Important Considerations

  • A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required to enter the Psychological Science major.
  • Students coming into the major must take PSYC 2998, in which they will confirm admission requirements, including GPA and prerequisites. This 0-credit hour course should be completed before registering for upper level courses.
  • All Psychological Science majors meet with their advisor during the university’s prescribed advising period, generally the month before registration opens.
  • Students who have not been advised cannot register for classes.
  • Upper level classes tend to fill quickly. It is department policy that “overrides” (late entrances into closed classes) will only be granted to seniors within two semesters of graduation who hold a completed Application for Graduation Form, signed by the student’s advisor and the Registrar.

 For more information & any advising questions contact: CoHSS Advising Center: 229-253-4059     

Academic Maps

Students in both degree programs begin with the same core psychological science courses. Those in the Bachelor of Arts program must take foreign language courses, while those in the Bachelor of Science program take courses within natural sciences and mathematics. 

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Top 10 List for Advisees

1. A major goal of a college education is developing self‐direction and autonomy. This is your education, and we know you are investing much money and time. Therefore, the more self-direction you take, the more successful you will be. Your advisor is here to help you and offer advice, but only you can make the actual choices. 
 
2. It’s helpful to bring a list of courses you want to take for the upcoming semester with you to the advising meeting. This can be created by looking at the degree requirements for psychology. Please check the BA degree requirements and the BS degree requirements to make sure you plan accordingly.
 
3. The Course Catalog lists all Psychology courses, and Course Search can help you find the instructor, time, location, and required materials for each course.
 
4. Before signing up for PSYC 3500: Statistical Methods in Psychology, you will need to take Math 1111: College Algebra and earn a “C” or better. In addition, you need a “C” or better in PSYC 1101: General Psychology before you can take any 3000 level PSYC classes.
 
5. A few prerequisites to keep in mind: You must earn a “C” or better in PSYC 3500: Statistical Methods in Psychology before you can take PSYC 3600: Experimental Psychology. You must earn a “C” or better in PSYC 3600: Experimental Psychology before you can take any of the 4000 level PSYC classes. 
 
6. Pay careful attention to numbers 3, 4, and 5 above; otherwise, it will slow down your graduation. To graduate on time you must take (and earn a “C” or better) in Math 1111: College Algebra, PSYC 3500: Statistical Methods in Psychology, and PSYC 3600: Experimental Psychology as soon as possible because they are prerequisites for upper level PSYC courses. 
 
7. Please remember that in the guided electives section of your “Bachelor's of Science Psychology Check Sheet” or your "Bachelor's of Arts Psychology Check Sheet" (lower right hand corner of the sheet), 3 of the 24 required hours must be at the 3000 or 4000 level in order to graduate. 
 
8. Please be aware that your advisor has approximately 50‐70 advisees. So, please come prepared to your meeting. 
 
9. Remember that the department has “advising week” mid‐fall for the spring term and mid spring for the summer and fall terms. These questions will provide great opportunities for you and the advisor to problem solve and consider possibilities. 
 
10. There is a minimum GPA requirement for all psychology majors. Students must maintain a 2.5 undergraduate GPA for all coursework. If your GPA falls below 2.5, you will need to declare a new major.

  • All registration dates are listed in the VSU Academic calendar. Registration may shut down briefly for students on days were IT may be doing maintenance or on Orientation days. 
  • To register for classes, enter the registration portal through the Banner Login page. You can also view the schedule of classes offered. You will need your student ID number beginning with 870 and your password.
  • Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor whenever they are considering making changes to their Plan of Study or whenever they have questions about the order and availability of coursework.
  • It is the responsibility of each student to register for the proper coursework, take the appropriate pre-requisites, and meet all graduation requirements.
Please see here for a step by step guide to registration

  • Drop/Add dates and all registration dates are listed in the VSU Academic Calendar
  • Dropping or withdrawing from a course can have an impact upon your financial aid.  Prior to dropping or withdrawing from a course please talk with your financial advisor.  
  • You are only allowed five withdrawals during your undergraduate enrollment per the VSU Withdrawal Policy.
  • Students can drop a class as withdrawal/passing until the midterm, after that, they can only withdraw as withdraw/failing. At the midterm, students should evaluate whether they want to continue on in the classes for which they are currently registered.
  • If you are having difficulties, if you are concerned about your performance in a class, you should meet with the professor or your advisor prior to the midterm to discuss whether you should drop the class.

In order to major in Psychology you must earn a “C” or better in ENGL 1101: Composition 1, ENGL 1102: Composition 2, MATH 1101: Introduction to Mathematical Modeling or higher (see below), and PSYC 1101: General Psychology AND have a 2.50 GPA. After satisfying these requirements, you must then take PSYC 2998: Entry into Psychology Major, which is not a course in a traditional sense with meetings, readings, assignments, and examinations. Instead, this is a zero credit hour course that is used to determine whether you meet the criteria to enter the Psychology major. It also provides information that is essential to successfully navigating through the psychology major. If you meet the requirements you earn a “S” for the course.  If you do not meet the requirements you earn a “U”. Students will need to re-enroll in this course until the requirements have been satisfied.
 
The requirements to earn an “S” in PSYC 2998: Entry into Psychology Major are:
1.            Completed 30 hours of credit
2.            “C” or better in PSYC 1101: General Psychology
3.            “C” or better in MATH 1101: Introduction to Mathematical Modeling, Math 1111: College Algebra,
                                      MATH 1112: Trigonometry, OR MATH 1113: Precalculus
4.            “C” or better in ENGL 1101: Composition 1 AND ENGL 1102: Composition 2
5.            GPA is 2.50 or higher

The Department of Psychological Science is a program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (COHSS). Your advising center is the COHSS Advising Center located in Ashley Hall, Room 1001. You can contact them at cohssadvising@valdosta.edu or 229-253-4059.

You should bring a possible semester schedule with you to your advising meeting. You can create a list of possible courses to take in the upcoming semester by looking at the psychology BA or BS degree requirements on the VSU course map. The course map is specific to the Program Map: BS degree or Program Map: BA degree. VSU’s Banner registration system will list the actual courses offered in an upcoming semester, including the course sections (with days/times of class meetings), and the specific course CRN numbers.

  1. Consider the classes you need to graduate before talking to your advisor.
  2. Before seeing your advisor, write down your options/classes on a piece of paper for your advisor to review.
  3. Any information about professional schools or other post-VSU career plans.
  4. Arrive on time.

Yes. VSU has a mandatory advising system. Your academic advisor must make you eligible to use the registration system. Advisors want you to make an appointment with them to discuss your academic life at VSU. In the spring, you will meet with your advisor for summer and fall registration. 

 

Once a class is full, you should place yourself on the waiting list for that course. No overrides are considered or granted until all other equivalent courses are also full. Timely advising and registration is important to ensure that you have no holds that could delay your registration, and pay fees on time so that you are better able to register for the courses you need, rather than having to hope for an override at the last minute. If you are repeating a course, realize that an override might not be granted.

• Your mentor will be assigned after you have passed PSYC 2998: Entry into Psychology Major
• When the COHSS Advising Center assigns you a faculty mentor, they will provide you with the name and contact information for your mentor.
• In order to find your mentor on Banner, go to the Banner Registration link on the VSU homepage.
• Log in, and click on the link Student Services and Financial Aid.
• Click on Student Records and then Student Information and the name of your mentor should be listed there.
• Once you have identified your mentor, see their Faculty Office Hours to get in touch with them.

Students can elect to do the thesis option during their undergraduate course work.

Access Office – located in Farbar Hall. Responsible for providing equal services for all students, such as: tutoring, faculty liaison, technology services, testing modifications, sign language interpreting, note taking services, campus accessibility, and priority registration. 
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Career Services – located in Powell Hall. Provides career development, career awareness, experiential learning, and student employment opportunities.
Counseling Services – located in Powell Hall. Provides Mental Health Services.
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Financial Aid – located in the University Center. Provides information to help ease the financial burdens of receiving a college education, including information regarding loans, grants, FASFA, HOPE and scholarships.
Registrar's Office – located in the University Center entrance. Can help with registering, dropping/adding classes, and requesting transcripts.
Academic Support Center – located in Langdale Hall. Provides tutoring, advising workshops, and campus job opportunities. Appointments can be made online or in person.
Students with Disabilities – located in Farbar Hall. Students requiring classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented disability should discuss this need with the professor at the beginning of the semester and register with the Access Office by visiting, calling 229-245-2498, or video phoning 229-375-5871.
Testing Center – located in Powell Hall East. Responsible for standardized undergraduate & graduate college admission & placement tests and various professionals for certification purposes.

  • Appleby, D. C. (2007). The savvy psychology major. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
  • Dunn, D. S, & Halonen, J. S. (2017). The psychology major’s companion: Everything you need to know to get where you want to go. New York, NY: Worth.
  • Helms, J. L., & Rogers, D. T. (2015). Majoring in psychology: Achieving your educational and career goals. Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Hettich, P. I., & Landrum, R. E. (2014). Your undergraduate degree in psychology: From college to career. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Kuther, T. L. (2016). The psychology major’s handbook. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth/Cengage.
  • Norcross, J. C., & Sayette, M. A. (2014). Insider’s guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology (rev. 2014/2015 ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.
  • Wegenek, A. R., & Buskist, W. (2010). The insider’s guide to the major in psychology: Everything you need to know about the degree and profession. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

  • DeGalan, J., & Lambert, S. (2006). Great jobs for psychology majors. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  • Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2012). Careers in psychology: Opportunities in a changing world. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson.
  • Landrum, R. E., & Davis, S. F. (2013). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  • Landrum. R. E. (2009). Finding jobs with a bachelor’s degree in psychology: Expert advice for launching your career. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Morgan, B. L., & Korschgen, A. J. (2013). Majoring in psych?: Career options for psychology undergraduates (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
  • O’Hara, S. (2005). What can you do with a major in psychology? Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
  • Prinstein, M. J. (Ed.). (2013). The portable mentor: Expert guide to a successful career in psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). (2007). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

  • American Psychological Association. (2015). Graduate study in psychology. Washington, DC: Author.
  • American Psychological Association. (2007). Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission into graduate programs in psychology. Washington, DC: Author.
  • Kracen, A. C., & Wallace, I. J. (2008). Applying to graduate school in psychology: Advice from successful students and prominent psychologists. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Palladino Schultheiss, D. E. (2008). Psychology as a major: Is it right for me and what can I do with my major? Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Privitera, G. J. (2014). Getting into graduate school: A comprehensive guide for psychology and the behavioral sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Woods, P. J. (Ed.). (1988). Is psychology for them? A guide to undergraduate advising. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Woods, P. J., & Wilkinson, C. S. (Eds.). (1987). Is psychology the major for you? Planning for your undergraduate years. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

The PhD in Clinical Psychology is one of the most difficult programs to get into in the field of psychology (Programs can have between 200-300 students apply and only take 10-15). It usually requires an undergraduate degree in psychology with a strong GPA (median GPAs usually range around 3.5). Students are also strongly encouraged to do research in the field while an undergraduate student. You need to have a very good GRE score (in the 70-90 percentile) and letters of recommendation from faculty that know you well.

If you do apply, you want to make sure that you attend a program that is APA (American Psychological Association) accredited. If not, several states (including GA) will not grant you licensure (the ability to actually practice as a clinical psychologist).