Resources Overview

General Information

Transfer Credits - Petitioning Process

Many students decide to go abroad and study for a year, attend other universities during the summer break, or transfer from a preparatory school. Courses relevant to the major must be approved by the department via petition.

Procedure:	Complete an undergraduate petition, attach a photocopy of the course syllabus or the course description from the catalog of the previous school and submit to the Psychology Student Affairs Office.

Processing:	Pertinent committees receive petitions once a week (Thursdays) for consideration. Please allow two weeks for processing. Original copies will be forwarded to the Colleges. Student copies are available for pick-up in the Psychology Student Affairs Office during business hours. We recommend that, when possible, students get pre-approval from the advising office for courses from other institutions before enrolling.

Graduate Seminars

Psychology majors have the opportunity to enroll in Graduate Seminars for educational enhancement. Students can earn upper-division credit with a letter grade. Prerequisites include the following: preliminary approval from an Undergraduate Advisor in the Student Services Office, and approval from individual professors (the professors will determine eligibility for each course although suggested criteria is an overall 3.0 GPA.

Faculty Advising and How to Prepare for Meeting with Faculty

General administrative questions can be answered by the Psychology Student Affairs Office, e.g., degree checks and planning of the curriculum for the major or minor. For questions regarding careers or graduate schools, see our faculty. Check with the Student Affairs Office for office hours, office numbers, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Choose an advisor in your field of interest.

Take a moment to prepare some precise questions, perhaps even in writing. Students should take, if possible, a transcript along to demonstrate academic standing and psychology courses taken as well as relevant courses from other departments.

When asking for a Letter of Recommendation briefly describe your goal and your preparation for it (e.g. internships, etc.). Take a short vita, any research papers written, or other valuable reminders for the referee, stamped/addressed envelopes, and a statement of purpose (see separate chapter on this topic). It would be helpful to leave a written statement of purpose with the faculty member, since he/she will not write the letter on the spot.

Don't be afraid to ask the professor for letters of reference. You need at least three letters of reference when applying for graduate school or employment. They can make a lot of difference. Your professors are happy to do this for you. Choose the faculty member who knows you best, preferably one with whom you have done research, e.g. 199, 194 - since it is this that graduate schools are most interested in. In a Letter of Recommendation the referee will focus on the following information generally looked for by graduate schools or employers: General ability, creativity, motivation, emotional maturity, research ability and potential, command of major subject, written and oral English. The letter will state whether the writer will recommend you for the Ph.D. Program or the M.S. Program.

Education Studies at UCSD (formerly Teacher Education Program)

Majoring in psychology offers excellent preparation for teaching in the elementary schools. If you are interested in earning a California teaching credential from UCSD, contact Education Studies (EDS) as early as possible in your academic career for information about the prerequisite and professional preparation requirements.