Psychology Major

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental life. Psychologists use the scientific method to study such questions as: How do organisms learn? What are the effects of hormones on behavior? What is personality, and how is it measured? What is the best way to analyze data? What motivates behavior? What is mental illness, and how should it be treated? When will people conform? What kind of a work environment stimulates workers' production? What information is gained through scientific endeavor? Psychologists then try to apply the findings to appropriate settings such as in school, business, and the treatment of behavioral disorders. Psychologists ordinarily obtain advanced degrees, a pursuit, which stresses the problems of conducting research and communicating the results of these studies to the scientific community.

Objectives of the Major

The faculty provides a strong undergraduate level series of courses focusing on the foundations of psychological principles and methodology which will prepare students for admission into graduate school or for career entry as a professional psychologist and therapist. In addition, students may choose to enroll in courses, which are designed to enhance personal growth and to improve interpersonal relationships. The psychology faculty sets demanding standards of excellence in written expression, especially in writing for scientific publication.

Unique Aspects of the Major

In addition to broad academic offerings, a number of worth while fieldwork experiences are available. Students routinely work at a nearby detention facility for juvenile delinquents or in the local state hospital. A variety of other field placements are available with such agencies as those dealing with child abuse, adult mental retardation, drug abuse, educationally or physically handicapped children, and mental illness. The faculty has developed expertise in assisting those students who desire to apply for admission to graduate school. When teaching specific areas, faculty emphasize the information needed to pass graduate school examinations. The faculty also counsels and assists psychology majors to select satisfying career goals in psychologically oriented fields or in other related settings. Lastly, the faculty offers a few select courses which enhance understanding of the relationships between psychology, religion, and human values.

Career Opportunities

Recent graduates have found work in industry, working in personnel, in research, as management trainees, as counselors in a number of settings, and in agencies educating children having special needs. Psychology majors are often qualified to apply for state and county jobs in the area of corrections and welfare such as the Department of Children's Services. One example, is the Industrial/Organizational Psychology Minor, which goes into effect as of Fall 2003. It allows the psychology undergraduate to take courses in the area of business management as partial fulfillment of their psychology requirements. In this way, the student can incorporate both fields in pursuit of employment in an industrial career, which emphasizes psychological principles, i.e. Personnel Psychology.

Graduate School Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to a master's level program or doctoral program vary greatly. Master's level programs usually require a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better and fulfillment of a core of undergraduate courses. Letters of recommendation are required. Some Master's level degrees are Marriage & Family Counseling, Industrial Psychology, and Clinical Psychology. Doctoral programs require a higher GPA (3.3 or higher), and completion of a number of psychology courses and perhaps some other courses in physiology, chemistry and mathematics. In addition, the student must perform above the median or higher in the three areas of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic. Some schools look for a high performance on the advanced GRE and on the Miller's Analogies Test (MAT). Letters of recommendation from professors and other professionals are required, and it is very helpful if the student has gained some experience in related fieldwork. Read the APA Graduate Study in Psychology book which is on reserve in Payson Library. Be prepared to take the GRE and the MAT in October the year before you hope to enter graduate school. Start applying for admission in November. Notification of acceptance arrives in April. Honors Club Pepperdine has a vital Psi Chi Club, a division of the national honor society for psychology students. Guest speakers, movies, and parties are arranged for members.

Major Requirements

Lower Division:

Upper Division:

Students must earn at least a "C-" in the above four courses. The required courses listed above are all prerequisites for all subsequent courses.

Choose one course from each content area listed below (13-16 units):

Individual Differences

Social/Group Processes

Learning/Cognitive Principles

Biological Principles

Capstone Courses - Choose one course from either content area below:

Applied Practice

Integrative Experiences

Specialized Interest Courses - A special interest course may be taken to help fulfill total unit requirements.

*Satisfies general education requirement.
**Highly recommended for students considering graduate work in psychology.

A maximum of four units in Supervised Fieldwork may be taken for credit/no credit toward the required units in the major. Students are urged to take PSYC 250 and PSYC 310 as early as possible in their undergraduate careers. Occasionally other upper-division social science courses on special related topics are included in these lists. See the Division Office for more information. Students planning graduate work should consult the graduate schools in which they are interested to determine their specific prerequisites. A file of graduate school catalogs is available in the Career Center. Students preparing for the GRE are urged to take PSYC 321, PSYC 322, PSYC 333, PSYC 341, PSYC 342, PSYC 343, and PSYC 372. Students desiring to construct specialized programs such as Industrial/Organizational Psychology may exercise this option by use of the contract major. Consultation with an academic advisor is essential to begin the process.

Freshman-Year Progam

Psychology majors must take PSYC 210 in addition to other general education requirements. It is recommended that psychology majors take as many natural science courses as possible.

Possible Double Majors and Complementary Courses

Psychology & Biology
Psychology & Religion
Psychology & Sociology
Psychology & Communication
Psychology & Criminology Law Courses: POSC 526, POSC 533, POSC 546, SOC 421, and SOC 472.

Resources for Students