Learning Outcomes

1. Students will describe key concepts principles and overarching themes in psychology.
2. Students will develop a working knowledge of psychology content domains.
3. Students will describe applications of psychology.
4. Students will use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.
5. Students will demonstrate psychology information literacy.
6. Students will interpret design and conduct basic psychological research.
7. Students will demonstrate effective writing for different purposes.
8. Students will exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes.
9. Students will develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation.
10. Students will apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice.
11. Students will adopt values that build community at local national and global levels.

Admissions

Entrance Requirements

New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:

1. Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
2. Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.

Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.

Degree Requirements (120 hours)

Program of Study

Founding Documents Requirement

All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers.  This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective.  Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.

Requirements (120 hours)

¹

Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

²

Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

³

Students planning a major in psychology are advised to take basic science credits in biology and chemistry or physics. This is especially important for those contemplating graduate work.

A maximum of 6 hours of independent study (PSYC 498), individual research (PSYC 598, PSYC 599), internship (PSYC 495) and/or practicum (PSYC 489) courses may apply as major credit and are recommended during the junior/senior year. Students may not receive major credit for both PSYC 455 and PSYC 460.

Major Map

A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.

Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.

Psychology, B.S.

¹

Regardless of individual course grades, students must achieve a minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA for Upper Division status. Students must maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for graduation.

²

Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated in this column are included in the major GPA for this program of study.

³

Students must complete at least one course from each of the 5 groups:

• Select one of the following: PSYC 400, 405, or 470 (cross-listed: ANTH 373, LING 300)
• Select one of the following: PSYC 420, 430, 465, 480, 487
• Select one of the following: PSYC 410, 440, or 510
• Select one of the following: PSYC 450, 455, 460, 503, or 507
• Select one of the following Advanced Laboratory Courses: PSYC 570, 571, 572, 574, 575, 598, or 599

In addition, each student must complete 9 additional hours of PSYC course work:

• 3 hours from PSYC 300 or above (excluding 399)
• 6 hours from PSYC 400 or above

A maximum of 6 hours of independent study (PSYC 498), individual research (PSYC 598, PSYC 599), internship (PSYC 495) and/or practicum (PSYC 489) courses may apply as major credit and are recommended during the junior/senior year. Students must meet all required prerequisites, which are listed on the Bulletin. Students may not receive major credit for both PSYC 455 (recommended for students completing the B.S. degree) and 460.

⁴

Students in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 122 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.

⁵

The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.

⁶

Students must show mastery of college algebra as a pre-requisite to PSYC 220. This may be accomplished by a score of 14 or higher on the math placement test for algebra or by taking MATH 111. MATH 111 does not meet the CC-ARP requirement or any other program of study requirement, but would count for elective credit.

⁷

The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences requires one U.S. History and one non-U.S. History course, both of which must be chosen from the approved Carolina Core GHS courses. Whichever is not fulfilled through the Carolina Core GHS requirement must be fulfilled through this college requirement.

⁸

The cognate is intended to support the interests of the student. The cognate must consist of twelve hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of, but related to the major. In place of a cognate, a student may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of courses concentrated in one area that follow a structured sequence. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. For B.S. degrees, grades of D are acceptable for completion of the cognate requirement. A second major eliminates the minor/cognate requirement.

⁹

No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.

Program Notes:

• ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 must be completed in the student’s first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation. PSYC 101, PSYC 120, PSYC 220, and PSYC 221 must be completed in the first 45 hours as a declared Psychology major in order to remain in the Psychology program. Other courses identified as “critical” should be completed during the first year to ensure proper background knowledge before moving into PSYC 221 and 400-level PSYC courses.
• Students may repeat psychology major courses only once to earn the required grade of C or better. If after the second attempt, a student has not earned a grade of C or higher in PSYC 120, 220, or 221 the student will be removed from the major.
• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
• The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.