Undergraduate Courses
Psychology at UC San Diego is a laboratory science. We are concerned with the scientific development of knowledge about human and animal behavior and thought. Accordingly, experience with experimental procedures plays an important role in the undergraduate and graduate training of students. All Psychology majors must learn experimental methods, including basic statistical techniques.
- Course Descriptions: a list of all PSYC courses and their descriptions
- Schedule of Classes
- 2023-2024 Academic Year PSYC Course Offerings
Psych Department Approval, Restrictions, or Prerequisites
Adding a Course that Requires Approval
Some of our courses require special approval due to enforced prerequisites, instructor approval, and/or department approval to enroll. To identify special approval courses, look for a "D" or "O" next to the course number on TritonLink.
- "D" = Department Approval: Students must obtain clearance from the department using the EASy system.
- "O" = Major students only: The course is restricted to Major students only.
Please allow 7 business days to process EASy requests. We do not rush EASy processing due to a student's enrollment appointment. Our office processes EASy requests as they are received in the system.
The following courses have additional steps to enroll in:
- PSYC 111A/B: These courses permit those students who have applied and been accepted into the Psychology Honors Program priority to enroll. Students who are accepted into the program will be given authorization to enroll in the course the first week of the WI23 quarter by the Psychology Honors Staff Advisor. EASy requests will not be approved. Students who are not part of the Psychology Honors Program but are interested in PSYC 111A will need to email the instructor (and Cc: ug-advisor-psyc-g@ucsd.edu) on the first day of WI23 classes detailing their Statistics background and reason for wanting to take the class. All individual EASy requests prior to the first day of WI23 classes will be denied.
- PSYC 116A/B/C: Students will need to obtain clearance from the instructor after an application and interview process. The 2023-2024 PSYC 116 A/B/C Cohort application has closed. If you submitted an application and have any questions about the application process and timeline, please reach out to Dr. Ariel Lang at ajlang@ucsd.edu.
- PSYC 117: Students will need to obtain clearance from the instructor after an application and interview process. Please visit the PSYC 117 course website for more information. Note: It is common for students not to get authorized for this class until the first week of classes.
- PSYC 118: Students will need to obtain clearance from the department using the EASy system. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, at least C in PSYC 60 (or equivalent).
- PSYC 175: This is a seminar course that requires a solid understanding of statistics and research methods. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, PSYC 60 (or equivalent) and PSYC 70 (or equivalent). Students who earned a B or greater in Stats and Research Methods will receive priority consideration for course approval. Experience reading and evaluating scientific papers and interest in self-exploration and well-being preferred. Students interested in this course must have completed a survey by the November 20th deadline in order to obtain instructor permission to enroll. The survey is no longer accepting submissions.
- PSYC 193 (lecture-based): See "(Quarter) PSYC 193/193L and Other Prerequisites" drawer below. Will require an EASy request.
- PSYC 193L (research course): See "(Quarter) PSYC 193/193L and Other Prerequisites" drawer below. Will require an EASy request.
- PSYC 195, or AIP 197): Check the appropriate pages on our website before enrolling, and/or discuss their plans with the Advising Office first.
- PSYC 196: Students will need to obtain clearance from a faculty research mentor and the department using the EASy system before enrolling in the course.
For students who are interested in the above courses, our office encourages students to enroll in a full load of courses (12+ units) during their 1st and 2nd pass. IF the student is authorized for one of these courses, students can change their class schedule at that time.
Winter 2024 PSYC 71, 193, 193L Prerequisites
Important Information About Research Labs:
- PSYC 71 does not require an EASy request and students can enroll in the course as long as they meet the major code and pre-requisite.
- Students interested in enrolling in PSYC 193L must submit an EASy Request to obtain department approval. You must meet the major code restriction, the prerequisite (see below), and must be a Senior or a Junior to be considered. Department approval is not guaranteed.
- Due to the limited number of seats, our office will only be authorizing students who still need a research lab course. If you are already enrolled in a second research lab course or have already completed your research requirement, your request will be denied.
- We will also not be considering requests to change your pre-authorization to a different PSYC 193L section. Any additional EASy requests for changes in lab sections will automatically be denied.
- In your PSYC 193L EASy request, you must specify which section of PSYC 193L you want to enroll in. If this information is not included, your request will be considered incomplete and will be returned to you.
How Psych Research Lab EASy requests will be processed for Winter 24:
- Wednesday, Nov 8th: Graduating WI24 Seniors Psych majors' Psych Research lab EASy requests will begin being processed and continue to be through the first day of classes.
- Friday, November 17th: Non-graduating PSYC Seniors Psych Research lab EASy requests will begin being processed and continue to be through the first day of classes.
- Friday, November 24th: Juniors Psych Research lab EASy requests will begin being processed and continue to be through the first day of classes.
PSYC 193 Lecture-based Courses
PSYC 193 (A00): Clinical Concept. Personality (Chapman): This course examines theoretical explanations for personality development and personality assessment. It also explores how these theories are used by clinical psychologists to conceptualize and guide mental health treatment. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, PSYC 100 or PSYC 168.
PSYC 193 (B00): Educational Psychology (Pilegard): What do we know about how students learn, and what does that tell us about how to design effective instruction? Topics will include principles of learning in subject matter areas, motivation, development of learning and thinking strategies, individual differences, and classroom processes. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing.
Research Lab Courses
PSYC 71 (A00 Pilegard & B00 Steiner): Laboratory in Psychological Research Methods: This course provides hands-on research experience. Lecture topics will include experimental and nonexperimental designs, research ethics, data analysis, and causal inference. Students will design original research projects, collect and analyze data, and write a full APA-style report, including a brief literature review relevant to their design. This course builds on PSYC 70 by applying design principles to students’ own research questions and ideas. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, COGS 14B or PSYC 60, and PSYC 70 or COGS 14A. Open to the following Psychology majors only: PC26*, PC28, PC29, PC30, PC31, PC32.
PSYC 193L (A01): Science of Mind and Sci-Fi Lab (Barner): What is thought, and how do we know other humans have it? How were linguistic and written symbols that express thought created in human history? How are these symbols acquired by children in human development? Can we study non-linguistic thought? We will explore the nature of thought and its relation to language and other external symbolic systems by investigating the development of symbolic systems in human learners and in human cultural history and by engaging in thought experiments guided by fictional readings in science fiction. Every week groups of 2-3 students will lead a discussion, each choosing one academic paper to discuss from the list. The goal of the class will be to work in small groups to write a hybrid fiction/non-fiction essay exploring a counterfactual that relates to symbolic thought and language. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing and PSYC 60 or equivalent. Open to the following Department of Psychology majors only: PC26*, PC28, PC29, PC30, PC31, PC32, PC33, PC34, CG32. An EASy request is required.
PSYC 193L (B01): Cognition Lab (Lowe): The goal of this course is to give you a structured research experience in the field of cognitive psychology. You will learn a deeper understanding of some major theories across a variety of cognitive topics, and with a small group of classmates you will conduct an experiment that tests and/or expands upon one of these theories. Over the course of the quarter, you will review the relevant literature, design and implement an experiment, analyze your results, and present your findings in both a poster and full APA paper. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, previous completion of PSYC 105 or instructor approval. Open to the following Department of Psychology majors only: PC26*, PC28, PC29, PC30, PC31, PC32, PC33, PC34, CG32. An EASy request is required.
PSYC 193L (B01): Cognition Lab (Lowe): The goal of this course is to give you a structured research experience in the field of cognitive psychology. You will learn a deeper understanding of some major theories across a variety of cognitive topics, and with a small group of classmates you will conduct an experiment that tests and/or expands upon one of these theories. Over the course of the quarter, you will review the relevant literature, design and implement an experiment, analyze your results, and present your findings in both a poster and full APA paper. PREREQUISITES: upper-division standing, previous completion of PSYC 105 or instructor approval. Open to the following Department of Psychology majors only: PC26*, PC28, PC29, PC30, PC31, PC32, PC33, PC34, CG32. An EASy request is required.
* The Psychology minor also uses the PC26 code, but it is to signify the student’s minor code. Psych minor students are not eligible for Psychology research lab courses as they are for Psych majors only.
How do I receive permission to enroll in a PSYC course I do not meet the requirements to take?
Adding a Course without Listed Prerequisites
- If you are a PSYC 1st-year student* and have 0-65 completed^ units:
- The department cannot clear you to enroll in ANY upper-division (UD) PSYC courses.
- You should be enrolling in lower-division major requirements, college requirements, and university electives.
- If you are a PSYC 2nd-year student**, have 65-84.9 completed^ units, and in good academic standing:
- The department cannot clear you for ANY upper-division (UD) PSYC courses.
- If you are a PSYC 2nd-year student**, have 85-89.9 completed^ units, and in good academic standing:
- The department may authorize you for two Psych Core courses (PSYC 100-108).
- Please submit an EASy request after second pass for our office to review up to two EASy requests for PSYC Core courses.
- EASy requests will be automatically denied for the following reasons:
- If you submit a request prior to second pass.
- If you have below 84.9 completed units.
- If you are not in good academic standing (cumulative 2.0 GPA).
- If have already been authorized for two psychology cores.
- If you are requesting authorization for psychology elective courses.
- If you are a PSYC Transfer student and have at least 90 completed^ units:
- If you are not able to enroll in a PSYC course on your own through WebReb, and you meet all the course prerequisites, submit an EASy request. Be sure to include why you are having trouble enrolling in the course and upload your unofficial transfer institution transcript.
- If you are an Upper-Division student, have at least 90 units completed^, but are not a Psychology/CBN Major and would like to add a course without a required major code:
- The department cannot clear you for the course as it is closed to major students only.
- If you are an Upper-Division student, have at least 90 units completed^, are a Psych Minor (PC26), and would like to add a class without a required Major code (e.g., PC25, PC28, PC32, etc.):
- The department cannot clear you for the course as it is closed to major students only. The PC26 code is for both the Psych Major and Psych Minor. If you see a notation that a PSYC course is only open to the following major codes and it lists PC26, it refers to the PC26 Psych BS major only. PC26 Psych minors are not included.
- If you are a PSYC Upper-Division student, have at least 90 units completed^, and would like to add a class without a required prerequisite course (e.g., PSYC 60, PSYC 70, PSYC 100, etc.):
- You must have the instructor's permission and upload the correspondence into your EASy request. Instructor permission does not guarantee a seat in the course.
- If the instructor is not listed yet for the class, you will need to wait until the instructor is posted in WebReg.
- If you are a Graduate Student, requesting to enroll in undergraduate level psychology courses:
- Please submit an EASy request after second pass.
- Any requests submitted prior to second pass will automatically be denied.
EASy System - please allow 7 business days to process EASy requests. We do not rush EASy processing due to a student's enrollment appointment. Our office processes EASy requests as they are received in the system.
^Completed units: a student's unit count from courses they have already completed (AP, transfer, UCSD) and received a final grade. In-progress or planned courses do not count toward this total.
*1st-year student: a student in their first full year of college, regardless of units from transfer courses, AP/IB credit, and completed UCSD courses.
**2nd-year student: a student in their second year of college.
Enrollment appointments, account "Holds," 1st/2nd pass limits
For general enrollment and registration information, including how to find your enrollment appointment, what is 1st & 2nd pass, account holds, how to add/drop a course, using the WebReg system, etc., visit the following university webpages.
- Enrollment Appointment Times
- 1st and 2nd Pass and unit enrollment limitations per pass
- Removing a "Hold" on your account
- The Psychology Department will not provide a seat or "jump" the waitlist for a student due to a "Hold" on their account or its late removal.
- Enrollment and Registration Calendars
- Enrollment Help
Do you "save" seats for students who need a course to graduate?
Our office does not hold or guarantee seats to students nor do we "jump" students higher on a course waitlist. The seat/waitlist # students obtain during their registration appointment is what they have, regardless of class standing or graduation term.
There is no need to send a VAC message or come to drop-in Psychology Advising to ask if we will let you into a course or move you up the waitlist, as we will not.
If you need a specific PSYC course and/or a Psych Research lab, our office highly recommends using your 1st pass to enroll in the course. If there is not an open seat, you should consider adding yourself to the waitlist (TritonLink waitlist information).
I have questions about the waitlist process
Frequently asked questions about the waitlist process:
- Students are not able to add themselves to a course waitlist until 2nd pass.
- Waitlists are automatically managed by the Registrar's office, and the department does not have the ability to override the list for any reason.
- As of the second pass you can be enrolled in and waitlisted for a total of 19.5 units.
- If adding a student to a class would increase the student's number of units to 22 or more, the automatic waitlist will bypass the student.
- Students may only waitlist for a single section of any course at one time.
- Students who drop or are administratively dropped from full classes must add themselves to the end of the waitlist.
- Students who are on the waitlist for a course are encouraged to attend the course from the first day in case a spot in the course becomes available. In this case, the student should be as prepared as the students who are enrolled in the course.
- If you've been added to a course from the waitlist, allow 24 hours to be added to the course's Canvas page. If, after 24 hours you still do not have access, let the instructor know to ask ACMS to give you access to the course.
After the waitlists have stopped running automatically, students may be added to the class as space becomes available on a first come-first served basis using the EASy system Late Add request. TritonLink will not continue to update after Thursday night of the second week, so course waitlists may be inaccurate.
What if I want to add a course after week 2?
To add a course after Friday of week 2, the course needs to have an open seat and you must have the instructor's permission. Students will use the EASy system to request a Late Add, instructor permission must be uploaded to the justification section. If a seat becomes available, our office approves enrollment on a first come-first served basis.
Prior to enrolling in a course late, please speak with the course instructor about whether you have missed too much course work. It is the student's responsibility to catch up on missed course material on their own; instructors are under no obligation to help students learn what they have missed. In addition, instructors are not obligated to allow students to submit homework nor take quizzes/exams that have already been due.
Concurrent Enrollment Students
How do I obtain approval for psychology courses as a Concurrent Enrollment or University & Professional Studies student? Please see our webpage with detailed information on our process.
Can I "Audit" a psych course?
Please note, many instructors do not allow students to audit their courses.
The instructor must give permission for a student to audit a course. If permission is given, there must be an open seat in the course (course may not be full or have a waitlist). The instructor is not obligated or expected to provide any assistance, resources, or time outside the classroom to a student auditing a course. This includes but not limited to office hours (both instructor and TA), grading, or providing feedback on assignments. Students auditing a course are not allowed to be present on quiz or exam days to ensure the security and academic integrity of the quiz or exam. University policy on auditing a course.
How do I approve a course from another institution?
Students may be able to petition courses taken elsewhere for Psychology major/minor credit. Please see our Petitions webpage for more information. This includes courses from other 4-year American and Study Abroad institutions.
If this is in regard to a California Community College course, please review Assist.org first, as you may not need to submit a petition if the course has already been evaluated for transfer articulation.
What if I have been accused of Academic Misconduct?
If you were accused of academic misconduct, please visit the Academic Integrity website for detailed information on the process and support you can receive as a student.
- Report suspected academic misconduct
- If I'm accused of Academic Misconduct, what happens next?
- If I cheat what happens to my course grade and GPA?
- If I am caught cheating, will other people find out?
- Academic Senate Policy on Integrity of Scholarship
A student acting in the capacity of an instructional assistant (IA), including but not limited to teaching assistants (UGIA/TA), readers, and tutors, has a special responsibility to safeguard the integrity of scholarship. In these roles, the student functions as an apprentice instructor, under the tutelage of the responsible instructor. An IA shall equitably grade student work in the manner agreed upon with the course instructor. An IA shall not make any unauthorized material related to tests, exams, homework, etc. available to any student.