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Undergraduate Program - Concentrations

INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCENTRATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY

The Psychology Department provides courses designed for liberal arts students seeking an understanding of scientific psychology and for students preparing for advanced training and professional work.  The Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and the Bachelor of Science (Sc.B.) Concentrations in Psychology provide students with the flexibility to design a curriculum that best suits their interests and career goals.  Both A.B. and Sc.B. concentrators are required to become familiar with the basic areas of psychology, and both fulfill the basic entrance requirements of virtually all graduate programs in clinical and experimental psychology.  However, the Sc.B. concentration requires students to take additional science and independent research courses, and for this reason the Sc.B. concentration may be especially appropriate for students interested in careers in psychology or related fields.

This document provides a general overview of the concentrations, but does not list all of the courses that meet specific requirements. An up-to-date list of such courses can be found elsewhere on this website or attached to this brochure. Contact one of the concentration advisors if you have specific questions.

General Requirements for Concentrators in Psychology

Introductory Psychology. Planning a concentration and choosing

professor delabarre and students Professor E. B. Delabarre and three students in the original Psychology Laboratory, Wilson Hall, 1894.

elective courses requires general knowledge about the topics psychologists study.  Introductory Psychology (PSYC0010) provides students with the overview they need and is therefore a prerequisite for all other courses in the Department.  Students may also satisfy the Introductory Psychology requirement by submitting AP course credit or by transferring credits from other institutions. Questions about PSYC0010 credit should be directed to one of the concentration advisors.

Course Distribution. Concentrating in Psychology requires that students achieve scholarly breadth and depth.  To achieve breadth of scholarship, concentrators select courses from the broad areas: (1) Perception and Cognition (2) Behavioral Neuroscience (3) Social, Personality, and Developmental for a total of six courses (at least one in each area must be at 100 level) with two courses in each of these 3 broad areas.

Quantitative. Careers in Psychology and related fields require familiarity with statistics.  Therefore, both concentrations require Quantitative Methods in Psychology (PSYC0090 or COGS0090), or another statistics course as approved by the Psychology Concentration Committee (PCC).  This course is a prerequisite for most of the laboratory courses, so concentrators should plan to take PSYC0099 by the fourth semester. The department does not grant concentration credit for AP Statistics.

CT scan of frog

CT scan of bullfrog. See Horowitz, Simmons, & Ketten  (2005) Optical and tomographic imaging of a middle ear malformation in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). J Acoust Soc Am, 118, 1166-1171.

Laboratory Course. Concentrators must take at least one laboratory course, which provides students with hands-on experience with research methods in a substantive area of psychology.  Because the laboratory serves as the basis for more advanced courses and for independent research in their senior year, concentrators should plan to take their lab before their senior year.  There are several laboratory courses, including Techniques in Physiological Psychology (PSYC1030), Laboratory in Personality and Clinical Assessment (PSYC1110), Perception (PSYC1190), Experimental Analysis of Animal Behavior (PSYC1200), Animal Behavior Laboratory (PSYC1450), Cognitive Processes (COGS1530), Social Cognition (PSYC1540), and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PSYC1840).

Advanced Seminar. Following the lab, students are expected to take at least one of the advanced limited-enrollment courses numbered 170-196 that deal with special topics in personality, social, developmental, cognitive, or experimental psychology.  The list of approved seminars can be found in attached documents.

Advanced Placement and Transfer Credits. Students receiving AP credit can place out of PSYC0010, and can enroll directly in higher-level psychology courses.  Another psychology course must be taken as a substitute. Details on AP credit are provided in concentration filing forms (see attached). Contact a concentration advisor if you have questions.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Coordinator. In a typical year, the Department assigns one faculty member to the role of coordinating the Undergraduate Teaching Assistants.  This faculty coordinator will hold a meeting with the undergraduate TAs at the beginning and end of each semester.  The coordinator is also available to provide students with information about their duties as TA’s. Brown University - Spring 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Requirements for AB and ScB Concentrations

1. PSYC0010 (or advanced placement with a score of 4 or 5, or transfer credit) is required.

Questions about transfer credit for PSYC0010 (or other courses) should be directed to the transfer credit advisor. If PSYC0010 is not taken, then another PSYC course (at any level) must be substituted.

2. PSYC0090 or COGS0090 (quantitative methods) is required, or another statistics course as approved by the Psychology Concentration Committee (PCC).

3.  Six courses are required, two in each of the following areas:  Perception & Cognition, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Social/Personality/Developmental. The pre-approved courses in each area are listed on the A.B. and Sc.B. Worksheets that appear later in this document or website. A laboratory course or seminar (indicated on the worksheet) may be used to meet the area requirement only if it is the student’s second lab course or second seminar. Independent study courses cannot be used for this requirement.

At least 4 of the 6 required courses must be psychology courses (i.e., PSYC code, or taught by a psychology faculty member). Student wishing to substitute courses for any of those on the worksheet must petition the PCC; such substitutions do not alter the requirement to take at least 4 psychology courses. First year seminars given outside the psychology department cannot be counted for the area requirement. Note that not all courses are offered every semester.  An updated list of courses offered each year can be found in Banner.  The Department also posts updates to courses being offered in February of each year and at the beginning of each semester.

4. An advanced laboratory course.

These include: PSYC1030,1060,1070,1090, 1110,1190,1200, 1450, 1540; COGS105 and 1530. The attached Worksheets include up-to-date lists of labs.

5. An advanced seminar.

COURSES IN PSYCHOLOGY NUMBERED 170-196, including: PSYC1720,1740,1750,1780,1790,1800, 1810,1820, 1840, 1860,1870,1890, 1920.   Again, consult the appropriate Worksheet for a complete list.

Requirements specific to the AB Concentration

6. One biology course (or AP biology credit with a score of 4-5, or passing the Biology placement exam offered by the Biology Department) and one other science course, with the approval of the PCC.

The biology course may be BIOL0019, BIOL0020, or another biology course approved by the PCC.

The other science course is normally taken from the following areas with the prior approval of the Concentration Advisor: Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Linguistics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, or Physics. The following courses typically cannot be used to meet the requirement for the outside science course: courses in community/public health, science studies, or ENGN 0020, 0090, 0900, 0101. Only science courses approved for concentration credit (with the exceptions noted above) by the home department can fulfill this requirement.

Requirements specific to the ScB Concentration

6.  Six supporting science courses 

Science courses should be selected from at least three of the following areas with the prior approval of the ScB concentration advisor: Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Linguistics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, or Physics. At least one course must be from either Biology or Neuroscience. The following courses typically cannot be used to meet the requirement for outside science courses: courses in community/public health, science studies, or ENGN 0020, 0090, 0900, 1010. AP credit (with a score of 4-5) can be substituted for no more than one of the six supporting science courses. Only science courses approved for concentration credit (with the exceptions noted above) by the home department can fulfill this requirement.

7. Experimental problems (PSYC 1990).

PSYC1990 typically involves one semester of independent research under the direct supervision of a faculty advisor in Psychology. This includes data collection and/or analysis, and a final written report.  Upon approval by the PCC, the faculty advisor may be from another department or unit.  The proposal form for PSYC1990 can be downloaded at the link below. Students will be unable to register for PSYC1990 without submitting this form. Contact the ScB Concentration Advisor for further details. PSYC1990 cannot be counted for the lab requirement.

Course Overlap within the AB and ScB Concentrations

A course taken to satisfy one requirement (e.g., to satisfy the seminar requirement) cannot also be used to satisfy another requirement (e.g., one of the 6 courses in the 2-2-2 distribution requirement). Thus, the total course requirement is 10 courses for the AB Concentration, and 17 courses for the ScB Concentration.

Double concentrations

Students seeking double concentrations in Psychology (either AB or ScB) and another field should consult with their concentration advisor as early as possible in their concentration planning. Students will need to provide their advisor with a written proposal providing a rationale for the double concentration and a plan specifying the courses that will be taken to meet the requirements for each concentration. Typically, all concentrators seeking double concentrations must take certain courses that do not also satisfy requirements of the second concentration, as noted below.

For all double concentrators, these courses include: (a) PSYC0090; and (b) three courses at the 100 level, one in each of the main concentration areas (Perception and Cognition; Behavioral Neuroscience; Social, Personality, and Developmental). These courses must be PSYC courses, unless approved by the PCC.

ScB double concentrators must also take PSYC1990.

concentration worksheets

Concentrators should complete either the AB or ScB Concentration Worksheet before meeting with their Concentration Advisor.

To download a form, hover over the link, right-click, and select "Save Target As". Save the file to your computer for editing. Save a copy for your records. When you have completed your form, submit it to the AB or ScB Concentration advisor.