Frequently Asked Questions

The following information should serve only as a general guideline and should not be used as a substitute for meeting with a department academic advisor. Please make an appointment with an advisor to discuss these and other issues in more detail.

How much credit do I receive for taking AP or IB Psychology tests?

Do I need a minor?

What should I have as a minor?

What do I need to do to declare a minor?

How many elective credits do I need?

Should I obtain a BS or BA degree?

What if I exceed the University 60 credit hour limit on Psychology credits for the BA?

What do I need to do to either change my major or add a second major?

If I am planning on studying abroad what Psychology classes should I take?

Is Psyc 2300, Statistics, the only course option for fulfilling this course for the Psychology major?

How much credit do I receive for taking AP or IB Psychology tests?

For information on how the University applies AP/IB credit, click here.

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Do I need a minor with Psychology major?

Yes. For a B.A., you need at least one minor, or a second major. For a B.S., you need at least two minors, or a second major and one minor. See major requirements and the University Undergraduate Bulletin for details.

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What should I have as a minor?

Your choice of minor will be a matter of your career plans and interests. For example, if you think you want to work in the criminal justice system, Sociology might be a good minor, as it provides coursework on social systems in general and criminal justice in particular. Or, if you are interested in working with children as a teacher or school counselor, a minor through the School of Education may be a good choice. If you think you might want to work in business, a minor through the Daniels College of Business would be useful. Some students minor in a language if they are interested in the delivery of mental health services or research with non-English speaking populations. Some students minor in biology if they are interested in psychiatric nursing, medical school, or related careers that combine psychology and health care. There are many possibilities. To get the most out of your minor, you should meet with an academic advisor in the department you have selected for your minor.

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What do I need to do to declare a minor?

You can complete an on-line form to declare, add, or change a minor at the following address: http://www.du.edu/registrar/general/minorapp.html

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How many elective credits do I need?

"Elective" hours are simply all those classes that do not count towards university, major, or minor requirements. Thus, there is no set number; it is just the number of additional hours you need to reach the total hours required for your degree. In general, 183 credits are required for the BA or BS degree.

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Should I obtain a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree?

For most students, including those who plan to attend graduate school in psychology, there no clear reason to choose one of these over another. Students interested in medical or life-science fields, the physical sciences, math and computers, or cognitive psychology and/or neuropsychology might want to consider the BS degree and/or a concentration in cognitive neuroscience. The BS program provides a comprehensive program of study, requiring Psychology as a major and two minors (one must be in a computer or natural science) or Psychology as one of two majors (with the other in a computer or natural science). If you are a Psychology major who plans to go to medical school or enter another biomedical health field, you should also be s part of the pre-med program administered through the Biological Sciences Department.

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What if I exceed the University 60 credit hour limit on Psychology credits for the BA?

All courses on your APR (Academic Progress Report) that are preceded by a PSYC prefix are counted as Psychology credits no matter where they appear on your APR. These courses are counted against the 60-hour maximum for the BA. If you are a BA student, with the exception of specific psychology honors courses, any hours in excess of 60 are NOT counted toward ANYTHING. You simply pay for these credits, but lose them with respect to degree requirements.

This may influence the number of credit hours transfer students request for approval. If a transfer student wants to take more Psychology hours at DU, it might be better to take a two-step process by initially requesting approval for some transfer hours. After taking some DU PSYC hours and gaining familiarity with course offerings, students may request approval for additional transfer hours, up to the maximum of 20 credits. For students pursuing the B.S. degree, there is no limit on the number of psychology credit hours that may be applied.

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What do I need to do to either change my major or add a second major?

You can download the appropriate form from the following address: http://www.du.edu/studentlife/advising/index.html

For adding a second major, the form must be signed from an academic advisor in that department. For changing a major, the form must be signed by an academic advisor in the old and new major departments.

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If I am planning on studying abroad what Psychology classes should I take?

In general, it is best to take classes required for your Psychology major and minor while in residence at D.U., although there are usually one or two elective courses in your major and/or minor concentration that may be acceptable to take while studying abroad. It is best to discuss specific psychology courses offered by your intended study abroad program with a department academic advisor before you leave. The Study Abroad Office has forms that students must have signed by a departmental academic advisor to approve courses taken abroad for credit for the major and minor. Students must have these courses approved prior to going abroad.

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Is Psyc 2300, Statistics, the only course option for fulfilling this course for the Psychology major?

The majority of psychology majors do take PSYC 2300, Statistics, as it both fulfills the statistics requirement for the psychology major and is a prerequisite for PSYC 3050, Research Methods, which is also required for the psychology major. However, if students have passed the AP Statistics test with a score of 3 or higher, they will be waived from taking PSYC 2300. If biological sciences majors have successfully completed BIOL 2090, Biometry, they will be waived from taking Psyc 2300.

Special note for Psychology and Sociology/Criminology majors:The, the psychology department will NOT accept a statistics course from the Sociology/Criminology department to fulfill the statistics requirement for the psychology major.