The study of psychology provides an understanding of the biological, cognitive, social, and clinical origins of behavior, thought, and emotion, and the methods that psychologists use to investigate these. Knowledge of psychological principles and the ability to evaluate theories and research are essential in our rapidly changing society.
The Department of Psychology offers undergraduate programs leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The objective of both programs is to provide a broad overview of psychology, and both require extensive exposure to areas other than psychology as a context for study in the major. The B.S. program places relatively more emphasis on the natural sciences and mathematics. Both the B.S. and B.A. programs provide excellent preparation for graduate school.
The Psychology major provides students with a background of fundamental subject matter that will equip them for subsequent graduate study in related fields. The major is also beneficial for students seeking careers that involve knowledge about interpersonal relationships such as medicine, education, law, or management. Psychology expertise is also relevant to standard business settings in which a major goal is to adapt products and services to closely reflect human needs and capabilities.
Completion of the major for either a B.S. or a B.A. in Psychology requires 58 to 67 credits.
All courses required for either the B.S. or B.A. degree must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.
For both degree programs, 34 to 35 credits in psychology to be distributed as follows:
1. Core Program
2. Survey Courses in Psychology
One course from Group A, one from Group B, and a third course from Group A or B:
Group A
Group B
3. Five PSY courses
For the B.A. student:
For the B.S. student:
4. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
For students pursuing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC), a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective must be completed in order to graduate. This WRTD requirement will routinely be satisfied by completing PSY 310. However, in special cases, co-registration for the 0-credit PSY 459 while completing a substantial paper or writing sample in another Psychology course will satisfy the WRTD requirement. A student must obtain the permission of the course instructor prior to registering for PSY 459.
Although not required for B.A. or B.S. degrees, the Department strongly recommends that any student planning to attend graduate school should gain research experience by becoming a research assistant (PSY 273). Undergraduate Research Opportunities can be found through the Department of Psychology Web page.
5. Courses Outside the Psychology Department
In addition to the 34 to 35 credits in psychology, students must also complete 24 to 32 credits of courses outside the Department. This requirement differs in some aspects between the B.S. and B.A. degrees.
For the B.A. Student
One 3-4 credit course from each of the 4 categories below:
Note 1: If a student completes a concentration in Anthropology, Biology, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, or Sociology, the concentration will automatically satisfy the associated requirement listed in requirements 1 to 4 above for the B.A. student (e.g. completion of the Biology concentration also satisfies requirement number 2).
For the B.S. Student
All three categories below are required.
1. Mathematics:
1. Calculus I (MAT 119/MAT 123, MAT 123, MAT 125 (or MAT 130/MAT 125), MAT 131, MAT 141, or AMS 151) and
2. Calculus II (MAT 126, 132, 142, or
AMS 161)
Note: Passing the mathematics placement examination at level 8 or higher also satisfies this requirement. Ideally students should take courses in sequential pairs (i.e., MAT 125, 126).
2. Biology:
Note: Students who elect the Biology concentration need only take one course from Category A and BIO 204 , for a total of one lecture and one lab course.
3. Any two concentrations selected from the following five choices:
1. Biology: Two BIO or biology-related courses selected from the following: BIO 208, 302, 310, 312, 314, 315, 317, 320, 321, 325, 327, 328, 332, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 350, 351, 354, 358, 359, 361, BCP 401. The following course pair counts as ONE course: HBM 320 & 321.
2. Chemistry: CHE 131/133, CHE 132/134. Note: CHE 129+130 (together) may be used as a substitute for CHE 131
3. Mathematics: Two courses selected from MAT courses numbered 200 or above; and 300-level AMS courses except AMS 310, 312, 315.
4. Physics: PHY 121 and 122; or
PHY 125, 126, and 127; or
PHY 131/133 and 132/134; or
PHY 141
and 142.
5. Computer Science:
CSE 114
and
CSE 215.
Notes for B.A. and B.S. students:
1. Transfer students must take at least 12 credits of psychology in residence at Stony Brook.
2. No more than six credits from among
PSY 273, 283, 447, and 487 may be taken in one semester. Other restrictions on applying these courses toward graduation requirements exist; consult the Undergraduate Psychology Office and see also Course Credit and Grading Option Limits in the "Academic Policies and Regulations" chapter.
3. Students interested in a major in Psychology should meet with a Psychology Department Undergraduate Advisor (Room B-109). Additional meetings should be scheduled periodically to review progress toward fulfilling Department requirements.
4. Psychology courses may be repeated only ONE time.
Honors Program in Psychology
The Psychology honors program features:
1) a faculty mentor and
2) collaborative research with faculty which results in a senior thesis.
Departmental majors with a 3.50 g.p.a. in psychology courses, with a 3.20 cumulative g.p.a, and with the agreement of a faculty mentor to supervise the student’s independent project may apply to enroll in the Psychology honors program at the end of their junior year. The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a proposal to the Psychology Department describing the research project that is to be the subject of the honors thesis. If the project is approved by the Department, the student may enroll in PSY 495 and PSY 496 in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year, respectively. The student's major paper or research project must be completed no later than two weeks prior to the end of the second semester and submitted to the Department. If the honors program is completed with distinction and the student has achieved a 3.5 g.p.a. in all psychology courses taken in the senior year, honors are conferred.
Conferral of honors in Psychology requires the following:
The Psychology honors program is followed for two semesters. During the senior year they enroll in PSY 495 (first semester) and 496 (second semester) Senior Honors Seminar.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| PSY 103 | 3 |
| MAT course* | 4 |
| BIO course | 4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| PSY Group A (220 or 230 o 240) OR PSY Group B (250 or 260) | 3 |
| PHI course | 3 |
| SOC or ANT or POL course** | 3 |
| Statistics course***
|
3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Group B (if Group A taken) OR Group A (if Group B taken) | 3 |
| Course outside concentration (#1) | 3 |
| PSY 310 | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Group A or B course | 3 |
| PSY 200 and above elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 15 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Upper-division elec. (301 to 384) | 3 |
| Course outside concentration (#2) | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Upper-division elective (301-384) | 3 |
| Upper-division course outside concentration (#3) | 3 |
| PSY Upper-Division elective (301-384) | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Upper-division outside concentration (course #4) | 3 |
| PSY Upper-division elective (301-384) | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
*Choose from among the following: AMS 101, CSE 110 , MAT 118 or any higher AMS, CSE, or MAT course approved by the department. Note: PSY 201 (or equivalent introductory statistics courses) does not satisfy this requirement. Students who pass the Mathematics Placement Exam at Level 4 or above are not required to complete a course in this category.
**Any course offered by these departments except SOC 202 or POL 201
***Choose one of the following: AMS 102, ECO 320, POL 201, PSY 201, or SOC 202
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| PSY 103 | 3 |
| MAT 125 or 131 or 141 | 3-4 |
| CHE 131 * | 3-4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16-18 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| PSY Group A (220 or 230 or 240) OR PSY Group B (250 or 260) | 3 |
| MAT 126 or 132 or 142 | 3-4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16-17 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 201 ** | 3 |
| PSY Group B (if Group A taken) OR Group A (if Group B taken) | 3 |
| BIO 201 , 202, or 203, and 204 | 5 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 17 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 310 | 4 |
| PSY Group A or B | 3 |
| PSY elective*** | 3 |
| BIO 201 , 202, or 203, and 205 | 5 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY advanced laboratory (380 or 381 or 382 or 383 or 384) | 3-4 |
| Science sequence elective | 3 |
| PSY Upper-division elective*** | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY 301 or AMS 315 | 3 |
| Science sequence elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Upper-division elective*** | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PSY Upper-division elective*** | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Note: Passing a placement test at the appropriate level also satisfies the calculus requirement.
*CHE 131 is a prerequisite to the 200-level BIO courses.
** Other statistics courses allowed are AMS 102, ECO 320, POL 201, or SOC 202.
*** May not use any of the following to fulfill this requirement: PSY 273, 283, 399, 447, 475, 476, 487, 488, or 495-496.
Majors in Psychology
Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: Joanne Davila
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Antonio Freitas
Assistant to the Chair: Cynthia Forman
Undergraduate Academic Advisor: Dana Orenzo
Email: dana.orenzo@stonybrook.edu
Office: PSY B 109
Phone: (631) 632-7812
Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Email: Diane.DeSimone@stonybrook.edu
Office: PSY B 109A
Phone: (631) 632-7802
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/psychology/index.html
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Psychology: Africana Studies (AFS), Women's and Gender Studies (WST)