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Major Guide
(Fall 12 Admits, Rev 04/15)
Proceeding Through the Psychology Program
Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office
http://www.psychology.sdsu.edu/advising/advising.htm
LS-105 (619) 594-5412 Open 12 Months
psyadvising@psychology.sdsu.edu
Most Common Mistake = Taking Too Many Units. You need to take 15 units a semester to graduate in four
years, but we suggest you take no more than four regular classes during your first semester, and fill out your program
with 1-unit electives. That way you can concentrate on good grades.
Freshmen and Sophomores
No more than seven units of psychology per semester. Concentrate on GE.
Next Most Common Mistake = Failing To Drop a Class Officially. To drop a class at SDSU you must do so
officially. If you just stop attending you will receive an F or a WU, equivalent to an F.
During the first 15 days of the semester, you may drop a class or make other program changes through
Webportal.
After the first 15 days the university permits NO schedule changes except total withdrawal.
Third Most Common Mistake = Failing to take Prerequisite Classes
Psy 101: Required for almost all
upper division Psy classes
Psy 230: Psy 101
Psy 201: Psy 101 and completion of at
least 30 units
Psy 260: Psy 101 and Bio 100
Psy 281: Credit in a 3 unit Statistics
course that did not have a computer
lab requirement and a passing ELM,
SAT, ACT, or AP test score in math
Psy 301: Completed all prep for the
major classes in Psychology and be in
the Psychology Major, G.P.A. of 2.4 or
2.5 or higher, depending on catalog
year, and be eligible to take upper
division writing classes ( taken WPA
and received score of 8 or higher, or
received a 7 or lower on the WPA and
taken the lower division RWS course to
fulfill WPA requirement)
Psy 321: Psy 319
Psy 320: Psy 319
Psy 340: Psy 101 and Completion of GE
Foundations of Learning II B
Psy 355: Psy 101
Psy 370: Grade of B or higher in Psy
280 or equivalent Stats course and Psy
301
Psy 410: Upper division writing class
eligible, Psy 211, a grade of a B or
better in Psy 280 or equivalent Stats
class, completion of all prep for the
major classes and in the Psychology
Major, G.P.A. of 2.4 or 2.5 depending
on catalog year
Psy 350: Psy 101 and Completion on
GE Foundations of Learning II B
Psy 360, 361, & 362: Psy 101 and Psy
260
Psy 380: Psy 101, Psy 211
recommended
Psy 495: Psy 350 and completion of
either 230, 340, or 351
Psy 211: Psy 101
Psy 280: Psy 101 and passing ELM,
SAT, ACT or AP test score in math
Psy 319: Psy 101 and Psy 280 or
equivalent Stats course
Psy 331, 332, & 333: Psy 101 and Psy
230
Psy 351: Psy 101 and Completion of GE
Foundations of Learning II B
Psy 365: Completion of GE
Foundations of learning II A
Psy 388: Psy 101 and Psy 260
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To register for most upper-division psychology classes you must clear WRITING COMPETENCY. For PSY 301,370 or
410, you must clear both writing comp and ELM or math comp and be eligible to enroll in the UD writing course.
____
Math Competency
ELM ___
Testing Office: SS 2549, 594-5216
____
Writing CompetencyEPT____
____
Complete lower-division GE. See University Advising, SS 1641, 594-6668
____
Complete the foreign language requirement immediately.
For test dates, see class schedule.
NOTE: ASL may be substituted for foreign language.
Also you must have taken a foreign language for a letter grade to qualify for Phi Beta Kappa.
If you earn a C- or lower in a language course, repeat that course for forgiveness before taking the
next course.
If you are having academic difficulty, talk to us about it. We can help you plan a strategy and explore
options such as course forgiveness.
Psychology is an Impacted Major. To declare Psychology you must have cleared math and writing
comp, have completed 45 transferable units with a GPA of 2.4 or better, and have completed all 20 units
of Prep for the Major with a C or better.
Preparation For The Major (20 Units) Comparable classes are accepted.
*All prep for the major courses must be completed with a grade of C or better*
These classes are required even if you have already completed upper-division course work.
___ 101 Intro Psy (Grade: C or better)
___ 260 Intro Physiological Psy (Grade: C or better)
___ 201 Careers in Psychology (Grade: Cr)
___ 211 Learning(Grade: C or better)
___ 280( formerly 270) Statistics (4) (Grade: C or better)
___ 230 Developmental Psy (Grade: C or better)
Classes such as CFD 270 OK.
___ Biology 100 (Grade: C or better)
(prereq for Psy 260)
.
* Grade B or better prereq for 370 & 410,
Not 301
(Or other stats plus Psy 281)
281(271) Data Analysis Psy (2) (Grade: C or better)
Other Stats and 281(if needed) prereq for 301 & 410)
Information for Planning Your Upper-Division Work
Will I need to go to graduate school?
Quite possibly: many of the things you might want to do, like working as a therapist or counselor or professor,
will require a graduate degree of some kind.
Do I really have to think about this now?
Yes, for two reasons:
1. Your record beginning with the first semester can determine what paths are open to you.
2. You need to plan your program around building a profile or resume.
Is graduate school out if I had a poor freshman year?
No, but it can mean that you will have some serious work to do on straightening out your profile.
What kind of profile do I need for graduate school?
The kind of profile depends on what kind of work you want to do and therefore what kind of graduate program you
hope to attend. There are literally hundreds of options, and we can help you with how to explore them, but here are
two main classes:

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Helping professions, working one-on-one with people: with children in school settings, with delinquents in the
court system, with troubled families, recovering addicts, or as a therapist. For these professions you may be interested
in the various Masters programs in related fields, such as the Masters of Social Work or Masters of Counseling. The
profile for these programs is described on Page 5 of this guide. It’s major features are:
 Good grades or great grades if you are interested in a very prestigious program.
 Adequate scores on the Graduate Record Exams (GRE) or great GREs if you are interested in a very
prestigious program.
 Field experience, working with a relevant population.
 Letters of recommendation, from the field and from professors.

Academic psychology, with an emphasis on research: a university professor or clinical psychologist, which require
the Ph.D. or as an Industrial/Organizational (I/O) psychologist working in the business world, which requires the MS
I/O. The profile for these programs is described on Page 6 of this guide. The major features are:
 Excellent grades, with at least a B in statistics.
 Excellent scores on the Graduate Record Exams (GRE).
 Research experience, working in a faculty research program.
 Letters of recommendation, from your research mentor and professors.
What if I am not sure about what program I want to follow?
Make an appointment to watch the tape, “Workshop on Graduate School”. ______________
Go to the Advising Web site (p. 1), visit our Web sites for grad programs and get to work.
What if I have no idea what I want to do? Let’s consider some questions that will help you decide.
 Do I want to work with children?
 Do I want to work as a therapist?
 Do I want to work in the business world?
 Can I get good grades if I put my mind to it?
 Do I like research?
What if I’m not sure and I want to work for a while after graduation?
That is just fine. We can use Page 4 of this guide to plan your program. Just be sure that you get over to Career Services
as soon as possible.
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Upper Division
Most Common Mistake = Taking More Than 15 Units in One Semester.
___
Complete the upper-division writing requirement by passing the exam or a designated class. Test dates and
classes are listed in the Class Schedule.
___
Complete upper-division GE three Explorations classes.
NOTE: Psych majors may NOT use upper-division psychology classes for GE.
The Major: 31 Units of Upper-Division Psychology
Methods Requirement
___ Complete Psy 301 OR Psy 410, but you may take both. Complete the methods requirement as early as possible in
your academic program.
If you are not absolutely sure about your plans, take Psy 301 during your first semester of upper-division work. It
will provide a foundation and help you develop a plan.
If you plan to pursue a career in research and you have a very strong academic record, you may proceed directly
with research-track classes such as Psy 370 and 410. See Page 6.
Psy 301, Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology (4 units) Enforced prerequisites: ELM and eligibility to
enroll in UD writing course. Student needs to have “Major” status (e.g. not a pre-major).
Psy 410, Laboratory in Experimental Psychology (5 units) Enforced prerequisites: ELM and eligibility to enroll in
UD writing course. Student needs to have “Major” status (e.g. not a pre-major), Grade of B or better in Psy 280. Must
provide informal transcript. Note: If you are not entirely confident about your preparation, it may be best to take Psy
301 before 410.
Breadth Requirement: Content Courses
Complete at least 12 units (4 courses) from the following list. You must take one course from each group. The
remaining course must be taken from Group II or Group III, but you may not count more than one course on the
same line for breadth. You may take additional classes from this list, and may take several courses from the same
line, but these units will count as electives.
____ Group I: One of the following:
340 Social Psychology
OR
____ Group II: At least one of the following:
319 Indust. & Org. Psychology
331 Infant & Child Devel.
OR
333 Devel. Psychopath.
OR
344 Psychology and Culture
332 Adolescnt /Adult Devel.
350 Abnormal Psychology
____ Group III: At least one e of the following:
360 Behav. Neurosci.
OR
380 Cognitive Psychology
388 Sensation and Perception
____ From Group II or III
361 Neuropsych.
OR
362 Cog Neurosci.
Electives
Complete 15 additional units (14 if you took Psy 410) of upper-division psychology. Electives may be selected
from any psychology courses numbered 300 and above, including breadth courses. The remainder of this Guide is
designed to help you select electives depending on your career plans.
1_________________
2_________________ 3_________________
4_________________
5_________________
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To Prepare for Entering the Job Market after Graduation
__ Visit Career Services (SS 1200, 594-6841) ASAP, preferably during your sophomore year. Among many other
things:
They have an enormous amount of information on job opportunities and outlooks.
They can help you with resume preparation.
They sponsor on-campus job interviews.
__ Attend the General Career Fair held each fall. Many of the employers who come to campus are interested in
hiring psychology graduates.
__ Attend the Health and Human Services Career fair held each spring. Many of these employers are eager to hire
psychology majors. Summer work in human services can be a stepping stone to regular employment.
__ Get into appropriate work experience. Some jobs (e.g., office work) may pay less than others (e.g., tending bar),
but may be better for your long-term aspirations. Health and Human Service employers usually prefer to hire
people who have worked at least part time in the field on a paid or volunteer basis.
__ If you have a good GPA (3.0 or better), look into faculty-sponsored research (Psy 499). The professor can give
you a reference for employment, and you may even decide you like it and end up being a professor yourself. Most
labs will require a year’s commitment.
Sample Program for Upper-Division Work in psychology:
Note: This is just one example. You may choose a very different pattern of classes provided that you meet
requirements for the major. If you are working full-time, you should plan to take longer.
p
p
Third Year
Breadth: (36x , 380, or 388)
Psy 301 *
Breadth
Breadth: Psy 340 or 344
p
p
p
p
Psy Elective (320 , 321 or
Breadth: 319 ,Psy 33x , or 350
495)
(Fill out your program with
(Fill out your program with
nonpsych)
nonpsych)
Psy Elective
Psy Elective
Fourth Year
Psy Elective
Psy Elective
(Fill out your program with
(Fill out your program with
nonpsych)
nonpsych)
* If you enjoy Psy 301 and you have an excellent GPA, you may wish to enroll in Psy 370 and Psy 410. These
classes will give you a much richer experience in writing and critical thinking.
P These classes have enforced prerequisites. You must provide proof that you have completed the prerequisites in
order to remain enrolled.
Electives
Business
Personnel and Industrial Psychology (Psy 320) and Organizational Psychology (Psy 321) are offered on a regular
basis. If you enjoyed these classes and did well, you might think about taking Testing and Measurement (Psy
370) and getting involved in I/O research (Psy 499).
Health and Human Services
Community Psychology (Psy 495) will give you actual field experience in the field of Health and Human
Services. Depending on the population that interests you, you may wish to take any or all of the 300-level
developmental classes, Psy 331, 332 and 333.
Health Psychology (Psy 407) and Introduction to Counseling and Therapy (Psy 452) are offered on a regular
basis. Other classes, relating to specific populations or problems, e.g., Death and Bereavement, may be available,
but we can not offer as many sections.
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To Prepare for Counseling, Social Work or School Psychology
Masters Degree Programs
The BA in psychology is considered excellent preparation for graduate programs in Social Work (MSW), Licensed
Clinical Social Work (LCSW), Marriage, Family And Child Therapy (MFT), Rehabilitation Counseling, School
Psychology, and others.
NOTE: At SDSU these programs are offered in the School of Social Work and College of Education. Programs
offered by Psychology Departments are generally more focused on research. See p.6.
___ Maintain a good GPA. Most of these programs will expect at least a 3.0 in the last 60 units. Some will accept lower
grades and some will expect much higher. It is important to research the programs.
___ Attend the Workshop on Graduate Programs for psychology majors or make an appointment to watch the tape.
___ Get started as early as possible on field experience (volunteer or paid) working with the population that interests
you. Psy 495 can provide some but not all of your field experience. This does not have to be many hours per week,
but should be at least a year. Experience should be In a relevant setting, e.g., a school, social agency or mental
health facility,Supervised by a professional holding a degree in the field; e.g. an MSW.
___ Prepare for and take the Graduate Record Exams (GREs). Some programs require only that you have taken the
GREs. Other programs expect a minimal score on the order of 950 - 1000 for Verbal and Quantitative tests
combined. More prestigious programs require higher scores.
___ Consider getting involved in faculty-sponsored research (Psy 499). Many programs, including those at SDSU, do
not require research experience per se, but you will need letters of recommendation from professors. Programs at
some universities, (e. g., UC Berkeley) do expect research experience. If you wish to cite your research as field
experience, take care that you will actually be working with people and not just data.
Sample Program for Upper-Division Work (Psych only):
Note: This is just one example. You may choose a very different pattern of classes provided that you meet
requirements for the major (p.3). If working full-time, you may need to take longer.
p
Breadth: Psy 340 or 344
Third Year
Psy 301 *
p
Breadth: Psy 350
Breadth: (Psy 36x , 380 or 388)
p
Psy elective: 495
Psy elective: possibly 2nd 495 p
Fill out program with nonpsych
(Begin additional Field Experience)
Fill out program with nonpsych
(Cont. Field Experience)
Breadth
Psy Elective
Psy Elective: (Psy 33x)
Fill out program with nonpsych
Psy Elective : (Psy 499 *)
(Cont. Field Experience)
(cont. Field Experience)
* If you enjoy Psy 301 and your research experience, you may want to think about graduate study in psychology. If
so, you should enroll in Psy 370 & 410 and reorganize your program (p.6).
P These classes have enforced prerequisites.
Fourth Year
Electives
Counseling or School Psychology, Social Work or Clinical Social Work
For Counseling or Clinical Social work, your electives should probably include Community Psych (495), which is listed
in the table, and Intro to Counseling and Therapy (Psy 452).
For a career in Social Work or any human service field Health Psych (407) would be relevant.
For School Psychology, you may take Cognitive Psych (Psy 380) and Testing & Meas. (Psy 370). *
If you may wish to take any or all of the 300-level courses in Developmental (Psy 331, 332 and 333).
* Psy 370 is a very challenging class, and may not be required for masters programs; be sure to ask about it.
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To Prepare for Graduate Training in Psychology
Graduate programs in Psychology focus on research. If you are interested primarily in counseling or therapy see Page 5.
To Be Competitive For Ph.D. or Masters Programs In Psychology
___ Make an appointment to watch the Graduate School Workshop tape in the Psychology Advising Office
immediately. _______________
___ Maintain an excellent GPA. Most Ph.D. programs will expect a GPA above 3.0 (overall ), and the most
competitive programs, including clinical, will expect a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Masters programs, pre-doctoral
or applied, may consider grades in the major, e.g. GPA of 3.5 in psychology.
___ Show strong preparation in statistics and methodology classes, i.e. A’s and B’s in Statistics, Testing and
Measurement, and Experimental Psychology.
___ Obtain excellent scores on the Graduate Record Exams (GREs), meaning take a GRE preparation class. There
is tremendous variability on GRE requirements, but for Ph.D. programs the ballpark score is 1200 (Verbal and
Quantitative scores combined). More prestigious programs require higher scores and masters programs
somewhat lower. Lower GREs can sometimes be offset with other accomplishments, e.g. high grades and
research productivity.
___ Get involved in faculty-sponsored research (Psy 499) as soon as possible. Ideally, you should have two years of
research experience, at least one year of which you have completed before you apply to graduate programs.
- You may wish to work in more than one lab, but it is very important to make a serious commitment to at
least one laboratory.
- Most professors will expect a year’s commitment. If you stay with a lab longer you will have better
credentials, such as conference presentations.
- Selecting your faculty research mentor may be one of the most important decisions of your life. Learn all
you can about a lab before you commit.
___ Plan to spend TIME preparing applications during the fall semester of the year before you wish to attend.
___ Research the programs you are considering for their specific requirements.
Sample Programs For Upper-Division Work (Psych only)
<<Students working full-time may need extra time to compile a strong profile. >>
Program including Psy 301 *
Program excluding Psy 301
3rd Year
Psy 301 p
Psy 370 p
Psy 370 p
Psy 410 p
Breadth
Breadth
Psy 410 p
Psy 499
Psy 499
Psy 499
4th Year
Psy 497
Psy 497
Breadth
Breadth
or Elective
Breadth
Psy 497
Psy 497
Breadth
Breadth
or Elective
* If you have a good GPA and did well in statistics, you may skip Psy 301. However, if you have any doubts about your
preparation you should repeat stat. &/or complete Psy 301 before enrolling in Psy 370 and 410.
P These classes have enforced prerequisites. You must provide proof that you have completed the prerequisites in
order to remain enrolled.
Breadth
Psy 499
Selecting Breadth Classes and Electives
For the most part your interests can dictate your electives. For example, if you are interested in Clinical you will want to
take Abnormal (Psy 350), Dev Psychopath (Psy 333), and Neuropsych (Psy 361), and if you are interested in I/O you will
want to take Industrial sequence (Psy 319, 320 and 321). Regardless of your interests, additional breadth courses, Behav
Neurosci (Psy 360), Cognitive (Psy 380), Cognitive Neurosci (Psy 362) , Sensation Percept (Psy 388) can help prepare for
the subject GRE. Intermed stat (Psy 470) would be good preparation for graduate statistics. For a strong profile you may
end up taking excess psychology.
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Graduation Requirements and Numbers to Remember
A Word about GPA
In order to graduate you must have at least a 2.0.
This does not mean that you need a C or better in all classes.
It means that your grades must average to a C or better.
___
___
2.0 GPA overall
2.0 GPA in SDSU units
___
2.0 GPA in the major *
* At SDSU, grades in lower-division psychology classes are not calculated into your GPA for the major, but are calculated
into your overall GPA and (if taken at SDSU) your SDSU GPA.
NOTE: When you calculate your GPA in the major for graduate applications, you should include all psychology.
Impaction: To declare the Psychology major, you must have cleared MATH AND WRITING COMP., have completed 45
TRANSFERABLE UNITS with a GPA OF 2.4 or better, and have completed all 20 UNITS OF PREP FOR THE MAJOR with a C
OR BETTER.
Note: the required GPA to graduate is lower than the required GPA to declare under impaction.
Unit Requirements
120
minimum to graduate
40
minimum upper division (including Psych., GE, and other)
30
minimum must be taken at SDSU (Residence) Including 24 upper-division, and including half the units in the
major (15 upper-division psychology)
70
minimum number of non psychology units
Unit Limits
50
maximum (upper- and lower-division) in any one major (psychology) that may be used to satisfy the 120-unit
requirement for graduation.
NOTE: you may take more units in one major, including psychology, and they will apply toward your BA and will
count toward your GPA. You just need to be sure that you have also taken enough non psychology units.
15
maximum number of units that may be taken CR/NC
Statistics (Psy 280 or equivalent) and the GE communications class must be taken for a letter grade.
Upper-division courses in the major must be taken for a grade unless they are only offered CR/NC.
12
maximum number of units numbered 491, 495, 497 and 499 that may be counted toward the major
NOTE: you may take additional units in these classes and the experience will show on your transcript, but the units
will not be “counted.”
6
maximum number of units from 499 in Psychology
70
maximum transferable units from community college (two-year institutions)
As many as 90 units may be taken at other institutions, but only 70 of those at CC.
NOTE: courses taken at community colleges in excess of the limit may be used to satisfy requirements, e.g.
language, even though they will not be counted in unit numbers.
NOTE also: courses taken at community (two-year) colleges cannot be accepted in lieu of upper-division courses
at SDSU, but can sometimes be used to justify waiver of a class.
***Note: if you plan on completing the I/O sequence in Psychology, please allow for at least three semesters to
do so.
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