Major Requirements for the Joint Major in Social Psychology

Effective Fall 2007

This handout reflects course number changes that went into effect in Fall 2007. The degree requirements have not changed. Please refer to course names to see where previous coursework fits in your plan of study.

Psychologists and sociologists have long worked together in building social psychology. The Joint Major in Social Psychology is designed to highlight social psychology as a product of both parent disciplines, through a single sequence of 12 courses that emphasize the approaches and concerns psychology and sociology have in common and are drawn about equally from the two departments. In addition, the course sequence focuses on how social psychology can be applied to help understand and deal with a variety of social problems and issues. The joint major is expected to be of particular interest to students who:

– plan to enter helping professions such as social work or counseling, that call for a great deal of social-psychological expertise

– are interested in studying ethnic or minority relations

– are interested in studying medical sociology, community mental health, or other aspects of health care delivery

– are interested in studying organizational training and development

– are planning graduate study in social psychology.

Course Requirements

• PSY 100/101 - Introduction to Psychology
• SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology
• PSY 330 - Social Psychology or SOC 281 Society and the Individual
• SOC 341 - Sociological Theory
• SOC L351 - Methods of Sociological Research
• PSY 201 - Intro to Behavioral Research or PSY 270 or SOC 350 – Statistics
• Psychology, Group A. One of the following courses:
• PSY 350 - Learning and Memory
• PSY 355 - Perception
• PSY 360 - Behavioral Neuroscience
• Psychology, Group B. One of the following courses:
• PSY 300 - Personality
• PSY 315 - Abnormal Psychology
• PSY 341 - Infancy and Child Development
• Psychology Directed List: Two of the following courses:
• PSY 333 - Group Dynamics
• PSY 335 - Social Attitudes and Public Opinion
• PSY 337 - Communication and Society
• PSY 338 - Community Psychology
• PSY 339 - Psychology and the Law
• PSY 415 - Psychological Trauma: Individual and Society
• PSY 434 - Social Perception
• PSY 430 - Internship in Psychology (6 credits)
• PSY 477 - Experimental Methods: Social

o PSY 441 - The Family and the Child: A Psychological View

• Sociology Directed List: Two of the following courses:
• SOC 300 - Communication and Opinion
• SOC 310 - Socialization
• SOC 316 - Family Violence in America
• SOC 342 - Aging and Society
• SOC 362 - Juvenile Delinquency
• SOC 382 - Sociology of Gender
• SOC 384 - Medical Sociology
• SOC 386 - Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
• SOC 460 - Internship in Urban Social Service (6 credits)
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Capstone:

A capstone is required for those who declared their major after September 1, 2003. Students must achieve a C- or better to obtain capstone credit.

Any course in the psychology directed list or the sociology directed list numbering 400 or above fulfills the requirement.

Additional Notes:

• Only one course within this major may be taken pass/fail;
• A maximum of 3 Sociology courses (9 credits) and 3 Psychology courses(9 credits) may be transferred from other institutions;
• Either PSY 430 or SOC 460 may be included in the major, but not both. Students who choose this option will complete 3 extra credits in Psychology and Sociology since each of these courses carries 6 credits. These extra credits will be considered as elective credits, counting towards graduation but not toward the major.

Advising:

It is important for joint majors to maintain regular contact with an advisor, to help clarify their career plans and match their plans with the sequence of courses to be taken. In addition, the advisor will recommend useful courses outside the basic course sequence. For further information about this special joint major, consult Drs. Michael Milburn or Sheree Conrad of the Department of Psychology at 287-6350 or Dr. Reef Youngreen of the Department of Sociology at 287-6250.