Psychology

Psychology AA-T Degree

The AA-T in Psychology is designed to provide entry-level skills and knowledge for the student transferring to a four- year institution with a major in psychology. The psychology major requires 19 units in psychology and related fields. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Course work in this program will provide a better understanding of human behavior in the areas of biological psychology, life-span development, states of consciousness, learning, memory, intelligence, personality, abnormal behavior, therapy, and social psychology. The psychology major prepares students for four-year programs with emphasis in psychology, counseling, child development, educational psychology, education, social work, sociology, human services, and nursing.

Upon completion of the psychology program, students will be able to:

• Differentiate between scientifically derived knowledge versus pseudoscience within the field of psychology.
• Compare and contrast the major theoretical perspectives in psychology.
• Define basic psychological terminology regarding behavior, cognition, and emotion, and be able to express it clearly when writing or speaking about psychology.
• Evaluate psychological data, use the scientific method, draw reasonable conclusions, and apply these to personal, community, and scientific problems.
• Employ psychological principles that lay the foundation for life-long personal growth and development of interpersonal and social skills.
• Demonstrate appropriate interpersonal and social skills in interactions with a diverse population using principles of equity, justice, and inclusion.

This program is intended for students planning to transfer to a California State University. Students must fulfill the following requirements to qualify for an associate degree for transfer:

• Complete CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern
• Complete the major course requirements as specified in the catalog with a C or better
• Complete electives to reach a total of 60 transferable units
• Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 overall
• Complete the English, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Math requirements with a C or better

This program has 50 percent or more of the the major courses available via distance education/online