Click on a category to jump to the most frequently asked questions, or just scroll down to skim through all of the questions and the answers.
Q. How do I become a psychology major?
A. UF students: Freshmen and Sophomores go to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Advising Office and speak with an advisor. Then come to room 135 in the Psychology building to speak with an advisor from the Psychology Department.
Transfers into UF: Attend the Transfer student orientation. Be sure to stay and listen to the psychology advisor.
Q. Can I have psychology as a minor?
A. No.
Q. Can Stats/Math/Biology be taken S/U?
A. No.
Q. How can I have a dual or double major with psychology?
A. Get a double major form from your college advising office, fill it out, and bring it to the departments that need to sign it.
Q. Can I take psychology classes outside of UF as a transient student?
A. Yes, but students should get copies of the syllabi from the psychology courses they want to take as a transient student. Then they should speak with a psychology advisor to determine whether the courses will count towards the major requirements.
Q. If I take classes as part of a semester abroad will they count for my psychology major?
A. The class might count, but get the course approved by the psychology department's undergraduate coordinator (Dr. Keith Berg) before you leave.
Q. What psychology classes count for General Education or Gordon Rule requirements?
A. Most psychology courses count as a social science. However, PSB 3054 and CBH 3003 count as a biological science. In addition the advanced labs count toward the Gordon rule writing requirement. However, you should always check this with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' advising office.
Q. I want to/have to leave Gainesville for a semester. What options are available for me?
A. Available options are to take INP 4004 (a correspondence course in I/O psychology), set up a community work location (PSY 4949) – this must be done before the student leaves, or transferring credits from another institution.
Q. Can the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Natural Science Laboratory requirement be met by any of the psychology labs?
A. The advanced psychology labs (4 credits) and the general research methods labs (3 credits) meet this requirement.
Q. What can I do with my psychology degree?
A. Go to this website and download the 45 page document.
Q. Where can I volunteer in the community for credit?
A. A list of PSY 4949 locations is available ont the Research and Volunteer Experience page.
Q. What if I want to volunteer at a place not on the list?
A. Come to the Psychology Advising Office (Rm. 135 of the Psychology building) to discuss this option with an advisor.
Q. Where can I volunteer as a research assistant for credit?
A. A list of PSY 3912/CLP 3911 opportunities is available at http://www.psych.ufl.edu/.
Q. How are individual work classes graded?
A. All individual work classes are pass/fail (will not affect GPA). Max of 9 credit hours of individual work classes will count towards psychology major
Q. What are the restrictions on each individual work courses?
A. Students can take 1, 2, or 3 credit hours per semester.
Max of 9 hours of CLP 3911 and PSY3912 combined.
Max of 4 hours each of PSY 4905 and PSY 4949.
Max of 6 hours of PSY 4970.
Total hours from all these courses must not exceed 9 hours.
1 credit hour = 45 hours of work during the semester.
3 hours/week Spring or Fall semester
3.75 hours/week Summer C
7.5 hours/week Summer A or B
Course Course Number Prerequisites
Community Service in Psychology PSY4949 12 hours of psychology
Introduction to Research in Psychology PSY3912 PSY2013, consent of instructor
Introduction to Clinical Psychology Research CLP3911 PSY2013, consent of instructor
Individual Work in Psychology PSY4905 12 hours of psychology
Senior Thesis in Psychology PSY4970 24 hours of psychology, consent of instructor
Q. What courses are recommended if I am interested in going to graduate school?
A. Students interested in attending graduate school in psychology should take a wide range of psychology courses including the advanced lab. Students are also encouraged to do a senior thesis.
Q. When should I take the GRE?
A. Students should take the GRE no later than 3 months before applications are due to graduate programs.
Q. Can/Should I take the GRE again if I do not do well?
A. Students can take the GRE again.
Q. Should I take the GRE Psychology subject test?
A. Most graduate programs do not require the subject test. However, students should contact the specific programs to which they intend to apply in order to determine whether the program requires the subject test.
Q. When should I start preparing for graduate school in psychology?
A. Students should ideally begin preparation for graduate school the second semester of their sophomore year. If students wait until junior year, they can still make themselves competitive for graduate school. If students wait until senior year, they will need to become highly involved in research very quickly to make themselves competitive. However, even a small amount of research experience is better than none.
Q. Besides GPA and GRE scores, what else is important when applying to graduate school?
A. Research experience, clinical experience (if applying to Clinical or Counseling programs), field experience, letters of recommendation, and personal statements are extremely important.
Q. When should I request applications to graduate programs?
A. Most graduate programs have their applications online. Students should ideally send their applications several weeks before the application deadline.
Q. Where can I get information about specific graduate programs?
A. The first place to look is on the American Psychological Association’s webpage, http://www.apa.org/. They have a ranking of all the different graduate programs in the country. In addition, students should look at the useful links page of the Psychology department’s webpage and directly contact universities regarding their graduate programs. Many of the bookstores in Gainesville have books that contain very useful information about graduate programs. For example an Insider’s Guide to Clinical and Counseling Psychology Graduate Schools is a very useful book for students interested in applying to clinical and counseling programs.
Q. Do all psychology graduate programs start in the fall?
A. Most psychology graduate programs start in the fall, but you should again check with the particular program that you are applying to and see when they start their program.
Q. What information do I include in my applications?
A. Students should include a transcript from every University or College they may have attended, a personal statement, a resume or vitae, and letters of recommendation. Students should also make sure that their GRE scores were sent to the schools they where they are applying. If a student conducted a senior thesis, sending the thesis with the other material would be appropriate. Different schools may have additional requirements, so be sure to double check with the school that you are applying to and tailor your application package to their requirements.
Q. What information should I provide to faculty writing letters of recommendation for me?
A. Forms are available on the Psychology department’s webpage, http://www.psych.ufl.edu/. Click on “Undergraduate Info” and then click on Useful Links. The form can be downloaded from this page. Providing your references, resume, and personal statement are also beneficial.
Q. Where can I find out about research/volunteer opportunities?
A. Check the bulletin board outside the psych advising office as well as the Research and Volunteer Experience page on this web site. Now, you can also hear about them through the E-info page!
Q. How do I get more info about PSI CHI & Psychology club?
A. There are copies of their most recent newsletter in the psych advising office. Or go to: www.psych.ufl.edu/~psichi.
Q. How do I know which lab to take?
A. Come to the psych advising office to take a look at previous syllabi we have collected from most of the lab courses to get a better idea what the lab/research method courses are like.
Q. Do I have to take the 3 credit lab before a 4 credit lab?
A. No. Taking either the 3 credit lab [PSY 3213L] or any of the 4 credit labs will satisfy your requirement for the major, as well as your general lab requirement for Liberal Arts & Sciences. Taking a 4 credit lab is recommended for those who want to pursue grad school in psychology; see the psych advising office for further questions.
Q. I am participating in an experiment that meets in the lobby, where is it?
A. The lobby is through the main entrance glass doors, where the vending machines are located.
Q. How do I get a hold on my record removed in order to register?
A. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Academic Advisement Center removes all holds for psychology majors. The Psychology Advising Office will not be able to remove any holds.
Q. Where do I go for Advising?
A. For questions regarding psych major requirements you may visit the Undergrad Psych Advising Office in Room 135 of the psych building. If your questions pertain to requirements outside of the major [such as foreign language, Gen Ed, Gordon Rule, etc] you’ll need to visit the Academic Advisement Center located on Fletcher Dr.
Q. How do I make an appointment for advising?
A. You do not need an appointment for the Undergrad Psych Advising office, you may walk-in anytime during office hours. The Academic Advisement center takes appointments as well as walk-ins. During peak times, such as drop/add and pre-registration, you will need to make an appointment to avoid waiting a very long time. Contact number for the CLAS Academic Advisement Center is 392-1521.
Q. What do I need to do to avoid a late fee for registration?
A. You will only be assessed a $100 late fee if you have not registered for ANY classes before the drop/add period begins. As long as you are registered for at least one course you will not be assessed a late fee for adding/dropping course during drop/add, or adding any individual work courses onto your schedule.
Q. I am having trouble understanding my audit; what requirements do I have left before I graduate?
A. You should come in to the Psychology Advising Office, room 135 of the psych building, to have an advisor complete a written audit for you which will tell you what requirements of the major you have completed and what you still need. You should also visit the Academic Advisement Center for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences to check what requirements you have left for your degree that may be outside of the psychology major.
Q. The 4 credit lab courses are closed – can the advising office add me into one of the labs anyways?
A. No. There is no waitlist or reserved seats for the lab courses. If you need a lab to graduate that semester you should register for the 3-credit lab [PSY3213L] as a backup so you will not be prevented from graduating and check often for openings in the other lab courses.
Q. Do the psychology lab courses count for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences general lab requirement?
A. Yes. The general lab requirement is fulfilled by taking any lab course whose prefix ends in “L” or “C”, which all of the psychology labs do.
Q. Am I allowed to take both EAB3764 and EAB3002?
A. Yes. You are allowed to take both courses – however, you may NOT count both courses to satisfy your Group A requirement for the major. Thus, you will only be able to take both EAB3764 and EAB3002 if you have already taken another course that counts towards Group A requirement.
Q. Am I allowed to take both PSB3004 and PSB3340?
A. No. You may take one OR the other.
Q. I am a double major, and when I try to sign up for a psych lab it says "missing a pre-req" – what should I do?
A. Being a psych major is considered a pre-requisite for taking a psych lab – if the computer system does not recognize your primary major as psychology you will receive that message. If you are sure you have taken the required pre-requisite courses, come in to the psych advising office, room 135, to have an advisor add you in to the lab [as long as there are seats available].
Q. What do I do if this FAQ didn't answer my questions relating to the psychology major?
A. Come to the psychology advising office during our office hours, call (352) 273-2115, or email psyadv@grove.ufl.edu.