The Undergraduate Program

The psychology major, as part of the bachelor's degree program, prepares the student for many career possibilities in psychology, education, social and welfare services, health services, and industry, and fulfills the course requirements for entering most psychology graduate programs. A background in psychology combined with special training in other disciplines within the College may be especially useful in preparing for careers in human resources, nursing, speech pathology, social work, special education, counseling, and music, art, and dance therapy.

The Psychology Major

Preparation and Course of Study

The psychology major is designed to provide the student with training in both the evaluation and generation of research data. For this reason, the core sequence of Statistical Methods in Psychology (PSYCH 248) and Experimental Psychology (PSYCH 249 or 250) is central to the program and is a prerequisite for all upper-level psychology courses. Performance in the Psychological Statistics/Experimental Psychology sequence will be greatly facilitated by proper preparation in mathematics and laboratory science, and the development of excellent writing skills.

Declaration of Major

To declare a psychology major, the student must have:

  1. Completed any 100-level psychology course with a minimum grade of B
  2. 3 credits of college-level mathematics
    This can be satisfied by one of the following:
    1. STAT 113 with a minimum grade of C or Credit, or
    2. MATH 120, MATH 125 OR MATH 150 with a minimum grade of C or Credit, or
    3. Passing score on Parts 3, 4, and 5 of the Special Math Placement Exam. See the Dolciani Mathematics Learning Center, 3rd floor HN, for information and test administration schedule.
  4. A minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00 is required.

When declaring the major, the student must provide copies of transcripts that show the relevant grades. If the grade in a relevant course was earned at another institution, the transcript from that institution is needed along with the Hunter transcript. (Unfortunately, we do not have access to transcripts that were sent when you applied to Hunter.) You can provide unofficial transcripts, which are available for most colleges on the internet. For Hunter transcripts, follow the directions at the Registrar's Office web site. For transcripts from other CUNY schools, go to The Student Information Management System.

Students must have a meeting with a member of the advising staff to declare the major. The weekly advising schedule is available in the department office and on this website. The advisor will review materials and discuss program planning. The choice of minor may be discussed, and if the student is clear on his / her choice, the minor can be declared at this time. However, the minor declaration can be made at any time before graduation. (If the student is not eligible to declare the major, the steps that he/she needs to take in order to declare the major will be discussed).

Psychology Major

PSYCH 100 and one additional 100-level psychology course are required, but not included in the major.

The major consists of 26 credits in psychology, above the 100 level, including Statistical Methods in Psychology (PSYCH 248) and Experimental Social Psychology (PSYCH 249) or General Experimental Psychology (PSYCH 250). The major also requires at least one course in each of the following categories:

  1. Applications of psychology
  2. Biopsychology
  3. Cognitive processes
  4. Developmental/social psychology

Although a course may meet the requirements for more than one area, the student may use that course to fulfill only one content-area requirement. All of these content-area courses must be at or above the 200 level, with at least 6 credits at or above the 300 level. In addition to the four courses meeting the above criteria, two additional (elective) courses in psychology, at the 200 level or higher, must be completed. Qualified undergraduates may register for graduate-level psychology courses with the permission of the instructor and the graduate advisor. Most psychology majors intending to attend graduate school take more than the minimum 26 credits in psychology and design their course of study in close consultation with a faculty mentor. Students should pick up a copy of the "Psychology Major Handbook" from the undergraduate advising office as soon as they declare the major for up-to-date information on departmental resourses, activities, and faculty research interests.

Minor Requirements

The minor is a secondary area of concentration that is required of all Hunter B.A. students unless a second major is undertaken. The choice of minor depends on individual goals, interests, and skills, and the minor should complement the rest of the program of study. The psychology advising staff can assist in this decision.

For most subjects, the minor is a minimum of four courses and 12 credits. For foreign-language, laboratory-science, and English minors, there are specific requirements for which students should consult the psychology advisor. Only half of the courses in the minor may also fulfill general distribution (general education) requirements.

Policies for Majors

Grading

Psychology courses taken for the major may not be taken on a CREDIT / NO CREDIT basis; PSYCH 248, 249 or 250 may not be taken on a CREDIT / NO CREDIT basis.

Courses Taken on Permit, and Courses Transferred to Hunter
Declared Psychology majors must take at Hunter College all the Psychology courses that they wish to count toward the major. (Courses taken at other colleges, referred to as permit courses, are graded as CREDIT and thus not allowed.) In contrast, psychology courses that were taken before the student enrolled at Hunter and that have been transferred to Hunter may count toward the major, if they are deemed equivalent to a Hunter College course. This assessment is made by the Office of Admissions and by the undergraduate psychology advising office.

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