Undergraduate FAQ's

(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 Psychology
classes in high school?
You must score 3 or higher to receive credit for an AP psychology class. If you received a score of 3 or better you are waived from the Foundations of Social Sciences: Psychology course listed as part of the SOCS CORE 1000 (e.g., SOCS 1107 or 1157) and may take courses in the Psychology Department that list Foundations as a prerequisite. A score of 3 receives 4 hours of psychology credit, a score of 4 receives 7 hours of psychology credit, and a score of 5 receives 10 hours of psychology credit. Scores of 1 and 2 receive no credit and the student must take the Foundations of Psychology class or equivalent.

Do I need a minor?
Yes, minimally you need a major and a minor. Instead of this combination, you may declare two majors, or a major and multiple minors, depending on your preference. Be aware that requirements differ from department to department-- see the University Undergraduate Bulletin.

What should I have as a minor?
Your choice of minor will be a matter of your ultimate career plans and interests. There are no "rights" or "wrongs" in terms of selecting a minor. For example, if you think you want to work in the criminal justice system, Sociology might be a good minor since 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 Teacher Certification (40-credit minor) or non-certification education minor (20 credits) might be a good choice. [For additional information about the Education minor options, call 871-2503.] If you think you might want to work in business, the Daniels College of Business offers several options for minors, including a general business minor suited for non-business majors. [For additional information about the Business minor options, call 871-3419.] Some students minor in a language if they are interested in the delivery of mental health services to non-English speaking populations. [For additional information about the Languages and Literature minor, call 871-2662.] There are many possibilities. Also, pursuing a minor may help you to discover areas in which you are not interested. Remember that you will probably have enough time to complete two (or more) minors if you're careful with how you allocate your time and credit hours, so you can do some experimenting with elective courses. To get the most out of your minor, you should meet with an academic advisor in the department you have selected for your minor. (To declare a minor, go to the Center for Academic Resources, Driscoll Center, South, lower-level.)

How many elective credits do I need?
You are not required to take elective hours. However, you may choose to take "elective" hours to pursue a double major or several minors. Elective hours are simply those that are not assigned on your APR to fulfill the foundational component of CORE 1000, the thematic component of CORE 2000, major or minor(s) requirements. You certainly can have elective hours, however, and you should use these to take courses of interest that are not part of your major(s) or minor(s) area(s) of study. Elective classes often help to “round out” your educational program. In general, a total of 183 credits are required for the BA or BS degree, with 73 credits consumed by CORE curriculum requirements, at least 40 credits for most majors, and at least 20 credits for most minors.

Should I obtain a Bachelor of Science (BS) or
Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree?
If you want to go to Medical School, you should be part of the pre-med program administered through the Biological Sciences Department, in which you could pursue a double major, Bachelor of Science degree, with one of your majors in Psychology. If you like math and the physical sciences as well as Psychology, the BS program provides a comprehensive program of study, requiring Psychology as a major and two minors (one must be in a science) or Psychology as one of two majors (with the other in a science). Students interested in other medical fields, the physical sciences, math and computers, or cognitive psychology and/or neuropsychology might want to consider the BS degree and/or a double major in Cognitive neuroscience. As best we can tell, either the BA or BS degrees are equally acceptable to graduate school programs in the social sciences, like Psychology. It is a good idea, however, to take math or physical science courses, as well as "mainstream" Psychology courses.

What if I exceed the University 60 credit hour limit on
Psychology credits?
You should know that any 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 (even if they appear under the category of "ELECTIVES"). These courses are counted against the 60-hour maximum for the major. You may take no more than 60 PSYC credits (excluding Honors hours) during your time at DU. 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. They will NOT count toward the 183 hours needed for graduation. Thus, most students do not want to exceed the 60-hour maximum for the major, and you should check your APR each quarter to determine how many more PSYC hours you have before reaching the limit. 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.

Where can I find more information about the
Psychology Department at D.U.?
You should visit the Psychology Department’s web site.

If I am planning on studying abroad what
Psychology classes should I take?
In general, it is best to take classes required for your major and minor while in residence at D.U., although there are usually one or two general courses in your major and minor concentration that may be acceptable to take while abroad. It is best to discuss specific psychology courses offered by your intended study abroad program with a department academic advisor before you leave.

Undergraduate Resources

2008 Best Senior Thesis: "Got To Have It: The Effects of Stress and Automatic Regulation of Stress on Impulse Buying" by Gia J. Sullivan.

APA Writing Guidelines

Current 2002 links to career sites and graduate programs in the field of Psychology.

DU's Counseling and Behavioral Health Site offers information about their services and how to train with them.