To keep up with universities, the Behavioral and Social Science’s Division will change its psychology major requirements starting in fall, Dean Gloria Miranda said.
The current number of units required for the psychology major is 26 to 27. The proposed change by the Division’s Curriculum Committee will decrease that to 20 units.
“We are trying to lower the minimum number of units. We felt that 27 was too excessive of a number. We’ve brought it down to 20, which is more realistic,” Miranda said. “In fact, all the departments in the division are reviewing the total units at this time.”
In regards to changes made to transfer requirements, EC is working to meet new standards.
“We want to constantly keep up with the students needs and also want to satisfy their requirements to transfer. If we don’t offer such required courses, universities will not accept students applications to transfer,” Miranda said.
A lot of students said that the new changes to the requirements are beneficial.
“It’s a good change, because it means I have to come to school less for my major,” Ariana Young, 18, psychology major, said. “It’s kind of confusing because I don’t understand what classes I had to take before they decided it wasn’t important.”
“I think it’s a good thing because it eliminates the workload for a lot of students. It takes away the stress of having to keep up with some units, Shatodda Simpson, child development major said,
Counselors always sit at the curriculum committees where they get to look at the changes first hand, therefore Miranda advises students to see their counselors to keep updated with the latest changes in requirements.
“Because there are various universities, students need to see a counselor to make certain that they meet the specific transfer requirements of either UCs, CSUs or private universities,” Miranda said. “It is the responsibility of the student to make certain they’re touching bases with a counselor and have them guide them to the proper courses.”
Right now, the college is pushing to increase associates degrees in all fields, including psychology.
There is anywhere between 20 to 30 students obtaining a psychology degree each year, but this change should increase that number, Miranda said.
“The changes take effect in fall. The required units will appear in the 2010-2011 catalog, so anyone declaring themselves a psychology major should follow the new guidelines,” Miranda said.