Psych Major 101

Proudly Presented by Psychology Peer

Advising

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about your

undergraduate degree and more!

Agenda•Welcome•Who’s who in the Department•Getting involved•On Campus resources•BA in Psych•Understanding your Degree•GE Requirements•New Polices•Goals•Funding•Q& A

Welcome to the Psychology Department!

We are impacted….that means we have more students than space available.

What does that mean to me? You must apply to the major/minorOur students: Over 1500 OF THEM!• Majors• Minor• Pre-Majors (less than 60 units only)

Who’s Who

•Dr. Green Department Chair

•Dr. Kelemen Assistant Chair

Who’s Who•Amy Jennings Undergraduate Advisor

•Diandra RodriguezReceptionist

Peer Advising!

• Questions, concerns, advising appointments

• SRR (PSY 301, course syllabi)• GRR• CRR• The Peer Advisers!• Handouts• Videos• And more!

Psychology Building

1st Floor Psy 100 Main Office

Forms, add/drop, withdraw2nd Floor Psy 206 Peer AdvisingMajor/Minor apps, PSY 301, Syllabi

3rd Floor Psy 314 Psy Student Lounge (Coming in Fall)

Getting InvolvedStudent Orgs:• PSA – open to all (PSY 101)• Psi Chi – GPA Psych 3.4, Overall 3.0 • BPSA – speakers and events• COR- mentoring in research• Peer Advising – working with other

students for the department, major advising

Volunteer Opportunities

Psych Related:• PSY 499 – Research• PSY 405 – Fieldwork• 406’s – Activity • CRR (inside Peer Advising)• Psych Day – Community Fair 10-

12

On Campus:• SLD • ASI

Make a Difference!

Research Opportunities

How can Research Experience help me? • Provides an opportunity to better understand the field of

Psychology & how knowledge is acquired. • Helps you to see what an academic-research career is

like. • Allows a chance to see if research is enjoyable, which is

important in deciding if a research based graduate program is the right choice for you.

• Provides an opportunity to meet other dedicated students, which is the beginning of  a networking system in academia.

• Helps you to know at least one faculty member in greater depth, resulting in personal advising & support in applying to grad school.

• Joint authorship on publications and conference presentations, adding to your background experience as an undergraduate student (VITA!).

• May lead to independent study units (PSY 499) or possibly a small stipend! 

Research Opportunities

Minimum: • Completion of Psy 210• Completion of Psy 220Preferred: • Completion of Psy 310 • Several upper division

Psychology courses• At least one upper

division course in faculty research area

• Computer skills

Ideal: • All of the above• plus Psy 411

and/or 412. • Enthusiasm• Reliability• Punctuality• Honesty

What do I need? Academic qualifications

Research Opportunities

What would I do?

Most often: • Data collection• data encoding• data analysis• literature reviews• animal care• computer data entry• interviewing• running subjects• running statistical programs

On Campus Resources

• Peer Advising (Psy 206)• Academic Advising (Horn Center 103)• CDC – job & internship info• CAPS – free counseling & help with stress• Learning Assistance Center– free tutoring• Learning Alliance – extra help• Library – tons of resources (including PsycInfo!)• Writer’s Resource Lab– free help w/ writing

Go every semester!

Your Degree from CSULB!

Bachelors of Arts in Psychology

•Psych Major Checksheet•List of all Courses•Ethnic Studies/General

Supporting Fields•Need total of 120 units to

graduate from CSULB•53 units out of the 120 are

Psychology units

For Freshman•Take PSY 100 ASAP (if you haven’t already done so)•Take courses in Order – 100, 210, 220, 241, etc for LD

•Be careful of PreReqs!•Apply for Major as soon as you can

•Avoid PSY 130 & 150 see double count limit….

Understanding your Degree

Catalog year:The year you enter CSULB, start

taking courses(for transfer students), or declare a major/minor.

A contract between you & CSULB (good thing!) – you can only be held to the requirements of the catalog year you started at CSULB or declared your major/minor.

Understanding your Degree

Double Counting:• CSULB policy is that courses

taken in your major may not be used to satisfy GEs. 

• Major courses housed in other departments (Psych’s Supporting Fields) can be used for both GE & major requirements.

• If the course appears on the list of approved GE courses.

(see handout)

Understanding your Degree

Double Counting- Limit 10 units

• Only receive unit credit once for the course(s) taken. 

Exceptions (Do NOT count towards limit):• All interdisciplinary ("I“)• All Human Diversity (HD)• Capstone courses

Applying to the Major

• Need PSY 100, 210, & 220 completed with a C or better.

• An overall GPA of 2.25 with 60 units completed or 3.0 with at least 36 units finished.

• Applications in Peer Advising (PSY 206)• Must attach all transcripts from classes

that do not appear in your MyCSULB degree progress report.

• 400 Level courses are for majors only. You may take all other course while your application is in progress.

General Education Requirements

• A minimum of 51 units to satisfy your GE requirement

• Of those 51 you include: Need 3 Capstones (9 units total) Need 1 Human Diversity (3 units

total) Need 1 Global Issues (3 units total) +53 units from Psy major= approximately 120 units

Advising Plan• Talk to GE counselor & Psych Peer

Advising (PSY 206) every semester! ■ Remember to: Declare a major before you reach 60

units Check and clear holds on MYCSULB Find your enrollment appointment on

MYCSULB Attempt WPE before 65 units Submit transcripts from other schools

to Enrollment Services

New Fall 2009 Policies

Repeat Delete = Grade Forgiveness

To ensure that students make timely progress toward their degrees, CSULB will begin limiting the number of times that students can withdraw from or repeat courses, based on maximums established by the CSU Chancellor’s Office.

New Fall 2009 PoliciesDisqualification• Academic disqualification means dismissal from

CSULB and is the result of not maintaining good academic standing.

• The University expects all undergraduate students to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in all classes taken at CSULB and in all transferable courses from other colleges and universities.

• Academic probation at CSULB results when students' grades fall below the 2.0 GPA in either the CSULB cumulative GPA (all courses at CSULB), or in the overall cumulative GPA (all transferable college courses, including CSULB work).

Fall 2009 Policies

All undergraduates will be limited to 18 units of withdrawals & 28 units of repeats of which a maximum of 16 may be for grade forgiveness (first attempt does not count toward the GPA).

This applies to all students!

New Fall 2009 Policies

Once disqualified, students will be considered eligible for reinstatement if they have:

• Remained out of CSULB for 1 regular semester

• Raised their grade point deficiency by one half – can take classes at CC or OU

• Raised their GPA• Made progress toward their degree

Check with Academic Advising (Horn Center Room 103) if you think

this might apply to you!

New Fall 2009 PoliciesStudents are subject to academic

disqualification at the end of the first semester on academic probation if they have GPAs below the four (4) minimum cumulative (CUM) GPAs as follows:

 Freshman (<30 units) 1.5 GPA

Sophomore (30-59 units)  

1.7 GPA

Junior (60-89 units)   1.85 GPA

Senior (90+ units)   1.95 GPA

Your Future

• Job after your BA?Resumes, interviews, job

searches…where to start?

• Graduate School? MSW, MFT, MSIO, PhD, PsyD,

MD…. what does it all mean???

PSY 301Helps with all

that and more!•Must take 301 your 1st semester in the Major•Don’t wait, only need PSY 100 to take it…•Hybrid class on BB & workshops on Campus

Job with a BACourses to consider:• PSY 332,333,341,336,342• 310,314,315• 401,405,406,411,412,418,427,47

5Start now:• Internships ~ references, resume• Part time work in area• Networking• Build resume ~ Student orgs/activities• Get involved ~ references, resume

Grad SchoolCourses to consider:• PSY 332,333,341• 351,356• 310,314,315• 401,405,406,411,412, research lab courses• SW, EDP, W/STStart now:• Internships/Applied Experience• Research!!! ~ LOR• Networking ~ LOR • Build Vita ~ Student orgs/activities• Get involved ~ LOR

Funding

•FASFA•Scholarships•Fellowships•Grants•Loans

Be Aware! Know your Options

Peer Advising Contact Information

Different ways to contact us: Visit us in Psy 206 Email: psyugadv@csulb.edu Website:

www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/psychology/peer_advising/

Call us: 526-985-5680

New Psychology Department

Website

Check for: •Forms•Handouts•Events•Updates•Contact Info•Equivalents

Save the Date

April 28th Psych Day!

Download Psych Major Handbook ASAP!

Thank you!

Any Questions