Psychology Minor

For your registration to be as smooth as possible, follow these recommendations:

• Declare the minor early on, so you have several semesters to complete it. It is unlikely that you will find space to register in more than one psychology course per semester.
• If you declare the psychology minor before you declare your major, then as soon as you declare your major, inform the psychology department so we can add the little to your Banner. 
• If you are a declared major and the psychology minor is on Banner, you will be able to self-register for any courses open to minors.
• If you are NOT a declared major and the psychology minor is NOT on Banner, then the department will manually register you into courses. In this case, make sure to add your requests to the department’s waiting list.
• Pay attention to announcements from the department each semester about recommended courses or new courses offered to minors.
• If a course is restricted to majors only, and you meet the pre-requisites, there may be space for you to register if there are spaces available after the major's register. Sign up on any waiting list announced by the department.
• The department does not guarantee that you will be able to find space in your course of choice. So have back-up choices ready, or plan to register for the following semester if you can’t find any spaces in any of your preferred courses.

Can I take psychology courses without being a declared minor?

Most psychology courses are restricted only to majors and minors. A few courses are open to students from specific majors upon agreement with those other departments because those courses are required or optional courses in those majors. Each semester there may also be one or more open courses to anyone to take because they target the Core Curriculum, but many of those will not count towards the minor if you declare the minor later. We recommend that you declare the psychology major or minor if you want to have maximum options.

If you already took one course from the required pairs ( PSYC 3270 Personality versus 3420 Abnormal, or PSYC 3003 Community versus PSYC 3010 Social), can I take the other course?

Yes, of course. For the minor's final two courses, you can take anything you are eligible for, including the other courses from the pair. In fact, you can even complete the minor with all four courses, as following: PSYC 1000 Introduction + PSYC 3003 Community + PSYC 3010 Social + PSYC 3270 Personality + 3420 Abnormal.

Can I register for more than one psychology course during a semester?

While technically possible, it is preferable to spread out the minor over five semesters because it is unlikely that you will find spaces available in the psychology courses to take two courses.

Can I take PSYC 2000 Statistics or PSYC 2100 Research Methods for the minor?

Although technically they can count for the minor, these courses are not recommended for the minor because they focus more on methodology. In contrast, the minor aims to give you a rounded exposure to different content areas. Additionally, it is extremely rare to find a space available in PSYC 2100 Research Methods. However, sometimes psychology minors wish to take these courses because they intend to apply to psychology graduate school. Other times students already took one or more of these because they originally intended to declare the psychology major. Still, they decided to take the minor instead. Make sure you consult with the minor advisor before deciding to take either of these courses for the minor. 

Which minor courses will count towards my out-of-major capstone?

PSYC 4063 Advanced Community will double count for your minor plus your out-of-major Core Capstone course. To take it, you must have taken PSYC 3003 Community Psychology first, so plan accordingly. Also, PSYC 4063 is only offered in Spring. Another course that can count towards the psychology minor plus your out-of-major Core Capstone is PSYC/SOC/ANTH 4203 Practicum in Community Development. It is also usually offered in the Spring semester. It is usually taught under the Sociology or Anthropology sections so that it may emphasize those perspectives.

Can minor courses double count for the Core Curriculum or my major?

The rule of thumb is that major courses can not double count with the Core Curriculum. Everything else can double count. Yes, psychology courses can double count for the Psychology Minor plus Core Curriculum or the psychology minor plus you're major.

Can minor courses double count with another minor?

The rule of thumb is that major courses can not double count with the Core Curriculum. Everything else can double count. So, yes, if the same courses are included in more than one minor, then it can double count for both minors. However, we recommend that you diversify your course choices across the two minors to gain more benefits.

What if I want to switch from a psychology minor to a psychology major?

Of course, the department would welcome your application! Apply for the major following the normal university major declaration guidelines and procedures. You would not receive any preference or advantage in your major application if you were already a minority.

What if I want to switch from a psychology major to a minor?

Check with the department chair on your eligibility to do so because there are specific guidelines for which cases can be converted automatically and in which cases students will need to apply for the minor similar to anyone else.

If I already completed five psychology courses without having previously declared the minor, can I receive the minor retroactively?

This may be a possibility. You should apply for the minor just like everyone else in the normal minor application time period, even if you have already graduated during the previous year. During that process, the committee will review the five courses you took and determine whether it qualifies for completing the minor.