Psychology
Description:
Psychology is an excellent liberal arts major that allows you to explore and better understand the mind, how it functions and how it is influenced by biological, cultural and economic factors. Yet, there is also a practical advantage to studying psychology. Our students often report that they better understand themselves, and their relationships and other life experiences. Psychology is at play in practically every experience of our lives. It has been studied by individuals who have made their mark in a variety of fields within and beyond psychology including law, medicine and the arts.
For students who plan to pursue careers in psychology, earning an associates' degree in Psychology from Community College of Philadelphia will allow you to establish and continue your necessary academic preparation beyond the associate's degree. In order to practice psychology, you will need to have earned at least a Master's degree and, in many cases, a Ph.D. or Psy.D.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:
- Describe psychology’s major concepts and theoretical perspectives
- Effectively apply good research design principles
- Use critical thinking skills in evaluating psychological research, theory and practice
- Describe the ethical issues to be considered in psychological research and practice
- Distinguish the multiple influences on human diversity as reflected in psychological functioning, behavior and developmental outcomes
- Effectively communicate concepts and theories related to psychology in different modalities
- Demonstrate psychology-related skills that contribute to effective functioning in personal and professional settings
Program Entry Requirements:
Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as a part of their degree program.
Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:
To qualify for the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Psychology, a student must complete a minimum of 61 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).
Course Sequence:
Semester 1
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or PSYC 101H - 101H Introduction to Psychology (Honors) | 3 credits | Cultural Analysis and Interpretation | |
| ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors) | 3 credits | Writing/Research/Info Lit 1 | |
| CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology | 3 credits | Technological Competency | |
| MATH 150 - Introductory Data Analysis (or higher) | FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or placement in FNMT 118 or higher | 3 credits | Quantitative Reasoning |
| SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) or ANTH 112 - Cultural Anthropology | 3 credits |
Semester 2
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors) | ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better | 3 credits | Writing/Research/Info Lit 2 |
| PSYC 205 - Psychopathology/Abnormal Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 credits | |
| BIOL 106 - General Biology I or Lab Science Elective | 4 credits | Scientific Reasoning | |
| PSYC 110 - Descriptive Research Methods in Psychology | 3 credits | ||
PSYC 201 - Child Psychology or | PSYC 101 | 3 credits |
Semester 3
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 167 - Foundations of Statistical Methods for Social and Behavioral Sciences | MATH 150 | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 215 - Developmental Psychology or PSYC 215H - Developmental Psychology (Honors) | PSYC 101 or BIOL 109 | 3 credits | |
| AH 116 - Therapeutic Communication or any course that meets the Oral Communication/Creative Expression requirement.* | 3 credits | Oral Communication/Creative Expression | |
| General Elective** | 3 credits | ||
| BIOL 107 – General Biology II or Science Elective | For BIOL 107: BIOL 106 with a grade of "C" or better | 3 or 4 credits |
Semester 4
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 220 - Cross-Cultural Psychology or PSYC 221 - Social Psychology or PSYC 222 - Forensic Psychology | For PSYC 220: PSYC 101 and ENGL 101, with a grade of "C" or better For PSYC 221: PSYC 101 For PSYC 222: PSYC 101 or JUS 101 and ENGL 101 | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 202 - Human Sexuality or PSYC 230 - Cognitive Psychology or PSYC 232 - Biological Foundation of Behavior | For PSYC 230: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better and PSYC 101. For PSYC 232: ENGL 101 and PSYC 101 | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 210 - Experimental Research Methods in Psychology | ENGL 101, PSYC 101, PSYC 110, PSYC 167 | 3 credits | |
| General Elective | 3 credits | ||
| PHIL/RS 151 – World Religions or Humanities Elective*** | 3 credits |
Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:
61* Three credits in Oral Communication/Creative Expression (OCCE) are required. Students may take one three-credit OCCE course, or may elect to take three one-credit OCCE courses.
** For students uncertain about what general elective to choose, we recommend taking at least two world language courses. Temple University, a common transfer institution for CCP students, requires students to earn a C or better in a first and a second-level world language course. Any language course in Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, or Spanish may be chosen.
*** For students uncertain about what Humanities elective to take, we recommend HUM 120, HUM 130, HUM 150, HUM 180. These are courses that explore diverse cultures and provide an expanded view of the human experience.
General Education Requirements:
All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.
For More Information, Contact:
The Division of Liberal Studies Room BR-21, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8451; or the College Information Center (215) 751 8010.