Psychology Minor Requirements

The Department of Psychology provides students with the opportunity to pursue a minor in Psychology, of which they can choose from three different tracks: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Industrial/Organizational, or Personality and Social.

 

How to Declare a Minor in Psychology

Includes eligibility criteria and restrictions on declaring a minor.

Minor Requirements

There are 3 minor tracks available that require between 19 and 21 units. Course requirements are described in the online catalog, which are linked further below on this page.

University Policies for Minors

  1. Students must maintain an average 2.0 minor GPA or higher across lower and upper division minor courses.
  2. Lower-division courses may be used to satisfy a minor, prep for your major, and GE requirements, if applicable. However, there are some limits to this rule. We have encountered students with a major and multiple minors which all required PSY 101, for example, but it did not show as being applied to all departments on the degree evaluation.  
  3. Upper-division courses in a minor may not also be counted toward a major.
  4. Upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade to satisfy the minor requirements.
  5. A minimum of 6 upper division minor units must be completed in residence at San Diego State University.
  6. Students cannot have a major and minor in the same department.

 

Department Policy

Students adding a minor must allow 3+ semesters just for upper-division requirements, because (1) some courses are available only once a year and (2) course sequencing.

Minor declaration requests that will extend a student's graduation timeline by more than a semester will not be supported.

Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience Minor Links to an external site.

Requirements for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience minor

  • Note: PSY 211 is not part of the lower-division requirements for the minor, but it is a prerequisite for PSY 380. If you want to take PSY 380, make sure you are aware of the prereq.
  • Sequencing: Ss will typically need at least 4 semesters to complete this minor because of course sequencing: BIOL 100 is a prerequisite for PSY 260 which is a prerequisite for many of the upper-division course options. Keep in mind that most upper-division cognitive/neuro courses are being offered only once a year (which could extend the time needed to complete this minor).

Industrial/Organizational Minor Links to an external site.

Requirements for Industrial/Organizational minor

  • Although students on the I/O emphasis for the major need to get a B or higher in statistics, those on the I/O minor do not (this is because the major emphasis includes PSY 370 which requires a B or higher in stats whereas the minor does not include that class).
  • Sequencing:
    • It takes at least 3 semesters to complete the minor because (1) PSY 319 must be taken before 420 and 421 and (2) 420 is only offered in Fall terms while 421 is only offered in Spring terms. If students have not yet taken PSY 101, then it will take at least 4 semesters.
    • Although 319 must be taken first, students can take either PSY 420 or 421 next, whichever is offered in the following term.

Personality & Social Psychology Minor Links to an external site.

Requirements for Personality and Social minor

  • If students want to take any of the upper-division developmental courses (PSY 331-333), they need to earn a C or higher in PSY 230 because that grade is required in the prereqs.
  • This minor has one “elective”, if you will. Students need to take 3 units of upper-division psychology coursework.