NOTE: CRWT and MATH courses are determined by placement testing and should be taken following the sequence above.

Total Credits Required: 128 credits

GPA: 2.0 WI: Writing Intensive courses needed prior to graduation

General Education courses can be done in any order with the exception of INTD 101, CRWT and MATH. Those three general education courses will need to be done first. First Year Seminar is taken in the first semester. Failure to complete CRWT and MATH will result in a hold when the student hits 64 credits. The following general education courses can be done in any order. For more info on these courses, please visit the General Education program requirements website in the College Catalog:

Distribution Category (Outside of SSHS)

VALUES AND ETHICS; SYSTEMS, SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIETY; OR CULTURE AND CREATIVITY

(+W): Students transferring in with 48 or more credits are waived from these general education requirements.

*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.

**Category 4 contains a combination of 200- and 300-level courses. If you would like to take a 300-level course for this category, wait to complete Category 4 until your junior year and switch it out with a Psych elective or free 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 Ramapo College: Guidelines

The Psychology Program at Ramapo College is designed to give students a broad range of approaches and perspectives within the discipline of Psychology. Through our category system, we cover the major subdisciplines in psychology.  The guidelines are organized to help students strengthen their skill sets from lower level to upper level courses, so that students gain the competencies necessary for graduate school and their post-graduation careers.

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 include Introduction to Psychology, Statistics, Research Methods, and Data Analysis. These courses will help you to gain entry into other courses, and to understand the content materials in other courses.

Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite to all other Psychology courses, so it is essential to take it during your first semester as a Psychology Major.

Statistics is a prerequisite for Research Methods and Data Analysis so it is essential to take it during your second year (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. In order to take Research Methods and Data Analysis, you need to have completed Introduction to Psychology and an additional 2 Psychology courses, giving you 12 credits in Psychology and 48 credits total. 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.  The 8 Categories are also organized by level (200 and 300) in some cases.

Categories 1, 2, and 3 are generally taken earlier on in the program, (with some exceptions, such as Adolescent Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology which need to be taken at junior status).

Category 4 contains a combination of 200- and 300-level courses, so students’ timing for this category is dependent on whether they wish to take the 200 or 300 level courses available in this category.

Categories 5 and 6 are 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.  This provides students with the ability to create their own unique educational experience at Ramapo.  One of the electives courses must be a Psychology Course, and this elective can come from any category or from one of our courses not located within a category  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 are dedicated to your holistic development as students and as people.  These guidelines have been created with you in mind.  They have been designed to provide structure and flexibility.  Work with your Advisor so you can make the most of your experience here in the Psychology Program at Ramapo.