Program Overview

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Psychology, BS

Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Chair: Joanne Davila

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Anne Moyer

Assistant to the Chair: Cynthia Forman

Undergraduate Program Coordinator: Diane DeSimone

Email: [insert email]

Office: PSY B 109A

Phone: [insert phone number]

Undergraduate Academic Advisors: Sarah Naqvi-Syed and Danielle Percoco

Email: [insert email]

Office: PSY B 109

Phone: [insert phone number]

Department Website: [insert website]

Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Psychology:

• Africana Studies (AFS)
• Women’s and Gender Studies (WST)

Overview

The study of psychology provides an understanding of the biological, cognitive, social, and clinical origins of behavior, thought, and emotion, and the methods that psychologists use to investigate these. Knowledge of psychological principles and the ability to evaluate theories and research are essential in our rapidly changing society.

Degree Requirements

Completion of the major for either a B.S. or a B.A. in Psychology requires 58 to 67 credits. All courses required for either the B.S. or B.A. degree must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Study within Psychology

For both degree programs, 34 to 35 credits in psychology to be distributed as follows:

1. Core Program

• PSY 103 - Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
• One of the following statistics courses:
  • PSY 201 - Statistical Methods in Psychology (3 credits)
  • AMS 102 - Elements of Statistics (3 credits)
  • AMS 110 - Probability and Statistics in the Life Sciences (3 credits)
  • AMS 310 - Survey of Probability and Statistics (3 credits)
  • BUS 215 - Introduction to Business Statistics (3 credits)
  • ECO 320 - Mathematical Statistics (4 credits)
  • POL 201 - Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science (3 credits)
  • SOC 202 - Statistical Methods in Sociology (3 credits)
  • Another statistics course approved by the department
• PSY 310 - Research and Writing in Psychology (4 credits)

2. Survey Courses in Psychology

One course from Group A, one from Group B, and a third course from Group A or B:

Group A

• PSY 220 - Survey in Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
• PSY 230 - Survey in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology (3 credits)
• PSY 240 - Survey in Social Psychology (3 credits)

Group B

• PSY 250 - Survey in Biopsychology (3 credits)
• PSY 260 - Survey in Cognition and Perception (3 credits)

3. Five PSY courses

• One course numbered 200 or higher excluding:
  • PSY 201 - Statistical Methods in Psychology (3 credits)
  • PSY 273 - Supervised Research in Psychology (0-6 credits)
  • PSY 283 - Applications and Community Service (1-3 credits)
  • PSY 310 - Research and Writing in Psychology (4 credits)
  • PSY 399
  • PSY 447 - Readings in Psychology (1-6 credits)
  • PSY 475 - Undergraduate Teaching Practicum I (3 credits)
  • PSY 476 - Undergraduate Teaching Practicum II (3 credits)
  • PSY 487 - Independent Research in Psychology (0-6 credits)
  • PSY 488 - Internship (0-6 credits)
  • PSY 495 - Senior Honors Seminar (1 credit)
  • PSY 496 - Senior Honors Seminar (1 credit)
  • the discontinued PSY 300
  • 200-level survey courses used to satisfy requirement #2
• A laboratory course:
  • PSY 380 - Research Lab: Human Cognition (4 credits)
  • PSY 382 - Research Lab: Social Psychology (4 credits)
• An advanced statistics or one of the following:
  • Advanced Statistics
    • PSY 301 - Advanced Statistics (3 credits)
    • AMS 315 - Data Analysis (3 credits)
  • Or one of the following courses:
    • PSY 355 - Human Brain Function (3 credits)
    • PSY 356 - Physiological Psychology (3 credits)
    • PSY 368 - Sensation and Perception (3 credits)
    • BIO 334 - Principles of Neurobiology (3 credits)
    • BIO 338 - From Synapse to Circuit: Self-organization of the Brain (3 credits)
• Two more courses numbered 300 or higher, excluding:
  • PSY 310 - Research and Writing in Psychology (4 credits)
  • PSY 399
  • PSY 447 - Readings in Psychology (1-6 credits)
  • PSY 475 - Undergraduate Teaching Practicum I (3 credits)
  • PSY 476 - Undergraduate Teaching Practicum II (3 credits)
  • PSY 487 - Independent Research in Psychology (0-6 credits)
  • PSY 488 - Internship (0-6 credits)
  • PSY 495 - Senior Honors Seminar (1 credit)
  • PSY 496 - Senior Honors Seminar (1 credit)

4. Upper-Division Writing Requirement

A course that satisfies the “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD) learning objective must be completed in order to graduate. This WRTD requirement will routinely be satisfied by completing PSY 310. However, in special cases, co-registration for the 0-credit PSY 459 while completing a substantial paper or writing sample in another Psychology course will satisfy the WRTD requirement. A student must obtain the permission of the course instructor prior to registering for PSY 459.

5. Courses Outside the Psychology Department

In addition to the 34 to 35 credits in psychology, students must also complete 24 to 32 credits of courses outside the Department. For the BS Degree, all three categories below are required.

1. Mathematics:

• Calculus I - Select one of the Following
  • MAT 125 - Calculus A (3 credits) (or MAT 130/MAT 125)
  • MAT 131 - Calculus I (4 credits)
  • AMS 151 - Applied Calculus I (3 credits)
• Calculus II - Select One of the Following
  • MAT 126 - Calculus B (3 credits)
  • MAT 132 - Calculus II (4 credits)
  • AMS 161 - Applied Calculus II (3 credits)

2. Biology:

• Select two of the following lecture courses:
  • BIO 201 - Fundamentals of Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems (3 credits)
  • BIO 202 - Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Biology (3 credits)
  • BIO 203 - Fundamentals of Biology: Cellular and Organ Physiology (3 credits)
• Select two of the following lab courses:
  • BIO 204 - Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences I (2 credits)
  • BIO 205 - Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences IIA (2 credits)
  • BIO 207 - Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences IIB (2 credits)

3. Any two concentrations selected from the following five choices:

• Biology:
  • Two BIO or biology-related courses selected from the following:
    • BIO 208 - Cells, Brains, Minds (3 credits)
    • BIO 310 - Cell Biology (3 credits)
    • BIO 312 - Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (3 credits)
    • BIO 314 - Cancer Biology (3 credits)
    • BIO 315 - Microbiology (3 credits)
    • BIO 317 - Principles of Cellular Signaling (3 credits)
    • BIO 320 - General Genetics (3 credits)
    • BIO 321 - Ecological Genetics (3 credits)
    • BIO 325 - Animal Development (3 credits)
    • BIO 327 - Developmental Genetics Laboratory (3 credits)
    • BIO 328 - Mammalian Physiology (3 credits)
    • BIO 332 - Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems (3 credits)
    • BIO 334 - Principles of Neurobiology (3 credits)
    • BIO 335 - Neurobiology Laboratory (3 credits)
    • BIO 336 - Conservation Biology (3 credits)
    • BIO 337 - Neurotransmission and Neuromodulation: Implications for Brain Function (3 credits)
    • BIO 338 - From Synapse to Circuit: Self-organization of the Brain (3 credits)
    • BIO 339 - Neurobiology of Disease (3 credits)
    • BIO 350
    • BIO 351 - Ecology (3 credits)
    • BIO 354 - Evolution (3 credits)
    • BIO 358 - Biology and Human Social and Sexual Behavior (3 credits)
    • BIO 359
    • BIO 361 - Biochemistry I (3 credits)
    • BCP 401 - Principles of Pharmacology (4 credits)
    • HBM 320 - General Microbiology (3 credits)
    • HBM 321 - General Microbiology Laboratory (1 credit)
• Chemistry:
  • CHE 131 - General Chemistry IB (4 credits)
  • CHE 133 - General Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)
  • CHE 132 - General Chemistry II (4 credits)
  • CHE 134 - General Chemistry Laboratory II (1 credit)
• Mathematics:
  • Two courses selected from MAT courses numbered 200 or above; and 300-level AMS courses except AMS 310, AMS 312, AMS 315.
• Physics:
  • One of the following sequences:
    • PHY 121 - Physics for the Life Sciences I (4 credits)
    • PHY 122 - Physics for the Life Sciences II (4 credits)
    • PHY 125 - Classical Physics A (3 credits)
    • PHY 126 - Classical Physics B (3 credits)
    • PHY 127 - Classical Physics C (3 credits)
    • PHY 131 - Classical Physics I (3 credits)
    • PHY 133 - Classical Physics Laboratory I (1 credit)
    • PHY 132 - Classical Physics II (3 credits)
    • PHY 134 - Classical Physics Laboratory II (1 credit)
    • PHY 141 - Classical Physics I: Honors (3 credits)
    • PHY 142 - Classical Physics II: Honors (3 credits)
• Computer Science:
  • CSE 114 - Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (4 credits)
  • CSE 215 - Foundations of Computer Science (4 credits)

Notes:

1. Transfer students must take at least 12 credits of psychology in residence at Stony Brook.
2. No more than six credits from among PSY 273, PSY 283, PSY 447, and PSY 487 may be taken in one semester. Other restrictions on applying these courses toward graduation requirements exist; consult the Undergraduate Psychology Office and see also Course Credit and Grading Option Limits in the “Academic Policies and Regulations” chapter.
3. Students interested in a major in Psychology should meet with a Psychology Department Undergraduate Advisor (Room B-109). Additional meetings should be scheduled periodically to review progress toward fulfilling Department requirements.
4. Psychology courses may be repeated only ONE time.

Psychology Honors Program

The Psychology honors program features:

1. a faculty mentor and
2. collaborative research with faculty which results in a senior thesis.

Departmental majors with a 3.50 g.p.a. in psychology courses, with a 3.20 cumulative g.p.a, and with the agreement of a faculty mentor to supervise the student’s independent project may apply to enroll in the Psychology honors program at the end of their junior year. The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a proposal to the Psychology Department describing the research project that is to be the subject of the honors thesis. If the project is approved by the Department, the student may enroll in PSY 495 and PSY 496 in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year, respectively. The student’s major paper or research project must be completed no later than two weeks prior to the end of the second semester and submitted to the Department. If the honors program is completed with distinction and the student has achieved a 3.5 g.p.a. in all psychology courses taken in the senior year, honors are conferred.

Conferral of honors in Psychology requires the following:

1. A cumulative g.p.a. of 3.00 and a 3.50 g.p.a. in psychology.
2. Successful completion of a senior thesis while enrolled in PSY 495 and PSY 496, see below.

The Psychology honors program is followed for two semesters. During the senior year they enroll in PSY 495 (first semester) and PSY 496 (second semester) Senior Honors Seminar.

SBC Courses

This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements.

SBC Category	Required Major Courses	Optional Major Courses
ARTS
GLO
HUM
LANG
QPS		AMS 102, AMS 110, AMS 151, AMS 161, PSY 201, POL 201, SOC 202, MAT 123, MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 131
SBS	PSY 103
SNW		BIO 201, CHE 131, CHE 132, CHE 129, PHY 121, PHY 125, PHY 131, PHY 141
TECH		CSE 114
USA
WRT
STAS		BIO 208
EXP+		PSY 273, PSY 444
HFA+
SBS+		PSY 220, PSY 230, PSY 240, PSY 250, PSY 260, PSY 334, PSY 347
STEM+		AMS 310, BIO 202, BIO 203, BIO 351, PSY 250, PSY 260
CER	PSY 103	AMS 315
DIV		PSY 240, PSY 342
ESI	PSY 310	AMS 315, PSY 382
SPK	PSY 310
WRTD	PSY 310	PSY 382, PSY 459

Sample Course Sequence

Freshman

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
First Year Seminar 101	1 credit	First Year Seminar 102	1 credit
WRT 101	3 credits	WRT 102	3 credits
PSY 103	3 credits	PSY Group A or PSY Group B	3 credits
MAT 125 or MAT 131	3-4 credits	MAT 126 or MAT 132	3-4 credits
CHE 131*	4 credits	LANG Part 2	3 credits
LANG Part 1	3-4 credits	SBC	3 credits
Total	16-19 credits	Total	16-18 credits

Sophomore

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
PSY 201**	3 credits	PSY Upper-division elective (301-382)	3 credits
PSY Group A or PSY Group B1	3 credits	PSY Group A or B	3 credits
BIO 201 or BIO 202 or BIO 203	3 credits	PSY 200 and above elective**	3 credits
BIO 204	2 credits	BIO 201 or BIO 202 or BIO 2032	3 credits
SBC	3 credits	BIO 205 or BIO 207	2 credits
SBC	3 credits	SBC	3 credits
Total	17 credits	Total	17 credits

Junior

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
PSY advanced laboratory (PSY 380 or PSY 382)	4 credits	PSY 301, PSY 355, PSY 356, PSY 368 or AMS 315**	3 credits
Science sequence concentration elective	3-5 credits	Science sequence concentration elective	3-5 credits
PSY Upper-division elective**	3 credits	Upper-division elective	3 credits
Upper-division elective	3 credits	SBC	3 credits
SBC	3 credits	SBC	3 credits
Total	16-18 credits	Total	15-17 credits

Senior

Fall Semester	Credits	Spring Semester	Credits
PSY 310	4 credits	PSY Upper-division elective**	3 credits
Upper-division elective	3 credits	Upper-division elective	3 credits
Upper-division elective	3 credits	Upper-division elective	3 credits
Upper-division elective	3 credits	SBC	3 credits
SBC	3 credits		3 credits
Total	16 credits	Total	12 credits