Psychology, AA

This program was revised for the July 2018 edition of the IVC catalog. Please consult a counselor if you have any questions.

Students majoring in psychology at the lower division level focus on understanding human personality and behavior, cognition, and emotions, as well as researching psychological issues of current concern. The critical insight that psychology requires makes this major especially appropriate for those considering careers in any of the helping professions, teaching, or behavioral research; or for those seeking a widely applicable liberal arts background.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

List and describe the national, regional, and local psychological organizations which serve as information resources and offer student memberships.
State they were well-prepared to succeed in upper division coursework at their transfer university.
Present a paper and/or a poster describing their psychological research study. A given presentation will take place in front of a classroom and/or at a local, regional, or national psychology conference and will conform to APA presentation guidelines.
Identify the most appropriate statistical procedure, given different research scenarios.
Demonstrate knowledge of proper content and formatting for an APA style manuscript
Use Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistical software to perform the basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures taught in introductory statistical courses.
Describe several occupations within the field of psychology and the academic pathways leading to those occupations.
Demonstrate knowledge of psychology’s different perspectives.
Cite and interpret current research evidence for alternative positions regarding key psychological issues.
Cite and interpret current research evidence for alternative positions regarding key psychological issues.

Complete the following required core courses:

PSYC 1 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 3 Units
OR
PSYC 1H INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY HONORS 3 Units
PSYC 2 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY 4 Units
PSYC 10 STATISTICAL METHODS IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES 3 Units
OR
PSYC 10H STATISTICAL METHODS IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES HONORS 3 Units
OR
ECON 10 STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS 3 Units
OR
ECON 10H STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS HONORS 3 Units
OR
MGT 10 STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS 3 Units
OR
MGT 10H STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS HONORS 3 Units
OR
MATH 10 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS 3 Units

Category A: Complete 3-4 units from the following:

PSYC 3 PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Units
OR
PSYC 3H PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY HONORS 3 Units
PSYC 3L PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY LAB 1 Unit
Must be taken with PSYC 3 or PSYC 3H
PSYC 6 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-LIFESPAN 3 Units
PSYC 7 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE 3 Units
OR
HD 7 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE 3 Units

Category B- Complete 3 units from the following:

PSYC 9 INTRODUCTION TO COGNITION 3 Units
PSYC 11 INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 3 Units
PSYC 13 PSYCHOLOGY OF REASONING AND PROBLEM SOLVING 3 Units
OR
PSYC 13H PSYCHOLOGY OF REASONING AND PROBLEM SOLVING HONORS 3 Units
PSYC 32 PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONALITY 3 Units
PSYC 33 PSYCHOLOGY OF ADJUSTMENT 3 Units
PSYC 37 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR 3 Units
OR
PSYC 37H ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR HONORS 3 Units

Category C- Complete 2-3 units from the following:

PSYC 5 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 3 Units
OR
PSYC 5H PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY HONORS 3 Units
PSYC 20 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER 3 Units
PSYC 30 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Units
OR
SOC 30 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Units
PSYC 15A FACULTY MENTORED INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY A 2 Units
PSYC 115B FACULTY MENTORED INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY B 2 Units

Total Units Required: 18-20

Recommended Electives:

ANTH 2 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY 3 Units
OR
ANTH 2H CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY HONORS 3 Units
BIO 5 ANIMAL BIOLOGY 4 Units
BIO 12 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 4 Units
CHEM 1A GENERAL CHEMISTRY I 5 Units
PHIL 1 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 3 Units
SOC 1 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 3 Units
OR
SOC 1H INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY HONORS 3 Units

To earn the associate degree:

See Earning an Associate Degree for associate degree graduation requirements.

To transfer:

Courses required for the associate degree major at IVC may not be the same as those required for the major at a four-year school. If you plan to transfer, consult a counselor to identify the courses needed for the major at your transfer school and to develop a plan that will best meet your goals. View more information about transferring at Transfer to a Four-Year Institution .

Catalog and Student Handbook

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