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The Psychology Major

The Department of Psychology is one of the most prestigious units at WVU. Several faculty members are among the leaders in their areas of interest.

Psychology is the science of behavior, and courses in this discipline convey the principles, methods, and theories that are necessary for a better understanding of human and animal behaviors. Students who choose this subject as their major are expected to fulfill certain requirements, but the program is structured to allow considerable flexibility. Studying psychology at WVU allow student to work toward a liberal arts degree rather than a specialized degree that prepares students for a specific type of job. Typically, individuals tailor their schedules according to the career paths they choose, and these decisions generally fall into three categories: pursuit of graduate studies, pursuit of a career applying principles of psychology to human problems, or pursuit of a career in a non-related field.

Admissions Requirements

If the University admission requirements are met, a student may be accepted to WVU as a Pre-Psychology major. Students may apply for admission to the degree program in psychology (i.e., to be a psychology major) upon completion of 58 total credits at the University, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students must also have: (a) completed both PSYC 101 (Introduction to Psychology) and STAT 211 (Elementary Statistical Inference) with a minimum grade of C in each, (b) completed PSYC 201 (Psychology as a Profession) with a grade of C or higher, and© have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all other attempted psychology courses.

Degree Requirements

I. General Requirements for a B.A. or B.S. Degree with a Major in Psychology

Refer to the catalog for the year that you entered WVU for specific information.

A . A total of 128 credit hours. A maximum of 72 hours of transfer credit from accredited junior colleges may be counted in the 128-hour requirement.

B. You must have at least a 2.0 overall GPA across all courses (128 credits) to graduate.

C. A minimum of 33 hours of specified courses in psychology are required (see below). A maximum of 42 hours of psychology courses-excluding PSYC 491 (Field Experience in Psychology)-may be counted toward the 128 credits needed for a degree. If you entered WVU in August 1997 or later, you must have at least a 2.0 GPA across all psychology courses to graduate as a psychology major.

II. Information about University and College Requirements

Please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for more detailed information.

A. Students entering the University during or after the Fall of 1988 must complete the requirements of the Liberal Studies Program, which include skills requirements (e.g., English, mathematics, writing) and distribution requirements (e.g., Cluster courses, including foreign or minority cultures or gender issues, and laboratory science courses). Specific courses meeting these requirements are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Schedule of Courses.

B. The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences also requires that students complete 3 hours of international studies. Students obtaining a B.A. (bachelor of arts) degree must complete 2 years of a foreign language, and 3 hours of fine arts. Students obtaining a B.S. (bachelor or science) degree must complete MATH 155 (Calculus) and 24 hours of science courses (with a specific distribution).

III. Information About Psychology Courses and Requirements

Please refer to the list of psychology courses for a description of the courses discussed below.

Students must complete 33 hours of psychology courses, as outlined below.

A. Required psychology courses that all majors must complete are: PSYC 101, 201, 202, 301, 302, and either 241 or 251. STAT 211 is an additional required course offered outside of the Department of Psychology. A minimum grade of C is required in each of these courses. (Students who entered WVU prior to August 1997 are required to have a minimum grade of C in only PSYC 101 and STAT 211.)

B. One experimental course is also required from the choice of PSYC 423, 424, 425, or 426. Students earning a B.S. degree are required to take two of these four experimental courses.

C. Electives that are required beyond the above core courses include: (a) two junior/senior-level (300 and 400 level) courses or seminars (one of which must be an experimental course for those earning the B.S. degree), (b) one additional course or seminar (which may be at the 200, 300, or 400 level), and© the Capstone Experience (which includes PSYC 401).

1. The Capstone Experience is required for all psychology majors graduating in Fall 2002 or later, and must be done within the 12 months prior to graduation. Students typically complete the Capstone Experience by taking an approved section of Psych 490 (Teaching Practicum), 491 (Field Experience), 495 (Independent Study), or 498 (Honor’s Investigation and Thesis). An approved Capstone Enhanced course may also be completed as the Capstone Experience; however, such a course does not “double-count” in meeting the experimental course or elective course requirements (see above).

D. Additional psychology courses and practical experiences (in service, research, or teaching) may be taken up to the 42-credit limit on psychology credits that can count toward the 128 credits needed for graduation. Psychology credits above the 42-credit limit may be taken but the will not count toward graduation. The one exception to this limit is PSYC 491(Field Experience), which does not count toward the 42-credit limit, but does count toward the 128 credits needed to graduate.

1. Several practical experience courses are offered in psychology. These include:

PSYC 490, Teaching Practicum: Students learn to teach by serving as tutors or proctors for a course they have previously taken.

PSYC 491, Field Experience in Psychology: Students are involved in an off-campus placement where they apply their knowledge of psychology and learn related skills. Students interested in a 491 opportunity should plan to attend the Psyc 491 Field Experience Informational Meeting during the preceding semester (held each October and March). For a general description of the program, please click HERE. Note: This information changes each semester. Prospective 491 students should obtain the most recent program and placement information

PSYC 495, Independent Study: Students participate in the process of group or independent research, or contract with a faculty member to evaluate selected readings in an area of interest.

PSYC 498, Honors Investigation and Thesis: Students are admitted to the Psychology Honors Program by application and complete a research project under the mentorship of a faculty member.

2. All students are encouraged to participate in these practical experience courses, which can also meet the Capstone Experience requirement. Those students earning a B.S. degree are especially encouraged to participate in PSYC 495 and/or 498. Students completing the Applied Psychology Emphasis are required to participate in Psych 491.

Psychology Capstone Experience

The Psychology Capstone Experience is intended to provide the psychology student with an intensive exploration into an aspect (e.g., teaching, service, research) and area (e.g., experimental, developmental, clinical) of psychology as a means for enhancing learning and unifying the knowledge and experiences acquired as a psychology major.

• Students who will graduate in the Fall of 2002 or later MUST complete a Capstone Experience, and the related Capstone course (PSYC 401), within the 12 months prior to graduation. A list of available Capstone Experiences will be provided to faculty advisors each semester by the time of pre-registration advising.

• Students interested in PSYC 491 (Field Experience in Psychology) or PSYC 498 (Honors Investigation and Thesis) as their Capstone Experience should follow the regular procedures for being admitted to those courses (see information posted elsewhere on this web-site). The student will then be given a permit for PSYC 401 at the same time that a permit to enroll in PSYC 491 or 498 is received from the Student Records Office (Room 1120, Life Sciences Building).

• Students interested in an approved PSYC 490 (Teaching Practicum) or PSYC 495 (Independent Study) as their Capstone Experience must contact the individual instructor of the course to determine if they will be accepted for that Capstone Experience. If accepted, the instructor will complete and sign a contract for the course with the student. The contract is then submitted to the Student Records Office (Room 1120, Life Sciences Building) and a permit is provided to enroll in PSYC 401 along with PSYC 490 or 495.

• Students interested in an approved Course Enhancement Capstone Experience (the availability of these course-enhancement Capstones varies from semester to semester) must register for the writing section of the course in the usual manner. They also must contact the instructor of the course to insure that they also can participate in the course enhancement component (as space for can be quite limited). If approved, the instructor will give the student a form to submit to the Student Records Office (Room 1120, Life Sciences Building) allowing the student to receive a permit for PSYC 401.

• Students completing a Capstone Experience during the summer terms will be given a permit to enroll in the PSYC 401 course in the following fall semester. Students should refer to the Psychology Advising Booklet to ensure that other requirements for the psychology major are completed and that the chosen Capstone Experience is not unintentionally also being counted as fulfilling another requirement (such as the Experimental Course Requirement or the Electives Requirement); credits for the Capstone Experience can not be double-counted.