Psychology Department

If interested in specializing in Psychology (becoming a Psychology Major and continuing after undergraduate years in that area, the earlier a student gets started the better.  First semester should be dedicated to Psyc-101 – General Psychology. This course provides a broad overview of the field, and is a prerequisite for all other psychology offerings.  If not taken in the Fall, that course should be taken in the Spring of the freshman year.

In addition, it is advisable to take the following two courses as early as possible in the undergraduate track: 

Psyc-105 – Quantitative Methods This course presents techniques of measurement and statistical analysis that are central to the vast majority of psychological work. This course is a prerequisite for Psyc-107 and should be taken as early as possible—ideally in Spring of the first year. 

Psyc-107 – Approaches to Psychological Research This course focuses on the role of research in psychological thought and theoretical development, research methods, and the principles of experimental design. The methods discussed cover the range of those used by psychologists. They include those of qualitative analyses as well as the traditional experimental methods. It should be taken in Fall of the second year, or (at the latest) in the Spring of that year. 

It is advisable for students to proceed in the Spring Semester to other 100-level courses (described on the department web page and in our yellow “Q&A” brochure—available in the Department’s Main Office, 3^rd Floor of Jonas Clark). 

Most 200 level courses, except for research courses (Psyc-216-230), which are ways to become actively involved in research very early on, and which require early contact with the faculty (consult Department’s web site).

In psychology, there are three courses (Intro-101, Stats-105 and Methods-107) that are pre-requisites for most other courses that the student will want to take in the second year. It is best to make these three (101, 105, 107) top choices in the beginning.  If one cannot take them first semester (as 101 is supposed to happen before 105, and that before 107), spend the time filling university requirements (which are going to have to be done at some point anyway), and try the psychology courses again second semester

Generally there is room for all students who wish to enroll in Psyc-101, 105 and 107. Since there are not alternatives to these courses, and they are important prerequisites, students should try their best to get them out of the way in the first three semesters.  If those courses conflict with others of interest to the student, it could well be prudent to postpone taking the conflicting non-psychological course, or to find an alternative to it. Students should also consider taking other 100-level Psychology courses in an area of interest in the Spring of the first year along with Psyc-105, and become ready for research involvement with faculty and graduate students as early as possible. Undergraduate Psychology Club (UPC) has been advising first year students how to get involved in research, and what psychology as profession is like.

In the first year, the only real options are lecture courses. After first year, it is important to move on and take 200-level labs (course numbers 200-215) and seminars as soon as it is feasible (given the 100-level requirements). 

We recommend that interested students become involved in psychology through research as early as possible, and decisions about courses to be taken be linked with that objective. However, since the first few psychology courses are pre-requisites for most other psychology courses, there is room in a first-year student’s schedule to go on and fulfill some PLS credits. We recommend that these be taken earlier, rather than later, in the four years in college.

Professor David Stevens, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education (dstevens@clarku.edu) . The Undergraduate Psychology Club (UPC@clarku.edu) will be very helpful.  FY students should plan to participate actively in UPC, both in its functions as guiding students towards research projects, and helping them to make sense of psychology as a career. Professor Marianne Wiser (mwiser@clarku.edu) and UPC organize informal discussions in the Department on psychology as it is. These regular events (Psychology After Hours - PAH) will help FY students to get the feel of the discipline, and of our Department.

Advisors are assigned at the time of major declaration by the Department’s Administrative Assistant, Joyce Lee, (JC 304) or chosen by the student. Students are free to change advisors at any time. We recommend that students declare their major as early as possible (it can always be changed), but definitely by the end of the second year. It is best if the student chooses one’s faculty advisor on the basis of developing research interests—hence becoming involved in research from Spring Semester of the FY onwards is helpful. Early decisions to become majors help the Department to provide better educational opportunities for the students.

Most psychology majors use astronomy or biology to fulfill the science perspective, and often, psychology courses overlap with communication & culture courses. Sociology courses are also popular with psychology majors. For students interested in graduate school, we strongly suggest taking courses in mathematics and the basic sciences, e.g., calculus, biology, and the humanities, e.g., philosophy and history.