Psychological & Brain Sciences Major
Psychological & Brain Sciences Major Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 43-46 units (34 units [at least 25 of which must be at the 3000 level or above] for the major requirements, plus 9-12 units for a specialization; adding a specialization to the base major is not required)
- Grade Requirement: For a course to count toward the major; a grade of C– or better must be achieved.
Required Courses
- PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite for all upper-level courses (3000 level and above). Exemption from Psych 1000 Introduction to Psychology is possible in the following circumstances:
- Completion of an equivalent course transferred from another institution, if approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- An AP Psychology test score of 5, an IB score of 6 or 7, or a British A-Level grade of A.
- PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics
- SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics, SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Probability and Statistics, or DAT 1200 Managerial Statistics I may substitute for PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics but earn no units of credit toward the major. No AP math course can substitute for PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics.
- PSYCH 3010 Experimental Psychology or PSYCH 3011 Experimental Psychology (version taken concurrently with PSYCH 3000)
For cases in which an exemption is granted (e.g., PSYCH 1000, Psych 3000), no credits are earned toward the major, so exempt courses must be made up with additional Psychology & Brain Sciences (P&BS) content electives (approved by the major advisor).
Core Requirements
Students must complete at least one course from each of the following five categories:*
Social/Personality:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3050 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3150 | Introduction to Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3530 | Psychology of Personality | 3 |
| PSYCH 3096 | Psychological Dynamics of Empathy | 3 |
| PSYCH 4099 | Evolutionary Human Psychology | 3 |
Mental Health/Affective:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3501 | Psychotherapy: Introduction to Practice and Research | 3 |
| PSYCH 3540 | Psychopathology and Mental Health | 3 |
| PSYCH 3645 | Understanding Emotions | 3 |
| PSYCH 4675 | Inside the Disordered Brain: Neural Systems of Behavior and Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4367 | Seminar in Positive Psychology | 3 |
Biological/Neurological Bases of Behavior:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3300 | Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| PSYCH 3401 | Introduction to Biological Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3450 | Genes, Environment and Human Behavior | 3 |
| PSYCH 3604 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSYCH 4182 | Perception, Thought and Action | 3 |
| PSYCH 4765 | Inside the Disordered Brain: Neural Systems of Behavior and Psychopathology | 3 |
Behavior and Cognition:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3580 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| PSYCH 3600 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3610 | Psychology of Learning | 3 |
| PSYCH 3800 | Human Learning and Memory | 3 |
| PSYCH 4099 | Human Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4330 | Psychology of Language | 3 |
Lifespan Development:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 2190 | Infant Mind: Sophomore Seminar (this course can fulfill the Lifespan Development Core, but the credit counts in the "6 units Rule") | 3 |
| PSYCH 3210 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3250 | Psychology of Adolescence | 3 |
| PSYCH 3260 | Introduction to the Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSYCH 3580 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| PSYCH 4270 | Social Gerontology | 3 |
- *
If a course falls into more than one category, it can be used to fulfill only one of those categories (i.e., no double-counting).
Elective Courses
Students must complete an additional 9 units of P&BS coursework. Additional elective courses will be required to make up for PSYCH 1000 and PSYCH 3000 exemptions.
6-Units Rule
No more than 6 units from the following course types may be used to satisfy the minimum requirements for the P&BS major:
- 1000-/2000-level courses (other than PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology)
- PSYCH 3999 Independent Study
- PSYCH 4992 Independent Study for a Specialization
- PSYCH 4980 and PSYCH 4990 Honors Program in Psychology
- Approved School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) psychology courses
- Approved psychology study abroad courses from a non-psychology study abroad program
- Approved psychology courses from other departments (e.g., EDUC 3040 Educational Psychology, MUSIC 3300 Music Cognition, PACS 2340 Introduction to Speech and Hearing, BEYOND 1003 When I'm Sixty-Four: Preparing Ourselves and Society for a Good Long Life, BIOL 3411 Principles of the Nervous System)
- Approved transfer credits (students transferring from another college should refer to the Transfer Credit section below)
Additional Information
Transfer Credit
If accepted by the College of Arts & Sciences, transfer credits will be evaluated by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the P&BS department for their applicability toward either major in P&BS.
Senior Honors Program in Psychological & Brain Sciences
The primary goal of the honors program in P&BS is to provide students who have achieved a superior academic record with the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive empirical investigation under the direction of a faculty member.
To be admitted into the honors program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Have overall and P&BS grade point averages of at least 3.65
- Complete both PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics and PSYCH 3010 Experimental Psychology (or PSYCH 3011)
- Have an approved honors research advisor
Contact Info
| Contact: | Shelley Kohlman |
| Phone: | 314-935-5169 |
| Email: | skohlman@wustl.edu |
| Website: | https://psych.wustl.edu/undergraduate-program |