Psychology
Program Description
Psychology stands at the intersection of the biological sciences and the humanities because of its study of mental processes, emotions, and behavior. Using the scientific method, psychology investigates many aspects of human behavior, including, but not limited to, how the brain and nervous system function, mental illness, therapies that help people manage mental illness and recover from trauma, social and emotional development over the lifespan, learning and memory, and social and group dynamics.
Psychology covers the total lifespan to learn more about how people function in family, work, and community settings. Psychologists conduct studies to investigate differences in development, research what can go wrong in development, and develop methods that help people resolve conflict. It is a dynamic field in which advanced research methods lead to new understandings of human behavior, which can be applied to help people thrive and live healthy lives.
Learn more about the program on the Psychology website.
Associate Degree for Transfer
This program also offers an Associate Degree for Transfer. Learn more and review the degree requirements on the Psychology AA-T listing.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to recognize the diversity of behavior of various populations and be able to explain, interpret, apply, and evaluate a broad base of concepts in the different fields of psychology.
- Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills and psychological theories to real-world situations, and be able to apply research methodology and data analysis in the process of answering questions about human behavior.
Career Opportunities
Psychology graduates find positions in a wide range of work environments. Typical positions include personnel managers, industrial psychologists, psychiatric aides, probation officers, mental health workers, drug abuse counselors, employment counselors, and teachers. Advanced degrees, such as a Masters (MA), a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), a PsyD, and a PhD, can open opportunities for careers in research, counseling, and higher education. Psychologists also work as consultants in government and industry, as well as in human resources, marketing, business management, technology, software development, and education.
Award Type(s)
- AA = Associate in Arts Degree
Units Required
- Major: 35
Additional Information
Note: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.
Associate Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| ENGL 1A | COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ENGL 1AH | HONORS COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ESLL 26 | ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| or equivalent | ||
| Ethnic Studies | ||
| Any course in the ETHN (Ethnic Studies) subject code, currently approved for Area F of CSU GE and Area 7 of IGETC | ||
| Mathematics Proficiency | ||
| College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra | ||
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to include:
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
- Core courses (15 units)
- Support courses (20 units)
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PSYC 1 | GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | 5 |
| or PSYC 1H | HONORS GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
| PSYC 7 | STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | 5 |
| or SOC 7 | STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | |
| or MATH 10 | ELEMENTARY STATISTICS | |
| PSYC 10 | RESEARCH METHODS & DESIGNS | 5 |
| or SOC 10 | SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS & DESIGNS | |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select 12 units from the following: | 12 | |
| CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY | ||
| POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES | ||
or WMN 21 | PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES | |
| PSYCHOLOGY OF PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
or SOC 30 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
| INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTS | ||
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT | ||
| HUMAN SEXUALITY | ||
| And eight units from the following: 1 | 8 | |
| APPLIED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE | ||
| HONORS INSTITUTE SEMINAR IN PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
or ANTH 2AH | HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | |
| FIRST PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA | ||
| PERSPECTIVES FROM AFRICA | ||
| THE AZTEC, MAYA, INCA & THEIR PREDECESSORS: CIVILIZATIONS OF THE AMERICAS | ||
| HUMAN BIOLOGY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| TRAUMA & THE ARTS | ||
or HUMN 4H | HONORS TRAUMA & THE ARTS | |
| EX MACHINA: THE PARADOX OF BEING HUMAN IN THE DIGITAL AGE | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
or SOC 1H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | |
| RACE & ETHNIC RELATIONS | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER | ||
| ASPECTS OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY | ||
| Total Units | 35 | |
- 1
Students may also use courses listed in the first section of support courses to fulfill the requirement for the second section of support courses.