Major and Minor Requirements

  1. Office & Department Directory
  2. Psychology Department
  3. Major and Minor Requirements

Requirements for the Psychology Major

Students who graduate from St. Lawrence with a degree in psychology should have a comprehensive background in the discipline's various subfields as well as a clear understanding of its methodologies.  We have designed our curriculum and requirements with those goals in mind.

A major in psychology must complete 8.75 units of psychology courses and STAT 113.

Required courses for the major are

  • PSYC 101NL or 101WL (Introductory Psychology)
  • PSYC 205 (Research Methods)
  • STAT 113 (Applied Statistics)

and six additional psychology courses, with

  • At least one course from each distribution theme (Biological/Evolutionary, Social/Cognitive, and Applied);
  • At least one seminar or independent project; and
  • At least two lab courses: one from the Biological/Evolutionary theme, and one from either the Social/Cognitive or the Applied theme.

Important Note: A single course may count toward both a distribution theme and the laboratory or seminar requirements.

For a list of courses currently taught on a regular basis, with their distribution theme and lab/seminar designation, please visit the distribution theme page.  You can also find a list of all courses taught in recent semesters, including special topic and new courses, under Course Offerings and Designations.

Requirements for the Psychology Minor

A minor must complete at least 6.5 units of psychology and STAT 113 (Applied Statistics).

Required courses for the minor include

  • PSYC 101NL or 101WL (Introductory Psychology)
  • PSYC 205 (Research Methods)
  • STAT 113 (Applied Statistics)

and four additional psychology courses, with

  • At least one course from each distribution theme (Biological/Evolutionary, Social/Cognitive, and Applied);
  • At least one seminar or independent project; and
  • At least one lab course from one of the distribution themes.

Important Note: A single course may count toward both a distribution theme and the laboratory or seminar requirement.

For a list of courses currently taught on a regular basis, with their distribution theme and lab/seminar designation, please visit the distribution theme page.  You can also find a list of all courses taught in recent semesters, including special topic and new courses, under Course Offerings and Designations.

Neuroscience Major Requirements

The departments of biology and psychology have collaborated to create a dual-track major in Neuroscience.  Students may elect a cellular track or a behavioral track.

Environmental Studies-Psychology Combined Major Requirements

Environmental Studies has created combined majors, including one with psychology, allowing students to integrate substantial efforts in traditional disciplines with environmental studies. These majors are designed for students who wish to acquire expertise in another department while still benefiting from the integrative approaches of environmental studies.