PSY 490s Course Options & Unit Limits

Psychology courses numbered 491 - 499 provide various avenues to get more 'hands on' experiences for students while also earning course credit. These are included in "Relevant” or “High Impact” experiences that can help prepare for going straight into the workforce after college or applying to a graduate program.

Contracts:

Note that PSY 494, 497, 498 and 499 require a contract be completed by the student and faculty member. Contracts are linked below in course descriptions when relevant.

Special Registration Procedures:

See this canvas major homeroom page for how to register for PSY 490s classes.

Topics covered in this page include:

PSY 491 - Academic or Counseling Experience
PSY 494 - Teaching Assistant
PSY 495 - Field Internship
PSY 497 - Senior Thesis
PSY 498 - Honors Thesis
PSY 499 - Independent Study (used for research assistantship in psychology faculty's lab)
Unit Limits - Limits on the # of units that can count toward the major and/or the 120-unit minimum needed to graduate.

PSY 491. Academic or Psychological Counseling Experiences

(3 units) Cr/NC

Option 1: Academic Counseling Experience

Unit Worth: One-year commitment (two consecutive semesters), 3 units per semester.
Maximum credit: six units.
Prerequisites: Minimum 3.0 GPA.
Description: Academic Counseling Experience is a one-year commitment consisting of one semester of training and one semester of peer advising in the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office. Academic counselors are trained to declare psychology majors and minors, submit academic petitions, counsel individuals on academic matters (such as psychology course selections and graduate school preparation), and make referral appointments with the advising directors. This is a great opportunity for those interested in working with people, networking, and educating themselves.
Procedure: An application process is necessary for entrance into this program. Some applicants will be chosen for interviews from which the new cohort will be selected. Look for announcements from the Psychology Major Homeroom on Canvas in September and March.

Option 2: Psychological Counseling Experience (Peer Educator)

Unit Worth: One-year commitment (two consecutive semesters), 3 units per semester.
Maximum credit: six units.
Description: Psychological Counseling Experience is a one-year commitment during which students serve as peer educators within the Counseling & Psychological Services department. The Peer Education program offers students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience working in the mental health field with an emphasis on valuing and respecting diversity among individuals. The primary focus of their work is on outreach and educational activities that will provide programmatic support for the department. Peer Educators are also given training in general counseling skills and ethical issues that are used in their interactions with student groups. They are supervised by professional staff.
Procedure: An application is necessary for entrance into this program. Application materials are available at: https://sacd.sdsu.edu/cps/get-involved/peer-education-program

Option 3: Introduction to Campus Activities and Networking (ICAN)

Prerequisites: Mentors must be upperclassmen with at least one year of attendance at SDSU.
Description: Remember what it was like to be the newest or youngest member of a group or at a school? Wouldn't it have been nice to have an experienced fellow student and a faculty member knowledgeable about the facilities and activities on campus serve as "mentors"? This is what the weekly College of Sciences' Introduction to Campus Activities and Networking Program offers. ICAN mentors assist freshman and community college transfer students in locating campus resources, linking them with departmental advisors, identifying tutors in science courses, and encouraging students to participate in workshops. ICAN mentors are assigned protégés and meet with them for one hour a week, in addition to two hours of class time. Maximum credit six units.
Procedure: An application is necessary for entrance into the program. For an application, contact Dr. Estralita Martin at (619) 594-1204 or esmartin@sdsu.edu.

PSY 494. Techniques for Teaching & Tutoring in Psychology

(2 units) Cr/NC

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Maximum credit: four units.
Description: Practical knowledge and experience in psychology instruction and advanced content in a specific area of psychology. Those interested in obtaining teaching experience and creating relationships with psychology professors and students should consider this opportunity. The work involved depends on both the course and the professor. Generally, a teacher's assistant takes attendance, tutors students, and lectures.
Procedure including Contract: Interested students need to sign a contract with consent of the chosen instructor (before the add/drop deadline) who will provide them with a schedule number for registration.

PSY 495. Field Placement in Psychology

(3 units) Cr/NC

Prerequisites: Psychology 350 (Abnormal Psychology) and three units from Psychology 230 (Developmental Psychology), 340 (Social Psychology), or 351 (Psychology of Personality).
Maximum credit: six units.
Description: This is a service-learning course that places students with selected community-based agencies where they volunteer as interns to earn course credit. Students are supervised by both the course instructor and an agency site supervisor. This course is designed for students interested in becoming clinical psychologists, social workers, therapists, counselors, special education teachers, or other human services professionals. It provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable field experience by helping others. Each week, students are required to attend class for 50 minutes and to work at their field placement as an intern for 4 hours. By the end of the semester, interns are expected to have completed 40 hours at their field placement. They will serve as assistants to an individual or individuals at a community agency throughout the semester, and will facilitate the goals of both the client and the agency. They will observe and learn about the agency and the people that it serves, and submit course deliverables based on the course content, class discussions, presentations, observations, and field experience.
- Students cannot be paid and receive course credit for PSY 495 when working in an agency.
- International students must have a CPT form signed by the psychology advising office if they take PSY 495.
- NOTE also: PSY 495 credit is only offered for pre-approved agencies. Students who have a current internship for which they are interested in pursuing course credit should check to see if they can sign up for GEN S200 or GEN S400. Contact the coordinator of these programs in advance to see if applying to take a GEN S course makes sense for you.
Procedure:
- At the beginning of the semester, students will pick 3 community agencies from the list. A matching process is then across students and agencies resulting in students being assigned to one of the agencies that they desired.
- There may be additional costs for this class. Depending on your agency placement, you might be required to pay for fingerprinting, tuberculosis skin test, etc.
Special Note: Students who have successfully completed Psychology 495 and would like to continue their service learning experience can sign up for a special section of Psychology 495. Rather than 40 hours, they will be required to complete 80 hours at their field placement, complete a journal entry, and a final. They are not required to meet for a weekly class.

PSY 497. Senior Project

(1-3 units)

Prerequisites: Twelve units of psychology and consent of instructor.
Maximum credit: six units.
Description: Individual investigation and APA-style report on a research project.
Procedure including Contract: Interested students need to sign a contract with consent of the chosen instructor (before the add/drop deadline) who will provide them with a schedule number for registration.

PSY 498. Undergraduate Honors Thesis

(2 semester commitment, 3 units per semester)

Unit Worth: One-year commitment (two consecutive semesters), 3 units per semester.
Maximum credit: six units.
Prerequisites: Psychology 410 (Advanced Research Methods Laboratory), 3.5 overall GPA and/or 3.75 GPA in major, consent of Dr. Sadler (honors thesis coordinator), and consent of instructor.
Description: An independent research project to be completed over the course of two semesters and supervised by an instructor in the Psychology Department.
Procedure: Honors thesis application materials will be distributed through Canvas Homeroom for Psychology Majors in late summer each year. Application materials are due near the beginning of fall semesters.

PSY 499. Special Study

(1-3 units) Cr/NC

Maximum credit: six units.
Description: Students may earn credit for working in one of San Diego State University’s psychology professors' laboratories. In order to receive three units of credit, students usually need to work 8-10 hours per week. Every lab is different and every professor decides how his or her lab is run. This opportunity is especially recommended for those interested in obtaining research-oriented graduate degrees in the future.
Procedure including Contract: Apply to work in a professor’s lab through RAAP (research assistant application program) or direct contact with a professor. If accepted into a professor’s lab, students and professors will complete a 499 contract. Professors maintain copies of the form and provide a number for students to register for the course.

Unit Caps for PSY 490s Courses

There are limits on the number of 490s units a student can apply to their degree. There are maximums both for the number of times an individual course can be retaken as well as limits about how many units can be taken among particular sets of courses and applied to the major requirements and/or degree requirements.

Individual 490s Course Limits

6 units of PSY 491
4 units of PSY 494
6 units of PSY 495
6 units of PSY 497
6 units of PSY 498
6 units of PSY 499

Note: 496 does not have limits within psychology, but there are limits to the number of 496 units across departments that can count toward the degree. See further down on this page.

The 12 Unit Rule

A student can take 12 units total from the PSY 490s classes listed above (excluding PSY 498). For example, students could have 6 units of PSY 499, 3 units of PSY 495, and 3 units of PSY 497.

Within the 12 units: 9 Unit Rule, Option 1

A student can take 9 units across PSY 491, PSY 494, and PSY 495. For example, a student can have 6 units of PSY 491 and 3 units of PSY 495.

Within the 12 units: 9 Unit Rule, Option 2

A student can take 9 units overall across PSY 497 and PSY 499. For example, a student can have 6 units of 499 and 3 units of 497.

University Wide Course Limits

University Wide ‘99 Rule:

This is the rule for the university. Students are allowed 9 units of 299, 499, 599 overall. This is across departments. Now remember that students are only allowed 6 units from any one department. Thus, a student can have 6 units of PSY 499 and 3 units of CFD 499, for example.

University Wide ‘96 Rule:

Separate from the courses listed above, students are allowed 9 units across 296, 496, and 596.