Forms

• Application for a Psychology Major
• Application for a Psychology Minor

A Note About Application Forms:    If you would like to register as a psychology major or minor, you need to meet with a psychology department advisor. Your advisor will sign your major or minor application form. A signed form is required for program registration. Please contact a faculty member to serve as your advisor or call the department office at 509-963-2381 to make an appointment with an advisor.

Choosing a Psychology Major

Psychologists study animal and human behavior and related mental, physiological, and social processes in an attempt to understand the causes of behavior. They also apply this knowledge to the prevention and solution of both individual and social problems. The Psychology Department offers a wide variety of courses in psychology, including abnormal behavior; learning and cognition; physiological, industrial, social, and child, adolescent, and adult development; personality psychology, and research methods and statistics. Theory and research in these areas are used by experimental, clinical, counseling, educational, and organizational psychologists.

Undergraduate psychology majors do not specialize but are exposed to all areas of the field. To be a professional psychologist, a student must obtain at least a master's degree in the field. Some areas of study, especially clinical psychology, are becoming very competitive and often require five years or more to obtain a doctorate.

The bachelor's degree in psychology can provide an avenue into employment in one of the many areas for which behavioral science skills and knowledge are important, e.g., personnel positions, public relations, child care, vocational training, casework, probation and parole, administration and management, health services, teaching, and many others. We've prepared a career guide for psychology majors available in the department office or online at http://www.cwu.edu/~psych/Psych%20Major%20Career%20Guide.pdf.

Besides fulfilling the requirements of the major, it may be useful to take courses that are specifically related to your vocational interests. For example, if you are interested in working in business, it would be appropriate to supplement your major with courses in economics or marketing. Many students pursue a double major or a major-minor combination. Many who have gone into other careers report that their background in psychology has made them attractive to professional schools and employers. Some law schools and business schools have reported that psychology majors are among their most successful students.

Many students choose to major in psychology because they want to help people solve personal problems. You should be aware that psychologists are not the only ones who do this kind of work. The "helping professions" also include psychiatrists, social workers, clergy, psychiatric nurses, substance abuse counselors, and others. Training may be offered in schools of education, medical schools, counseling programs, community colleges, seminaries, sociology departments, and elsewhere. Before deciding on a major, you should talk to an advisor to determine the kind of training that will best help you meet your goal.

There are several other things that you can also do to help you decide whether psychology is the most appropriate major for you. You should talk with individuals who are doing what you would like to be doing when you finish your training. You can also get valuable information from the Career Planning and Placement center on campus, from members of the psychology faculty, and from various reference books describing training and careers in psychology. Several of these are available for check-out in the Psychology Department office. Finally, you should find out what courses are required and what preparation is needed for those courses. For example, note that you will be expected to take courses in statistics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This requires some college-level mathematics preparation.

In summary, you should ask questions, read all available material, seek out individuals employed in areas of interest to you, and reflect carefully on your own interests and abilities.

The CWU Psychology Major

Psychology is generally defined as the science of the behavior of individual organisms. The field offers tremendous diversity in terms of the ways in which behavior is studied. For example, physiological psychologists do work that is sometimes indistinguishable from the biological sciences, while social psychologists do work that is more closely related to that of sociologists and cultural anthropologists. Psychology is an evolving discipline that is best understood from a variety of differing perspectives. This diversity often produces stresses and conflicts within the field. One of our primary goals is to teach the student majoring in psychology how to deal with ambiguity, how to reflect on this experience, and how to ask sophisticated questions about behavior and experience.

As a psychology major, you may pursue a couple of different options leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in psychology. You should discuss your choice with a faculty advisor.

The Online Electronic Catalog (OEC) is the university?s official compilation for all curriculum. The OEC serves as the basis for major, minor, specialization, certificate, and program requirements for the academic year. For current policy and curriculum requirements refer to the CWU online catalog at http://www.cwu.edu/~catalogs. . You may choose the catalog that is appropriate for your major requirements, based on the quarter that you were accepted into your program. Some students may be using more than one catalog to meet general education and major requirements. A student should expect to meet the specific requirements of the psychology major or minor listed in the OEC that is current at the time he or she is accepted by the department into the major or minor program. A student should expect to complete general education requirements as listed in the OEC current at the time of first enrollment at either Central or a community college in the state of Washington, provided he or she transfers directly to CWU from the community college and has not attended another four-year institution.

A 45-credit major program is available to students who are pursuing a second major or a minor in a related field. A 60-credit major program is available to students who have not declared a second major or a related minor. Both programs provide an academic program that is suitable for students planning to pursue graduate-level education. The programs differ only in the number of elective credits required to obtain the degree.

Our Department's Mission

Central Washington University's Department of Psychology provides learning opportunities and experiences through which undergraduate and graduate students develop an understanding of the perspectives, content, methodology, and technology of the science of human and nonhuman behavior and mental processes. Undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for life-long learning and advanced study in psychology, as well as providing professional preparation for careers in research, business, industry, education, and social service. The department is a major participant in the general education and undergraduate teacher education sequences of the university and provides selected courses for other majors and programs as appropriate to the discipline. Specialized master's degrees are available in experimental psychology, school psychology, school counseling, and mental health counseling. The graduate professional preparation programs have a particular emphasis on helping students develop the competencies and identity of the mental health counselor, school counselor, or school psychologist.

Program Learning Outcomes

The psychology major at CWU is based on several assumptions concerning the kinds of knowledge and skills that you ought to develop as a psychology major. We think it important to describe these in order to provide a meaningful context for our curriculum:

• There are certain areas within the discipline that are considered fundamental. We give high priority to ensuring that you will have opportunities to take courses in these areas. These include the following: physiological psychology, learning, cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, personality, abnormal psychology, sensation and perception, and measurement.
• Advanced study in psychology requires critical thinking and reasoning skills. You develop these by working with quantitative information in courses in statistics and research methods and from reading original research reports.
• You should understand the language of the discipline and you should be able to write in that language, using elements of style, described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, that are standard in the field.
• You should be able to gather information from libraries, from computerized information systems, and other sources; and you should be able to synthesize this information into a knowledge summary or as the basis for a persuasive argument.
• You should be able to pose questions about behavior and select appropriate methods to answer those questions. You should understand psychological research strategies.
• You should know the history of the discipline and its place in the broader intellectual traditions of the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
• You should know the ethical principles adopted by the American Psychological Association regarding the conduct of psychological services and research.

Major and Minor Course Requirements

All psychology majors and minors, regardless of area of concentration, take a common set of core courses. Majors participate in an end-of-major assessment activity. We reassess our curriculum frequently and make changes to our major and minor to improve the preparation of our students. To view detailed requirements of the major or minor of any catalog year, please see the university catalog for the appropriate year at   http://www.cwu.edu/~catalogs/.

Math Prerequisities for PSY 300 and PSY 362

Background in college-level mathematics is required prior to enrollment in either of these courses. At a minimum, you should have taken MATH 130, Finite Mathematics. If you have taken a more advanced mathematics course, then it may not be necessary to take MATH 130. Please consult with your advisor or the department chair prior to enrolling if you have any doubt concerning the appropriateness of your mathematics background.

Please note that, although the University's General Education requirements specify that you may either take PHIL 201, CS105 or MATH 130 to satisfy the General Education curriculum, PHIL 201 and CS 105 cannot be used to satisfly the prerequisite requirement for PSY 362.

End-of-Major Assessment

Graduating senior psychology majors are required to complete the department's end-of-major assessment examination. Students should register for the examination in the department office. The purpose of this requirement is to enable us to assess whether the Department has fulfilled its instructional objectives and to provide us with information that will enable us continuously to improve our programs and courses.

PSY 490 (Cooperative Education)

PSY 490 is a contracted field experience with a business, industry, government, or social service agency. The contractual arrangement requires the development of a student learning plan in consultation with a faculty advisor and with a cooperating employer supervisor. Prior approval of your arrangement is required before you can register.

The university requirements for a contracted field experience are explained in a brochure that can be obtained at the Cooperative Education Center (Barge 202). You should be aware, however, that the Psychology Department has additional requirements that must be met if permission is to be granted to enroll in PSY 490. These requirements are as follows:

• You must have senior standing
• You must be registered in a 60-credit psychology major
• You must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher
• You must have completed the following psychology core courses with an average grade of 3.0 or higher: PSY 101, 300, 301, 362, and 363.

At the discretion of a supervising faculty member, these requirements may be waived if you provide three letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with your ability to do the anticipated work. Such waivers are not routine; they are not often granted.

Psi Chi Honor Society

Psi Chi is the national honor society in psychology. Membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in psychology and who have met the following minimum qualifications:

• Completion of 14 quarter hours of psychology
• Admission to the major or minor in psychology
• Overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 and ranking in the upper 35% of their class (sophomore, junior, senior)
• A minimum GPA in psychology courses of 3.00
• High standards of personal behavior
• Two-thirds affirmative vote of those present at a regular meeting of the chapter.

Membership in Psi Chi is an earned honor. It is useful for reference purposes such as applications to graduate schools and for jobs. There is a one-time fee of $25 for lifetime membership. There are no annual national dues.

Departmental Honors

The eligibility requirements for admission to the psychology department honors program include the following:

Admission requirements:

You must be a Psychology major, at least a junior but not more than a first quarter senior, and have completed all Psychology core courses with a GPA of a least 3.25 in those courses and have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0. You must apply in writing to the Department Chair, with a supporting letter of recommendation from a member of the Psychology faculty who agrees to supervise your work to completion.

Procedures:

You register for 4-6 credits in PSY 497 (Undergraduate Honors Thesis). In consultations with the supervising faculty member, you choose a three-person faculty committee. Plans for the honors projects, generally an empirical research, must be approved by the entire committee. The project will culminate in a written research report and a formal defense of the thesis.

Planning for Graduate Study in Psychology

For a career as a psychologist, it is necessary to go to graduate school. Admission to graduate school can be difficult. The average program accepts fewer than 20% of its applicants; some of the more elite clinical programs accept fewer than 5%. Graduate school is also very demanding. The workload is considerably heavier than at the undergraduate level, and success depends on a high degree of self-motivation and dedication, as well as academic skill. The undergraduate course requirements for graduate programs in psychology vary, but certain requirements are quite common: general psychology, experimental psychology with a laboratory, research methods, and statistics. Doctoral programs also place a premium on preparation in the natural sciences and mathematics.

Master's degree programs such as Central's and those of many other regional universities, are designed to train students for immediate employment in applied settings, such as mental health centers, schools, and business and industry; and to prepare students to enter doctoral programs. If you decide to enroll in a master's degree program with the goal of continuing work toward the doctorate, you should be aware of possible disadvantages. Obtaining the master's degree at one institution does not ensure acceptance to a doctoral program at another. If you are accepted as a transfer student to a doctoral program after completing the master's degree, you may not receive credit for all courses taken. Doctoral programs differ in their willingness to accept such transfer credits. While some doctoral programs require that an applicant have a master's degree (often from the same institution), this is generally not the case. In general, you can apply directly to a doctoral program. It is not required (nor is it usually recommended) that you have a master's degree before applying to a doctoral program.

Information about specific programs and requirements is readily available. You should consult the American Psychological Association publication, Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields, which provides information about more than 600 programs, including requirements for admission, financial aid, admission rates in recent years, etc. For general advice, consult another APA publication, Preparing for Graduate Study in Psychology: Not for Seniors Only. Both of these documents are available in the department office. You will also find useful information at the American Psychological Association web site. In addition, you will find that the faculty can provide a great deal of valuable advice, and you should be sure to discuss your plans with your advisor.

There are a number of questions that students commonly ask concerning application to graduate programs. The following information is taken from Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields (American Psychology Association; adapted with permission):

Suggestions for selecting the right program:

• Apply to a program that offers you a reasonable chance of acceptance. The application process is expensive, and there is no point in applying to schools that do not afford you a realistic chance. Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields describes entrance requirements for most programs.
• If possible, apply to programs offering the degree that you ultimately wish to earn. Most doctoral programs accept students who have earned a bachelor's degree. Obtaining a terminal master's degree is not necessary and is not the usual route to a doctoral program.
• Your likelihood of admission is greater if you apply to a number and a range of programs.
• Apply to a program that offers the specialty in which you eventually wish to be employed. Unlike many undergraduate programs, it is difficult to transfer from one program to another, even in the same department.

Graduate program admission requirements:

• Requirements vary from program to program, so you should read Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields for specific requirements.
• Most psychology programs (especially doctoral programs) prefer or require significant exposure to psychology at the undergraduate level. There are few courses that are specifically required, but many departments prefer that applicants have exposure to a broad range of areas. The CWU psychology major is structured to provide that type of exposure. Departments often require undergraduate courses in statistics, research design, and experimental psychology.
• Most programs place greatest weight on scholarship, academic ability, and promise of success in future scholarly activity when considering applicants for admission. These qualities are judged on the basis of prior achievement at the undergraduate level and through recommendations from faculty who are familiar with the student's work. It is important that you get to know faculty members and that they get to know you. In order to write useful letters of recommendation, they need to know more about you than they can usually learn simply from your performance in their classes. Probably the best way to get known and to increase your prospects for acceptance to a graduate program is to get involved in research with one or more faculty members.
• Many graduate programs require that applicants take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and some require the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). You should take these tests, if required, in time for the scores to be included with your application materials. Generally, it takes 6-8 weeks for your scores to be received by the department(s) to which you have applied. Therefore, to meet most deadlines for application, you should plan to take the test(s) in the fall of your senior year, preferably in October.
• You should also prepare for these tests. Self-study books can be purchased at many bookstores. To study for the GRE-Subject (Psychology), it is particularly helpful to review a good introductory psychology text, a text on history and systems, and texts in any major area of psychology (e.g., sensation & perception, developmental) in which you have not had courses.

Submitting an application:

• Admissions deadlines are often in early January for admission for the following fall. You should send for application materials at least a year before your planned matriculation.
• Submit all application materials on time. Late or incomplete applications are generally not considered.
• If you are asked to write a biographical statement as part of the application, take this assignment seriously. Write it carefully, have people read it and make suggestions, and proofread it after you have typed it.
• Choose your references carefully. Letters of recommendation are very important and will do you the most good if written by psychologists who are familiar with your work and who think well of you.