Psychology majors at UC Santa Cruz are introduced to theory and scientific research in the field. Students begin with introductory psychology, precalculus, statistics, research methods, and introduction to developmental psychology. Majors subsequently take courses in four major areas of psychology: cognitive, social, developmental, and personality psychology.

Study and Research Opportunities

• B.A. with breadth requirements in Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Personality Psychology, and Social Psychology; Undergraduate Minor; Ph.D. with concentrations in Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychology
• Intensive major available for students intending to pursue graduate studies in psychology
• The Psychology Field-Study Program, which places qualified students in community agencies

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High School Preparation
In addition to the courses required for UC admission, high school students considering psychology as their university major find that the best preparation is a solid general education in English, mathematics through precalculus, natural sciences, social sciences, and writing.

Transfer Preparation
Junior transfer students should express an interest in psychology on their UC Santa Cruz application for admission.

It is expected that prospective transfer students will have completed most, if not all, of the lower-division requirements. The psychology faculty recommends that all lower-division requirements be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Several measures are taken to control over enrollment in the psychology major. At the time of transfer, students must have a 3.0 or higher grade-point average in all UC-transferable course work, with at least a 3.1 in all psychology courses. Junior-level students with 120+ quarter credits will not be admitted into the pre-major. This occasionally affects transfer students who have many credits on their records. It can also affect students who want to change their major in mid-junior year. Senior-level students with 135+ quarter credits will not be admitted into the major. This affects seniors who want to add a minor or double major in psychology (it does not affect those who have already declared a pre-psychology major). Students who want to fulfill requirements with courses taken at other colleges must petition for the substitution of their transfer courses at an orientation session or contact the Psychology Department for advising. Students planning to transfer to UC Santa Cruz should check with the advising office of their present college, or refer to www.assist.org.

Transfer students are strongly encouraged to speak with an academic adviser at the Psychology Department Office prior to enrolling in classes in order to determine their status and begin the actual declaration of major process.

UC Santa Cruz lower-division requirements in psychology are:

• Psychology 1, Introduction to Psychology
• Psychology 2, Introduction to Psychological Statistics
• Psychology 3, Research Methods in Psychology
• Psychology 10, Introduction to Developmental Psychology
• Mathematics 3, Precalculus (or equivalent)

While it is not a condition of admission, students from California community colleges may complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) in preparation for transfer to UC Santa Cruz. However, the psychology major requires additional courses for admission to the major (see above).

Transfer course agreements and articulation between the University of California and California community colleges can be accessed on the ASSIST web site.

Careers

Academic research and teaching
Clinical psychology
Community relations
Counseling
Education
Environmental psychology
Forensic psychology
Government research
Human resources
Law
Market research
Psychiatry
Social services
Vocational psychology

These are only samples of the field’s many possibilities.

Leticia Quezada (B.A., psychology, ’75), the director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, California State University, San Bernardino, was the first Latina elected to the Los Angeles City Board of Education and its first Latina president.

Paige Fowler (B.A., psychology, ’00) recently spent time in a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) camp in St. Bernard’s Parish (New Orleans, LA) where she helped strip ruined houses down to their shells.

Tim Galarneau (B.A., psychology and community studies, ’05), founding co-chair of the UCSC Student Environmental Center, now coordinates the UCSC Food Systems Working Group, which helps the university “go green”, from building designs, to alternative energy, to organic produce in the dining halls.

Recognition
Professor Craig Haney has received the Herbert Jacob Book Prize from the Law and Society Association for the “outstanding book in law and society scholarship” of 2005.

UCSC Foundation Professor of Psychology Barbara Rogoff is an expert on educational psychology whose book Apprenticeship in Thinking received the Scribner Award from the American Educational Research Association.

In 2003, professor of psychology Margarita Azmitia was elected as a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Donald Saposnek, a lecturer in psychology and a leader in the field of mediation, received the 2002 John M. Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award.

The following Psychology faculty have received the Division of Social Sciences “Golden Apple” awards, which recognize outstanding teaching: Ralph Quinn, Avril Thorne, David Harrington, Jean Fox Tree, Heather Bullock, Faye Crosby, Nameera Akhtar, Craig Haney, and Barbara Rogoff.

General Psychology Major
Thirteen courses are required for the general major: five lower-division courses in preparation for the major and eight upper-division courses (seven psychology courses and one pre-approved course outside the major). The lower-division courses are prerequisites for virtually all of the upper-division courses and should be completed as early as possible, but no later than the end of the junior year. Some upper-division courses have additional prerequisites. Once the lower-division courses have been completed, a student may petition to declare the psychology major.

The Intensive Psychology Major
The intensive major is an option that any psychology major may choose to undertake. The intensive major would be advantageous for a student intending to go on to a graduate program in any area of psychology. Students intending to take the intensive major should declare this on their proposed study plan during the junior year, outlining their plan for completing the requirements. The intensive major requires 18 courses.

Senior Thesis
Students with adequate substantive and methodological preparation and a consistent record of strong academic performance may be eligible to apply to write a senior thesis. Students must make formal application to a faculty mentor during the first quarter of the senior year before enrolling in course 195, Senior Thesis. Most faculty prefer to sponsor senior theses that are integrated with faculty research, so students are encouraged to talk with faculty before choosing a senior thesis topic. Information and applications are available in the department office, 273 Social Sciences 2.

Honors
Honors in the psychology major are awarded to graduating seniors whose academic performance is judged to be consistently excellent by a committee of psychology faculty. Highest Honors in the major are reserved for students with consistently excellent academic performance and an honors-level senior thesis.

Psychology Field-Study Program
The Psychology Field-Study Program provides qualified students an opportunity to apply classroom learning to direct experience in a community agency. Each year, about 200 students develop new skills and clarify personal and professional goals by working as interns in schools, corporations, law enforcement agencies, research organizations, mental health services, and other social service agencies, where they are supervised by professionals. Psychology faculty members sponsor the students’ field study, helping them to integrate their field experience with course work and guiding them in their related academic projects.

The two-quarter program is open to junior and senior psychology majors, who must apply at least one quarter in advance. There are preparation seminars and individual meetings to help students develop a learning plan, select a placement, and choose an academic project. Application information can be obtained at psych.ucsc.edu/field_study.