DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY (PY)

Professor Robert D. Lyman, Chairperson
Office: 348 Gordon Palmer Hall

PY 101 is open to entering freshman students. In order to be accepted for the major program of study in psychology, a student must present a minimum of three courses in which he or she has achieved a grade point average of 2.0. The three courses must include PY 101, PY 211 (statistics), and any 300-level course. In addition, the student must have earned a grade of "C-" or higher in PY 211.

Requirements for the major in psychology. The psychology major requires 32 hours, including PY 101, PY 211, PY 355, PY 356, PY 471, two semesters of seminar, and 12 additional hours of advanced work (300 or 400 level) distributed as follows:

• 6 hours chosen from PY 352, PY 358, and PY 372
• 3 hours chosen from PY 413, PY 461, and PY 470
• 3 additional hours from first two groups above, or 3 hours in other advanced courses in the department. PY 355 Experimental Psychology and PY 356 Research Lab must be completed before admission to 400-level psychology courses.

A minimum of 12 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus. In addition, psychology majors must complete two semesters of biology, chemistry, or physics.

Requirements for the minor in psychology. The psychology minor requires 18 hours, including PY 101 and 6 hours of advanced work (300 or 400 level). A minimum of 6 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus.

Honors program in psychology. The psychology department honors program is designed to afford qualified majors the opportunity to participate in activities preparatory for graduate training in psychology. The two-year program is research-oriented and involves interactions with selected faculty and peers in an enriched and accelerated academic environment. Completion of the program is contingent upon submission of an independently conducted research project equivalent in quality to a master's thesis. Psychology majors who are in the second semester of the sophomore year with 9 hours of completed coursework in psychology (including PY 101, PY 211, and a 300-level course) may apply for admission to the psychology department honors program. A completed application and interview by the Departmental Honors Committee are required before acceptance. To be accepted, a student must have a 3.3 grade point average in psychology coursework and a 3.0 average overall; however, meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

A Suggested Sequence of Courses for the Psychology Major
FRESHMAN YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
PY 101	3		EN 102	3
EN 101	3		History1	3
MATH3	3-4		Natural science (biology, chemistry, or physics)	4
Natural science (biology, chemistry, or physics)	4		Fine arts1	3
Foreign language or computer science	3-4		Foreign language or computer science	3
	------			------
	16-18			16
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
PY 211	3		PY 352, PY 358, or PY 372	3
EN 225	3		Psychology elective, 300 or 400 level	3
Humanities1	3		EN 226 or EN 227	3
Social and behavioral sciences1	3		Minor	3
Computer science or elective	3		Electives	3-6
	------			------
	15			15-18
JUNIOR YEAR2
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
PY 355	3		PY 413, PY 461, or PY 470	3
PY 356	2		Minor	6
PY 352, PY 358, or PY 372	3		Electives	6
Minor	6
Elective	3
	------			------
	17			15
SENIOR YEAR2
First Semester			Second Semester
Course	Hours		Course	Hours
PY 471	3		PY 491	3
PY 491	3		Minor	3
Minor	3		History or social and behavioral sciences1	3
Social and behavioral sciences1	3		Electives	6-9
	------			------
	12			15-18
Total: At least 128

¹A maximum of 6 hours in any one department may be applied to the humanities, literature, and fine arts (HU, L, FA) and history and social and behavioral sciences (HI, SB) requirements.

²Six hours in courses designated W must be included in the junior or senior year. A minimum of 33 hours in 300- and 400-level courses must be completed, including 12 hours in the major and 6 hours in the minor.

³MATH course number is determined by placement. The B.A. degree requires MATH 110 or higher. The B.S. degree requires calculus (MATH 125 or higher).

Graduate programs. The Department of Psychology offers programs leading to the master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees. The requirements for these degrees are stated in the University of Alabama graduate catalog.