Mission Statement

The mission of the undergraduate program is to provide broad training in psychological principles and in research methodology as applied to the study of psychology. The program is designed to prepare psychology majors for professional and scientific graduate level training in psychology and related fields and/or for employment in bachelor's degree-level positions in fields such as human services and business. The program contributes significantly to the university's general education program and also provides service courses for students in other academic programs. The program contributes to graduate education in Psychology through close affiliation with the Department of Graduate Psychology. The faculty members in the department are committed to providing superlative teaching, engaging in significant scholarly activity, and providing broad service to the university, community and profession. We strive to maintain an environment that models and encourages open communication, collaboration, life-long learning and community involvement on the part of students, staff and faculty.

Goals

To prepare students for graduate work by offering a rigorous background in psychology. Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed for professional or scientific training at the graduate level leading to possible careers in higher education, clinical psychology, school psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, research, and other fields.
To prepare psychology majors wanting to use their bachelor's degree to seek employment. Psychology majors develop the knowledge and skills that help them develop careers dealing with people including positions in research, business, and human services.
To provide general education and other courses for students in other academic programs.

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

Psychology Club. This club is open to all students with an interest in psychology.
ABPsi. The JMU student circle of the Association of Black Psychologists is open to all students interested in promoting the field of psychology among all people.
Psi Chi. The local chapter of the national honor society in psychology is open to students with a strong interest in psychology and an exceptional academic record.
Peer Advising. These students serve as peer-consultants to psychology majors and minors. Students are trained during their junior year and serve as advisers during their senior year.

Special Admission Requirements

Admission to JMU does not guarantee admission to the Psychology Major. Students may enter JMU as “Psychology preparation students” and apply to become majors later. Spaces will be available each year. The exact number will be determined each year based on the ability of the department to provide a quality educational experience for its majors. Spaces available is influenced by factors such as the number of students who are graduating and the size of the faculty. Before applying to become a Psychology Major, all students must complete GPSYC 101 (General Psychology) and Math 220 (Statistics). Overall G.P.A. is an important factor in acceptance decisions. Procedures for becoming a major are available on the department Web site.

Retention

All psychology courses taken must carry a grade of "C-" or better to apply to the major. A psychology course completed with a grade of "D" may be credited toward graduation requirements but may not be included in courses credited toward the psychology major.

Prerequisites

Psychology majors must complete GPSYC 101, PSYC 210 and PSYC 211 before enrolling in courses numbered 330 and above. The prerequisite for PSYC 210 is MATH 220. Non-psychology students may enroll in the 300- and 400-level courses only if they have fulfilled course prerequisites.

Registration and Assessment

During registration, psychology majors will be given priority for course selection. Graduating majors must participate in assessment activities. Assessment information helps the faculty modify the psychology curriculum to meet student needs.

Degree and Major Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Degree Requirements

Required courses	Credit Hours
General Education	41
Foreign Language classes (Intermediate level required)	0-14
Philosophy course(s) (In addition to General Education courses)	3
Major requirements (listed below)	38
Electives	24-38

	120

Major Requirements

	Credit Hours
GPSYC 101. General Psychology	3
PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics	4
PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods	4
Area A: (choose at least two of the following):	6
PSYC 330. Psychology of Personality PSYC 335. Abnormal Psychology PSYC 345. Social Psychology PSYC 365. Developmental Psychology
Area B: (choose at least two of the following):	6
PSYC 375. Sensation and Perception PSYC 380. Cognitive Psychology PSYC 385. Biopsychology PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning PSYC 395. Comparative Psychology
Psychology electives (at least six hours of these electives must be at the 400 level. SPED 200 may be used as a psychology elective.)	12
Capstone course (choose one of the following):	3
PSYC 492. History of Psychology PSYC 493. Laboratory in Psychology PSYC 495. Field Placement in Psychology PSYC 497. Senior Seminar in Psychology PSYC 499. Honors Thesis

	38

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Degree Requirements

Required courses	Credit Hours
General Education ¹	41
Quantitative requirement (In addition to General Education)	3
Scientific Literacy requirement (In addition to General Education)	3-4
Major requirements (listed below)	38
Electives	34-35

	120

1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.

Major Requirements

	Credit Hours
GPSYC 101. General Psychology	3
PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics	4
PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods	4
Area A: (choose at least two of the following):	6
PSYC 330. Psychology of Personality PSYC 335. Abnormal Psychology PSYC 345. Social Psychology PSYC 365. Developmental Psychology
Area B: (choose at least two of the following):	6
PSYC 375. Sensation and Perception PSYC 380. Cognitive Psychology PSYC 385. Biopsychology PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning PSYC 395. Comparative Psychology
Psychology electives (at least six hours of these electives must be at the 400 level. SPED 200 may be used as a psychology elective.)	12
Capstone course (choose one of the following):	3
PSYC 492. History of Psychology PSYC 493. Laboratory in Psychology PSYC 495. Field Placement in Psychology PSYC 497. Senior Seminar in Psychology PSYC 499. Honors Thesis

	38

With the assistance of their faculty advisers, students majoring in psychology select their area courses and psychology electives to meet their own individual needs and goals. Within the structure of the program, students may choose the courses of greatest interest to them.

Recommended Schedule for Majors

The following program sample is intended as a guide. Courses must be taken in the sequence outlined; however, the semester during which a particular course is taken depends on a number of factors including readiness to take MATH 220, the semester the psychology major is started and other majors or minors the student is completing.
Students are encouraged to meet regularly with their psychology academic adviser to plan their personal course schedule. Because of course sequencing requirements, even with the most compressed program, a minimum of five semesters (or four semesters and summer school) is required to complete the psychology major.

First Year First Semester	Credit Hours
MATH 220. Elementary Statistics¹	3
GPSYC 101. General Psychology	3
General Education courses	9

	15

First Year Second Semester	Credit Hours
General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, and/or minor program courses	15

	15

Second Year First Semester	Credit Hours
PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics	4
General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, minor program, and/or psychology elective courses	12

	16

Second Year Second Semester	Credit Hours
PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods	4
General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, minor program, and/or psychology elective courses	12

	16

Third Year	Credit Hours
Psychology Area A courses	6
Psychology Area B courses	6
Minor program courses or electives	18

	30

Fourth Year	Credit Hours
Psychology 400-level electives	6
Psychology capstone course	3
Final Psychology, minor program or elective courses	21

	30

1 An alternative preliminary math course may be suggested after placement examinations. If suggested, the preliminary course should be taken first semester and MATH 220 second semester.
2 MATH 220 is a prerequisite for PSYC 210.
3 PSYC 210 is a prerequisite for PSYC 211.

Courses for Future Graduate Students

Many JMU psychology students plan to pursue advanced study at the graduate level after earning their bachelor’s degrees. The following courses are recommended for those students who intend to apply to graduate school.

Consider taking additional credit hours of psychology courses beyond the 38 hours that are required for graduation.
Take as many "area" courses in psychology as possible. Only two courses in Social Science Psychology (Area A) and two courses in Natural Science Psychology (Area B) are required for graduation. However, students preparing for graduate school should take additional courses from these selections.
Participate in an individualized learning experience, such as
PSYC 290. Directed Studies in Psychology
PSYC 402. Independent Study in Psychology
PSYC 495. Field Placement in Psychology
PSYC 499. Honors Thesis.
Taking an advanced statistics courses is highly recommended. Consider the following
MATH 321. Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design
MATH 322. Applied Linear Regression
MATH 323. Exploratory Data Analysis
MATH 324. Applied Nonparametric Statistics
MATH 325. Survey of Sampling Methods
A minor or a selection of courses from other departments that complements the psychology major for the professional field you are pursuing might be very helpful. Discuss your professional goals with your faculty adviser and ask for recommendations. Consider taking courses that emphasize writing skills, quantitative skills, critical thinking and analysis, and/or oral communication

Students interested in applying to graduate school in psychology should discuss the necessary preparation with their adviser early in their academic program. Students are encouraged to visit the school's Peer Advising Office in Johnston Hall where materials are available about career and graduate school opportunities.

Other Psychology Programs

Accelerated Graduate Experiences

With special permission, seniors with outstanding academic records may take up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses. These courses cannot count towards their undergraduate degree, but they will appear on their transcript as "Reserve Graduate Credit," Page 28. Successful completion of graduate courses does not guarantee admission to any graduate program, however, completion of graduate courses can be excellent preparation for future graduate school experiences.

Graduate Programs

The Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University offers the following graduate degree programs:

Master of Arts

Counseling Psychology, Psychological Sciences, School Psychology

Master of Education

School Counseling, College Student Personnel Administration

Educational Specialist

Counseling Psychology School Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy

Assessment and Measurement

Doctor of Psychology

Combined/Integrated Program in Clinical, Counseling and School Psychology

Inquiries concerning any of these graduate programs should be directed to the respective program director.
Counseling Psychology
Psychological Sciences
School Psychology
Combined Integrated Program in Clinical, Counseling and School Psychology
Mrs. Susan Rippy
Phone: (540) 568-6439
E-mail: rippysr@jmu.edu
Doctoral Program in Assessment and Measurement
Dr. Donna Sundre
Phone: (540) 568-3483
E-mail: sundredl@jmu.edu

Department of Psychology

Dr. Michael Stoloff, Head Dr. Kevin Apple & Dr. Suzanne Baker, Assistant Department Heads

Mission Statement

Goals

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

Special Admission Requirements

Retention

Prerequisites

Registration and Assessment

Degree and Major Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Degree Requirements

Major Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Degree Requirements

Major Requirements

Recommended Schedule for Majors

Courses for Future Graduate Students

Other Psychology Programs

Accelerated Graduate Experiences

Graduate Programs

Master of Arts

Master of Education

Educational Specialist

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Psychology

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