Minor Requirements
NEW! The psychology department now offers one Psychology minor. Students who declared a minor prior to Fall 2023 will have the option of completing the new, single Psychology minor or any of the retiring psychology minors.
New minor (beginning Fall 2023, available to any current students)
Retiring minors (available only to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023)
- Psychology as a Natural Science
- Psychology as a Social Science
- Clinical Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Organizational Psychology
- Social and Emotional Development
Transfer Courses
Up to two transferred psychology courses, in addition to Introduction to Psychology, may be used in the minor plan.
AP Credit
A score of 4 or 5 on the AP psychology test will result in a four-credit equivalent of PSYC 101 and waiving the requirement for Introduction to Psychology.
Additionally, a score of 6 or better on the higher-level IB psychology exam will result in a four-credit equivalent of PSYC 101 and waiving the requirement for Introduction to Psychology.
Transfer of AP and IB credit can be accomplished by contacting CCAS.
Psychology Minor
This minor is available to all current students. Students who declared a Psychology minor Fall 2023 or after will transition to the new Psychology minor requirements. Please see a psychology advisor with any questions about the new minor requirements. Declaration of a minor should be done via a major/minor declaration form. A student cannot minor and major in psychology.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement if at least three of the courses are social science courses (courses not cross-listed as BCSC). Note: PSYC 210/BCSC 185 and PSYC 248/BCSC 278 do count as social science courses. See note below for more information about social science psychology courses.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of six courses, which are outlined below.
- PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
- Two foundational core courses in psychology, one each from two of the four different areas listed below
- Social Psychology
- PSYC 161: Social Psychology and Individual Differences
- Developmental Psychology
- PSYC 170: Child Development*
- PSYC 171: Social and Emotional Development*
*Note: Students may not receive credit for both PSYC 170 and PSYC 171.- Clinical Psychology
- PSYC 181: Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy
- PSYC 280: Clinical Psychology
- PSYC 282: Psychopathology
- Psychology as a Natural Science
- BCSC/PSYC 110: Neural Foundations of Behavior
- BCSC/PSYC 111: Foundations of Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
- Three additional psychology courses
- Any two or three content courses
- Up to one of these courses may be a research, teaching, or internship course
Tip: When selecting your three additional psychology courses, be sure that at least three of your six psychology courses are social science courses.
Psychology as a Natural Science Minor
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a natural science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
One natural science psychology core course:
- PSYC 110: Neural Foundations of Behavior
- PSYC 111: Foundations of Cognitive Science
At least three additional natural science psychology courses (courses cross-listed as BCSC courses), one of which must be at the 200 level or above—independent study courses are acceptable. See note below for more information about natural science psychology courses.
Psychology as a Social Science Minor
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
Two of following social science psychology core courses:
- PSYC 161: Social Psychology and Individual Differences
- PSYC 171: Social and Emotional Development or PSYC 170: Child Development
- Note: Students may not receive credit for both PSYC 170 and PSYC 171
- PSYC 181: Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy
Two additional social science psychology courses (courses not cross-listed as BCSC). Note: PSYC 210/BCSC 185 and PSYC 248/BCSC 278 do count as social science courses. See note below for more information about social science psychology courses.
Clinical Psychology
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
At least two of the following:
- PSYC 181: Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy
- PSYC 280: Clinical Psychology
- PSYC 282: Psychopathology (formerly Abnormal Psychology)
One or two of the following:
- PSYC 283: Behavioral Medicine
- PSYC 289: Developmental Child Psychopathology
- PSYC 368: Seminar in Humanistic Psychology (no longer offered after 2016)
- PSYC 381: Seminar in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
- PSYC 242: Neuropsychology
- PSYC 246: Biology of Mental Disorders
Health Psychology
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
PSYC 110: Neural Foundations of Behavior
PSYC 181: Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy
PSYC 282: Psychopathology (formerly Abnormal Psychology)
PSYC 283: Behavioral Medicine
Organizational Psychology
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
PSYC 161: Social Psychology and Individual Differences
PSYC 181: Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy
PSYC 264: Industrial and Organizational Psychology (last offered Spring 2023, no longer offered)
One of the following:
- PSYC 262: An Approach to Human Motivation
- Any 300-level social psychology (PSYC) seminar, independent study, or practicum in organizational psychology
Social and Emotional Development
This minor is only available to students who declared their minor prior to Fall 2023.
This minor satisfies a social science divisional requirement.
Minor Requirements
This minor requires a total of five courses, which are outlined below.
- PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or the equivalent (which may include a grade of B- or higher in PSYC 101A)
- PSYC 171: Social and Emotional Development or PSYC 170: Child Development
- Note: Students may not receive credit for both PSYC 170 and PSYC 171
Three of the following:
- PSYC 278: Adolescent Development
- PSYC 289: Developmental Child Psychopathology
- PSYC 315: Peer Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence (no longer offered)
- PSYC 383: Moral Development
- PSYC 377 and/or PSYC 378: Exploring Research in Family Psychology I, II
- PSYC 381: Seminar in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Social Science and Natural Science Psychology Courses
Social Science Courses
Social science courses in psychology are PSYC courses that are not cross-listed with BCSC courses. You can see if a course is cross-listed by looking up the course in CDCS (called co-located courses in CDCS). Note: There are a few exceptions. PSYC 170/BCSC 170, PSYC 210/BCSC 185, and PSYC 248/BCSC 278 do count as social science courses.
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester, social science courses in psychology have a note in the course description stating that they are social science courses.
Natural Science Courses
Natural science courses in psychology are PSYC courses that are cross-listed with BCSC courses. You can see if a course is cross-listed by looking up the course in CDCS (called co-located courses in CDCS). Note: There are a few exceptions. PSYC 170/BCSC 170, PSYC 210/BCSC 185, and PSYC 248/BCSC 278 do not count as natural science courses.