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Psychology Degree Requirements

To reflect the direction of the field and the rigor of the discipline, the University of Maryland’s Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology require a that students demonstrate mastery in a broad range of psychological, biological and quantitative areas. As a Limited Enrollment Program prospective majors must complete two gateway courses and satisfy all of the LEP criteria. See our page on applying to the major and www.lep.umd.edu for details on becoming a PSYC major.

These degree and LEP requirements will apply to all new students enrolling at the University of Maryland in the Fall of 2013 and to students transferring from schools within the University System of Maryland into the major in the Fall of 2015. Current students and in-System transfers admitted prior to the Fall of 2015 should contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies for information on the old requirements.

 

Science Lab Gateway
As our knowledge of brain function and its relationship to behavior has grown over the last decade, neuroscience has become an integral part of the study of human behavior. All contemporary psychology students need solid base in biological principles to have the option to take some of our advanced coursework and the opportunity to be competitive in many fields of graduate study. All majors or prospective majors must demonstrate an acceptable level of mastery by earning at least a C- in BSCI 105 - Principles of Biology I.


Mathematics Gateway
The computational needs of students are also increasing and it is clear that students without the appropriate mathematical training are at a significant disadvantage and are relatively less prepared for success in the major. Therefore, all majors or prospective majors must demonstrate an acceptable level of mastery by earning at least a C- in MATH 130, 140 or 220.

 

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Requirements
Students must complete 11 courses (35 credits) in order earn their BA in Psychology. With the exception of PSYC 100 (as noted below), students must earn at least a C- in coursework applied to the major.

  • PSYC 100 (or PSYC 221 if the student has PSYC 100 AP/IB) with a B- or higher
  • PSYC 200 – Statistical Methods in Psychology with a C- or higher
  • PSYC 300 - Research Methods in Psychology (4-credit lab course) with a C- or higher
  • BSCI 105 with a C- or higher
  • MATH 130 or 140 or 220 with a C- or higher
  • A minimum of 2 PSYC courses from each of three thematic areas:
    • Mind, Brain, & Behavior
    • Mental Health & Interventions
    • Social, Developmental, & Organizational Sciences
  • Two 400-level PSYC courses (or special topics courses by departmental permission)
  • One additional 400-level, 4-credit PSYC lab course

For a list of common PSYC courses and their prerequisites and thematic areas, download the PSYC Course List

 

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Requirements
Students pursuing the BS option are generally doing so to develop and demonstrate the analytical and quantitative skills that graduate programs and scientific fields seek. Many of the advanced science courses that can be applied to the BS requirements do not accept MATH 220 (Elementary Calculus I) as a prerequisite, and thus students are at a disadvantage without the appropriate calculus background. To earn their BS students must complete all of the BA requirements with BSCI 105 and either MATH 130 or MATH 140, plus at least three additional advanced courses (17 credits) in mathematics and science (see http://ter.ps/psycbs).

Click here to view the PSYC Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

 

Limited Enrollment Program (LEP)
Students who were admitted directly as freshman in the fall of 2013 or afterwards will undergo an Academic Review at 45 credits and must have:

  • Completed PSYC 100 (or 221) with a minimum grade of a B-
  • Completed BSCI 105 with a minimum grade of a C-
  • Completed MATH 130, 140, or 220 with a minimum grade of a C-
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all coursework taken at the University of Maryland

University of Maryland students beyond their first semester and those transferring to the University from schools within the University System of Maryland in the fall of 2015 or afterwards must have already completed the same gateway requirements listed above and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.70 at the time of their application to the major.

Details on the other LEP policies are provided here: http://www.lep.umd.edu

Students wishing to add Psychology as a double major should visit BSOS’ website on double-majors and contact BSOS Advising: 301-405-1697

If you have any questions about the degree requirements please feel free to contact the Department of Psychology’s Office of Undergraduate Studies at 301-405-5866 or PSYCadvising@umd.edu.