The Major in Psychology
Major Requirements (for those admitted to UNH in fall 2005 or later)
The following requirements apply to students admitted to UNH Fall 2005 and later. See the department for students admitted to UNH prior to Fall 2005.
Students majoring in psychology must complete 44 credits with a minimum grade of C- in each course and a 2.00 overall average in all major requirements. Students with a first major in psychology may not use any psychology courses to fulfill Discovery/General Education requirements (students cannot use PSYC 571 to fulfill the HP Discovery or Gen Ed 8 requirement or PSYC 401 to fulfill the SS Discovery or Gen Ed 7 requirement). The one exception: Psychology 402 Statistics may be applied to the degree math requirement or to the major, but not both. Students who use Psychology 402 for the math requirement must take an extra four-credit psychology major course. The distribution of the major requirements is as follows:
A. Three core courses-PSYC 401, 402, and 502.
B. Four breadth (500-level) courses as follows:
Group I: Two courses:
PSYC 511 Sensation and Perception
PSYC 512 Psychology of Primates
PSYC 513 Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 521 Behavior Analysis
PSYC 531 Psychobiology
Group II: Two courses:
PSYC 552 Social Psychology
PSYC 553 Personality
PSYC 561 Abnormal Behavior
PSYC 571 Pioneers of Psychology
PSYC 581 Child Development
C. Four depth (700-level) courses as follows:
Group I: Two courses:
PSYC 702 (Adv. Statistics), or 705 (Tests & Measurements)
(if not used in Group II below)
PSYC 710 Visual Perception
PSYC 712 Psychology of Language
PSYC 713 Psychology of Consciousness
PSYC 720 Animal Cognition
PSYC 722 Behaviorism, Culture, & Contemporary Society
PSYC 731 Brain & Behavior
PSYC 733 Drugs & Behavior
PSYC 735 Neurobiology of Mood Disorders
PSYC 736 Attention Disorders
PSYC 737 Behavioral Medicine
PSYC 741 (A-D Advanced Topics Group I)
Examples of PSYC 741's: ReShaping People: A History
Group II: Two courses:
PSYC 702 (Adv. Statistics), or 705 (Tests & Measurements)
(if not used in Group I above)
PSYC 755 Psychology and Law
PSYC 756 Psychology of Crime and Justice
PSYC 758 Health Psychology
PSYC 762 Counseling
PSYC 763 Community Psychology
PSYC 771 Psychology in 20th Century Thought and Society
PSYC 780 Prenatal Development
PSYC 783 Cognitive Development
PSYC 785 Social Development
PSYC 791 (A-G Advanced Topics Group II)
Examples of PSYC 791's: Autobiographical Memory, Attractions and Close Relationships, Psychology of Happiness, Psychology of Race, Culture and Human Development, Adolescence
PSYC 793 Internship
D. Capstone
Students will choose one of the following options to be undertaken during their senior year.
1. PSYC 793 – Internship: This will count towards fulfilling the capstone and a group II 700 level psychology course. By taking PSYC 793, the capstone will be considered fulfilled.
2. PSYC 795 – Independent Study: Students can designate a 4 credit independent study as their capstone experience. The capstone designation form must be filled out and students will be registered for PSYC 798: Capstone, a 0 credit course to reflect the capstone experience is fulfilled. This can count towards the capstone and as a 402 replacement course.
3. PSYC 797/799 – Honors: By completeing Honors in major, the capstone will be considered fulfilled.
4. One of your four 700 level course designated as capstone (see guidelines below): A capstone designated 700 level course will count towards fulfilling the capstone and a 700 level course. The capstone designation form must be filled out and students will be registered for PSYC 798: Capstone, a 0 credit course to reflect the capstone experience is fulfilled.
Guidelines for Capstone Credit
You may take any 700 level Psychology course in your senior year for Capstone credit.
1. At the beginning of the semester, ask your professor about the possibility of taking the course for Capstone credit. Remember that your professor is not obligated to designate a course for Capstone credit. Please be respectful in approaching your professor, and if the answer is no, please accept this decision.
2. Meet and discuss with your professor what you will be doing to constitute your Capstone experience. In some cases, it will be an extra assignment; in others it will involve the expansion of existing class work. Your professor will use his/her professional discretion to determine what constitutes as your Capstone experience.
3. Fill out the Capstone Designation Form (found in the Psychology office); both you and your professor will need to sign it. Submit the form to the Psychology Department Office.
4. The Psychology Department will register you for PSYC 798: Capstone, a 0 credit course so that it reflects on your degree evaluation.
Notes: All Years
Most offerings have one or more prerequisite courses. Students (with the help of their advisers) are expected to select breadth courses that will later enable them to select depth courses appropriate to their interests and career goals. Specific course selections should be discussed with advisers. Exceptions to the requirements for the major are very rare and require a petition to the department.
Psychology majors planning to go on to graduate study in psychology are advised to include PSYC 702 and/or 705 among their courses.
Transfer Students: All Years
Transfer students who elect to major in psychology must complete at least 24 credits in the program at UNH to qualify for the degree in psychology. Transfer students must earn a total of 44 approved credits for completion of the psychology major. The distribution of these credits will be determined by the department's academic counselor. Transfer students should note that courses are allotted only the number of credits granted by the original institution (after adjustments for semester-hour equivalents). Thus, students transferring from an institution at which courses carry less than 4 credits each must make up for any credit deficit created by acceptance of transfer credits into the psychology major.