Undergraduate Program in Experimental Psychology
Introduction
Psychology as a Major
Our program reflects the diversity of the discipline as
well as the interests of faculty and students. Our courses
range from neuropsychology to covering the lifespan from
infancy through old age, people as individuals and as
members of groups, and adaptive and maladaptive behavior.
We provide a strong foundation for graduate and professional
studies, such as education, counseling, social work, business,
and law. We encourage students beginning in their junior
year to participate actively in faculty research, the
honors program, the departmental colloquium series, and
to present their research papers at undergraduate symposia.
We also encourage students to consider volunteer work
in local mental health facilities. Many hospitals and
private organizations can assist with finding paid positions.
The department offers well-equipped computer facilities
for students’ use during official working hours.
(These facilities are sometimes included in course work.)
The department’s laboratories and research space
are up to date and well equipped and include an animal
facility.
Approximately 1,200 students per year major in Psychology,
and approximately 12,000 students take our courses each
academic year. With a B.A. in Psychology, students can
pursue graduate studies in psychology or in a related
field, or look for positions dealing with people such
as retailing, advertising, industrial relations, social
work, government human service agencies. Psychology provides
a background for teaching at the secondary level. For
more information, contact the UCSD TEP (Teachers
Education Program). The section on Internships
and Career Services offers suggestions on ways to prepare
for this time after graduation. Experience as a volunteer
or intern is relatively easy to obtain.
Our courses will also give students a more developed understanding
of how society functions, children learn, and how mental
states can influence the physical function of our bodies,
e.g., heart disease and cancer. Many of today’s problems,
including AIDS, heart disease, pollution, and violence,
are the consequences of human behavior. Psychology offers
the tools to recognize, understand, and change these problems,
as well as our attitudes towards them.
Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Experimental Psychology
Many students are under the impression that a degree in psychology
leads only to counseling professions in which one provides
therapy for psychological problems. Many psychotherapists
are psychiatrists who have an M.D. and specialize in psychiatry.
They can prescribe medication to their patients. Most
other psychotherapists are clinical psychologists. The
experimental psychologist can be either a clinical or
nonclinical researcher, and engage in research to advance
our knowledge of mental processes in human or animal behavior,
thinking, perception, personality, child development,
social interaction, and other areas. (See information on our faculty). As students progress through
their courses the differences between these professions
becomes more clear.
Other fields related to general psychology include:
Architecture
Urban Planning
Art, Music, Dance, Theater
Advertising
Biology
Business Administration
Economics
English, Communications, Journalism
Environmental Studies
History, Government
Law
Industrial Relations
Medicine, Nursing
Religion
Sociology, Anthropology
Your academic advisor can offer suggestions of possible course
concentrations for a career in these fields.
To declare your major, go to the Registrar's Office. To
change your major, obtain a form from the Registrar's
office and bring it to the Department of Psychology for
approval.
The Undergraduate Program - B.A. versus B.S.
The department offers three degree programs: Bachelor
of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor
of Science (B.S.), and the
Integrated B.S./M.A. Program. We offer courses in
all major areas of experimental psychology, with emphasis
in the areas of behavior analysis, biopsychology, clinical
psychology, cognitive and cognitive neuropsychology, developmental
psychology, human information processing, physiological
psychology, psychopathology, sensation and perception,
and social psychology. The department emphasizes research
in the experimental and theoretical analysis of human
and animal behavior, and the study of the mind. Students
who major in psychology can expect to develop a knowledge
of a broad range of content areas, as well as basic skills
in experimental and analytic procedures.
BA versus BS
The
Psychology Department offers two undergraduate programs:
a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
The B.S. program is more structured than the B.A. Program,
and has a slightly higher course load with an emphasis
on laboratory courses and field specific courses. Both
degrees provide a good educational basis for higher education
as well as employment outside the academic setting. The
idea of the B.S. was born because of the department’s
research focus and the feeling by students that a B.S.
degree represents this focus better in the ‘real’
world. (When applying to graduate programs, course-work
is of more interest than the type of degree.) However,
the B.S. will allow you to apply to the Integrated B.S./M.A.
Program. Yet, no matter which degree you eventually have,
both the B.A. and B.S. provide a solid foundation.
The Minor in Psychology
The
minor in psychology consists of at least twenty-eight
units (seven four-unit courses), of which at least twenty
units (five four-unit courses) must be upper-division.
At least four courses have to be taken at UCSD and at
least four upper-division courses be taken for a letter
grade. If Psychology 60 (Statistics) is chosen as one
of the lower-division courses, it has to be taken for
a letter grade. The application for a minor can be obtained
from your college.
If you have any questions, please contact the Undergraduate Student Services.
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