Who is my advisor?
During your freshman year, your advising is handled at University College, not the Department of Psychology. If you are an honors student, your advising will be through the Honors Program. The advisors at University College and in the Honors Program are familiar with the requirements of the Major in Psychology, but you are ultimately responsible for taking the courses you will need. After your freshman year, you are not required to meet with any advisor. However, to speak with an advisor in the Department of Psychology, you can schedule an appointment (recommended) or you can stop by their offices during walk-in hours.

When is it a good idea to talk with a Psychology advisor?
There are several situations where we recommend you consult with a Psychology advisor. After your sophomore year, it is a good idea to have your plan of study updated, at least annually, in the University's computer. What this means is that the computer system at Illinois State will record all of your required courses (e.g., PSY 111, 231, etc.), but will not record the elective courses you have taken (e.g., which of your "pick four" courses). An advisor needs to update your academic record to identify the elective courses you have taken that count toward the Major.

Another situation that may require advisor assistance is when students try to fulfill program requirements by taking courses at other colleges and universities. Before you take a course elsewhere, it is a good idea to check with an advisor to make sure the course will fulfill requirements at Illinois State.

For some students, life circumstances can temporarily dictate their choices. Students may need to withdraw from the University for a semester, take longer than four years to complete their degree, and so on. When students anticipate a disruption in their academic careers for any reason, it is a good idea to discuss the situation with an advisor. Advisors can assist students so as to minimize the impact of the disruption.

Finally, the main reason to see an advisor is for advice. Students who wish to discuss career options, course choices, and areas of interest they would like to pursue, etc, are encouraged to talk with advisors.

Do I need to see an advisor prior to registering for classes?
No, you should be able to plan which courses you need and register for them in a manner consistent with the Model Course Schedules without consulting an advisor. The Model Course Schedules outlines suggested courses to be taken each year to complete the Major in Psychology. We respect our students' abilities to figure out and implement their own academic plan.

Is there any particular order in which I should take courses?
Students have quite a bit of freedom concerning when to take a course. It is important, however, to pay close attention to course prerequisites in order to be able to register for future courses. It is also important to start taking the MAT courses relatively early so that any prerequisites for those courses can be fulfilled within the time frame planned for graduation. You may wish to check the Sample Four-Year Plan for the Psychology Major for suggestions about how to plan your courses over a four-year period.

May I take my nine hours of psychology electives at any level?
Yes. However, pay close attention to the senior-hour requirement for graduation in order to ensure that sufficient upper-division courses have been completed for the bachelor's degree.

What courses are recommended for the psychology electives?
No specific courses are recommended. Elective courses should be used to explore topics of interest, introduce new areas within the field of psychology, or to help prepare you for the career you are pursuing. Ask your advisor for suggestions of psychology courses most relevant for your future plans.

Can SOC 131 (Social Psychology) and SOC 123 (Human Sexuality) count as electives towards the Major in Psychology?
Yes.

Which subsection of PSY 331 (Laboratory in Research Methods for Psychology) should I take?
This course has several subsections (e.g., 331.01-Developmental; 331.03-Operant Behavior; 331.05-Social: etc.). While the subsection you take may be guided by your interest area in psychology and which section best fits your schedule, any of the PSY 331 subsections will fulfill the requirement for the Major. The Operant Behavior subsection (PSY 331.03) likely will involve research with animals, while the other subsections focus on research methods with human subjects. Please remember that the prerequisites for all PSY 331 subsections are to have completed both PSY 138 (Reasoning in Psychology) and PSY 231 (Research Methods in Psychology).

Is an internship required?
No. However, internships (PSY 398 Professional Practice in Psychology) do offer students an opportunity to earn academic credit for work or gain volunteer experience in the field of psychology. While the credit earned cannot be counted towards the Major in Psychology, internships can provide students with valuable supervised experience that may enhance their academic and career goals, as well as give them an opportunity to explore possible future career interests. In order to be eligible for internship credit, students must be juniors or seniors, have a minimum GPA of 2.2 (both cumulative and in all psychology course work), and have taken a minimum of 15 hours of psychology courses relevant to the internship. If you are interested in doing an internship, contact Dr. Karen Mark (the coordinator of Psychology internships) at 438-8130 or by e-mail at kimark@ilstu.edu.

Is a grade of D passing?
Psychology majors must earn a C or better in PSY 111, 138, 200, and 231. Psychology majors must also earn a C or better in required math courses (MAT 120, 121, 144, or 145) and in laboratory science courses. However, a D is a passing grade in other courses as long as the grade point average (GPA) for the Psychology major is 2.2 or above and the overall ISU GPA is 2.0 or above.

The psychology course I want to take is closed. What can I do?
See the Overrides Web site.

What are the department policies for taking course overloads?
The department has developed policies for guiding advisors on when it is in the student's best academic interest to be approved for a course overload. See Course Overload for more information.

My Academic Progress Summary (APS) does not accurately reflect courses taken in my major. What could be the problem?
Many courses taken for the major—particularly elective courses—must be manually entered into your plan of study computer record; these courses may not be automatically counted towards your major when you register. If your plan of study needs to be updated, contact your advisor. If applicable, make sure that you follow up on any deficiencies identified in your APS that still must be completed.

Some University requirements which I have completed are not accurately reflected on my Academic Progress Summary. What should I do?
Notify either your advisor or Evaluations Services (Moulton 106).

I want to take a course at another school and transfer the credit into my Psychology major. What is the procedure?
Check with Evaluation Services (Moulton 106) to find out if the course is articulated at Illinois State—that is, how the course at another school is counted as far as any equivalent ISU course or credit. If the course you want to take has not been articulated (the course has not been evaluated by ISU for transfer credit), see your advisor for approval of the transfer course. You will need the catalog from the other school and a course syllabus for your advisor to evaluate the course.

I have taken a course at another school that I want to count towards my Psychology major. What should I do?
Make arrangements at the transfer institution to have the course transferred to Illinois State through Evaluation Services. Obtain a copy of the course syllabus and a course catalog from the transfer institution, and ask your Psychology advisor if the course can be applied to your major. In some cases, the advisor may be able to determine if you can receive credit towards the Major for the transfer course and take steps to have that course added to your plan of study. In other cases, it may be necessary for your advisor to consult with a faculty member who teaches a similar course at ISU to make a comparison of course content. Together they can decide whether credit for that course can be applied towards the Psychology major.