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Undergraduate Program FAQs

How to declare a major or minor in Psychology
How do I get an advisor?
How to resolve transfer of credit issues for courses taken prior to matriculation at Bridgewater
If I take a course at another college after admission to BSC, how do I transfer credit?
How do I obtain a course substitution?
How can I get a prerequisite to a course overridden?
Do I have to do an internship to fulfill the Psychology major requirements?
How do I register for a directed study or internship?
How many directed studies can one take?
How many Special Topics courses can one take?
How can I participate in research?
Is there a grade requirement for Psychology courses?
Grade rules for Statistics and Research Methods
What is the Biopsychology requirement?
What is the Orientation to the Psychology Major requirement?
Other questions

How to declare a major or minor in Psychology

Obtain Declaration of Major or Declaration of Minor form from the Psychology Department secretary who will take your name and assign you an advisor. By the following semester, your name will appear on an advisor list posted on the bulletin board outside of the Psychology Department office. If your name does not appear, see the department secretary in order to be assigned an advisor.

How do I get an advisor?

Usually, you are assigned an advisor when you declare the major. But if you are not assigned, see Gloria Croteau (GCroteau@bridgew.edu), the Psychology Department secretary.

How to resolve transfer of credit issues for courses taken prior to matriculation at Bridgewater

Admissions will have given you all your credit information when you transfer into Bridgewater. However, you may have a course that was not specifically designated for a GER or for a Psychology requirement for which you receive only general credit on your transcript. If you want credit for these courses to be correctly designated, you need to obtain a BSC Undergraduate Transfer Credit Equivalency Form from the Registrar and a catalog description of the course that was taken elsewhere. Then you take the form and course description to the department for which you want credit. Get that department's Chair's signature and then take the form to the Psychology Chair for another signature.

If I take a course at another college after admission to BSC, how do I transfer credit?

The procedure is the same as if you took this course before coming to BSC (see above). Obtain an Approval Form for the Transfer of Undergraduate Credits after Admission from the Registrar and a catalog description of the course that was taken elsewhere. Then you take the form and course description to the department for which you want credit. Get that department's Chair's signature and then take the form to the Psychology Chair for another signature.

How do I obtain a course substitution within the major?

In the Psychology office or online, get a Course Substitution Form and take it to the Psychology Chair.

How can I get a prerequisite to a course overridden?

Obtain a Prerequisite Override Form and take it to the instructor of the course for his or her signature. Note: This applies only to courses for which "consent of instructor" allows prerequisites to be overridden. For all other courses, the signature of the Psychology Chair is required.

Do I have to do an internship to fulfill the Psychology major requirements?

No. An internship is not required to satisfy the major requirements unless you are in a concentration that requires one. However, internships can be useful in gaining experience in real-life settings in which psychologists work.

How do I register for a directed study or internship?

Get the application for directed study form or the application for internship or practicum form, go to the supervising faculty member, work out a plan, fill out form completely, get signatures from supervising faculty and department chair, and then take the completed form to the Registrar's Office.

The Directed Study form is used for students who wish to pursue a project of their own interest under the supervision of a faculty member. Directed study cannot be offered for a subject matter already covered by a BSC course.

The Personnel Practicum and the Clinical Practicum are courses designed for students who wish to gain first-hand experience either in applying psychological principles to actual personnel issues in an organization or in applying psychology in a clinical setting.

How many directed studies can one take?

A directed study may be taken twice for a maximum of 6 credits.

How many Special Topics courses can one take?

Special Topics courses may be taken more than once, but only 3 credits will be counted towards the first 33 hours in the Psychology major.

How can I participate in research?

Speak with the faculty member with whom you are interested in working or speak to the department chair for suggestions. You must also fill out a Research Registration form.

Is there a grade requirement for Psychology courses?

A psychology major must receive a "C" or better in any psychology (PSYC) course applied to the major. Otherwise, a student must repeat the course or courses for a higher grade. This requirement applies to students declaring Psychology as a major starting in Fall 2008. Please see "Repeat Courses" in the "Undergraduate Academic Policies" section of the college catalog (here).

Grade rules for Statistics and Research Methods

Psychology majors must earn a grade of "C" or better in Statistics and Research Methods for those courses to count toward the Psychology major.

This requirement applies only to people who declared Psychology as their major on or after September 1, 2004, and who took statistics and/or research methods after January 1, 2005.
You are exempt from this requirement if you declared your major after September 1, 2004, but took Statistics or Research Methods during or prior to Fall 2004 OR you declared your major before September 1, 2004, in which case the requirement does not apply to you regardless of when you take Statistics and Research Methods.

What is the Biopsychology (PSYC-242) requirement?

If you declared the Psychology major before September 2003.......
     You can take either
     1) BIOL 100/102 plus non-lab BIOL
                      or
     2) BIOL 100/102 plus PSYC 242

If you declared the Psychology major on/or after September 2003.......
You must take
1) BIOL 100/102 plus PSYC 242*

*The non-lab biology courses will no longer be accepted for majors who declared on or after September 2003.

What is the Orientation to the Psychology Major requirement?

Students who declared Psychology as their major starting in Fall 2009 must complete PSYC 150 Orientation to the Psychology Major during their first year as a Psychology major.

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