I want to major in Psychology. What
should I do first?
After reviewing requirements for
the Psychology major, come to the Psychology Undergraduate Advising
Office in Room B-117 to set up an appointment with Carol Carlson,
Psychology Department Undergraduate Advisor, or see Donna
Hildenbrand, Student Coordinator, in Room B-120. Carol or Donna will
complete a worksheet with you showing what courses you should take
and which requirements you have already fulfilled. We will keep a
copy of your worksheet and other pertinent information on file.
You should meet with the Undergraduate
Advisor periodically to review your progress.
I’m doing a B.A. in
Psychology. If I’ve already taken a statistics course, do I also need
to take another math course?
Unless you scored a 4 or higher on the Math Placement Exam, the
answer is "yes." The statistics and mathematics
requirements are separate requirements. If you are a transfer
student, Carol Carlson, must certify that
your transfer course meets the “Courses OUTSIDE the Psychology
Department” mathematics requirement.
Should I do a B.A. or a B.S. degree?
What is your goal? You should choose one degree or the other based on what you wish to do after graduation. The B.S. degree is best for a career in a scientific discipline and for some graduate programs. Most other students should probably elect the B.A. program.
I am a transfer student. What should I do to get the courses from
my old school evaluated for transfer credit?
PRIOR to meeting with our Transfer Advisor, Carol Carlson (Room B-117), go to the transfer office (Room 134, Administration Bldg) and request copies of your transcript(s) from your earlier college(s). In many cases, for lower-division courses (e.g., Introductory Psychology) we typically do not need to see supporting materials beyond the transcript to accept courses as equivalent to Stony Brook courses. If you want courses evaluated for upper-division credit, we often need a course syllabus AND the course catalogue material for the whole Psychology program at your previous school(s). You can often find the appropriate material at the school’s website.
I am a transfer student doing the B.S. degree. Who should
evaluate my science courses from my previous school(s)?
First check with the Transfer Office(Room 134, Administration
Bldg) to see if there are
standing agreements for assigning transfer credit. This will be true
if you went to a school from which large numbers of students
transfer to Stony Brook (such as Suffolk Community College). If
there are no standing agreements, your science courses must be
evaluated by each appropriate department.
According to Solar, I still need certain courses for my
Psychology major that I thought I already took. I know that these
transfer courses were already accepted by the Department. Will I get
credit for them?
Your Solarsystem information may not include recent transfer
courses. If you have any concerns about which courses will count
toward your Psychology major, please come to the Psychology
Undergraduate Advising Office (Room B-117) and we will help you
determine what courses, if any, are
needed. Do not repeat courses based solely on Solar
information; consult with us first!
I took "Abnormal Psychology" at my previous school. Can I take
"Survey of Clinical Psychology" here?
No. You won’t get credit for Stony Brook’s "Survey of Clinical
Psychology" course if you’ve already taken "Abnormal Psychology"
elsewhere. This applies more broadly to 200-level and associated 300-level
courses in our program. If you have questions, see Carol Carlson before
registering for your classes.
Which courses will allow me to complete my upper-division writing
requirement?
Any
student taking PSY 310 (Research Writing in Psychology) will be able
to submit the research paper required by this course to be evaluated
for the Upper-division Writing Requirement. In order to pass the
UDWR, a grade of C or higher on the paper is required.
The department encourages instructors of upper-division courses
(300+) to make an announcement at the beginning of the semester
about whether and how the upper-division writing requirement may be
fulfilled. Otherwise, you should ask the professor after class or
during office hours about his or her policy.
I wrote a long paper about Psychology at another school or in
another department. Can that count for my upper-division writing
requirement?
No. The upper-division writing requirement must be fulfilled
using written work from a Stony Brook Psychology course.
How can I get involved in research?
Review the Department website or the Undergraduate Bulletin to
learn about faculty members’ research. Contact a faculty member
whose research interests you and ask about the possibility of
getting involved. Keep in mind that the number of students who can
participate in research with a given faculty member is limited and a
faculty member may not have openings at a particular time. Faculty
and graduate students who are recruiting undergraduates to become
involved in their research often post announcements around the
Department. Look especially on the bulletin board outside Room
B-117. You can also ask Carol Carlson (Room B-117) or Cynthia
Zimmerli (Room B-154) for information on research opportunities or visit the
Undergraduate Research Opportunities website.
Note that you can earn academic credit for your research involvement. See
details in the Undergraduate Bulletin for PSY 273 and PSY 487.
How can I get involved in community service?
Each semester, the department produces a brochure that describes
community service opportunities for the next semester. You can
obtain a brochure from Psychology B-117. The brochure provides
contact information for each community service
placement.
See also: www.psychology.sunysb.edu/psychology/index.php?undergraduate/opportunities
How can I get involved in an internship?
You should consult with the Internship Office in the Career Center,
in Melville Library, W-0550. The Internship Office will provide you
with a list of pre-approved psychology internships as well as a list
of requirements for obtaining credit. Note that you must have a
faculty sponsor within the Psychology Department for the internship.
Therefore, if you wish to do an internship, you should start making
plans at least one semester in advance, to arrange for a sponsor. If
you wish to carry out an internship not on the pre-approved list,
you need the permission of both the internship office and
Psychology’s Director of Undergraduate Studies.
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