Psychology Major
Department of Psychology & Counseling
Psychology Major Required Courses | Major Concentrations
Psychology Minors
The undergraduate Psychology program provides a comprehensive academic foundation for students aspiring to graduate study in psychology and related fields, as well as for those seeking employment in social service and mental health programs. Our faculty have expertise in counseling, clinical, developmental, social, cognitive, and forensic psychology and offer a wide array of courses in these areas.
Cross-departmental collaborations provide our students the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary courses, minors, and certificate programs in conjunction with the Art, Biology, Sociology, Social Work, and English departments.
Our program offers a wide breadth of counseling and human development courses. Examples of regularly offered counseling courses include Family Counseling and Counseling for Drug & Alcohol Addiction. Interested psychology majors can elect to concentrate in counseling or human development.
The Department of Psychology and Counseling includes two graduate programs (Master’s in Professional Counseling and PsyD in Counseling Psychology), so our undergraduate students benefit from the ability to interact with graduate students. Students seeking state certification in special education, elementary education, or early childhood education should see the requirements in the School of Education.

Psychology Major Requirements
(for students enrolled Fall 2011 and after)
Requirements: The psychology major includes 34 to 44 credits. The psychology major is 28 credits in required psychology courses, plus 6-16 credits in psychology electives. The total of all psychology courses, including major electives, cannot exceed 44 credits. Transfer students must take at least 18 of these credits at Carlow.
All Psychology (PY) Course Descriptions >>
Psychology Electives: Choose 6-16 credits in psychology courses
Required Support Courses: One English course beyond EN 102
NOTE: If you were enrolled as a Psychology major PRIOR to Fall 2011,
those course requirements are listed on this page.
Pre-Fall 2011 courses >>

Concentrations for Psychology Majors
Counseling Concentration
The concentration in Counseling is offered by the Department of Psychology to students who major in psychology (those who do not major in psychology may consider a minor in counseling). The department understands that many of our graduates, with their BA in psychology, obtain pre-professional jobs within the helping professions. The concentration in Counseling is designed to acquaint the student who is interested in a career in the helping professions with pre-professional-level counselor training.*
The concentration requires the following: Students are required to satisfy the regular requirements for the major; and they are required to complete at least 12 additional credits in counseling from the following list of courses:
Transfer students may substitute a transfer course for one of the above, but only with the approval of the director of the Psychology Department. A minimum of nine counseling credits must be taken at Carlow University.
*The student is cautioned that graduate level training is required before one can appropriately represent oneself as a professional counselor.
Human Development Concentration
The concentration in Human Development is offered to undergraduate students who major in psychology (those who do not major in psychology may consider a minor in human development).
The concentration explores the biological, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social factors that shape human development and is relevant to occupations within the helping professions as well as students who pursue graduate studies in psychology and related fields.
The concentration requires the following: Students are required to satisfy the regular requirements for the major (including PY122 Lifespan Development). In addition, they are required to complete at least 9 additional credits in human development from the following list of courses:
| Required Courses - Human Development Concentration (for Psych Majors) |
| Course # |
Description |
Credits |
| PY 205 |
Child Psychology |
3 |
| PY 206 |
Adolescent Psychology |
3 |
| PY 207 |
Adult Development |
3 |
| PY 308 |
Psychology of the Exceptional Child |
3 |
| PY 404 |
Death & Dying |
3 |
Transfer students may substitute a transfer course for one of the above, but only with the approval of the Director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program. A minimum of nine developmental psychology credits must be taken at Carlow University.
Psychology Minors
Psychology minors require 18 credits in Psychology including PY 101.
NOTE: Students enrolled prior to Fall 2011 are required to complete 21 credits in psychology for the general psychology minor. >>Pre-Fall 2011 course requirements
NOTE: Transfer students must take at least 12 of these at Carlow.
Other Minors for NON-Psychology Majors
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