Discover the Psychology Curriculum
Psychology at USD provides a strong foundation in the principles and practices of psychology within the framework of a liberal arts education. It is designed to give students both the theoretical bases of the discipline and extensive hands-on experience testing theories in practice.
Major
Our psychology major advances your understanding of psychology as a science, a profession and a means of promoting the welfare of people. The psychology major spans many psychology sub-disciplines, including clinical, developmental, social, cognitive and biological, preparing you for various careers. Our majors are offered the opportunity to study through the general major or a major with one of four emphases:
- Clinical Mental Health
- Child/Human Development
- Health and Well-being
- Social and Cultural Processes
Review the Major tab below to learn more about your options within the Psychology major.
Minor
The psychology minor provides foundational offerings in psychology concepts and a range of elective courses.
Explore Psychology Courses!
Read class descriptions for the Psychology program on our Psychology Courses page! Not all courses offered below will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
36-37 units
Major
18 units
Minor
Major unit estimates include preparation for the major courses as well as major requirements.
- Major
- Minor
- Learning Outcomes
Program Requirements
Psychology majors can choose a general major in Psychology that allows for a variety of psychology elective courses, or a Psychology major with one of four emphases:
Clinical Mental Health
Child/Human Development
Health and Wellness
Social and Cultural Processes
All Psychology majors fulfill the same set of learning outcomes by taking the same preparatory courses and at least one course in each of the five main areas of psychology (biological, clinical, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology) as well as a capstone in psychology. Students without an emphasis can fulfill their major elective requirements with psychology courses of their choosing. Students who select an emphasis within the major will take courses related to the area of emphasis, which also fulfill major requirements. Courses used in an emphasis may not double count toward another major or minor.
All majors are required to complete the following courses.
Preparation for the Major
Required Courses | ||
PSYC 101 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 260 | Statistics | 3 |
Total Units | 6 | |
Major Requirements
A minimum of 30 units of upper division coursework in psychology is required and must be distributed as follows:
Research Methods | 3 | |
PSYC 300 | Research Methods in Psychological Sciences | |
Biological | 3 | |
PSYC 342 | Biological Psychology | |
Clinical | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
PSYC 354 | Clinical Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence | |
PSYC 355 | Clinical Psychology | |
PSYC 356 | Psychological Assessment | |
PSYC 366 | Methods of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy | |
Cognitive | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
PSYC 336 | Cognitive Psychology | |
PSYC 339 | Human Memory | |
Developmental | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
PSYC 314 | Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence | |
PSYC 315 | Developmental Psychology: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood | |
PSYC 316 | Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging | |
PSYC 318 | Child Development Across Cultures | |
Social | 3 | |
PSYC 322 | Social Psychology | |
Capstone | 3-4 | |
Select one Capstone course from the following: There are two capstone options for students - a Senior Seminar where students discuss research within an area of psychology and write a literature review and an Advanced Research Methods course where students design a research project. Students interested in graduate school are encouraged to enroll in the Advanced Research Methods capstone to gain more experience in developing research projects. | ||
PSYC 495 | Senior Seminar | |
or PSYC 497 | Advanced Research Methods Capstone | |
Senior Psychology Assessment | ||
PSYC 492 | Major Field Test in Psychology (As part of the department’s assessment program, each graduating senior is required to register for PSYC 492 during their last semester, which requires completion of a major field test in psychology and senior exit survey. A student who fails to do so may be restricted from graduating.) | 0 |
Total Units | 21-22 | |
In addition to the above requirements, students must fulfill one set of the following courses. | ||
Psychology MajorThe general major in Psychology is suitable for any student interested in different areas of psychology. Students without an emphasis can fulfill their Psychology major elective requirements with psychology courses of their choosing. This allows for a wider variety of elective choices across multiple areas of psychology. In order to obtain a general major in Psychology, students must satisfy the coursework described above plus an additional 9 units of upper-division courses from the list below. | ||
Upper-Division Electives (9 units) selected from any course listed above, if not used to fulfill a requirement, or from the courses below. 9 | ||
Any upper-division PSYC course, if not used to fulfill a requirement above. | ||
MFTS 365 | Current Approaches to Peer Assistance | |
NCB 350 | Sensation and Perception | |
NCB 352 | Music Cognition | |
NCB 360 | Stress Management | |
NCB 378 | Human Sexuality | |
Students wishing to emphasize a defined area of psychology can declare one of four emphases within the Psychology major. In order to obtain a Psychology major with an emphasis, students must satisfy the coursework described above plus an additional 12 units of upper-division courses as listed below. | ||
Psychology Major with an emphasis in Clinical Mental HealthStudents choosing an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health are required to take courses from the following foundational and elective lists which concentrate on the application of psychological principles in the service of improving mental health. The emphasis in Clinical Mental Health within the Psychology major focuses on empirically validated methods for the promotion of mental health as well as the prevention, assessment, and treatment of psychological disorders. The coursework will cover key topics in clinical psychology including assessment, biopsychosocial theories, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments. This emphasis is particularly useful for students interested in pursuing advanced training in a variety of mental health fields including clinical and counseling psychology and/or psychiatry as well as related fields such as social work, medicine, health policy, and ministry. | ||
Upper-Division Electives (12 units) selected from the courses listed below, if not used to fulfill a requirement. Only 1 course can be from outside of PSYC. | 12 | |
PSYC 354 | Clinical Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence | |
PSYC 355 | Clinical Psychology | |
PSYC 359 | Topics in Clinical Mental Health | |
PSYC 356 | Psychological Assessment | |
PSYC 366 | Methods of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies | |
PSYC 377 | Personality | |
MFTS 365 | Current Approaches to Peer Counseling | |
MFTS 400 | Introduction to Marital and Family Therapy | |
3 units of PSYC 496, 498, and/or 499 can be used as an elective in the emphasis if the topic of the research or internship focuses on clinical mental health, as approved by the department chair. | ||
Psychology Major with an emphasis in Child/Human DevelopmentStudents choosing an emphasis in Child/Human Development are required to take courses from the following foundational and elective lists which concentrate on the developmental aspects of human behavior. The emphasis in Child/Human Development within the Psychology major focuses on the issues, methods, and tools of developmental science. The coursework focuses on development in humans across the lifespan, with special emphasis on the concepts, frameworks, and empirical findings concerning development within physical, cognitive, and social-emotional domains. This emphasis is useful for students interested in careers desiring understanding of children, families, and adult development such as nursing/medicine, education, clinical/social work, public/health policy, nonprofit outreach, research careers, and more. | ||
Upper-Division Electives (12 units) selected from the courses listed below, if not used to fulfill a requirement. Only 1 course can be from outside of PSYC. | 12 | |
PSYC 314 | Developmental Psychology: Child and Adolescence | |
PSYC 315 | Developmental Psychology: Adolescence & Emerging Adulthood | |
PSYC 316 | Developmental Psychology: Adulthood & Aging | |
PSYC 318 | Child Development Across Cultures | |
PSYC 319 | Topics in Child/Human Development | |
PSYC 354 | Clinical Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence | |
PSYC 362 | Black Families | |
EDTE 310P | Educational Psychology | |
SOCI 311 | Sociology of Families | |
3 units of PSYC 496, 498, and/or 499 can be used as an elective in the emphasis if the topic of the research or internship focuses on child/human development, as approved by the department chair. | ||
Psychology Major with an emphasis in Health and WellnessStudents choosing an emphasis in Health and Wellness are required to take courses from the following foundational and elective lists which concentrate on the application of psychological principles in the service of improving health and wellness. The emphasis in Health and Wellness within the Psychology major focuses on physical and mental health and wellness for the betterment of the individual, their community, and society. Course options include coursework that focus on physical health and wellness, such as courses on health psychology and sleep, and those that focus on mental health and wellness, such as courses on positive psychology and habits. This emphasis is useful for students interested in pursuing careers in health and wellness, such as physician’s assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, medicine, and health policy. In addition, students interested in teaching or working with clients would benefit from the training offered in the health and wellness emphasis. | ||
Upper-Division Electives (12 units) selected from the courses listed below, if not used to fulfill a requirement. Only 1 course can be from outside of PSYC. | 12 | |
PSYC 345 | The Science of Sleep | |
PSYC 343 | Latine Health Psychology | |
PSYC 349 | Topics in Health and Wellness | |
PSYC 370 | Social Psychology and Health | |
NCB 360 | Stress Management | |
SOCI 315 | Health and Society | |
3 units of PSYC 496, 498, and/or 499 can be used as an elective in the emphasis if the topic of the research or internship focuses on health and wellness, as approved by the department chair. | ||
Psychology Major with an emphasis in Social and Cultural ProcessesStudents choosing an emphasis in Social and Cultural Processes are required to take courses from the following foundational and elective lists which concentrate on the influence of social and cultural influences on thoughts and behaviors. The emphasis in Social and Cultural Processes within the Psychology major focuses on the basic science of social psychology and cultural influences on behavior as well as the application of social psychological principles to human cognition and behavior. Topics include interpersonal interactions, emotions, conformity, attitudes, stereotypes, and cooperation. This emphasis is useful for students interested in careers helped by an understanding of social and cultural influences on behavior, including careers in marketing, business, education, law, sport and social work as well as those interested in graduate programs in social psychology. | ||
Upper-Division Electives (12 units) selected from the courses listed below, if not used to fulfill a requirement. Only 1 course can be from outside of PSYC. | 12 | |
PSYC 318 | Child Development Across Cultures | |
PSYC 324 | Cross-Cultural Psychology | |
PSYC 326 | Organizational/Industrial Psychology | |
PSYC 329 | Topics in Social and Cultural Psychological Processes | |
PSYC 330 | Psychology of Gender | |
PSYC 362 | Black Families | |
PSYC 364 | Sports Psychology | |
PSYC 370 | Social Psychology and Health | |
PSYC 374 | Psychology and Law | |
COMM 325 | Interpersonal Communication | |
COMM 460 | Persuasion and Influence | |
MGMT 309 | International Comparative Management | |
POLS 315 | Political Psychology | |
SOCI 303 | Race and Ethnic Relations | |
SOCI 316 | Social Psychology: Sociological Perspectives | |
3 units of PSYC 496, 498, and/or 499 can be used as an elective in the emphasis if the topic of the research or internship focuses on social and cultural processes, as approved by the department chair. | ||
Students can take a maximum of 4 experiential units towards the Psychology major (e.g., PSYC 491, 496, 498), and a maximum of 6 are applicable to the 124 units required for graduation. For students interested in graduate work in psychology obtaining field and research experience is an important consideration. Those who anticipate completing a PSYC 499 Independent Study research project should begin that work in the first semester of their senior year. Due to the number of shared courses, students with a major in Psychology are not eligible to double-major in Cognition and Behavior or in Neuroscience. | ||
Recommended Program of Study, Psychology
The recommended program of study is intended as a guide to students in planning their college program. It is not expected that students will adhere rigidly to the sequence of suggested courses. For example, a student may take FYW 150 in the second semester of the freshman year equally as well as in the first semester.
Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
Semester I | Units | |
PSYC 101 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
CC | 12 | |
Semester II | ||
PSYC 260 | Statistics | 3 |
CC | 12 | |
Sophomore Year | ||
Semester I | ||
PSYC 300 | Research Methods in Psychological Sciences | 3 |
CC | 12 | |
Semester II | ||
Upper-Division PSYC | 3-6 | |
CC or electives | 9-12 | |
Junior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
Upper-Division PSYC | 6 | |
CC or electives | 9 | |
Semester II | ||
Upper-Division PSYC | 6 | |
CC or electives | 9 | |
Senior Year | ||
Semester I | ||
Upper-Division PSYC | 3 | |
Psychology Capstone Course | 4 | |
CC or electives | 9 | |
Semester II | ||
Upper-Division PSYC | 6 | |
CC or electives | 9 | |