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Psychology Major Admission
All students are allowed to declare the Psychology Major, and are permitted to take GPsyc 101 (General Psychology) and GPsyc 160 (Life-span and Human Development) as well as certain other psychology courses. However, to make progress in the major beyond the first few courses, students need to apply and be admitted to the major.
Students must be in the process of completing Gpsyc 101 and Math 205, 220, 231 or 235 before they can apply to be admitted to the Psychology Major. To be admitted a grade of C- or better must be earned. Math 220 (Elementary Statistics) is the recommended math course, but Math 205, 231 or 235 (Calculus) will also satisfy psychology major admission requirements. Calculus will also be an acceptable prerequisite alternative for Psyc 210 (Psychological Statistics), a course required of all first-semester Psychology Majors. While not recommended for students who have not yet completed their math prerequisites, COB 191, GISAT 141 and GISAT 151, and Math 011 all are acceptable prerequisite mathematics courses for applicants to the Psychology Major. Equivalent coursework taken at other schools and AP or IB credit will be accepted.
This prerequisite change went into effect December 12, 2005.
To be admitted you must have an overall G.P.A. of 2.6 or greater based upon at least 15 credit hours of completed coursework. If you do not meet the GPA requirement for admission to the major, the Psychology Admissions Committee will still consider your application. Students who seek committee review for admission are encouraged to explain their special circumstances on the admission application. The form asks you to describe why you want to be a Psychology Major, what experiences do you have that were relevant for your choice of major, and what special circumstances should be considered in your case. Only students seeking exceptions to the standard admission criteria described above need answer these questions.
Declaration upon admission to JMU
Students admitted as Freshman. All newly admitted students who want to become Psychology Majors should declare Psychology. You must successfully complete 15 credit hours of coursework at JMU including Gpsyc 101 and Math 205, 220, 231 or 235 before you can apply to be admitted to the Psychology Major. When you are ready to request admission to the Psychology Major attend an information session conducted by Peer Advising. The schedule for these sessions appears at http://psyc.jmu.edu/ug/declaring.html. The Peer Advisors will help you complete an application form during the information session. All applications are reviewed after grades are posted for the current semester. You can submit your application before you have completed these courses, but your application will be held until grades for these courses appears on your transcript.
Students admitted as transfer students. Transfer students who have successfully completed courses equivalent to Gpsyc 101 and Math 205, 220, 231 or 235 may be admitted to the Psychology Major during the transfer orientation program held before you register for classes at JMU the first time. Transfer students who have not completed these courses prior to enrolling at JMU may declare Psychology and can apply for admission to the Psychology Major during their first semester while they are completing these courses. Follow the procedures described above for Freshman to apply. You must attend an orientation session conducted by the Peer Advisors.
Students accepted to the Psychology Learning Community. Students who successfully complete the Psychology Learning Community experience will be admitted to the Psychology Major during their second semester. The Psychology Peer Advisors conduct a special session for these students during the Spring semester. This is one of the advantages of being selected for the Learning Community.
Frequently asked questions
Reapplication. Students who are not accepted into the Psychology Major may reapply during subsequent semesters.
What is the difference between Declaring Psychology and being Admitted? All incoming students are allowed to declare the Psychology Major, and are permitted to take GPsyc 101 (General Psychology) and GPsyc 160 (Life-span and Human Development) as well as certain other psychology courses. However, to make progress in the major students need to apply to be admitted to the major. The above requirements to the major must be completed before the student will be able to advance through the major.
Why should I declare the Psychology Major before I am admitted? Declaring Psychology is beneficial to students as they will receive advising information and other information sent specifically to Psychology Majors. Psychology Majors are given priority registration for Gpsyc 101 and the Mathematics Department knows how important math is to your program. Seats in some lower-division psychology electives are reserved for declared Psychology Majors. Psychology Majors receive a weekly e-mail newsletter, and are invited to attend events that are likely to be of interest . First year Psychology students are assigned to appropriate freshman advisors. More advanced Psychology students are assigned to a psychology faculty member who will help you plan your program of study.
Will every qualified student be admitted to the Psychology Major? Yes. All students who have successfully completed Gpsyc 101 and statistics or calculus, and have earned a 2.6 G.P.A. based upon a minimum of 15 credits of coursework will be admitted to the Psychology Major. If the number of students who qualify exceeds the number we can accommodate in classes, some students will experience a delay before they will be granted admission, but they will ultimately be allowed to proceed with the Psychology Major. If some students are delayed, those with the fewest number of college credits completed are the individuals who are held back. The number of students who will be admitted to the major each semester is determined by the number students that can be accommodated in our classes.
Need more information?
For more information please write to us at ugpsyc@jmu.edu or visit our office in Miller 1120.
Helpful Links and Articles
From the January 2003 Newsletter:
Alternative Majors for Students Interested in Psychology
