Psychology

Overview

Psychology concerns the study and understanding of thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The courses offered by the department are directed toward the study and appreciation of the complex factors that influence behavior and covert experience in people and other animals, using methodology designed to enhance objectivity and responsibility. Studying psychology has a twofold function: (1) to further the intellectual development of the student; (2) to enhance preparation in professions within and related to psychology, such as clinical practice, research, counseling, education, social work, medicine, law, and business.

Major Requirements

The major consists of twelve 4-unit courses (48 units). Students may apply to the major and receive credit for upper-division coursework after having successfully completed Introduction to Psychology and Methods in Psychological Science. Majors select an academic advisor from among the department’s full-time faculty for consultation regarding their course programs. Though not strictly sequenced, the major is structured to provide both breadth and depth.

DEPARTMENTAL CORE

Students must receive a grade of C- or better.

PSYC 101	Introduction to Psychology	4 units
PSYC 200	Methods in Psychological Science	4 units
PSYC 201	Statistics in Psychological Science	4 units

FUNDAMENTAL DOMAINS

Students must survey psychology’s diverse subdisciplines by taking at least six courses (24 units) listed within our four Domains: Biologically Based Analyses, Information Processing, Interpersonal and Intergroup, and Application-Oriented. Students must take at least one course in each of the four Domains to fulfill this requirement. Students must also complete two courses at the 400 level. At least one 400-level course must be within a Domain.

Biologically Based Analyses Domain

PSYC 322	Physiological Psychology	4 units
PSYC 336	Evolutionary Psychology	4 units
PSYC 403	Psychophysiology	4 units

Information Processing Domain

PSYC 301	Learning	4 units
PSYC 302	Perception	4 units
PSYC 306/COGS 306	Cognitive Psychology	4 units
PSYC 444	Thinking and Reasoning	4 units

Interpersonal and Intergroup Relations Domain

PSYC 321	Developmental Psychology	4 units
PSYC 323	Social Psychology	4 units
PSYC 428	Adolescence	4 units
PSYC 448	Theories of Personality	4 units

Application-Oriented Domain

PSYC 223	Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations and Dialogue	4 units
PSYC 330	Abnormal Psychology	4 units
PSYC 334	Health Psychology	4 units
PSYC 340	Organizational Psychology	4 units
PSYC 420	Psychology of Addiction	4 units
PSYC 431	Clinical Psychology	4 units
PSYC 460	Assessment of Individual Differences	4 units

ADDITIONAL ELECTIVES

Choose three additional Psychology courses.

* Some Kinesiology courses may be counted as electives.

** Up to 4 units in Independent Study / Honors courses (PSYC 397/PSYC 499) will be treated as one 4-unit, elective course, even if the units are accumulated over multiple semesters.

Second-Stage Writing Requirement

Students will satisfy the Second-Stage Writing Requirement by earning a Pass on the research paper assigned in PSYC 201: Statistics in Psychological Science, as determined by a departmental writing rubric. Students who do not meet this standard will revise their paper, subsequent to the course, until it does.

Comprehensive Requirement

Senior majors must take and pass a comprehensive examination early in the semester that precedes graduation (i.e., spring of senior year for most students).

College Honors

Honors in Psychology may be awarded to qualified students. Eligible students are those who have earned an overall college grade point average of 3.25 or better and a grade point average in Psychology of 3.5 or better, and completed an empirical project that demonstrates the student's psychological sophistication, intellectual creativity, and research skills, culminating in an APA-style manuscript. Only courses completed at Occidental are used to calculate grade point average. Consult the Psychology Department Moodle website for information pertaining to the honors proposal, thesis readers, enrollment expectations, and the evaluation process including critical dates.

Transfer Credit Policies

The department will apply toward the psychology major most broad-based courses in Introduction to Psychology taken at accredited colleges and universities.

A score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology exam or a score of 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Psychology exam is deemed equivalent to having taken PSYC 101. Students who have received such a score will be counted as meeting the PSYC 101 course prerequisite and the PSYC 101 degree requirement for the major.

In addition to Introductory Psychology, the department will accept a maximum of two psychology courses taken at other institutions and passed with grades of C or better toward the completion of the Psychology major. Please consult with your academic adviser and the department chair for course approval.

Students transferring from another institution in the junior year or students who have taken a leave of absence for more than 1 semester may transfer Introductory Psychology and up to four other psychology courses, with approval from the department chair.

Students should reference the Transfer Credit section of the Catalog for more details.

Courses

Psychology Courses

Faculty

Regular Faculty

Andrew Shtulman, chair

Associate Professor, Cognitive Science, Psychology

B.A., Princeton University; Ph.D., Harvard University

Patricia Cabral
Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A., California State University, Northridge; Ph.D. University of California, Irvine

Nancy Dess

Professor

B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Brian Kim

Associate Professor

B.A., Cornell University; M.A., Ph.D., Michigan State University

Lynn Mehl

Professor, Kinesiology, Psychology

B.S., M.S., Ph.D., University of Southern California