Important Advising Information for Psychology Majors

Submitted by Angela Draheim Academic Program Coordinator and Departmental Web Specialist in Psychology
March 30, 2025
Audience
Student

Dear current & prospective psychology majors, 

Please continue reading this advising message carefully!

  1. Psychology majors under the LEAD Curriculum should track their progress with the PSYC LEAD checklist that corresponds to their catalog year (when they started at the College): AY20-21, AY21-22, AY22-23, AY23-24 or AY24-25. Majors under the CORE Curriculum (enrolled prior to FA20) should refer to the AY19-20 checklist. See also the Seahawk Course Planner and Tracking Sheet released by Academic Affairs in SP25.
  2. In F25 there will be four sections of PSYC204 Psychological Research, Analysis, and Writing I & three sections of PSYC206 Psychological Research, Analysis, and Writing II. In SP26, there will be three sections of PSYC204 & four sections of PSYC206. Students should plan to begin the 204/206 sequence in their second year of study at SMCM. 204 must be taken before 206.
  3. Psychology majors are required to do an SMP in psychology or another major or cross-disciplinary study area. All psychology students planning to start their SMP in F25 were required to submit their online interest form by Feb 10, 2025. Mentor assignments were announced 3/27. If you are planning to do a SMP in PSYC or NEUR with a psychology faculty member and did not receive a pairing email, email Angie Draheim (ardraheim@smcm.edu).
  4. Some other course notes to be aware of: [Read more about topics courses here]
    1. In FA25, PSYC310 Scientific Writing and Professional Development will have three sections focused on: rejection and belonging (with Dr. Freedman, two sections) and multicultural psychology (with Dr. Ikizler). In SP26, PSYC310 will have three sections focused on: clinical psychology & mental health (Dr. Ehman), multicultural psychology (Dr. Ikizler), and development (Dr. Leffers). Students should plan to take this course in their junior year prior to starting the SMP. If you need to co-enroll in 310 and 206, you must get approval from the department chair (Dr. Mantell; jtmantell@smcm.edu).
    2. Planned FA25 Lab Offerings: 
      • 5 credits: PSYC 322 Biological Psychology plus Lab & PSYC364 Culture & Community Psychology plus Lab [Race/Ethnic Identity] 
      • 4 credits: PSYC332 Laboratory Seminar in Developmental Psychology [Cognitive Development] 
    3. Planned SP26 Lab Offerings: 
      • 5 credits: PSYC340 Social Psychology plus Lab & PSYC370 Counseling Psychology plus Lab 
      • 4 credits: PSYC321 Laboratory Seminar in Learning Theory [Conditioning, Eating, Addiction], & PSYC323 Laboratory Seminar in Biological and Sensory Processes [Perception, Cognition, Computation] 
    4. Lower-division courses that count toward breadth include: 
      • FA25: PSYC222 Topics in Social and Cognitive Processes [topic TBD], PSYC230 Lifespan Development, PSYC235 Physiological and Sensory Psychology, PSYC250 Social Psychology, PSYC264 Topics in Culture & Community [topic TBD] and PSYC282 Topics in Health and Counseling [Cultivating and Evaluating Wellness]
      • Planned for SP26: PSYC 221 Cognitive Psychology, PSYC222 Topics in Social and Cognitive Processes [Topic TBD], PSYC230 Lifespan Development, PSYC250 Social Psychology, PSYC263 Multicultural Psychology & PSYC280 Counseling Theories & Methods  
    5. Advanced topics courses include: 
      • FA25: PSYC483 Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology [Culture & Development], PSYC484 Advanced Topics in Biological and Sensory Processes [Consciousness], PSYC486 Advanced Topics in Social and Cognitive Processes [topic TBD] & PSYC487 Advanced Topics in Culture & Community [Psychology of Games for Good]
      • SP26: PSYC486 Advanced Topics in Social and Cognitive Processes [Cognition in the Real World] & PSYC487 Advanced Topics in Culture & Community [3 sections: Leadership and Work; Service Learning for Social Justice; and topic TBD]
    6. Other Upper-division Courses:
      • FA25: PSYC396 Collaborative Research in Psychology with Dr. Bailey [Physical Activity and Psychology; elective] & PSYC414 Drugs, Brains & Behavior [breadth or elective]
      • SP26: PSYC396 Collaborative Research in Psychology with Dr. Bailey [Physical Activity and Psychology; elective], PSYC396 with Dr. Ikizler [Ethnic Minority Psychology; elective], PSYC431 Infant & Child Development [breadth or elective] & PSYC475 Psychopathology [breadth or elective]
  5. PSYC304 Emerging Scholars in Psychology, [2 cr, C/NC grading] will be offered in FA25 & SP26 (Co-requisites: PSYC 204. Enrollment by permission of instructor; for more information, please contact Dr. Kurpad; nkurpad@smcm.edu). 
  6. You may find this advising day prep list and blank schedule planner useful.
  7. How do I know if a course counts toward a CDSA? Click here (make sure you are on the Fall 2025 tab)!
  8. If you are interested in TAing for PSYC 204, 206, or 310 to earn credit in PSYC 307 in FA25, check your email for the TA application form.
  9. All students planning to graduate in May MUST apply to graduate. Students graduating in August still have little time (end of classes) to take care of this task but can go ahead and do so now. 
  10. If you don’t get into a PSYC class you want at the time of registration, DO NOT email individual professors requesting to get put on their waitlist. ALL PSYC course waitlist requests will be made via a Google form that is managed either by the department or centralized through Academic Affairs. Watch your email for a forthcoming announcement regarding the exact waitlist process for FA25 PSYC courses!

Please discuss questions with your advisor or ask Chair James Mantell. 

Don’t forget about the opportunity to take a class this summer, including PSYC101 Intro to Psychology and PSYC486 Advanced Topics in Health and Counseling [Memory in the Movies].

Take care,

James Mantell & Angie Draheim

Academics