
• SLD
• ASI
Research
Opportunities
How can Research Experience help me?
• Provides an opportunity to better understand the field of
Psychology & how knowledge is acquired.
• Helps you to see what an academic-research career is like.
• Allows a chance to see if research is enjoyable, which is
important in deciding if a research based graduate program
is the right choice for you.
• Provides an opportunity to meet other dedicated students,
which is the beginning of a networking system in academia.
• Helps you to know at least one faculty member in greater
depth, resulting in personal advising & support in applying to
grad school.
• Joint authorship on publications and conference
presentations, adding to your background experience as an
undergraduate student (VITA!).
• May lead to independent study units (PSY 499) or possibly
a small stipend!
Research
Opportunities
What do I need? Academic qualifications
Minimum:
• Completion of Psy 210
• Completion of Psy 220
Preferred:
• Completion of Psy 310
• Several upper division
Psychology courses
• At least one upper
division course in
faculty research area
• Computer skills
Ideal:
• All of the above
• plus Psy 411 and/or
412.
• Enthusiasm
• Reliability
• Punctuality
• Honesty
Research
Opportunities
What would I do?
Most often:
• Data collection
• data encoding
• data analysis
• literature reviews
• animal care
• computer data entry
• interviewing
• running subjects
• running statistical programs
On Campus
Resources
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Peer Advising (Psy 206)
Academic Advising (Horn Center 103)
CDC – job & internship info
CAPS – free counseling & help with stress
Learning Assistance Center– free tutoring
Learning Alliance – extra help
Library – tons of resources (including PsycInfo!)
Writer’s Resource Lab– free help w/ writing
Your Degree from
CSULB!
Bachelors of Arts
in Psychology
• Psych Major Checksheet
• List of all Courses
• Ethnic Studies/General
Supporting Fields
• Need total of 120 units to
graduate from CSULB
• 53 units out of the 120 are
Psychology units
For Freshman
• Take PSY 100 ASAP
(if you haven’t already done so)
• Take courses in Order
– 100, 210, 220, 241, etc for LD
• Be careful of PreReqs!
• Apply for Major as soon as
you can 
• Avoid PSY 130 & 150
see double count limit….
Understanding
your Degree
Catalog year:
The year you enter CSULB, start
taking courses(for transfer
students), or declare a
major/minor.
A contract between you & CSULB
(good thing!) – you can only be held
to the requirements of the catalog
year you started at CSULB or
declared your major/minor.
Understanding
your Degree
Double Counting:
• CSULB policy is that courses taken
in your major may not be used to
satisfy GEs.
• Major courses housed in other
departments (Psych’s Supporting
Fields) can be used for both GE &
major requirements.
• If the course appears on the list
of approved GE courses.
(see handout)
Understanding
your Degree
Double Counting- Limit 10 units
• Only receive unit credit once for
the course(s) taken.
Exceptions
(Do NOT count towards limit):
• All interdisciplinary ("I“)
• All Human Diversity (HD)
• Capstone courses
Applying to the
Major
• Need PSY 100, 210, & 220 completed
with a C or better.
• An overall GPA of 2.25 with 60 units
completed or 3.0 with at least 36 units
finished.
• Applications in Peer Advising (PSY 206)
• Must attach all transcripts from classes
that do not appear in your MyCSULB
degree progress report.
• 400 Level courses are for majors only.
You may take all other course while your
application is in progress.
General Education
Requirements
• A minimum of 51 units to satisfy your
GE requirement
• Of those 51 you include:
 Need 3 Capstones (9 units total)
 Need 1 Human Diversity (3 units total)
 Need 1 Global Issues (3 units total)
+53 units from Psy major
= approximately 120 units
Advising Plan
• Talk to GE counselor & Psych Peer
Advising (PSY 206) every semester!
■ Remember to:
 Declare a major before you reach 60
units
 Check and clear holds on MYCSULB
 Find your enrollment appointment on
MYCSULB
 Attempt WPE before 65 units
 Submit transcripts from other
schools to Enrollment Services
New Fall 2009 Policies
Repeat Delete = Grade Forgiveness
To ensure that students make timely
progress toward their degrees,
CSULB will begin limiting the number
of times that students can withdraw
from or repeat courses, based on
maximums established by the CSU
Chancellor’s Office.
New Fall 2009 Policies
Disqualification
• Academic disqualification means dismissal
from CSULB and is the result of not
maintaining good academic standing.
• The University expects all undergraduate
students to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point
average (GPA) in all classes taken at CSULB
and in all transferable courses from other
colleges and universities.
• Academic probation at CSULB results when
students' grades fall below the 2.0 GPA in
either the CSULB cumulative GPA (all courses
at CSULB), or in the overall cumulative GPA
(all transferable college courses, including
CSULB work).
Fall 2009 Policies
All undergraduates will be
limited to 18 units of
withdrawals & 28 units of
repeats of which a maximum of
16 may be for grade
forgiveness (first attempt does
not count toward the GPA).
This applies to all students!
New Fall 2009 Policies
Check with Academic Advising
(Horn Center Room 103) if you think
this might apply to you!
Once disqualified, students will be
considered eligible for
reinstatement if they have:
• Remained out of CSULB for 1 regular
semester
• Raised their grade point deficiency
by one half – can take classes at CC or OU
• Raised their GPA
• Made progress toward their degree
New Fall 2009 Policies
Students are subject to academic
disqualification at the end of the
first semester on academic probation
if they have GPAs below the four (4)
minimum cumulative (CUM) GPAs as
follows:
Freshman (<30 units)
Sophomore (30-59 units)
Junior (60-89 units)
Senior (90+ units)
1.5 GPA
1.7 GPA
1.85 GPA
1.95 GPA
Your Future
• Job after your BA?
Resumes, interviews, job
searches…where to start?
• Graduate School?
MSW, MFT, MSIO, PhD, PsyD,
MD…. what does it all mean???
PSY 301
Helps with all that
and more!
•Must take 301 your 1st semester
in the Major
•Don’t wait, only need PSY 100 to
take it…
•Hybrid class on BB & workshops on
Campus
Job with a BA
Courses to consider:
• PSY 332,333,341,336,342
• 310,314,315
• 401,405,406,411,412,418,427,475
Start now:
• Internships ~ references, resume
• Part time work in area
• Networking
• Build resume ~ Student orgs/activities
• Get involved ~ references, resume
Grad School
Courses to consider:
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PSY 332,333,341
351,356
310,314,315
401,405,406,411,412, research lab courses
SW, EDP, W/ST
Start now:
• Internships/Applied Experience
• Research!!! ~ LOR
• Networking ~ LOR
• Build Vita ~ Student orgs/activities
• Get involved ~ LOR
Funding
•FASFA
•Scholarships
•Fellowships
•Grants
•Loans
Be Aware!
Know your
Options 
Peer Advising Contact
Information
Different ways to contact us:
 Visit us in Psy 206
 Email: psyugadv@csulb.edu
 Website:
www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departm
ents/psychology/peer_advising/
 Call us: 526-985-5680
New Psychology
Department
Website
Download Psych Major Handbook
ASAP!
Save
the
Date
th
28
April
Psych Day!
Check for:
•Forms
•Handouts
•Events
•Updates
•Contact Info
•Equivalents
Thank you!
Any Questions