Psychology, B.S.
The B.S. in Psychology emphasizes the study of the mind and brain grounded in knowledge of physical and biological sciences. Students in the major are able to choose courses from areas including: (a) Cognitive Psychology – Perception, Memory, Decision Making, Learning, and Consciousness, (b) Language and Developmental Psychology, (c) Clinical Psychology, and (d) Cognitive Neuroscience.
Students interested in other areas of psychology are advised to consult the course listings in the School of Social Ecology and the School of Biological Sciences sections.
NOTE: Students may complete either the B.S. in Psychology or the B.S. in Cognitive Sciences. You may not double major within the majors offered by the department. For students who double major in the B.S. in Psychology and the B.S. in Biological Sciences, no more than three courses may overlap.
All students must meet the University Requirements.
All students must meet the School Requirements.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
| A. Required Major Courses | |
| Complete: | |
| COGS 9A- 9B- 9C | Psychology Fundamentals and Psychology Fundamentals and Psychology Fundamentals |
| COGS 10A- 10B- 10C | Exploratory Data Analysis and Probability and Inference and Statistical Models |
| COGS 14P | Scientific Python for Research |
| B. Psychology Core | |
| Select four from the following: | |
| Abnormal Psychology | |
| Developmental Psychology | |
| History of Psychology | |
| Personality Theories | |
| Perception and Sensory Processes | |
| Neuroscience of Perception | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | |
| Learning and Decision Making | |
| Human Memory | |
| Psychology of Language | |
| Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience | |
| Brain Disorders and Behavior | |
| C. Research Methods | |
| Select two from the following: | |
| Experimental Psychology and Experimental Psychology Laboratory | |
| Advanced Experimental Psychology and Advanced Experimental Psychology Laboratory | |
| Research in Experimental Psychology and Research in Experimental Psychology | |
| Research Methods in Psychology and Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory | |
| Introduction to fMRI Research and fMRI Research Laboratory | |
| Research in Perception and Psychophysics and Research in Perception and Psychophysics Laboratory | |
| Cognitive Robotics and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory | |
| D. Background in Science | |
| Select six courses from the following list. Selected courses must be taken from, at minimum, three different disciplines: | |
| The Brain and Behavior | |
| Drugs and the Brain | |
| Brain Dysfunction and Repair | |
| Mind and Memory | |
| Mood Disorders | |
| Human Development | |
| From DNA to Organisms | |
| From Organisms to Ecosystems | |
| General Chemistry | |
| General Chemistry | |
| General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | |
| Organic Chemistry | |
| Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | |
| Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | |
| MATLAB Programming | |
| Neurobiology of Cognition | |
| Special Topics in Lower-Division Cognitive Sciences | |
| Neural Analytics | |
| Special Topics in Upper-Division Cognitive Sciences | |
| Introduction to Symbolic Logic | |
| Introduction to Inductive Logic | |
| The Nature of Scientific Inquiry | |
| The Making of Modern Science | |
| Single-Variable Calculus I | |
| Single-Variable Calculus II | |
| Introduction to Linear Algebra | |
| Elementary Differential Equations | |
| Calculus for Life Sciences I | |
| Calculus for Life Sciences II | |
| Basic Physics I | |
| Basic Physics II and Basic Physics Laboratory | |
| Basic Physics III and Basic Physics Laboratory | |
| Classical Physics and Classical Physics Laboratory | |
| Classical Physics and Classical Physics Laboratory | |
| Classical Physics | |
| Physics of Music | |
| Statistical Methods for Data Analysis I | |
| Statistical Methods for Data Analysis II | |
| Statistical Methods for Data Analysis III | |
| E. Upper-Division Electives | |
| Select seven additional four-unit COGS lecture courses numbered 100-199 and note the folllowing: 1 | |
| 1. One may be lower-division. COGS 7A may not be used to fulfill this requirement. | |
| 2. No more than one of the courses may be numbered 190-199. | |
| 3. If accepted into the Honors Program, COGS H101A-COGS H101B-COGS H101C can be used for three of the seven elective courses needed to fulfill this requirement. | |
Sample Program - General
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| COGS 9A | COGS 9B | COGS 9C |
| COGS 10A | COGS 10B | COGS 10C |
| General Education | Science | Science |
| General Education | General Education | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| UD Core | UD Core | UD Core |
| COGS 14P | Elective | Elective |
| Science | Science | Science |
| General Education | General Education | General Education |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| Research Methods | Research Methods | UD Core |
| Research Methods Lab | Research Methods Lab | Upper-Division Writing |
| UD Elective | UD Elective | UD Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| UD Elective | UD Elective | UD Elective |
| UD Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
Sample Program - Transfer
| Junior | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| COGS 9B | UD Core | COGS 14P |
| COGS 10A | COGS 10B | COGS 10C |
| Upper-Division Writing | UD Core | UD Core |
| Science | Science | Science |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
| Research Methods | UD Elective | Research Methods |
| Research Methods Lab | UD Elective | Research Methods Lab |
| UD Elective | UD Elective | UD Elective |
| UD Core | UD Elective | UD Elective |
Honors Program in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology
The Honors Program in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology is an advanced educational and research program for outstanding undergraduate students in these majors.
The program emphasizes advanced competence in scientific research and allows participants the opportunity to pursue advanced work in independent research, in addition to earning honors upon graduation. The program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study or seeking challenging research experiences as a capstone to their undergraduate experience. All Cognitive Sciences and Psychology majors who meet the minimum eligibility requirements are welcome to apply.
To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria: 1) be a cognitive sciences or psychology major, 2) have completed the psych fundamental series, 3) be in junior standing (at minimum), and 4) have a 3.2 minimum GPA within the major.
The application consists of the following: 1) completed application form, 2) an analytical writing sample, 3) a one-page research plan, and 4) a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has agreed to oversee the proposed research project. The call for applications is sent out in spring quarter for admittance in the subsequent fall quarter.
Students who participate in the program are expected to enroll in the Honor Seminar series (COGS H101A-COGS H101B-COGS H101C) in fall, winter, and spring quarters, respectively. Honors students must successfully complete a senior honors thesis and present their research at the department's honors poster symposium held in spring as part of the coursework in COGS H101C.