Advising

General Overview

Each semester students should meet with their advisor to review their course selections. Most advisors initiate the process by sending an email with instructions about how to set up an appointment and how to prepare for the meeting. Be aware that faculty communicate with students via their campus email accounts. It is the student’s responsibility to check their UMassD email regularly. They can forward their UMassD email to a different email account, if they wish. 

The name of the student’s advisor is listed in COIN.

After students have met with their advisor, the advisor will remove their advising hold. Then, on or after their enrollment date, they can enroll in their courses via COIN.

Other times to meet with your advisor

• It is always okay to see one’s advisor if there are problems or questions.
• Students are also encouraged to talk to their advisor about non-academic issues such as career planning and extra-curricular opportunities, or just to say hello.
  
  

Requirements

The UMass Dartmouth catalog of the year in which the student was admitted is the official document for all requirements.

Graduation Requirements include:

• Earning a total of 120 credits
• Earning at least 30 credits from upper-level courses (300 and above)
• Earning at least 30 credits at UMassD (45 for those who matriculated before Fall 2023)
• An overall GPA of at least 2.0
• Fulfilling University Studies requirements
• Fulfilling College of Arts and Sciences requirements
• Fulfilling Psychology Major requirements

Psychology Major Requirements include:

• Earning a total of 35 credits in PSY (11 courses plus one lab)
  • Note that because most PSY courses have prerequisites, it will take at least 5 semesters to complete the required PSY courses. Some may be taken during the summer (rather than a Fall or Spring semester), but not all PSY courses are offered during summer sessions.
• Meeting the PSY Department’s academic standards
  • PSY majors must earn grades no lower than a C- in their PSY courses. If students earn a grade lower than a C-, they will have to retake the course.
  • Students cannot take a course a third time without permission. The request must be made by submitting this form Course Repeat (Third or More Attempt). Be aware that permission is often denied.
  • Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 in the major, starting when they have completed 9 credits in PSY (or 6 credits, if they are a transfer student).
  • Students who do not meet the GPA requirement or receive three or more grades of “W” or “I” in one semester are placed on departmental probation.

Guidelines for Course Selection

PSY BA 4-year Curriculum Map

NOTE: The order of the courses that fulfill University Studies and College requirements may differ between semesters.

 Further Recommendations

• Students are strongly advised to take their math course before taking PSY 205. Unless they have a compelling reason to take a different math course (e.g., they are pre-med and need calculus), the PSY Department recommends MTH 147.
  
  
• PSY 101 is the prerequisite for all 200-level PSY courses. It is recommended that students take at least one 200-level PSY course before taking PSY 205.
  
  
• Taking PSY 205 and PSY 250 together (during the same semester) is not recommended.
  
  
• If students have an interest in counseling as a possible career path, they should take PSY 377 as a PSY elective in the spring of their Junior year.
  
  

Tracking Progress Toward Degree Completion

Students are encouraged to track their own progress in fulfilling University Studies and College requirements. They can do so by checking their Advisement Report (in COIN) and filling in the Fillable Tracking Sheet for CAS BA.

Please note that this tracking sheet shows the College of Arts and Science requirements for (1) students who matriculated in Fall 2024 or later and (2) students who matriculated before Fall 2024 but opted into the new requirements.