Graduate School Preparation

The psychology major has been designed so that students take classes that will help them compete in applying for graduate school. Students planning to apply to graduate school need to become actively involved with faculty research, form an association with Psi Chi, and enroll in independent research and readings courses. 

Students are encouraged to become involved with the faculty in independent research or applied experiences. Involvement in these experiences is associated with greater chances of successful graduate school admission and/or competitive post-baccalaureate employment, especially for students who pursue this involvement early in their undergraduate careers.

Psychology students have achieved remarkable success in procuring funding to support student-initiated research projects via Utah State University’s competitive University Research Cooperative Opportunity (URCO) mechanism and the national honor society of psychology (Psi Chi).

Students have been first authors or co-authors on numerous scholarly presentations at regional, national, and international conferences in psychology (e.g., Association of Behavior Analysis, American Psychological Association, European Conference of Developmental Psychology, International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Society for Research in Adolescence, and Society for Research in Human Development). Students have competed successfully each year for awards that recognize their achievements. Together  with the faculty, the students have published in premier research journals in psychology (e.g., Developmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology, and Sex Roles) and books in psychology.

The Department of Psychology and Utah State University actively support students’ efforts by awarding matching funding to support the attendance of conferences at which they can present their accepted conference presentations.

Psychology Teaching Major:

Required Psychology Courses (27 credits), plus
Elective Psychology Courses (13 credits)

Requirements for a Teaching Major in Psychology broadly consist of 27 credits of specified psychology coursework and 13 credits of elective psychology coursework, for a total of 43 credits in psychology. Only 16 of these 43 psychology credits may be taken in lower-division courses. The remaining 27 credits must be received in 3000- or 4000-level psychology courses. At least 12 of the upper-division credits must have been earned in courses completed at USU. A minor in another field of study is also required. Prospective teachers must complete 35 credits of the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) in the Secondary Education Program of the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. Required GPA for psychology courses is 3.0. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all psychology courses (USU and transfer) in order to have them counted toward major requirements.

Minimum University Requirements