BS Major in Psychology

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Planners and Organizers [pdf]:
B.S. Program Learning Outcomes

Psychology Careers

BS in Psychology

Starting Fall 2021, all new students will enter in the BA in Psychology degree program.

The BS is still available, but catalog rights will end after the 2021-22 Catalog. Once the fall semester starts, meet with an advisor to discuss the merits of this degree plan.

The BS is designed to provide a more intensive research focus appropriate for those intending to pursue a research career in Psychology.

The Psychology BS degree requirements can be found in the SJSU catalog. The MySJSU MyAcademics “progress to degree” (or “what if”) report will show your outstanding requirements.

Students have “catalog rights” to any program that existed since they started continuous attendance in California public higher education. Catalog rights exist when (i) Students have taken one or more courses every year to maintain catalog rights, and (ii) the courses in the program are still taught. Switching Degree programs (BA, BS) and catalog rights (“degree plan year”) is a formal process (see advisor).  Program descriptions for other than the current year can be found here.

You are strongly advised to visit with an academic advisor as soon and as frequently as possible. Doing so will both ensure an appropriate sequencing of courses and will likely yield a more efficient path to graduation. 

The biology preparation requirement (BIOL 21: Human Biology (with lab); or BIOL 65: Human Anatomy (with lab)) can be met with a year of biology for biologists but cannot be met with a General Biology course (we do not care about plants).  We will also accept BIOL 66, Human Physiology (with lab)) or a joint Human Anatomy and Physiology course (with lab).

The three ‘Breadth’ preparation requirements can typically be partially met within lower division GE (e.g., CHEM) and/or upper division GE (SJSU Studies, R (e.g., BIOL, LING, PHIL options) or V (PHIL). 

The Psychology Electives (5 units) are typically any two psychology courses not used elsewhere in the major (if you use 129 for the 129/160/170 bin you can use 160 or 170 as an elective), two units of which must be upper division.

  • Typically any two Psychology courses (PSYC or STAT prefix).  The MySJSU MyAcademics “degree progress” lists other SJSU courses that also count as Psychology Electives (some are cross-listed and others are of high relevance to psychology majors).
  • Only one of the two electives can be lower-division (SJSU PSYC/STAT below 100 or from a community college)
  • PYSC 191 may be used both as a Upper Division Psychology Elective (3 units) and for the SJSU Studies Area S (Self & Society) requirement.
  • “University Electives” (any course offered by the university, possibly including additional psychology coursework) may be required to meet the 120 unit (or other) unit-based requirements. 

Relevant Major Forms

Get Advising:

Planners and Organizers

B.S. Program Learning Outcomes

Psychology Careers

Psychology Honors Program

Students requesting departmental honors in psychology will be evaluated against the following criteria at graduation: (1) a minimum aggregate GPA of 3.5 across all psychology course work; (2) evidence of distinguished scholarly work, as indicated by the completion of a BA thesis (PSYC 199), the honors seminar (PSYC 195), or work leading to a published paper or presentation at a professional meeting; (3) both PSYC 117 and STAT 115; (4) completion of a section of PSYC 121A, B, C, E. 

All BS students will inherently have all of the requirements for honors except for the 3.5 GPA and ‘distinguished scholarly work’ requirements.  You must still apply for honors (see an advisor).