Students may choose to major in General Psychology or to select a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology or Psychobiology.

Per campus academic policy, transfer credits may be applied to major requirements; however, one-half of the major must be completed at New Paltz.

The following plans of study reflect revisions effective fall 2021. If you declared a Psychology major in or before spring 2021, your plan of study will be different. Please consult your advisor and refer to your progress report.

General Psychology

(44 credits1)

This program leads to either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

To declare the general Psychology major, students must have:

  • Completed PSY101 Introduction to Psychology with a minimum grade of C-.
  • A total cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher
  • A Math Placement Level (MPL) of 3 or higher.
Prerequisite Course (3 Credits)
PSY101Introduction to Psychology3
Methodology Core (8 Credits)
PSY201Psychological Statistics 14
PSY301
PSY311
Psychology Research Methods
and Research Methods Lab
4
Content Core (15 Credits)
PSY221Social Psychology3
PSY231Psychopathology and Mental Distress3
PSY241Lifespan Development3
PSY351Cognitive Psychology3
PSY361History & Systems of Psychology3
Advanced Courses (15 Credits)
Select five (5) courses by advisement. No more than six (6) credits from the following courses will count toward this requirement: PSY392 Internship, PSY394 Crisis Intervention, PSY494 Fieldwork In Psychology, PSY495 Independent Study Psychology, DIS492 Practicum in Disaster Response, and PSY393 Selected Topic or PSY493 Selected Topic courses designated as "experiential."15
Disaster Psychology
Practicum in Disaster Response
Personality
Motivation
Psychology of Social Problems
Mental Health Professions
Behavior Modification
Perception
Psycholinguistics
Learning
Evolutionary Psychology
Constructivist Psychology
Psychology of Women
Organizational Psychology
Health Psychology
Internship
Selected Topic
Crisis Intervention
Infancy and Childhood
Adolescence and Adulthood
Behavioral Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Industrial Psychology
Psychological Testing
Selected Topic
Fieldwork In Psychology
Independent Study Psychology
Research Experience (0 Credits)
Complete at least 12 half-hour experiential credits (i.e., 6 hours).0
Capstone Experience (3 Credits)
PSY498Seminar in Psychology (Writing Intensive)3
Total Credits44
1

A 3-credit transfer course equivalent to PSY201 Psychological Statistics will satisfy the core statistics requirement, thus allowing for completion of the major with 43 credits.

Psychology with Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

(59 credits1)

This program leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

To declare the concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, students must have:

  • Completed PSY101 Introduction to Psychology with a minimum grade of C-.
  • A total cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher
  • A Math Placement Level (MPL) of 3 or higher  
Prerequisite Course (3 Credits)
PSY101Introduction to Psychology3
Methodology Core (8 Credits)
PSY201Psychological Statistics 14
PSY301
PSY311
Psychology Research Methods
and Research Methods Lab
4
Content Core (15 Credits)
PSY221Social Psychology3
PSY231Psychopathology and Mental Distress3
PSY241Lifespan Development3
PSY351Cognitive Psychology3
PSY361History & Systems of Psychology3
Industrial/Organizational Core (9 Credits)
PSY383Organizational Psychology3
PSY482Industrial Psychology3
PSY485Psychological Testing3
Advanced Course (3 Credits)
Select one of the following:3
Disaster Psychology
Practicum in Disaster Response
Personality
Motivation
Psychology of Social Problems
Mental Health Professions
Behavior Modification
Perception
Psycholinguistics
Learning
Evolutionary Psychology
Constructivist Psychology
Psychology of Women
Health Psychology
Internship
Selected Topic
Crisis Intervention
Infancy and Childhood
Adolescence and Adulthood
Behavioral Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Selected Topic
Fieldwork In Psychology
Independent Study Psychology
Business Administration Studies (9 Credits)
BUS250Principles of Management 3
Select two of the following (note prerequisites):6
Legal Environment of Business
Operations Management
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Introduction to Managing Sustainability
Marketing
Consumer Behavior
Human Resource Management
Leadership
Concentration Electives (9 Credits)
Select three (3) courses by advisement. In addition to the courses below, those listed above as "Advanced Course" options can count as concentration electives.9
Public Speaking
Interpersonal Communication
Small Group Communication
Persuasion and Social Influence
Organizational Communication
Negotiation
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Business and Society
Symbolic Logic
Business Ethics
Sex Discrimination and the Law
Social Inequality in the United States
Organizations and Work
Gender, Race, and Work
Research Experience (0 Credits)0
Complete at least 12 half-hour experiential credits (i.e., 6 hours).
Capstone Experience (3 Credits)
PSY498Seminar in Psychology (Writing Intensive)3
Total Credits59
1

Students who receive three (3) transfer credits for a course considered equivalent to PSY201 Psychological Statistics may fulfill the major requirements with 58 credits.

Psychology with a Concentration in Psychobiology

(59-621 credits)

This program leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

Many graduate programs in psychology regard a broad undergraduate background in natural, physical, and social sciences as the best preparation for graduate study. The concentration in psychobiology may appeal to students interested in pursuing graduate training in physiological psychology, psychobiology, neuropsychology, or animal behavior, or in preparing for professional school while combining an interest in these areas.

To declare the concentration in Psychobiology, students must have:

  • Completed PSY101 Introduction to Psychology with a minimum grade of C-.
  • A total cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher
  • A Math Placement Level (MPL) of 4 or higher
Prerequisite Course (3 Credits)
PSY101Introduction to Psychology3
Methodology Core (8 Credits)
PSY201Psychological Statistics 14
PSY301
PSY311
Psychology Research Methods
and Research Methods Lab
4
Content Core (15 Credits)
PSY221Social Psychology3
PSY231Psychopathology and Mental Distress3
PSY241Lifespan Development3
PSY351Cognitive Psychology3
PSY361History & Systems of Psychology3
Psychobiology Core (9 Credits)
PSY452Behavioral Neuroscience3
Select two (2) of the following by advisement:6
Perception
Psycholinguistics
Learning
Evolutionary Psychology
Health Psychology
Infancy and Childhood
Cognitive Neuroscience
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Required Biology Courses (15-16 Credits)
BIO201
BIO211
General Biology I
and Gen Bio 1 Lab
4
BIO202
BIO212
General Biology II
and Gen Bio 2 Lab
4
BIO320
BIO321
Genetics
and Genetics Lab
4
Select one of the following:3-4
Evolution
Animal Physiology
Evolutionary Theory
Animal Behavior
Concentration Electives (6-8 Credits)
Select two (2) courses by advisement:6-8
Human Evolution
Biology Research
Capstone Research
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Lab
General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry II Lab
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry I Lab
Organic Chemistry II
and Organic Chemistry II Lab
General Physics 1
and Physics 1 Laboratory
Cognitive Processes (with permission)
Research Experience (0 Credits)
Complete at least 12 half-hour experiential credits (i.e., 6 hours).0
Capstone Experience (3 Credits)
PSY498Seminar in Psychology (Writing Intensive)3
Total Credits59-62
1

Students who receive three (3) transfer credits for a course considered equivalent to PSY201 Psychological Statistics may fulfill the major requirements with 58-61 credits.