Dual Degree/Double Major

Psychology
Dual Degree & Double Majors

Psychology and Care, Health & Society Dual Degree

Students have the opportunity to pursue a dual degree in Psychology (PSYBA) and Care, Health & Society (CHSBS). This dual degree helps equip students who plan to pursue careers in health psychology, medicine, public health, nursing, social work, and other health professions that integrate psychosocial perspective of health and health care. This dual degree allows students to understand and apply principles of the biopsychosocial perspective, which acknowledges the important interactions between biological, psychological, and social perspectives of health and illness.

Care, Health, Society

It also allows students to take a multi-level approach to understanding health, with focus on the role of the individual, health care providers, and the larger health care system in determining health outcomes.  Students who pursue both a CHSBS and a PSYCBA need not take both statistics and methods courses. Students will work with their academic advisor to determine which courses meet those requirements. In addition, students may share up to 12 units of electives between the degrees. The following outlines the list of courses that can be shared:

  • CHS 204 Introduction to the Helping Professions
  • CHS 303 Health and Society
  • CHS 305 Suffering and Care in Society
  • CHS 309 Ethical Issues in the Helping Professions
  • CHS 350 Environment, Health and Society
  • CHS 401 Health Disparities in Society
  • CHS 406 Reproductive Health & Society
  • CHS 426 Healthcare fraud & compliance investigation
  • CHS 437 Indigenous Health
  • CHS 449 Introduction to Biodemography
  • CHS 404 The Sociology of Mental Health

  • PSY 240 Developmental Psychology
  • PSY 321 Brain Rehabilitation
  • PSY 352 Personality
  • PSY 360 Social Psychology
  • PSY 364 Human Sexuality
  • PSY 381 Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY 382 Psychology of Health Disparities
  • PSY 383 Health Psychology
  • PSY 422 Introduction to Brain Connectivity
  • PSY 424 Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective      
  • PSY 459 Adult Development & Aging

Psychology and Law Double Major

wooden gavel on desks

The double major in Psychology and Law is designed for students to gain a deep understanding of the growing number of issues that involve both fields. A background in both can increase students’ understanding of issues such as psychopathology, family violence, child abuse, trauma and stress and how these manifest in, for example, family, juvenile, criminal and mental health law. Students planning careers in probation, law enforcement, community mental health service delivery, human resources will be greatly enriched by this dual degree program. It will also provide a firm foundation for those students planning to go on to graduate school in psychology or to law school. 

Students must complete all requirements of each major. The following is a list of courses that can be shared between the majors as electives. Students may take at least 1 Law, 1 POL, and 1 PSY course from the course list below to count toward both degrees. A total of 9 units may count across both majors. Scroll down to see a complete index of course descriptions.

  • LAW 406 - Visual Storytelling and the Law
  • LAW 436 - Risk Management/Insurance Law
  • LAW 440 - Introduction to Human Rights Law
  • LAW 452 - Health Law
  • LAW 456 - Family Law
  • LAW 458 - Introduction to Criminal Law
  • LAW 472 - Criminal Procedure: Investigation and Arrest
  • LAW 469 - Native American Family and Domestic Relations Law

  • POL 309 - Judicial Process
  • POL 325 - Foundations of Political Psychology
  • POL 404 - Experimental Political Science
  • POL 409 - Causes and Consequences of Public Opinion
  • POL 435 - Elections and Voting Behavior
  • POL 469 - Law and Social Change

  • PSY 368 - Psychology of Terrorism
  • PSY 377 - A Psychology and Law
  • PSY 379 - Psychology of Divorce
  • PSY 380 - Child Abuse and Neglect
  • PSY 381 - Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY 480 - Forensic Psychology
  • PSY 486 - A Ethical and Legal Dilemmas

Psychological Science and Neuroscience, & Cognitive Science Double Major

The double Major in Psychological Science and Neuroscience Cognitive Science (NSCS) has been created with the large number of undergraduate students in mind who seek to explore careers in research, medicine, neuropsychology, geriatrics, biotechnology, and a host of other health-related, government, policy, law, education, and human services fields. This double major will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about the mysteries of the mind from multiple levels of analysis - from the level of the neuron all the way up to complex group behavior.

Human Brain Hologram Sketch

Given the links between the Psychological Science major and the NSCS major, particularly encapsulated within the field of cognitive neuroscience, students often already find themselves taking courses underneath the umbrella of each major separately.  We’ve now created a double major path that has taken in account similarities in study areas so that the each student can forge an efficient path through the two curricula. Students interested in this double major will work with advising in both Psychology and NSCS to navigate the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.  It should be noted that only electives from the NSCS Cognition, Neurobiology and Development & Aging emphases can be shared with the Psychological Science major.  Please reach out to either Psychology or NSCS Advising for details.

NSCS-PSY curriculum guide