Psychology
NOTE: This recommended Four-Year Plan is applicable to students admitted into the major during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Please be sure to read the full narrative text, below the four year plan template which follows here, to get a stronger sense of how the program is organized as well as how to proceed effectively through the Psychology Program.
First Year
Fall Semester
- Gen Ed: INTD 101 - FIRST YEAR SEMINAR (HRS 4)
- Gen Ed/SSHS School Core – SOCIAL SCIENCE INQUIRY (HRS 4)
- Major: PSYC 101 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY (HRS 4)
- Gen Ed: CRWT 102 - CRITICAL READING AND WRITING II (HRS 4)
- Total: (HRS 16)
Spring Semester
- Gen Ed: QUANTITATIVE REASONING – (Preferred) MATH 108 - ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS (HRS 4)
- Gen Ed: STUDIES IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES formerly known asÌýSTUDIES IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIESÌý AIID 201 - STUDIES IN ARTS & HUMANITIES (HRS 4)
- Gen Ed: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (HRS 4)
- Major: Category 1 Course: Social and Organizational – Recommended: PSYC 226 - SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OR PSYC 345 - WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY (HRS 4)
- Career Pathways: SOSC 001 - CAREER PATHWAYS MODULE 1
- Total: (HRS 16)
Second Year
Fall Semester
- Major: Category 2 Course: Cognition and Perception – Recommended: PSYC 202 - PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING OR PSYC 209 - PSYCHOLOGY OF PERCEPTION OR PSYC 227 - COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (HRS 4)
- Major: Category 3 Course: Developmental* – Recommended: PSYC 212 - PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING, OR PSYC 241 - DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY, OR PSYC 263 - CHILD PSYCHOLOGY, OR PSYC 347 - ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY Ìý(HRS 4)
- Gen Ed: GLOBAL AWARENESS (HRS 4)
- School Core: Sustainability, Society and Civic Mindedness: Intro Course Outside of Major – EDUC 221 - SOCIAL CONTEXT OF EDUCATION, OR ENST 209 - WORLD SUSTAINABILITY, OR LAWS 131 - LAW & SOCIETY, OR SOCI 101 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (HRS 4)
- Career Pathways: SOSC 002 - CAREER PATHWAYS MODULE 2
- Total: (HRS 16)
Spring Semester
- Major: PSYC 242 - STATISTICS (HRS 4)
- School Core: SOSC 235 - HISTORY OF SOCIAL THOUGHT (HRS 4)
- Major: Category 4 Course: Sociocultural Perspectives – Recommended: PSYC 231 - MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, OR PSYC 239 - CROSS CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, OR PSYC 311 - PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER, OR PSYC 335 - SEXUALITIES & GENDER IDENTITIES: LGBTQA+, OR PSYC 349 - PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN Ìý(HRS 4)
- Gen Ed: SCIENTIFIC REASONINGÌý(HRS 4)
- Career Pathways: SOSC 003 - CAREER PATHWAYS MODULE 3
- Total: (HRS 16)
Third Year
Fall Semester
- Major: PSYC 303 - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (HRS 4)
- Major: PSYC 304 - DATA ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOLOGY (HRS 4)
- **Gen Ed: Distribution Category (Choose one): CULTURE AND CREATIVITY, OR SYSTEMS, SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIETY, OR VALUES AND ETHICS (Outside of SSHS) (HRS 4)
- Major: Psychology Elective (HRS 4)
- Total: (HRS 16)
Spring Semester
- General Elective: Elective (HRS 4)
- **Gen Ed: Distribution Category (Choose one): CULTURE AND CREATIVITY, OR SYSTEMS, SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIETY, OR VALUES AND ETHICS – PSYC 206 - ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY (Recommended) (HRS 4)
- Major: Category 5ÌýCourse: Clinical Perspectives (HRS 4)
- General Elective: Elective (HRS 4)
- Total: (HRS 16)
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
- General Elective: ElectiveÌý(HRS 4)
- General Elective: ElectiveÌý(HRS 4)
- Major: Category 6: Brain and Behavior (HRS 4)
- Major: Category 7: (Fieldwork)ÌýWI (HRS 4)
- Total: (HRS 16)
Spring Semester
- Major: Category 8 Capstone Seminar WI (HRS 4)
- General Elective: Elective (HRS 4)
- General Elective: Elective (HRS 4)
- General Elective: Elective (HRS 4)
- Total: (HRS 16)
Total Credits Required: 128 credits
GPA: 2.0 ÌýÌýWI: Writing Intensive courses needed prior to graduation
*If you would like to take Adolescent Psychology (PSYC 347), wait to complete Category 3 until your junior year or switch it out with a Psych elective from the third year.
** Gen Ed Distribution Categories: two of the three categories are required with 1 course from outside of academic school.
Psychology Program at СÃ×ÊÓƵ:Ìý 4 Year Guidelines
The Psychology Program at СÃ×ÊÓƵ is designed to give students a broad range of approaches and perspectives within the complex discipline of Psychology, and the 4 year guidelines are organized to help students plan their path forward to complete the program in the most positive and effective way.
The Psychology Program Core Courses
There are a few courses that can be considered anchor points within the program. These courses are essential to take at the times suggested in order for you to navigate the program successfully. These includeÌýIntroduction to Psychology,ÌýStatistics,ÌýResearch Methods, andÌýData Analysis. These courses will help you to gain entry into other courses, and to understand the content materials in other courses.
Introduction to PsychologyÌýis a prerequisite to all other Psychology courses, so it is essential to take it during your first semester as a Psychology Major.
StatisticsÌýis a prerequisite for Research Methods and Data Analysis so it is essential to take it during your second Ìýyear (Sophomore year) at Ramapo.
We strongly encourage you to take Research Methods and Data Analysis (two courses that are taken in the same semester with the same faculty member) in your first semester Junior year if you have completed the prerequisites by that time. Students must have junior or senior standing to register for these courses and have completed Introduction to Psychology and PSYC242 Statistics. At the latest, take Research Methods and Data Analysis during your second semester junior year.
Psychology Categories:
The Psychology Program is organized through a category system that provides students with the opportunity to learn within some of the essential and established perspectives within Psychology.Ìý The 8 Categories are also organized by level (200 and 300).
Categories 1, 2, and 3 are generally taken earlier on in the program, (with some exception, such as Adolescent Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology which need to be taken at junior status).
Categories 4, 5, and 6 and generally taken a bit later on in the program, as they are all 300 level courses.
Categories 7 and 8 are the culmination of the program (Fieldwork and the Capstone course) and are to be taken during the last phases of your work in the program.
Again, please discuss with your Psychology Advisor which courses and categories best meet your needs.
Electives
The plan includes the opportunity for students to take 8 elective courses.Ìý This provides students with the ability to create their own unique educational experience at Ramapo.Ìý One of the electives courses must be a Psychology Course.Ìý The remaining 7 courses are free, to be used as you wish.
The opportunity to take electives, to elect the courses you wish to take, provides students with the room to:
-declare a minor
-explore their education through any courses they wish
-design their own organized cluster of classes in the areas of their choice.
Speak to your Advisor about which approach is best for you.
Your Psychology Advisor
The Psychology Faculty is dedicated to your development as students and people.Ìý These guidelines have been created with you in mind.Ìý They have been designed to provide structure and flexibility.Ìý Work with your Advisor so you can take, and make, the most of your experience here in the Psychology Program at Ramapo.
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