The psychology major affords students great flexibility in selecting upper-division courses to fit individual goals and interests. Upon completing their training, UO Psychology majors should have a broad knowledge of psychology, including basic statistical techniques and ethical issues, and be skilled at reading, evaluating, and communicating about the primary scientific literature in psychology. More specifically, they should be able to:

• Identify major theories, research findings, and methodological approaches in a variety of key content areas including, for example, cognition, neuroscience, development, social behavior, personality, and psychopathology and mental health; and apply research findings to human behavior in everyday life.
• Find relevant articles in the primary psychological literature on a given topic, identify key research questions and hypotheses in scientific articles, and critically evaluate the research design and the quality of evidence presented.
• Choose appropriate basic statistical analysis techniques for a specific research question and set of data, complete basic data analyses, and summarize the results in an APA-style report.
• Communicate clearly and effectively about psychological topics, including methodological and ethical issues in psychology, based on an understanding of both the strengths and limitations of empirical evidence.

Course Requirements

Please meet with an advisor to discuss your options and develop an individualized academic plan. To earn a degree, students must meet the following requirements:

• 56 total psychology credit hours
• 48 upper division psychology credit hours (includes 16 at UO)
• Minimum GPA of 2.0 in psychology coursework required

PSY 410 Peer Lab Training and Peer Advising only count towards elective credits. All other PSY 410 content courses can apply to 400-Level Specialty course credit or Electives. All courses, except electives must be taken as graded! Electives may be taken as P/N but still require a P grade in order to count towards progress in the major.

Lower Division Core

Each class equals 4 credits, taken graded.

• PSY 201 and PSY 202 (must receive a C or higher to count towards major!)
• WR 121 and WR 122 OR WR 123 (WR 121 is a prerequisite for PSY 302. WR 122 or 123 is a prerequisite for PSY 303. Must receive a C- or higher!)
• STAT 243z (alternatively MATH 241, 246 or MATH 251. Prerequisite for PSY 302. Must receive a C- or higher!)

Upper Division Methods/Foundations

Each class equals 4 credits, taken graded. Students must receive a C- or higher.

• PSY 301 (prerequisite for PSY 302)
• PSY 302 (prerequisite for PSY 303. WR 121 and PSY 301 must be completed before PSY 302. PSY 201 and PSY 202 must be taken before or concurrently with PSY 302)
• PSY 303 (prerequisite for 400-level specialty courses; PSY 201, 202, 301, 302 and WR 122 (or 123) must be completed before PSY 303)

Upper Division Core

Each class equals 4 credits, taken graded. Students must receive a C- or higher.

• Choose one from either PSY 304 or PSY 305 and two additional 300-level core courses from PSY 306-309. (PSY201 required for PSY 304 and 305, PSY 202 required for PSY 306-309. Additional prerequisites may be required for some 300-level core courses. Please consult the schedule for details!)

Upper Division Specialty

Each class equals 4 credits, taken graded. Students must receive a C- or higher in the course. Many courses have pre-requisites; review our course listings for details.

Select at least 3 courses from:

Electives

Students must take a minimum of 12 credits, with at least 8 credits from 300-400 level content courses in Psychology (or LING 416, or HPHY 333). Elective courses must receive a P (if taken P/NP) or a C- and above (if graded).

• Only 4 credits of PSY 401 and/or 406 will count toward the major elective requirements. If you have taken more than 4 credits (in a single term or over multiple terms) and they are not showing up correctly in your Ducks on Track, please contact Advising!
• PSY 407 and PSY 399 Elective courses may be fewer than four credits per course. Be sure to check the schedule before you register!
• PSY 410 - Peer Advising and PSY 410 - Peer Lab Training only count as electives, not specialty courses.

Transfer Students

If you are transferring to the University of Oregon from another school, please visit the Admissions Office website to learn about transfer admissions requirements, or visit the Office of the Registrar website to learn how courses from other schools will transfer to the university.

To plan your Psychology major, refer to the major checklist. Additionally, download the sample plan and the worksheet to make your plan for upcoming terms.

• Sample Academic Plan for Transfer Students
• Academic Planning Worksheet

While all credits for transfer courses count for UO degree, direct equivalency of transfer work in psychology will be given only for courses taken in other programs that equate, by level and content, to UO coursework. If you have questions about how psychology courses from another school transfer, please email Jagdeep Bala or request an equivalency review for coursework by using this form:

Transfer Equivalency Review Request Form

Why Study Psychology?

What’s required to earn a degree? It's all summarized in our major map.