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Undergraduate Advising

Office

Wood Hall 2124 (second floor)

E-mail: psy-advising@wmich.edu
Phone: (269) 387-4475
Fax: (269) 387-4345

Advisors for Psychology Undergraduates

Amanda Austin
Abby Blankenship
Charlene Lee

Undergraduate Advising Faculty Supervisor

Doug Johnson, Ph.D.

Attention Students: If you are having trouble enrolling in PSY 3600 or PSY 4600, please contact the advising office at psy-advising@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4475 for assistance. You may also see an advisor in person in Wood Hall 2124. Please refer to the advising hours of operation.

General Information

Major and Minor Requirements

Beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, the requirements for majoring in psychology have changed. There are two options: Behavioral Science Major and General Psychology Major.

The Behavioral Science Major is strongly recommended to those planning on pursuing graduate study in psychology or who are interested in a more in-depth exposure to the science of behavior. A Behavioral Science Major requires 37 credit hours in psychology, consisting of coursework taken from five areas: Introductory Core (9 credits), Research Methods Core (6 credits), Theory and Advanced Principles of Behavior (7 credits), Practicum or Laboratory Experience (6 credits), and Approved Electives (9 credits). For more details on the specific courses and prerequisites, see the Behavioral Science Major requirements:

·      WMU Psychology Undergraduate Behavioral Science Major Requirements

The General Psychology Major is recommended for psychology majors who do not wish to pursue graduate study. A General Psychology Major requires 30 credit hours in psychology, consisting of coursework in four areas: Introductory Core (9 credits), Research Methods Core (6 credits), Practicum of Laboratory Experience (3 credits), and Approved Electives (12 credits). For more details on the specific courses and prerequisites, see the General Psychology Major requirements:

·      WMU Psychology Undergraduate General Psychology Major Requirements

A psychology minor requires 15 credit hours in psychology, consisting of coursework taken from two areas: Introductory Core (6 credits) and Approved Electives (9 credits). For more details on specific course and prerequisites, see the minor requirements page:

·      WMU Psychology Undergraduate Minor Requirements

Process for declaring Behavioral Science Major, General Psychology Major, or Psychology Minor:
To successfully declare a Behavioral Science Major, you must have completed the following five courses with a grade of “B” or better: PSY 1000, PSY 1400, PSY 1600, PSY 3000, and PSY 3300.

To successfully declare a General Psychology Major, you must have completed the following three courses with a grade of “C” or better: PSY 1000, PSY 1400, and PSY 1600.

To successfully declare a Psychology Minor, you must have completed the following two courses with a grade of “C” or better: PSY 1000 and PSY 1600

To prevent problems with registration or graduation auditing, you should declare your major or minor immediately upon completion of these courses.

To declare your major or minor online, simply send the Undergraduate Advisor an email at psy-advising@wmich.edu

Include the following information:

• Name
• WIN Number
• Mailing Address
• Local Phone
• Email Address
• Whether you are declaring the major or minor.
  • Declaring a Behavior Science or General Psychology major: Be sure to also indicate whether you are a double major or not
  • Declaring a psychology minor: Be sure to also indicate whether you are a double minor or not.

Upon receiving this information, the Undergraduate Advisors will check your records and send you an email stating whether you are able to declare your major or minor. A major or minor slip will then be mailed to you at the address provided.

Note for students who declared their psychology major or minor prior to Fall 2011: You have the option of switching to one of the new majors and minor  (and completing the new set of prerequisites and requirements) or finishing your major or minor under the older requirements. This only applies to those who successfully declared their psychology major or minor prior to Fall 2011. The list of specific courses and prerequisites for the pre-Fall 2011 psychology major and minor can be viewed below:

·      Psychology Major Requirements for those declaring prior to Fall 2011

·      Psychology Minor Requirements for those declaring prior to Fall 2011

Closed courses and registration

The only way to register for a closed course is by getting permission from the instructor. If permission is granted, the instructor will notify the undergraduate advisor who will add the course for you. Due to room size and resource limitations, instructors are often not able to add all students that they would like.

The best way to begin is to contact the instructor is by searching the Course Offerings in GoWMU. After finding a course you wish to enroll in, click on the CRN number. There should be an e-mail icon ()next to the instructor's name. Clicking on that icon will allow you to e-mail that instructor.

If you still cannot get into a course, contact the Undergraduate Advisors (psy-advising@wmich.edu). They may be able to place you on a waiting list to get into the course.

Transferring in psychology courses

If you are going to a community college in the state of Michigan, the office of admissions maintains a site that lists all transfer equivalencies. Visit the Transfer Credit Equivalencies Web site.

If you are looking at any other University, or a community college outside of the state of Michigan, you should contact the Undergraduate Advisors prior to signing up for any classes at other institutions.

Generally, courses more than seven years old will not be accepted, although some exceptions may apply.

Applying for graduation

By the middle of your junior year, you should begin to prepare for graduation. To begin this process, you will need to have the following materials:

• A copy of your major slip(s)
• A copy of your minor slip(s)

If you need a copy of either of these, you should visit the appropriate departmental advising office.

If you have these materials, you can then go to your curriculum advising office to obtain an application for graduation. For psychology majors, this will usually be the College of Arts and Sciences located in 2318 Friedmann Hall. For psychology minors, your curriculum advising office will be located in the college of your major (e.g. education majors go to the College of Education and Human Development). After you obtain your application for graduation, you will need to take it to the registrar's office along with your major/minor slips.

For more information, including deadlines for applying for graduation, please visit the Registrar's home page and follow the links for graduation.

General education requirements

The psychology advisor is knowledgeable about the degree requirements for the psychology program only. However, advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences are highly trained in general education requirements and would be happy to assist you in planning your general education classes. The College of Arts and Sciences advising office is located in 2318 Friedmann Hall and they maintain walk in advising hours. Please call 387-4366 to find out more or visit their Web site.