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2006 Psychology Major (For students starting JMU in August 2006 and later)
2006 Psychology Major Checklist
All students who took their first classes at JMU in August 2006 or later, who are using the 2006-2007 undergraduate catalog, or a later catalog, should follow the program described here. Students who are using previous catalogs should follow the academic program described under "Pre-2006 Psychology Major"
Why a new Psychology Major? Our program was already excellent, but information from graduating seniors collected during the program assessment process, and the implementation of ideas from our new faculty, has allowed us to make our program even better. The new program will help our graduates learn more of the fundamentals of psychology; it will strengthen the scientific training of students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree; and it will enhance the sociocultural competency of psychology graduates. These changes, in addition to a greater emphasis on experiential learning and improvements in academic advising, will better prepare students for graduate school and the world of work.
General Education Requirements
All students, regardless of their major, must complete 41-44 credit hours of General Education course work in five cluster areas. For more information about General Education see http://www.jmu.edu/gened/
Psychology majors are free to select any General Education courses to fulfill graduation requirements. Students who wish to take advantage of the opportunity to count some courses for both Psychology requirements and General Education requirements should consider these recommendations.
Cluster 3. Students interested in majoring in Psychology should take Math 205, 220, 231 or 235 as soon as possible, preferably during your first semester at JMU. Math 220, Elementary Statistics, is the recommended course. A 200-level Math course is a requirement for admission to the Psychology Major and it is a prerequisite for the required statistics and research methods courses in psychology.
Students complete a math placement examination before enrolling in the first Mathematics course. If the placement exam shows that you are not ready for 200-level math courses, you must take the recommended course before enrolling in 200-level Math. You should take your 200-level mathematics course during the following semester.
Cluster 5. Students interested in majoring in Psychology should take Gpsyc 101, General Psychology, as soon as possible, preferably during your first semester at JMU. This course begins the Psychology Major foundation sequence. The course will introduce you to the basic content of the discipline of Psychology, and will help you decide whether you are interested in pursuing Psychology as a major.
Gpsyc 101 can be taken as part of Cluster 5. Psychology Majors should take this course before GHTH 100A (Personal Wellness) or GKIN 100B (Lifetime Fitness and Wellness), or GEIC 101 (Individuals in the Human Community I: The Individual Perspective).
University Degree and Psychology Correlate Requirements
Students who major in Psychology have the option of earning either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. A list of courses that can be taken to satisfy B.A. and B.S. degree requirements is available at http://www.jmu.edu/registrar/BA_and_BS_Degree_Courses.shtml .
To earn the B.A. degree, students must complete an additional Philosophy course and a Foreign Language that must be completed through the intermediate level (fourth college course). The Philosophy course can be any course with the Phil or Gphil prefix (as long as that course is taken in addition to General Education required courses).
To earn the B.S. degree, students must take the following courses:
- Psyc 385 Biopsychology (taken as part of the Psychology Major requirements)
- A 3-credit Math courses numbered 205 or above in addition to any taken to fulfill General Education requirements.
- 6-credits of Scientific Literacy courses, in addition to any taken to fulfill General Education requirements. These courses can be selected from the following: Any Ganth, Anth, Gbio, Bio, Chem, CS 139, 239, 240, 345, 350, Gecon, Econ, Gposc, Posc, Gsoci, Soci, or Gsci 101, 103 or 121. These science courses may count towards a minor or second major program.
By completing the coursework listed above, students will fulfill the university B.S. Degree requirements.
Which degree, the B.A. or the B.S. is preferable? The two degrees receive the same measure of respect within the field of Psychology, so it is really not possible to identify one as the "preferred" degree. The decision to pursue either the B.A. or the B.S. degree is best based on one's personal interests and academic strengths.
Competence in a foreign language can be a valuable skill for a Psychology Major. The development of foreign language skills, especially Spanish, is extremely desirable for individuals who want to go into the helping professions. Because of its foreign language emphasis, the B.A. degree may be preferable for many Psychology Majors who wish to pursue careers in human service fields.
Required Psychology Courses.
These requirements apply to students who are using JMU catalogs from 2006-2007 and later.
To major in Psychology a student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 44 hours as outlined below. ALL Psychology courses must carry the grade of “C-” or better to apply to the major. A Psychology course completed with a grade of “D” may be credited towards graduation requirements, but may not be included in courses credited towards the Psychology Major.
All students majoring in Psychology will be required to complete the following: courses with a grade of C- or higher:
Psychology Foundation Courses (prerequisites to being admitted to the major)
- Gpsyc 101 General Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Math 220 (Statistics) or Math 205, 231 or 235 (Calculus)
Students must complete the Psychology Foundation Courses with a grade of C- or better, apply, and must be admitted into the Psychology Major before continuing . All applicants who successfully complete these courses and have an overall G.P.A. of 2.6 are admitted . Please see http://psyc.jmu.edu/ug/psyc_major/declare_psychology.html for admission procedures.
Methods Courses
- Psyc 210 Measurement and Statistics - 4 Credit Hours
- Psyc 211 Research Methods - 4 Credit Hours
or
- Psyc 212-213 Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis I-II – 8 credit hours (Currently offered for the Psychology Learning Community Only)
Students are encouraged to complete General Education requirements during freshman and sophomore year, and BA or BS degree requirement courses during sophomore or junior year.
Psychology majors must complete Gpsyc 101, Psyc 210, and Psyc 211 with a grade of C- or higher to enroll in courses numbered 330 and above.
Once the basic foundations and methods courses are completed, usually during the student's 4th semester, the program continues as follows:
Social Science Content Core - 9 Credit Hours
(Choose at least three of the following)
- Psyc 330 Psychology of Personality - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 335 Abnormal Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 345 Social Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 365 Developmental Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
Natural Science Content Core - 9 Credit Hours
(Choose at least three of the following)
- Psyc 375 Sensation and Perception - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 380 Cognitive Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 385 Biopsychology* - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 390 Psychology of Learning - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 395 Comparative Animal Behavior - 3 Credit Hours
(*Note that Psyc 385 is required for students pursuing the B.S. degree.)
Upper Level Specialty Content Courses - 3 Credit Hours
(Choose at least one of the following.)
- PSYC 400. Advanced Topics – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 410. Industrial/Organizational Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 412. Psychology of Motivation – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 420. Advanced Statistics for Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 425. School Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 427. Tests & Measurement – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 428. Educational Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 430. Clinical Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 435. Community Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 440. Counseling Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 450. Child Abuse and Neglect – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 452. Child Psychopathology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 460. Community Psychology within Developing Societies – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 465. Black Psychology – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 475. Psychology of Adulthood – 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 480. Applied Behavior Analysis – 3 Credit Hours
Capstone Course - 3 Credit Hours
(Choose one of the following)
- Psyc 492 History of Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 493 Laboratory in Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 495 Field Placement in Psychology - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 497 Senior Seminar - 3 Credit Hours
- Psyc 499 Honors - 3 Credit Hours
Psychology Electives - 9 Credit Hours
At least 3 hours of these electives must be at the 400 level. (Courses that emphasize experiential learning [Psyc 401 (Peer Advising), Psyc 402 (Independent Study), and Psyc 499 (Thesis)] are highly recommended.) Six hours of electives can be any Psychology courses (except Psyc 002, 100, 250, 255, 290, 301 or 302) including additional courses from the Content Core Areas, additional experiential learning courses or additional capstone experiences.
Sociocultural Competency Requirement – No additional credits
At least one course in each student’s Psychology Major must be one that emphasizes Sociocultural Competence. Credits for this coursework fulfills various other requirements for the Psychology Major. This requirement is met by all sections of the following courses:
- Psyc 220.Psychology and Culture – An elective
- Psyc 310 Women and Gender – An elective
- Psyc 320 Diversity Issues in Psychology – An elective
- Psyc 460 Community Psychology in Developing Societies – A Upper Level Specialty Content Course
- Psyc 465 Black Psychology – An Upper Level Specialty Content Course
This requirement is also met by selected sections of the following courses as announced in the schedule of classes:
- Psyc 200 Topics in Psychology – An elective
- Psyc 400 Advanced Topics – A Upper Level Specialty Content Course
- Psyc 402 Independent Study – An elective
- Psyc 497 Senior Seminar – A Capstone Experience
