Be sure to refer to the Suggested Academic Plan and consult with your adviser regarding the proper sequence of courses.

Psychology Major Requirements 

  • Complete 122 credits total
    • Including at least 45 credits for General Education
    • Including at least 74 credits to fulfill Major Requirements

Foundations (complete all 3 classes/10 credits)

  • English 202A (3 cr): Writing in the Social Sciences
    • Also counts as a General Education course
  • Psychology 100 (3 cr): Introduction to Psychology
  • Psychology 301W (4 cr): Basic Research Methods in Psychology
    • This class fulfills the 'Writing across the Curriculum' requirement

Statistics (complete at least 4 credits/1 class)

  • Psych 200 (4 cr): Elementary Statistics in Psychology
  • Stat 200 (4 cr): Elementary Statistics

Human Development (complete at least 6 credits/2 classes)

  • PSYCH 212 (3 cr): Lifespan Development
  • PSYCH 410 (3 cr): Child Development
  • PSYCH 412 (3 cr): Adolescent Development
  • PSYCH 416 (3 cr): Adult Development

Individual Differences (complete at least 6 credits/2 classes in at least 2 different categories)

  • Category A: Social Psychology
    • PSYCH 221 (3 cr): Introduction to Social Psychology
    • PSYCH 420 (3 cr): Advanced Social Psychology
  • Category B: Personality
    • PSYCH 238 (3 cr): Introduction to Personality Psychology
    • PSYCH 438 (3 cr): Personality Theory
  • Category C: Personal Adjustment
    • PSYCH 243 (3 cr): Introduction to Well-Being and Positive Psychology
    • PSYCH 471 (3 cr): Psychology of Adjustment and Social Relationships
  • Category D: Health Psychology
    • PSYCH 441 (3 cr): Health Psychology

Clinical Psychology (complete at least 2 classes/6 credits)

  • PSYCH 270 (3 cr): Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
    • or PSYCH 470 (3 cr): Abnormal Psychology
  • PSYCH 370 (3 cr): Psychology of the Differently-Abled
  • PSYCH 443 (3 cr): Treatment and Education in Developmental Disabilities
  • PSYCH 473 (3 cr): Behavior Modification
  • PSYCH 476 (3 cr): Child Psychopathology
  • PSYCH 481 (3 cr): Clinical Psychology

Experimental Psychology (complete at least 1 class/3 credits in at least 2 categories)

  • Category A: Physiological Psychology
    • PSYCH 260 (3 cr): Neurological Bases of Human Behavior
    • PSYCH 460 (3 cr): Comparative Psychology
    • PSYCH 462 (3 cr): Physiological Psychology
  • Category B: Cognitive Psychology
    • PSYCH 256 (3 cr): Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
    • PSYCH 452 (3 cr): Learning and Memory
    • PSYCH 456 (3 cr): Advanced Cognitive Psychology
  • Category C: Learning Theory
    • PSYCH 261 (3 cr): Introduction to Psychology of Learning
    • PSYCH 461 (3 cr): Advanced Conditioning and Learning

Applications in Psychology (complete at least 1 class/3 credits)

  • PSYCH 395 (3 cr): Internship
  • PSYCH 494 (3 cr): Research Projects


SUPPORTING COURSEWORK (at least 6 classes/18 credits)

At least 1 class/3 credits from Natural Sciences

  • Biological Science: BISC 004GN (3 cr)
  • Biology: BIOL141GN (3 cr)

At least 2 classes/6 credits from the Humanities

  • African and African American Studies
  • American Studies
  • Arab Studies
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
  • Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Chinese
  • Comparative Literature
  • Communications
  • Dance
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hebrew
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Interdisciplinary Humanities
  • Integrative Arts
  • Information Sciences and Technology
  • Jewish Studies
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Latin
  • Linguistics
  • Literature
  • Medieval Music
  • Philosophy
  • Portuguese
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Theater
  • Women's Studies: WMST 101GH:IL, 102GH:IL, 104GH:US, 117GH:US, 130IL, 137GH:US, 194GH:US, 205US, 270, 407US, 410, 419US:IL, 421IL, 430US, 438, 455US, 457US:IL, 462US, 466US:IL, 489, 490US:IL, 491

At least 4 classes/12 credits from the Social Sciences

  • African and African American Studies
  • Afro-American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economics
  • Health Care Management
  • Human Development and Family Studies
  • Political Science
  • Public Policy
  • Rural Sociology
  • Social Science
  • Sociology
  • Women's Studies: WMST 100GS:US:UL, 103US, 110GS, 116GS:US:IL, 136US, 202GS:IL, 250US, 415W:GI, 423US, 424US, 428US:IL, 432US, 452, 453US, 456, 464US, 471US, 476W

This page is not a part of the official Penn State University Bulletin.