DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Abbreviated Undergraduate Student Handbook

Found below is an abbreviated version of the Undregraduate Student Handbook and is not intended only as a general guide. Please refer to the Undergraduate Study Guide in Psychology availiable in the Psychology Department Offices (H-830M) to get the whole scoop!

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

A total of 39 units in psychology is required for graduation. Nine of these units are lower division courses and the remaining 29 units must be upper division. To be counted toward the major, each course must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. The following courses are required for the undergraduate degree in psychology. Lower Division (9 units)

No more than a total of three units of either PSY 498 or 499, Independent Study, may be used to meet the requirements of the major. No more than three units of PSY 495, Undergraduate Fieldwork may be used to meet the requirements of the major. No more than six units of Undergraduate Fieldwork may count toward graduation from the University.

RECOMMENDED SEQUENCING OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

It is important that some courses required for the major be taken in sequence. As a general guide the following sequences are recommended.
If you have not already completed PSY 201 and 202, you should take these courses as soon and as close together as possible. The recommended sequence is Statistics followed by Research Methods, or two courses may be taken concurrently.
Take PSY 300 and 302 as soon as possible after you have completed both PSY 201 and 202.
You are urged not to take more than one lab course per semester unless you are really masochistic! The required lab courses are PSY 202, 302 and one of the following: 303, 304, 305, or 306.
Take senior-level Psychology courses (numbered in the 400's) late in your major. You must have taken 9 units of upper division Psychology courses prior to taking PSY 408 History of Psychology.

UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT COORDINATORS

The undergraduate Advisement Coordinators serve as general advisors to all students and can help you choose your own faculty advisor should you need special assistance. Remember that in order to select your courses in Psychology with a minimum of trouble, it is extremely important for you to see an advisor before registering for classes. The Psychology Advisement Office is located in H-525B (phone 278-3102). University policy states that you should see an advisor during your first two semesters and at least once per year thereafter.
As a general procedure for advisement, the following series of steps work well for students.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY CODE

The department of psychology is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality educational program. In order to maximize the benefits of our program, it is important that you meet your responsibilities as a student. Listed below are some of your responsibilities.

Advisement - You are responsible for knowing university and psychology department policies and deadlines.
You should obtain and read pertinent sections of the University Catalog, Class Schedule booklet, the Psychology Student Handbook, and instructor course outlines. You should meet with a psychology faculty member at least once a year to review your study plan and career goals.

Class Attendance and Promptness - You are responsible for attending all classes and laboratory meetings, and for being on time.

Workload - You are responsible for adjusting your outside responsibilities (work, family, social, etc) in order to allow sufficient time for your education.
As a general rule, you should allow two to three hours outside of class for study purposes for each hour spent in class.

Authorship - It is a requirement of the department that your exams, homework, research reports, and term papers reflect you own work, unless you are explicitly directed otherwise by your instructor.
Proper methods of referencing outside sources of information should be used at all times. Additional information on this requirement may be obtained by reading the University Catalog section on Academic Dishonesty.

If you have any questions concerning the above responsibilities, please contact your psychology instructor or the psychology department chair.

WORKING AND GOING TO SCHOOL

Many students find it necessary to work and go to school. A frequently asked question is how many units should be taken if you are working. This question is difficult to answer precisely because one needs to take into account many factors such as the type of courses you are taking, your ability, the commuting time to school and work and family or social commitments. Nevertheless, a good estimate would be:

Hours worked per week Recommended number of units
Hours Worked Recommended Units
40 3
30 6
20 9
10 12
0 15

Many students enter CSUF, especially community college transfer students, having had successful experiences with workloads in excess of those recommended. Unfortunately, as one progresses in the major, the workload per unit, competition, and number of term papers and research reports usually increases. Not making a downward adjustment in the number of units or in the number of hours worked will, undoubtedly, lead to lower grades and excessive amounts of stress. Frequently, these symptoms show up about two thirds of the way through the semester when it is too late to drop a class. The solution to the problem is to try and use the above recommendations when you are in the process of registering for classes. This means you will have to make some sacrifices either in terms of slowing down your educational progress (fewer units per semester) and/or reducing your income. For some students it's even necessary to convince parents that pursuing a college education full-time (12-15 units) is a full-time job! The benefits of doing so are substantial. Following the above recommendations will allow you sufficient time to study, use the library, meet with faculty, and in general, maximize the chances that your grades will reflect your true potential. In addition, and equally important, it will allow you time to get involved in department and university activities (see section on Involvement elsewhere in the handbook). In summary, if you are working 30 hours a week and taking 12 units you are more than likely collecting units and missing half your education. The Psychology Department and CSUF have a lot to offer; don't miss it!

CAREER PREPARATION--DON'T WAIT

The Psychology Department Undergraduate Advisement Office has an advisor to deal specifically with career preparation. It is the goal of the department to assist psychology majors as to their post-graduation options well before their senior year; students who wait until late in the major to begin researching career opportunities may find themselves in difficulty, solely because of lack of planning! Thus, you are encouraged to consult the career planning advisor no later than the second semester of your junior year regarding any questions you may have about career options with a BA, as well as current job openings, internships, graduate school listings, and GRE preparation. Career advisement for psychology majors is located in the Psychology Advisement Office (H525B, 278-3102).

EVENING DEGREE PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY

Each semester a selection of both required and elective courses will be offered in the evening on a rotating basis. Because not all courses in the major will be offered every semester, it will be important for you to plan your program carefully. The following courses are offered on a rotating basis:

Other courses that may serve as electives are offered during the evening on a less regular basis depending upon instructor availability.

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TEACHING CREDENTIAL

Students interested in majoring in psychology and preparing for a teaching credential should contact the psychology undergraduate advisement coordinator and, as soon as possible, consult with Ana Garza (Coordinator of Elementary Education Admission) or Ron Pahl (Coordinator of Secondary Social Studies Education).

COMMUNITY COLLEGE/TRANSFER STUDENTS

A maximum of nine units of psychology credit can be transferred toward the major in Psychology. These units must fit the requirements of PSY 101, 201 and 202, as described in the university catalog. If you are in doubt as to whether the courses you have taken will meet the requirements, please contact your advisor. Any additional units taken and approved by the university and your advisor may be used for university credit towards the required 124 units for graduation. They may not be used to meet any of the 39 required units in psychology. Also, no course may be counted to satisfy both major requirements and General Education requirements (e.g., Psychology 101 cannot be used to fulfill the Introduction to Social Sciences requirement, and a statistics course used to satisfy the Mathematics requirement cannot be used to satisfy the major requirement of Psychology 201). A minimum of 18 units counted toward the psychology major must have been completed at CSUF.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH/INDEPENDENT STUDY

Independent Research/Study (PSY 498/PSY 499) is a good way to get first-hand experience in some area in Psychology and also enables you to work closely with a faculty member who may have experience in that area. PSY 498 is an individual laboratory investigation and PSY 499 is an individual library study. If you decide to enroll in an independent study, you should contact the faculty member with whom you desire to work. It is helpful to have a project or research idea in mind before meeting with the faculty member. If you don't have your own project idea, there is still hope. Most of the faculty have ongoing research projects in which you may become involved. Ideally, you should obtain permission for the Independent Study from your instructor several weeks in advance of registration. As soon as you and your instructor agree on a project, you file a brief description with the department. The department office has the official form, which must be turned in no later than the second week of the semester.

UNDERGRADUATE FIELDWORK

The Psychology Department offers volunteer (and some paid) work experience in undergraduate fieldwork. The fieldwork course number is PSY 495. Fieldwork is available in Clinical Psychology, Community Psychology Gerontology and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. The purpose of the fieldwork is to allow students an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge -from the classroom to actual work settings, Although the fieldwork is not a required course, Psychology majors are encouraged to gain some fieldwork experience. Past students have found their fieldwork to be among their most valuable educational experiences. The fieldwork can allow students to gain insight into careers in Psychology and to obtain valuable work experience in areas related to Psychology. In certain cases, fieldwork has developed into full-time or part-time regular paid positions. For more information about fieldwork contact an advisor in the Department Advisement Office (H-525B) or the Undergraduate Fieldwork Coordinators: Dr. Jinni Harrigan is Coordinator for Clinical Fieldwork, Dr. Carol Unnnel Lindquist is Coordinator for Community Fieldwork, and Dr. Ron Riggio is Coordinator for both Gerontology and Industrial/Organizational Fieldwork.

TUTORING

Any student desiring help in studying can obtain it by contacting the Student Study Center (L-38) at 278-3488. In addition, handicapped students can obtain tutoring and special studying aids through Disabled Student Services (UH-101) at 278-3117. Many students qualify for tutoring through the Student Affirmative Action Program (L-22) at 278-2086.

GRADE OPTIONS AND RESTRICTED CLASSES

All courses in the major, minor and general educational requirements must be taken with option 1 grade (A,B,C,D,F). Option 2 (Credit/No Credit) may be used only for courses outside the major, minor, or for nongeneral education requirements (see the University Catalog for details on Credit/No Credit grade option restrictions). Remember that any class listing an "R" in back of the course code requires the consent of the instructor for admission.

HOW TO DEVISE A STUDY PLAN

Please refer to the 'How to devise a study plan' section in the undergraduate student handbook

MINORS

Many students may wish to complete a minor at CSUF. Minors are available in many fields including Gerontology, Public Administration, Computer Science, Business Administration, and Speech Communication. Minors may also be obtained in Physical Education, Art, Afro-Ethnic or Chicano Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, Chemistry, Math, and Physics.

MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY

The Psychology Department offers an approved minor program consisting of 21 units of psychology. The minor is intended to allow students to receive recognition for a concentration in Psychology even though they major in another discipline. Students majoring in areas quite different from psychology may find the minor useful in broadening their undergraduate education. In addition, students majoring in related disciplines (e.g., sociology, human services) may find the minor useful in maximizing their career opportunities. To be counted toward the minor, each course must be completed with a grade of "C' or better. The minor program consists of the following courses:

No more than three units of PSY 498 or 499, Independent Study, may be used to meet the requirements of the minor. A minimum of 12 units must be distinct and different from the units used to complete the requirements for the major.

UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT COORDINATORS

The undergraduate Advisement Coordinators serve as general advisors to all students and can help you choose your own faculty advisor should you need special assistance. Remember that in order to select your courses in Psychology with a minimum of trouble, it is extremely important for you to see an advisor before registering for classes. The Psychology Advisement Office is located in H-525B (phone 278-3102). University policy states that you should see an advisor during your first two semesters and at least once per year thereafter.
As a general procedure for advisement, the following series of steps work well for students.
Prior to entering CSUF or during your first semester, see one of the undergraduate advisors. Evaluation of transfer units, devising a study plan, questions about courses and faculty members, etc., may be handled by the undergraduate advisement coordinators.
By the time you are a junior, your own special educational or career interests will usually lead to selecting your own faculty advisor. For example, a student interested in developmental psychology might need the special expertise of one of the developmental faculty in the Psychology department.
No later than the second semester of your junior year, you should seek advisement on career options with a BA, procedures for applying to graduate school, etc. Psychology advisors and/or the advisors in the Career Development Center should be consulted.
It is extremely important that you rile an application for a graduation requirement check one year prior to your expected graduation. The graduation and diploma fee are required when the application is filed. Application forms are available at the Admissions and Records information counter and In the Graduation Unit. Dates for grad check deadlines are published in the semester calendar in the current Schedule of Classes. Several months after you file your application, you will receive the partially completed grad check form in the mail. These forms are then taken to a Psychology advising coordinator to be completed before the last day of classes the semester - or to the semester you plan to graduate.
During your senior year, you will be making applications to graduate programs, taking the interviewing and resume writing courses in the Career Development Center, and in gcncral, preparing for your next step after graduation. Early advisement and knowledge of information on careers, graduate work, and placement possibilities will help make this process much easier.


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