Psychological & Brain Sciences Major Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 43-46 units (34 units [at least 25 of which must be at the 3000 level or above] for the base major requirements, plus 9-12 units for a specialization; adding a specialization to the base major is not required)
- Grade Requirement: For a course to count toward the major; a grade of C– or better must be achieved.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 1000 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3000 | Introduction to Psychological Statistics | 3 |
| PSYCH 3010 | Experimental Psychology | 4 |
| or PSYCH 3011 | Experimental Psychology | |
- PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite for all upper-level courses (3000 level and above). A waiver from PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology is possible in the following circumstances:
- Completion of an equivalent course transferred from another institution, if approved by the Psychology & Brain Sciences (P&BS) Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- An AP Psychology test score of 5, an IB score of 6 or 7, or a British A-Level grade of A.
- PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics
- SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics, SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis, or DAT 1200 Managerial Statistics I may substitute for PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics but earn no units of credit toward the major. No AP math course can substitute for PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics.
- PSYCH 3010 Experimental Psychology or PSYCH 3011 Experimental Psychology (version taken concurrently with PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics)
For cases in which a waiver is granted (e.g., PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology, PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics), no credits are earned toward the major, so waived courses must be made up with additional P&BS content electives (i.e., regular format lecture-based PSYCH courses) approved by the major advisor.
Core Requirements
Students must complete at least one course from each of the following five categories:*
Social/Personality
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3050 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3096 | Psychological Dynamics of Empathy | 3 |
| PSYCH 3150 | Introduction to Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3530 | Psychology of Personality | 3 |
| PSYCH 3866 | Community Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4099 | Human Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4130 | Contemporary Topics in Social Psychology | 3 |
Mental Health/Affective
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3501 | Psychotherapy: Introduction to Practice and Research | 3 |
| PSYCH 3540 | Psychopathology and Mental Health | 3 |
| PSYCH 3645 | Understanding Emotions | 3 |
| PSYCH 4367 | Seminar in Positive Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4765 | Inside the Disordered Brain: Biological Bases of the Major Mental Disorders | 3 |
Biological/Neurological Bases of Behavior
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3300 | Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| PSYCH 3401 | Biological Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3450 | Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior | 3 |
| PSYCH 3604 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSYCH 4182 | Perception, Thought, and Action | 3 |
| PSYCH 4512 | Neurobiology of Learning & Memory | 3 |
| PSYCH 4765 | Inside the Disordered Brain: Biological Bases of the Major Mental Disorders | 3 |
Behavior and Cognition
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3580 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| PSYCH 3600 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3604 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSYCH 3610 | Psychology of Learning | 3 |
| PSYCH 3800 | Human Learning and Memory | 3 |
| PSYCH 4099 | Human Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 4234 | Introduction to the Psychology of Speech Perception | 3 |
| PSYCH 4330 | Psychology of Language | 3 |
| PSYCH 4512 | Neurobiology of Learning & Memory | 3 |
Lifespan Development
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 2190 | The Infant Mind: Sophomore Seminar (this course can fulfill the Lifespan Development Core, but the credit counts in the "6 units Rule") ** | 3 |
| PSYCH 3210 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3250 | Psychology of Adolescence | 3 |
| PSYCH 3260 | Introduction to the Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSYCH 3580 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| PSYCH 4270 | Social Gerontology | 3 |
- *
If a course falls into more than one category, it can be used to fulfill only one of those categories (i.e., no double-counting).
- **
PSYCH 2190 The Infant Mind: Sophomore Seminar will get an advanced level title and course number update in spring 2027.
Elective Courses
Students must complete at least 9 units of P&BS elective coursework. Additional elective courses will be required to make up for PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology and PSYCH 3000 Introduction to Psychological Statistics waivers.
6-Units Rule
No more than 6 units from the following course types may be used to satisfy the minimum requirements for the P&BS major:
- 1000-/2000-level courses (other than PSYCH 1000 Introduction to Psychology)
- PSYCH 3999 Independent Study in Psychological and Brain Sciences
- PSYCH 4992 Independent Study for a Specialization in Psychological and Brain Sciences (Capstone)
- PSYCH 4980 Study for Honors and PSYCH 4990 Study for Honors
- Approved WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) psychology courses
- Approved psychology study abroad courses from a non-psychology study abroad program
- Approved psychology courses from other departments (e.g., EDUC 3040 Educational Psychology, MUSIC 3300 Music Cognition, EDUC 2100 Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, BEYOND 1003 Beyond Boundaries: When I'm 64: Preparing Ourselves and Society for a Good Long Life, BIOL 3411 Principles of the Nervous System)
- Approved transfer credits (Students transferring from another college should refer to the Transfer Credit section below.)
Cognitive Neuroscience Specialization
To augment the major in Psychological & Brain Sciences, the department offers the option of a specialization for students who wish to engage more intensively with a specific area within the discipline.
A specialization may be a valuable experience for students planning on graduate study in psychology or related fields or for those who have a particular interest or want to gain expertise in one of the approved specializations. It may provide a useful preparation for the Honors program in Psychology, or it may serve as a substitute for the Honors experience for those students who may not qualify for Honors.
Completion of a specialization entails 12 units:
- Three courses (9 units), at least one of which must be an advanced, 4000-level course; and
- A semester of research in an appropriate, approved lab consisting of PSYCH 4992 Independent Study for a Specialization in Psychological and Brain Sciences (Capstone), which requires the successful completion of an American Psychological Association (APA)–style research paper or an approved Honors project completed through PSYCH 4980 Study for Honors. In some cases, a relevant internship or practicum may be an appropriate alternative to research experience. (Note: Students may be required to complete a preliminary semester [3 units] of PSYCH 3999 Independent Study in Psychological and Brain Sciences, depending on the nature of the project intended for PSYCH 4992 Independent Study for a Specialization in Psychological and Brain Sciences (Capstone); the additional independent research is at the discretion of the research mentor and will not be counted toward the completion of the specialization requirements.)
The 3000-level required course may be used to fulfill no more than one of the core categories or distribution requirements of a Psychological & Brain Sciences major (i.e., one course could double-count for the major and the specialization). None of the units for a specialization can be counted for any other major or minor (i.e., there is no double-counting with another major or minor). For those pursuing the Psychological & Brain Sciences: Cognitive Neuroscience major, the Cognitive Neuroscience Specialization is not an option.
Each specialization has a Psychological & Brain Sciences faculty advisor/coordinator who will meet with interested students to help ensure the successful and appropriate completion of the specialization and who serves as the liaison with the Psychological & Brain Sciences Undergraduate Studies Committee. A student may pursue only one specialization. Completing a specialization, however, is not required to complete the base Psychological & Brain Sciences major.
Students should contact Shelley Kohlman in Somers Family Hall, Room 207B, to arrange a specialization. Forms are available from Shelley, and completed forms must be returned to her in order for a specialization to be considered officially "in progress."
Recognition of the specialization will appear on the student's academic record under Milestones once all requirements have been met.
Requirements for the Cognitive Neuroscience Specialization
This specialization allows students to acquire deeper knowledge of the relationship between the mind and the brain. The courses for the specialization consider the neurobiological basis of psychological function at a more general level and then explore, in greater depth, specialized topics related to how higher cognitive processes (e.g., memory, attention, perception, emotion) emerge from brain function.
Advisor/coordinator: Professor Todd Braver
Coursework required:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3604 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
Electives (must include two courses, at least one of which is at the 4000 level):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 3300 | Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| PSYCH 3401 | Biological Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 3450 | Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior | 3 |
| PSYCH 4182 | Perception, Thought, and Action | 3 |
| PSYCH 4414 | Advanced Cognitive Neuroscience (or PSYCH 4412 Advanced Cognitive Neuroscience) | 3 |
| PSYCH 4631 | Introduction to Computational Cognitive Science | 3 |
| PSYCH 4746 | Biological Pathways to Psychopathology: From Genes and the Environment to Brain and Behavior | 3 |
| PSYCH 4765 | Inside the Disordered Brain: Biological Bases of the Major Mental Disorders | 3 |
Research mentorship: Prior approved research mentorship with a relevant faculty member and successful completion of a research paper (i.e., PSYCH 4992 Independent Study for a Specialization in Psychological and Brain Sciences (Capstone) or PSYCH 4980 Study for Honors)
Relevant faculty: Todd Braver, Deanna Barch, Ryan Bogdan, Lexi Decker, Ian Dobbins, Denise Head, Wouter Kool, Zachariah Reagh, and Jeff Zacks (other potential faculty mentors may be approved)
Additional Information
Transfer Credit
If accepted by the College of Arts & Sciences, transfer credits must be evaluated by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the P&BS department for their applicability toward either major in P&BS. Please contact Shelley Kohlman to begin the P&BS transfer credit evaluation process.
Senior Honors Program in Psychological & Brain Sciences
The primary goal of the honors program in P&BS is to provide students who have achieved a superior academic record with the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive empirical investigation under the direction of a faculty member.
To be admitted into the honors program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Have overall and P&BS grade point averages of at least 3.65
- Complete PSYCH 3010 Experimental Psychology or PSYCH 3011 Experimental Psychology
- Have an approved honors research mentor (a faculty member who agrees to supervise the thesis)
- Have permission to enroll from Dr. Julie Bugg, the Honors in Psychology program coordinator
Contact Info
| Contact: | Shelley Kohlman |
| Phone: | 314-935-5169 |
| Email: | skohlman@wustl.edu |
| Website: | https://psych.wustl.edu/undergraduate-program |