Academic Programs
Department of Psychology
Dr. Michael Stoloff, Head
Dr. Kevin Apple & Dr. Suzanne Baker, Assistant Department Heads
Location: Miller Hall, Room 1120
Phone: (540) 568-6114
E-mail: ugpsyc@jmu.edu
Web site: http://www.psyc.jmu.edu/ug
Professors
C. Abrahamson, S. Baker, P. Gibson, J. Grayson, C. Harris, A. Kahn, S. Lovell, S. Serdikoff, M. Stoloff
Associate Professors
J. Andre, K. Apple, K. Barron, D. Daniel, W. Evans, M. Hall, N. Lawrence, M. Reis-Bergan, B. Saville, C. Talley, T. Zinn
Assistant Professors
J. Irons, U. Kaplan, M. Lee
Lecturer
K. DuVall
Mission Statement
Co-curricular Activities and Organizations
Special Admission Requirements
Retention
Prerequisites
Registration and Assessment
Degree and Major Requirements
Recommended Courses
Other Psychology Programs
The mission of the Department of Psychology is to educate students in, and contribute to, the science of psychology.
Goals
The vision of the Department of Psychology is to sustain and advance a nationally recognized department focused on promoting scientific proficiency within the interdisciplinary field of psychology. To that end, the curriculum is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in psychological science that reflects multiple perspectives within the discipline. The hallmarks of our program are learning opportunities that promote the skills necessary to conduct and evaluate research and to interpret findings. The department trains our students to be responsive to emerging trends and apply their knowledge of psychological science as responsible global citizens.
The Department of Psychology is a dynamic contributor to the General Education program and the university community through the delivery of high quality courses and other educational experiences emphasizing psychological science. Our faculty strive to create and implement creative and effective pedagogy, embracing the dual role of teacher/scholar. The department will foster a collegial and collaborative environment within which divergent opinions as well as cultural diversity are respected, valued and promoted.
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.
- Psychologists for Sustainability. This organization promotes education, awareness and action regarding environmental issues and sustainability within the psychology majors and throughout the JMU community.
Special Admission Requirements
Students interested in completing the intermediate and advanced courses required for the psychology major must meet the department's progression standards and be fully admitted to the major.
Before applying to become a psychology major, students must complete GPSYC 101 (General Psychology) and MATH 220 [Statistics] or MATH 205, MATH 231 or MATH 235 [Calculus]. MATH 220 is recommended. Overall GPA is an important factor in acceptance decisions. Procedures for becoming a major are available on the department Web site.
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.
Psychology majors must complete GPSYC 101 and two statistics and research methodology courses (PSYC 210-211 or PSYC 212-213) before enrolling in courses numbered 330 and above. The prerequisite for PSYC 210 and PSYC 212 is any mathematics course numbered 205 or above. Most psychology courses numbered 330 and above have specific prerequisites. See course listings for details. Non-psychology students may enroll in the 300- and 400-level courses only if they have fulfilled course prerequisites.
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.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) | 0-14 |
| Philosophy course(s) (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| Major requirements (listed below) | 44 |
| Electives | 18-32 |
120 |
|
Major Requirements2
The courses listed below are required of all students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree, or any other bachelor's degree program except Bachelor of Science, regardless of whether psychology is their first or second major.
Credit Hours |
|
| GPSYC 101. General Psychology | 3 |
| Methodology Core3(choose one of the following sequences): | 8 |
| PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics and | |
| PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods | |
| PSYC 212. Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis I and PSYC 213. Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis II | |
| SS Content Core - Psychology as a Social Science | 9 |
| (choose at least three of the following): | |
| PSYC 330. Psychology of Personality | |
| PSYC 335. Abnormal Psychology | |
| PSYC 345. Social Psychology | |
| PSYC 365. Developmental Psychology | |
| NS Content Core - Psychology as a Natural Science | 9 |
| (choose at least three of the following): | |
| PSYC 375. Sensation and Perception | |
| PSYC 380. Cognitive Psychology | |
| PSYC 385. Biopsychology | |
| PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning | |
| PSYC 395. Comparative Animal Behavior | |
| Upper Level Specialty Content Courses | 3 |
| (choose at least one of the following): | |
| PSYC 400. Advanced Topics4 | |
| PSYC 410. Industrial/Organizational Psychology | |
| PSYC 412. Psychology of Motivation | |
| PSYC 420. Advanced Psychological Statistics | |
| PSYC 425. School Psychology | |
| PSYC 427. Tests & Measurement | |
| PSYC 428. Educational Psychology | |
| PSYC 430. Clinical Psychology | |
| PSYC 435. Community Psychology | |
| PSYC 440. Counseling Psychology | |
| PSYC 450. Child Abuse and Neglect | |
| PSYC 452. Child Psychopathology | |
| PSYC 460. Community Psychology within Developing Societies5 | |
| PSYC 465. Black/African Psychology5 | |
| PSYC 475. Psychology of Adulthood | |
| PSYC 480. Applied Behavior Analysis | |
| Psychology electives (at least three hours of these electives must | 9 |
| be at the 400 level) | |
| 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 Psychology4 | |
| PSYC 499. Honors Thesis4 |
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.
2 All psychology majors are required to complete at least one course that satisfies our sociocultural awareness requirement. Courses that meet this requirement appear in various sectors of the curriculum and can be used to meet other major requirements.
3 PSYC 210 and PSYC 211 are offered every semester; PSYC 212 is offered only during the fall semester; PSYC 213 is offered only during the spring semester.
4 Some sections of this course MAY meet the sociocultural awareness requirement depending on the content; when this course does meet the requirement it will be listed in the notes section of the course listing in e-campus.
5 Course meets sociocultural awareness requirement.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Major requirements (listed below) | 44 |
| Cognate requirements2 | 9-11 |
| Electives | 18-32 |
120 |
|
Major Requirements3
The courses and cognate described below are required of all students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, regardless of whether psychology is their first or second major.
Credit Hours |
|
| GPSYC 101. General Psychology | 3 |
| Methodology Core4 (choose one of the following sequences): | 8 |
| PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics and PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods | |
| PSYC 212. Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis I and | |
| PSYC 213. Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis II | |
| SS Content Core - Psychology as a Social Science | 9 |
| (choose at least three of the following): | |
| PSYC 330. Psychology of Personality | |
| PSYC 335. Abnormal Psychology | |
| PSYC 345. Social Psychology | |
| PSYC 365. Developmental Psychology | |
| PSYC 385. Biopsychology | 3 |
| NS Content Core - Psychology as a Natural Science | 6 |
| (choose at least two of the following): | |
| PSYC 375. Sensation and Perception | |
| PSYC 380. Cognitive Psychology | |
| PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning | |
| PSYC 395. Comparative Animal Behavior | |
| Upper Level Specialty Content Courses | 3 |
| (choose at least one of the following): | |
| PSYC 400. Advanced Topics5 | |
| PSYC 410. Industrial/Organizational Psychology | |
| PSYC 412. Psychology of Motivation | |
| PSYC 420. Advanced Psychological Statistics | |
| PSYC 425. School Psychology | |
| PSYC 427. Tests & Measurement | |
| PSYC 428. Educational Psychology | |
| PSYC 430. Clinical Psychology | |
| PSYC 435. Community Psychology | |
| PSYC 440. Counseling Psychology | |
| PSYC 450. Child Abuse and Neglect | |
| PSYC 452. Child Psychopathology | |
| PSYC 460. Community Psychology within Developing Societies6 | |
| PSYC 465. Black/African Psychology6 | |
| PSYC 475. Psychology of Adulthood | |
| PSYC 480. Applied Behavior Analysis | |
| Psychology electives (at least three hours of these electives must | 9 |
| be at the 400 level) | |
| 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 Psychology5 | |
| PSYC 499. Honors Thesis5 |
Cognate Requirements
| Quantitative Competency (in addition to General Education can | 3 |
| count toward B.S. degree, second major and/or minor | |
| requirements) | |
| Any MATH course numbered 205 or above | |
| Scientific Literacy (choose at least two of the following in addition | 6-8 |
| to General Education; can count toward B.S. degree, second major and/or minor requirements) | |
| ANTH or GANTH - any course number | |
| BIO or GBIO - any course number | |
| CHEM - any course number | |
| CS 139, 239, 240, 345 or 350 | |
| ECON or GECON - any course number | |
| GSCI 101 or GSCI 121 | |
| POSC or GPOSC - any course number | |
| SOCI or GSOCI - any course number |
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.
2 Includes courses required to satisfy university B.S. degree requirements in quantitative competency and scientific literacy.
3 All psychology majors are required to complete at least one course that satisfies our sociocultural awareness requirement. Courses that meet this requirement appear in various sectors of the curriculum and can be used to meet other major requirements.
4 PSYC 210 and PSYC 211 are offered every semester; PSYC 212 is offered only during the fall semester; PSYC 213 is offered only during the spring semester.
5 Some sections of this course MAY meet the sociocultural awareness requirement depending on the content; when this course does meet the requirement, it will be listed in the notes section of the course listing in e-campus.
6 Course meets sociocultural awareness requirement.
Concentration
Behavior Analysis Concentration
Dr. Sherry Serdikoff, Concentration Coordinator
This concentration prepares students for employment with agencies that provide behavior analytic services and/or for pursuing a graduate degree in behavior analysis. This course sequence includes the course work requirements necessary to sit for the Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysis (BCABA®) national certification examination.
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 180. Introduction to Behavior Analysis1 | 3 |
| PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning | 3 |
| PSYC 480. Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 |
| PSYC 402. Independent Study: Practicum - Behavior Analysis2,3 | |
| PSYC 402. Independent Study: Research - Behavior Analysis2 | |
| PSYC 402. Independent Study: Readings - Behavior Analysis2 | |
| PSYC 402. Independent Study: Teaching - Behavior Analysis2 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3-6 |
| PSYC 493. Laboratory in Psychology2 | |
| PSYC 497. Senior Seminar in Psychology2 | |
| PSYC 499. Honors Thesis2 | |
15-18 |
|
1 Cannot be taken by students who have completed PSYC 390 or PSYC 480.
2 Only certain sections will qualify; consult with the concentration coordinator before enrolling.
3 This course will count toward the experience requirements for the Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysis (BCABA®) national certification examination.
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 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, B.S. Psychology | 15 |
| Cognate, and/or minor program courses | |
15 |
|
Second Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement | 4 |
| and Statistics or PSYC 212. Psychological Research Design | |
| and Data Analysis I2 | |
| General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, | 12 |
| B.S. Psychology Cognate, minor program, and/or | |
| psychology elective courses | |
16 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods3 | 4 |
| or PSYC 213. Psychological Research Design and Data Analysis II4 | |
| General Education, B.A./B.S. degree requirement, | 12 |
| B.S. Psychology Cognate, minor program, and/or | |
| psychology elective courses | |
16 |
|
| Third Year | Credit Hours |
| SS content core courses | 9 |
| NS content core courses | 9 |
| Minor program courses or electives | 12 |
30 |
|
| Fourth Year | Credit Hours |
| Psychology Upper level Specialty Content Course | 3 |
| Psychology 400 level elective | 3 |
| Psychology capstone course | 3 |
| Psychology, minor program or elective courses | 21 |
30 |
|
1 A preliminary math course may be suggested after placement examinations. If suggested, the preliminary course should be taken first semester and MATH 220 second semester. Other 200-level mathematics courses may be substituted for MATH 220. Any MATH course numbered 205 or above is an acceptable prerequisite for the psychology major.
2 Any MATH course numbered 205 or above is a prerequisite for PSYC 210 and PSYC 212. MATH 220 is recommended.
3 PSYC 210 is a prerequisite for PSYC 211.
4 PSYC 212 is a prerequisite for PSYC 213.
Recommended Courses
The following courses are recommended for all psychology majors especially those who plan to pursue advanced study at the graduate level after earning their bachelor's degrees.
- Participate in experiential learning, such as:
- Taking an advanced statistics courses is highly recommended. Consider the following:
- 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 should discuss their career aspirations with their academic advisor throughout their academic program. Students interested in applying to graduate school should discuss the necessary preparation with their adviser early in their academic program. Students are encouraged to visit the department's Peer Advising Office in Johnston Hall where materials are available about career and graduate school opportunities.
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. 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 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 and School Psychology
Admissions Secretary
Phone: (540) 568-6439
Doctoral Program in Assessment and Measurement
Dr. Christine Harmes
Phone: (540) 568-7132
E-mail: harmesjc@jmu.edu
