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Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Undergraduate Program in Psychology |
The total number of hours required for a bachelor's degree in psychology at UAB is 120. Students who started under catalogs requiring 128 hours before Fall 2003 will have the option of changing to the Fall 2003 catalog.
A bachelor's degree in psychology is not a professional degree. To be a professional psychologist requires additional education beyond the bachelor's degree, generally leading to the Ph.D. degree. Although the college graduate is not a professional psychologist, a bachelor's degree in psychology is still a tremendous investment for life as well as for employment. Along with the Core Curriculum and Minor, concentration in psychology can provide the basis for a strong liberal arts education. Within a liberal arts education, you can develop excellent skills in oral communication, written communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal relations. For any occupation or profession, these are valuable skills to possess. The world seems to be changing rapidly; jobs that exist today may change or be nonexistent tomorrow or 20 years from now. You must be flexible and possess the skills necessary to adapt to a changing world. In general, a liberal arts education with a major in psychology can provide an educational foundation to help you meet the challenges of the future.
In a more specific vein, the bachelor's degree in psychology can prepare you for a number of different professions: sales, personnel, management training, public relations, research, technical writing, advertising, computer programming, psychological services, child care, teaching, vocational training, etc. Psychology involves the study of behavior. Consequently, in professions in which the primary focus involves working with other people, knowledge of psychology should make it possible to work more effectively with them. Early in the college program, you should become acquainted with the Career Center office on campus (Hill University Center, 934-4324). Use their services; talk to the counselors. They can help you become more informed about occupational and professional career alternatives. If you are considering graduate or professional school, discuss this option with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, as well as other faculty in psychology who are working in areas close to those you would like to pursue. Because faculty have personal experience to draw from, they can help you prepare for this career option.
There are several answers to this question. First, statistics and research methods are a critical aspect of the study of psychology. You will develop a stronger appreciation and deeper understanding of psychology as a discipline by taking these two courses. These courses provide excellent exposure and practice in inferential thinking, decision making, problem solving, and quantitative analysis. Being adept in these skills benefits not only future graduate students in psychology, but all students in whatever career path they may select.
It is worth pointing out that good "helpers" in the helping professions (such as counseling) make considerable use of their knowledge of research methodology and statistics, even if they don't themselves conduct research as part of their profession. Keeping up with your field so that you can best serve your clients requires that you be able to read and understand research articles that investigate new treatment methods, tests, diagnoses, etc.
You can view, print, or download a sample curriculum (course plan) here.
In the event a class you wish to take is closed, check outside of the Psychology Department, 415 Campbell Hall, on the student bulletin board for a wait list for that class. If a wait list has not been posted, then let someone in the Psychology Department know that a wait list should be started for that class. Add your name to the wait list along with the date. Attend the first class meeting and bring a completed Add form. Students are added at the discretion of the instructor, however. He or she will be provided with information such as class rank and graduation status to help in making decisions regarding whom to add. Also, the instructor will add students if he/she deems it appropriate (depending on class room size, resources....)
To be added to the class, you should attend the first class meeting with your add slip filled out and obtain the signature of the instructor of the class. Then take the form to the registrar who will enter you on the class roll. Seats are limited and in many cases not everyone who wishes to add the class will be allowed. For this reason you should register as early as possible to ensure a seat in the class. It is also important to complete Statistics and Methods early so that if you are unable to secure a spot in the class you wish during the current semester, you will be eligible to enroll in following semesters.
Students who are placed on Academic Warning or Probation must schedule an appointment to meet with their advisors. During this meeting, the student and the advisor will discuss obstacles that may have affected the student's progress toward graduation during the previous semester. Together, they will formulate a plan to deal with these obstacles so that they will not continue to be problematic for the student. Once a plan is agreed upon, it is signed by the advisor and the student and submitted to the Director of Core Curriculum Enhancement. At this meeting, the advisor will also remove the hold so that the student can register.
Focused study in a another field (about 18 credit hours, depending on department) is required of
all Psychology majors except those in the Honors Program in Psychology. The minor is often chosen in consultation with your Academic
Advisor. In general, the minor is chosen on the basis of interest and career
goals. It is unnecessary for your minor to be approved by the Psychology Department.
We do, however, recommend that you check the requirements of your minor closely.
For minors outside the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, it may be
advisable to consult with the department in which the minor resides.
Minors are chosen for a variety of reasons: Often they are selected
to complement the major by providing in-depth knowledge of an area related
to a career goal. For example, you might select a minor on the basis of
employability immediately after graduation. Minor fields of study that you
may wish to consider are:
Computer Science,
Justice Sciences,
or any of the sub-fields represented in the
School of Business. Alternatively, you may select a minor because of its close relationship
to psychology. In this case, you might decide to minor in
Sociology,
Social Psychology,
Social
Work, or
Anthropology. Because these disciplines are closely related to
psychology, together with the major they can provide a more comprehensive
understanding of behavior. Finally, minors may be chosen on the basis on what will help you prepare
for graduate or professional school. For example, you might want to minor in
Political Science
or
Philosophy if you are
preparing to go to law school.
Biology,
Chemistry,
Mathematics, and
Computer Science
are excellent minors
for students planning to attend graduate school in psychology. Biology
and Chemistry are particularly useful for students planning to pursue
professional school in medicine or public health.
When and how should I file my Application for Degree?
The application for degree should be filed during the semester before the semester in which you intend to graduate. You may pick up an Application for Degree in the Psychology Department or the Registrar's office. While you do not have to meet with your advisor to file the Application for Degree, many students find it helpful to schedule an appointment to ensure they have completed the form correctly. This also gives the advisor the chance to verify that all requirements will be met by the intended graduation date. Whether the Application for Degree is completed with the help of the advisor or by the student, it should be returned to the Registrar's office. A $50.00 application fee will be charged to the student's account at that time.
Once your Application is turned in to the Registrar's office, your total completed and intended credit hours are calculated. The Application is then sent to the Department of Psychology, where the Academic Advisor checks to make sure that all Psychology major and core curriculum requirements have been or will be met. The Application is then sent to the minor department where those requirements are checked. Then the Application is once again signed and sent for final consideration to the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Assuming approval at all of these stages, your Application is returned to the Academic Advisors in the Department of Psychology, who will contact you to inform you your Application for Degree has been approved.
View the Advice for Seniors page for further information and instructions regarding the Application for Degree.
You can rely on your academic advisor for information, assistance, and encouragement
throughout your time at UAB. In general, he or she is available to:
You should meet with your advisor well in advance of registration so that you have time to talk about your interests
and goals, discuss your degree requirements, and review the courses you have chosen for the next semester. It’s also a good
idea to meet with your advisor during each semester if you have questions, want to explore your options, or need to discuss any
difficulties.
The advisors for the Undergraduate Program in the Department of Psychology are Mr. John Eric Gampher and Ms. Katherine Klyce.
The Psychology advisors' offices are located in Suite 415 of Campbell Hall, which is located at the corner of University Boulevard and 14th Street on the UAB Campus.
The Psychology advisors see students during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm.
To schedule an appointment to meet with your advisor, please call the Department of Psychology main office at 205-934-3850.
Before you meet with your advisor, it is always a good idea to have specific questions in mind. Some students find it helpful to make a list so that they can be sure to discuss all of the issues that concern them. If you are meeting with the advisor to select courses for the upcoming semester, prepare a tentative schedule prior to your appointment. If you don't know what classes you need, consult the UAB Catalog or the appropriate checksheet.
If you have an emergency, call the Psychology Office at 934-3850. Your advisor will be notified immediately.
What do I do if I can't get in to see my advisor and I don't know what courses to take?
If you are unable to schedule an appointment with your advisor and you need to know what courses you have remaining to meet your degree requirements, you have two options.
You may request a copy of your check sheet from the Psychology Department. Check sheets are updated each time you meet with your advisor, so it will have the classes that were current at your last meeting. If you have taken courses since that time, you may fill them in for yourself. If you are unsure where courses go on the check sheet, consult the UAB catalog, www.uab.edu/catalogs.
Soon you will be able to check your remaining requirements via the UAB Degree Track System. This system will provide you with a detailed report of your remaining requirements. Check back for further information as this system is developed.
What if I can't make it to a scheduled appointment?
If you will be unable to make it to a scheduled appointment, please call the Psychology office at 934-3850 and let someone know.
What if I am late for my appointment?
If you find that you will be late for an appointment, it is not necessary to call unless you will be more than 15 minutes late. Appointments are scheduled at 30 minute intervals and those arriving more than 15 minutes late will be asked to reschedule.
What if there are no appointments available?
There are many Psychology students and only one advisor. For this reason it is not possible for every student to be seen during the few weeks before registration. You are advised to schedule an appointment well in advance of registration or all available appointments will be taken. It is the student's responsibility to make the necessary preparations for registration including meeting with the advisor. If you don't schedule early you may not be seen.