The information contained below is meant to assist students currently majoring in psychology or for students considering a major in psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Please be sure to also visit the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center website for further and more complete advising information. From this location, Arts and Sciences students can obtain their advisor contact information; identify important dates and deadlines; obtain information on official college policies such as late add and late drop procedures; obtain information on applying to graduate; information concerning transfer credit pre-approval; obtain information on how to complete an Intrauniversity Transfer (IUT); or to link to further student support services.
The advisors in the department of psychology are able to provide assistance to University of Colorado at Boulder students only. If you have questions about applying to the university or transfer coursework, please refer to the Admissions webpage. If you are interested in declaring the major, please click here for instructions.
Laurel Amsel, (303) 492-1544, Laurel.Amsel@Colorado.edu, Visit my homepage
Christopher Ricciardi, (303) 492-0862, Christopher.Ricciardi@Colorado.edu, Visit my homepage
Gwen Robeson, (303) 492-5118, Gwendolyn.Robeson@colorado.edu, Visit my homepage
Dan Robinson, (303) 735-2748, Dan.Robinson@Colorado.edu, Visit my homepage
Jenny Ellefson, (303) 492-8241, Jenny.Ellefson@Colorado.edu, Visit my homepage
Click here for upcoming events of interest to current psychology majors
Students who declared their major prior to May 15, 1998, should consult with their primary advisor for degree requirements.
The Department of Psychology does not offer a minor degree.
Psychology is the study of behavior from both a biological and social perspective. Its direct application to everyday life makes it an especially popular area of study. Few people feel totally knowledgeable about the most effective ways to deal with others or about how they themselves can best adapt to change, stress, and a variety of other situations that are a part of daily living. If you are interested in understanding why human beings and other living things behave as they do, the department offers a stimulating environment, strongly influenced by the faculty's commitment to creative research and clinical activities.
Career Possibilities:
A degree in psychology can lead you to a variety of interesting and challenging positions. Though people commonly assume that psychology majors will pursue careers in counseling, the degree also provides background for positions in administration, recreation, health education, personnel work, labor relations, advertising, public relations, vocational rehabilitation, and research.
If you're considering advanced professional work in psychology, it is important that you understand the difference between psychology and psychiatry. While the disciplines are closely related, psychiatry is a medical specialty practiced by physicians who treat mentally ill persons. Hence, psychiatrists continue for several more years of highly specialized training beyond the medical doctor (M.D.) degree. For professional psychologists, graduate work leading to a master of arts (M.A.) or doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is required.
Boulder's undergraduate degree in psychology is excellent preparation for either psychology or psychiatry. If you're contemplating graduate work in psychology, you should be aware that a sound liberal education with exposure to areas other than psychology is generally considered superior to a record that solely emphasizes psychology course work.
Career Services offers a number of programs and services designed to help you plan your career, including workshops, internships, and placement services after graduation. Career Services is located in Willard Administrative Center 34.
Preparation for Graduate Work:
If you wish to pursue graduate work in the field of mental health there are several important endeavors that you will need to begin as an undergraduate. Since you will need letters of recommendation from your professors, we advise that you get to know them early. You can do this by attending public talks they may give, by working on projects they may sponsor, or simply by stopping by during office hours.
You will also need research experience. Volunteer to work with faculty on research projects, or pursue an honor's thesis or other independent research. If you wish to work in the counseling field, you will also need volunteer experience in some area of mental health. The psychology advising office in Muenzinger D243 can provide information about research/independent study and internship opportunities and advise you on how to pursue departmental honors. Information is also available about the types of counseling degrees students may pursue.
Students are further encouraged to join and participate in the Psychology Club or Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology majors in an effort to distinguish yourself from other graduate school applicants.
Facilities, Programs and Opportunities:
The department is committed to a scientific approach to psychology. Facilities that support the program include excellent laboratories and on-campus research institutes, including the Institute of Behavioral Genetics (IBG), the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS), and the Institute of Cognitive Science (ICS). The quality and breadth of the undergraduate program is enriched by independent research opportunities and seminars available through these institutes.
The department has its own computing center with several Mac OSX Servers, and several research labs in the department are equipped with high-performance computers. These facilities enable you to gain experience with computing applications in psychology and neuroscience.
If you're contemplating postgraduate education, either in professional or graduate school., you are encouraged to participate in the departmental honors program. It provides opportunities for individualized and intensive work, including valuable experience in conducting psychological research.
The department also offers two undergraduate certificate programs: Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. The program in neurosciences and behavior offers cross-disciplinary training for students in psychology, Integrated Physiology, and the biologies: EBIO or MCDB. Completion of these certificates demonstrates that you have interdisciplinary breadth of knowledge in the biological sciences. The program in cognitive science is cross-disciplinary for students in psychology, linguistics, philosophy or computer science. This program provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge of the cognitive sciences.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) offers students a chance to work alongside a faculty sponsor on original research. Learn to write proposals, conduct research, pursue creative work, analyze data, and present the results. For more information, call UROP at (303) 492-2596.
The experience of studying abroad can provide invaluable for you as a psychology major. Your firsthand experience abroad can help you gain valuable insights into many aspects of human behavior, especially social and cross-cultural psychology. The university offers more than 250 programs throughout the world through the Office of International Education. These courses offer credit that counts as if you had taken the courses in residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder, in some cases also fulfilling major and Core requirements. You may spend a few weeks to a full academic year, depending on the program you select.
Prior language study or other prerequisites are necessary for some programs, so early planning for study abroad is essential. Further information about study abroad is available from the Office of International Education located on the lower level of the Environmental Design building, (303) 492-7741.
For Further Information:
If you would are interested in declaring psychology as your major, please stop by Muenzinger D243 for a calendar of major declaration meetings held weekly throughout the academic year. Be sure to check the University of Colorado at Boulder Catalog for complete college policies, procedures, and course listings. You may also want to consult each semester's online Registration Handbook and Schedule of Courses as well as the Professor Performance Guide for further information about course offerings and faculty. An additional excellent source for information is contained in Ralphie's Guide to Student Life.
Although this webpage was prepared on the basis of all available information, course requirements are subject to change. Check with your departmental primary advisor for final program approval.
Selected links complied by the Psychology Academic Advising Center at the University of Colorado. Includes career, college, CU-Community, financial aid, graduate education, professional organizations, research and testing services resources. Includes a link to Psychology Online Resource Central.
Return to the Department of Psychology homepage
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