The undergraduate program in the Department
of Psychology offers the student an opportunity to appreciate psychology's
diversity and its applications. Courses are offered in clinical, social,
personality, developmental, and experimental psychology. Advanced special
topics courses in these and related areas are often available. Students
may design programs that approach psychology as a social science, a
natural science, or a combination of the two. Advanced students have
the opportunity to become actively involved in both psychological research
and paraprofessional counseling. During their junior and senior years,
majors are encouraged to take small, specialized seminars and engage
in supervised independent study. Undergraduate majors also have opportunities
for internship experience with community mental health agencies and
may participate in ongoing research within the department. The program
is sufficiently flexible and broad to satisfy career goals and provide
a solid background for graduate study.
Students interested in careers such as
those in research and teaching, mental health professions, and personnel
and industrial psychology will want to choose curriculums suited to
their goals. The breadth of the field of psychology and of the department's
course offerings make careful planning important. Students should consult
their faculty advisers in planning their schedules.
Undergraduate Programs
Clinical Research Opportunities
Washington,
D.C. Veterans Administration Hospital; St. Elizabeth's Hospital; Community Psychiatric Center (Bethesda);
Georgetown University
Hospital (Department of Pediatrics); Kennedy Institute (Baltimore);
Children's Hospital (Washington, D.C.) Institute for Behavioral Resources;
North Center (Washington, D.C.); Alexandria Community Mental Health
Center; Woodburn Center for Community Mental Health; Walter
Reed Army Institute of Research, National
Institutes of Health, Rock Creek Foundation.
Admission to the Program
- Formal admission to the major requires
departmental approval.
Psychology Major Requirements
A total of forty-one (41) credit hours with a grade of C or better, at least 15 of which must be at the 300 level or above with the PSYC- prefix at American University.
Required Foundations Courses (take all 4 courses)
PSYC-105. Psychology Understanding Human Behavior
PSYC-115. Psychology as a Natural Science
( Must be taken concurrently with PSYC-116)
PSYC-116. Psychology as a Natural Science Lab
(Must be taken concurrently with PSYC-115)
STAT-202. Basic Statistics
(* Statistics must be taken at American University for a Grade [A-F] NOT Pass/Fail)
Biopsychology Courses (take at least 1 course)
PSYC-325. Neurobiological Bases of Behavior
PSYC-240. Drugs and Behavior
PSYC-318. Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
PSYC-360. The Evolution of Behavior
Learning and Cognition Courses (take at least 1 course)
PSYC-220. The Senses
PSYC-200. Behavior Principles
PSYC-300. Memory and Cognition
PSYC-370. Learning and Behavior
The Individual, the Situation, and Psychological Health Courses (take at least 2 courses)
PSYC-205. Social Psychology
PSYC-215. Abnormal Psychology and Society
PSYC-235. Theories of Personality
PSYC-333. Health Psychology
PSYC-350. Child Psychology
Research Methods Courses (t ake 1 course) (For students who entered the University after Fall 2007)
PSYC-301. Research Methods in Psychology (3)
PSYC-433. Research Design and Methods: Social Science Psychology Research (4)
PSYC-480. Research Design and Methods: Experimental Psychology (4)
Psychology Minor Requirements
A total of 22 psychology credits, at least nine of which must be at the 300-level or higher, is required to graduate with a minor in Psychology (or through the Consortium with the approval of the Psychology Department Chair). All courses counting toward the minor in Psychology must be taken for a grade and passed with a grade of C or better. The 22 credits must include:
Required Foundation Courses
1. PSYC-105 -- Psychology: Understanding Human Behavior
2. PSYC-115 --Psychology as a Natural Science
(Must be taken concurrently with PSYC-116)
PSYC-116 --Psychology as a Natural Science Lab
(Must be taken concurrently with PSYC-115)
3. Natural Sciences Courses (take at least one course)
PSYC-200 -- Behavior Principles
PSYC-220 -- The Senses
PSYC-240 -- Drugs and Behavior
PSYC-300 – Memory and Cognition
PSYC-318 -- Fundamentals of Neuropsychology
PSYC-325 -- Neurobiological Bases of Behavior
PSYC-360 -- The Evolution of Behavior
PSYC-370 -- Learning and Behavior
4. Social Sciences Courses (take at least one course)
PSYC-205 -- Social Psychology
PSYC-215 -- Abnormal Psychology and Society
PSYC-235 -- Theories of Personality
PSYC-333 -- Health Psychology
PSYC-350 -- Child Psychology
5. Psychology Electives
You are required to take 9 additional credits the psychology department.
This program enables full-time students
to complete both the B.A. and M.A. in Psychology in five years.
Admission to the Program
Students should apply for this program
no later than the first semester fo the senior year and no earlier than
the first semester of the junior year. Students must have a 3.00 grade
pint average (on a 4.00 scale) in psychology and statistics courses
and must have completed at least half of the credit hours required for
the B.A. in Psychology. The undergraduate statistics course required
for the B.A. must be completed before applying to the M.A. program.
Students must submit a completed graduate application form (through
the Office of admissions), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
the General examination (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic), two letters
of recommendation, and copies of all college transcripts.
Degree and major requirements
- All requirements for the B.A. in Psychology
- All requirements for the M.A. in Psychology
- Students may apply two 500-level courses
(up to 6 credit hours) toward meeting the requirements of both degrees.
To request information
about the undergraduate program at American University, please click
here.
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Asbury Building (South Wing)
