Department Policies

We at the Department of Psychology wish to ensure that you receive appropriate advisement in planning your program, meeting college requirements and preparing for graduate school or other post-college activities. We encourage you to meet with the department chair periodically to track your progress in the program. All psychology majors or those intending to be psychology majors must have their programs reviewed and approved by the Department Chair.

• THE MAJOR: Psychology majors must take a total of thirty-one credits in psychology or approved related courses to complete the major. Five of these courses are required: Introduction to Psychology (PSY101), Biological Psychology (PSY351), Experimental Psychology with lab (PSY301/301.6), Statistics (MAT261), and Advanced Topics in Psychology (PSY493). Any five other courses given by the Department of Psychology may be taken as electives to complete the major. It is also possible, with the approval of the Department Chair, to take up to six credits of relevant courses outside the Department of Psychology and have them count toward the major.
• THE MINOR: The Department also offers a minor in Psychology. Requirements for the minor include 18 credits. Required courses are Introduction to Psychology (PSY101) and either Experimental Psychology (PSY301) or Biological Psychology (PSY351). Students must take any additional twelve credits in Psychology to complete the minor.
• We strongly encourage students planning to go on to graduate schools to take more than the minimum number of Psychology credits required for the major. This is important both to prepare yourself for graduate work and to ensure that you have all graduate school requirements. Graduate schools offering the Ph.D. also value courses in science, mathematics and computer science and additional research experience. All doctoral programs (Ph.D., Psy.D.) value experience outside of the purely academic (internships, volunteer work, etc.).
• We recommend that you choose electives carefully based on your interests and post-graduation plans. We suggest the following illustrations for different long-range goals (an asterisk indicates courses often desired or required by graduate schools; Psychological Testing is usually required by school psychology programs):

• All Touro College South students, if not exempted by their performance on the English placement exam, are required to begin the composition sequence during their first semester. The Department of Psychology considers effective written communication to be an essential skill for all psychologists and urges all majors to get as much writing experiences as necessary to increase their abilities in this area.
• Please note that MAT 261 (Statistics for Social Science Majors) is a required course for the major. The course has MAT 111 (College Mathematics) as a prerequisite. If you did not test out of MAT 111 on admission you are required to take it before you can take statistics. It is thus possible that you may have to take two sequential semesters of mathematics. Plan carefully so that you do not find your graduation delayed because you cannot complete your requirements. Please be certain that you have met prerequisites for all courses.
• Please note that PSY 481-2 Independent Study is designed for advanced students who wish to explore an area not covered by the available courses or who wish to do research. It is not intended to allow a student to substitute independent work for a regular course offering in the same area. A student who needs a particular course to complete graduation requirements may also take that course independently when the course is not being offered that semester (in this case it is referred to as directed study and is entered on the transcript under the number of the course in the catalogue). If you wish to do independent or directed study, make sure that you read the Guidelines for Independent Study in Psychology or the Guidelines for Directed Study in Psychology published below.
• If you wish to register for an internship, please read the Guidelines for the Internship in Psychology. No one may register for an internship without the specific approval of the Chair of the Department of Psychology.
• The Department does not accept CLEP or similar examinations except under unusual circumstances and with written permission from the Chair. We also strongly recommend that you take courses in the classroom rather than on-line.
• Take at least one required course each semester toward the major. Students who postpone taking required courses sometimes find their graduation delayed because the required course they need is unavailable in the semester they planned to take it.
• On-line courses are offered by the Department primarily as a convenience for students who have conflicts that prevent them from taking in-class courses. The Department strongly believes that learning in class is a superior experience to most on-line learning. Students considering on-line courses should consult with the department chair. Please note that on-line courses are designed for the entire College and not specifically for the students of TCS.

Independent Study in psychology is a course for upper-level students of high academic standing (3.33 GPA or above) who want to do one of the following:

1. Study an area not included in the College’s regular course offerings
2. Study a particular area in greater depth than is done in the regular course offerings
3. Conduct research in psychology

Independent study is expected to be at least as rigorous as a classroom course offering and to include textbooks and other readings. It includes either examinations (usually midterm and final) and a term paper or a final report on a research project. Students are expected to meet with their professors on a regular basis.

The student who wishes to do independent study must first identify a faculty member willing to serve as mentor. Usually the mentor will be a member of the full-time faculty, though exceptions will occasionally be made. In most cases a student is advised to choose a professor with whom she or he has already studied. The student and mentor together complete the Independent Study Form available from the Student Services Coordinator, describing the project in detail. The faculty member must sign the form, which must then be submitted to the Chair of the Department of Psychology for review and approval. If the Chair approves, the student may register for the course.

On completion of the course requirements the faculty member will fill out the evaluation forms and assign a grade. Copies of examinations and major projects should be given to the Department of Psychology for general review.

Independent Study is subject to the same academic calendar as are other courses registered for in that semester.

Guidelines for Directed Study in Psychology

Directed Study is a format where students may engage in individual study of subject matter normally covered by a course listed in the Touro College South catalogue. A student taking a course through directed study is expected to complete exactly the same requirements as if taking the course in a regular classroom. The course appears on the student’s transcript with the same number as if the course had been taken in the classroom.

Reasons for taking a course by directed study may include:

1. A course required for graduation is not being offered during a semester (or year) in which the student is otherwise ready to graduate
2. A course required for graduation conflicts with another required course during the student’s final semester (or year)
3. A course required by a graduate school to which the student is applying will not be offered prior to his or her graduation

A student wishing to do directed study must find a faculty member willing to serve as a mentor; the Department will assist in trying to find such an instructor. Usually the mentor will be a member of the full-time faculty, though exceptions will occasionally be made. The student and mentor will complete the Directed Study Form available from the Student Services Coordinator. After the faculty member approves and signs the form, it must be reviewed by the Chair of the Department of Psychology. If approved by the Chair the student may then register for the course.

When the student completes the course requirements the faculty member will fill out the evaluation forms and assign a grade.

Directed Study must be completed in the same time-frame as other courses registered for in that semester.

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