Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
59-60 credits
Introduction
Psychology’s attempt to understand the human condition takes many approaches. Some psychologists study brain chemistry and its relation to behavior, while others study the behavior of individuals in groups. Still others are engaged in providing counseling or psychotherapy to people who are mentally ill or who are having difficulty in coping with the demands of life. With a faculty of over 30 women and men, all of whom hold a doctoral degree; the Department offers a program of study which provides a solid foundation in the general concepts and methods of Psychology, as well as courses and programs for students in many of the more specialized areas.
The program in Psychology: Human Development is designed to provide students in the Elementary Education program with an in-depth understanding of theory, research, and application in developmental psychology, and a sound background in general psychology. The program is designed to allow students flexibility in selecting psychology courses with the assistance of their advisor.
This major satisfies the academic major requirement for teacher certification with an endorsement in elementary education and must be accompanied by the professional preparation program in elementary education. See the Elementary Education section of this catalog for program admission, completion, and teacher certification requirements.
Why Consider a Psychology: Human Development - Elementary Major?
Many of the major issues facing children and schools today – school readiness, achievement motivation, testing, classroom behavior, stereotyping, bullying, family and neighborhood stressors – are issues of human psychology. Psychology, as the scientific study of mind and behavior, will help provide answers to these problems, as well as contribute to the scientific understanding of how children best think and learn.
How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):
Pre-Major: Students intending to take PSY 301 and declare a major in Psychology: Human Development Pre-Major must first declare a Psychology Pre-Major. The procedures for declaring the Psychology Pre-Major are described on the Psychology Department website.
Prerequisites for a Psychology Pre-Major:
- Completion of at least 15 Psychology credits by the end of the current quarter (this includes Western credits, transfer credits, and AP classes). At least 5 of those psychology credits must be from Western;
- Completion of PSY 101, or transfer credit for that class, as indicated on the Transfer Equivalency Report;
- Completed (including classes currently enrolled in) at least 90 credits;
- Achieved a Western GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.60 or higher. In the absence of a Western GPA, a GPA of 2.6 or higher from an equivalent four-year institution (based on at least 12 credits) or a cumulative GPA from a completed Associates degree may substitute for the Western GPA.
Admissions: Contact the department to declare the major once you have completed the following requirements:
- Successfully completed or be currently enrolled in PSY 301
- Achieved a Western Cumulative GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.70 or higher
- A GPA of 3.0 in all Psychology courses taken at Western, including PSY 301, may substitute for the cumulative GPA
Grade Requirements
A grade of C (2.0) or better is required for courses in the elementary education professional program and all courses required for the endorsement.
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