Waiting Period for Students Seeking Full Admission to the Psychology Major

It is Department of Psychology policy to grant “Fully-Admitted” status to all qualified students who apply.  Unfortunately, so many students have recently applied and qualified to become psychology majors, so we can’t immediately accommodate all of them in classes.  Consequently, many students are experiencing a waiting period before they can continue the psychology major by  completing their statistics and research methodology courses (Psyc 210-211 or 212-213).  Students who apply for full admission to the psychology major, who meet our admissions criteria, are accommodated as quickly as possible.  To minimize your delay, we recommend that students who want to make progress in the psychology major apply to be “fully-admitted” as soon as possible.

Current JMU Students with Completed Prerequisite Courses. Students who have completed their prerequisite courses should apply for full admission to the psychology major by completing our online orientation and application program.  Many students need to wait one semester before they can take Psyc 210 or 212 even if they meet our admissions qualifications at the time of application.  Advanced students can occasionally be accommodated the semester after the application is made, so we recommend that students apply for admission as soon as possible.

Current JMU Students who need to Complete Prerequisite Courses. Students should apply for admission even if they are currently completing their prerequisite courses or if they anticipate completing prerequisite courses during the upcoming semester.  When applications are reviewed, students with outstanding prerequisites will be notified that additional courses need to be taken, but upon request, they will be reevaluated at the end of the next semester.  Students being reconsidered are given priority when admission decisions are made.  Apply for admission as soon as possible.

Implications for Students Starting at JMU during Fall 2012

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Freshman.  While we expect first-year students who apply for full admission to the psychology major during the 2012-13 academic year will experience a waiting period, however, this by itself will not prevent a student from finishing their bachelors degree in four years.  To minimize the impact of having to wait to make progress in the psychology major, Freshman who would like to pursue this major should take the necessary courses and earn a G.P.A. that qualifies them for full admission to the psychology major during their first semester at JMU. Students who apply for admission to the psychology major during their first semester, can continue to pursue General Education, minor, second major and bachelor’s degree coursework while they wait during their waiting period. 

Transfer Students. The waiting period will impact most students who transfer to JMU during Fall 2012.  Students who must experience a waiting period  as Juniors or Seniors will need to complete extra semesters and/or summer sessions at JMU in order to complete our program.  It is especially important that transfer students complete the prerequisite courses necessary for full admission to the psychology major before they begin taking classes at JMU.  Transfer students can make it less likely that they will be placed on the waiting list by:

• Requesting admission to JMU starting May 2012 (rather than August 2012), and complete Psyc 210 or Psyc 210 and 211 during the summer, or
• Completing a course equivalent to Psyc 210 or courses equivalent to Psyc 210 and 211 at another school before starting at JMU.

For how long will psychology have a waiting period?

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The Department of Psychology genuinely regrets this situation.  We realize that delaying Psyc 210 or 212 for Juniors or Seniors who want to pursue the Psychology Major will result in delayed graduation.  We hope to reduce the need for waiting lists when additional university resources are available for hiring new faculty.