Psychology Curriculum Updates Effective Fall 2026
The Psychology Department has proposed changes to our undergraduate majors, planned to take effect in Fall 2026. These changes are intended to modernize our curriculum, clarify degree pathways, and make it easier for students to navigate their academic options.
Summary of Changes
New Major
- Psychology Bachelor of Arts with a Specialization in Clinical Psychology
This major is designed for students interested in mental health, counseling, and clinical or applied research.
Renamed Major
- The current Psychology Bachelor of Science would be discontinued and replaced with Experimental Psychology Bachelor of Science. This change would reflect the major’s emphasis on research design, data analysis, and the scientific foundations of psychology.
Continuing Majors
- Psychology Bachelor of Arts
- Psychology Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Clinical Psychology
- Business Psychology Bachelor of Science
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Bachelor of Science
Discontinued Majors
Beginning Fall 2026, the department proposed to retire the Psychology Bachelor of Science specialization tracks in:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Human Health
- Sensation & Perception
- Social Psychology
Under this structure, students would have greater flexibility to choose upper-division coursework aligned with their interests and career goals without being restricted to a specific specialization track.
What This Would Mean for You
- Students entering UC San Diego in Fall 2026 or later would follow the new major options.
- Current students would remain under their existing catalog year and major requirements unless they choose to switch to one of the new majors beginning Fall 2026.
Student Feedback Period
While the new and revised majors have been approved, the University’s Undergraduate Council is currently reviewing the proposal to discontinue the five specializations listed above and has opened a 30-day period for student comment. The formal notice is attached.
If you would like to share feedback, please contact Ashley Hill, Associate Director, Academic Senate, at awelch@ucsd.edu no later than Friday, March 13, 2026.
What’s Next
The Psychology Undergraduate Advising team will share updated degree requirements and checklists, sample three- and four-year plans, and FAQs on the Psychology Undergraduate Program website, and will host information sessions as additional details become available.
We appreciate your time in reviewing this information and welcome your engagement in the process.
FAQs
Starting Fall 2026, the Department of Psychology plans to introduce new majors, update one of our existing programs, and streamline the major options to make them clearer and easier to navigate. These changes are part of a department-wide effort to modernize our curriculum, clarify degree pathways, and give students more flexibility to select upper-division courses that match their interests and career goals.
- Students entering UC San Diego in Fall 2026 or later will follow the new major options. Continuing students will remain under their existing major requirements unless they choose to switch to one of the new majors once available.
- Students declaring a Psychology major for the first time in Fall 2026 or later, including those switching from a different major into Psychology, will no longer be able to select a discontinued major.
- Current Psychology majors who wish to change to a different Psychology major in Fall 2026 or later will only be able to declare one of the majors available at the beginning of the Fall 2026 quarter.
Current Students
No. Current students are welcome to continue with their current major/plan of study.
If students continue with their current major/plan of study, no, degree requirements will remain the same. If students change to a different Psychology major as of the first day of the Fall 2026 quarter, they will be held to those new degree requirements.
- To be eligible to change their major, students must enroll in at least one UC San Diego course in Fall 2026. Eligible students will be able to change their major once the Fall 2026 quarter begins.
- Students graduating in Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026, or Summer 2026 are not eligible to declare one of the new Psychology majors, as they will not take effect until Fall 2026.
Some students may find that the new majors offer greater flexibility in coursework that counts towards their degree requirements, which will allow them to better tailor their coursework to align with their interests and future goals. Other students may find that their existing Psychology major already aligns well with their academic interests and future goals.
Before deciding, keep the following considerations in mind:
- Grading Standards: Pre-Fall 2026 Psychology B.A., Psychology B.S., Psychology B.S. Specialization, and Business Psychology B.S. majors allow D grades to count toward major requirements. The minimum grade in any class counted toward a Psychology Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience B.S. major is a C-.
- All Psychology majors declared in Fall 2026 or after will require grades of C- or above in all major coursework.
- P/NP options: The number and type of courses that may be taken Pass/No Pass toward the major will remain the same.
- Math requirements: All B.S. majors declared in Fall 2026 or later (except for CBN) will require both a research methods course and two formal skills courses, one of which must include MATH 10A or 20A, MATH 10B or 20B, or MATH 18.
- Time to degree: Students should consider whether any additional courses will need to be completed that could impact their intended graduation timeline.
After more information is shared by the department in March, an advisor can help students compare requirements so they can determine which option makes the most sense for their circumstances.
If students remain in one of the pre-Fall 2026 Psychology majors, the title for their respective major as indicated on our Majors page will be reflected on the diploma.
No, there are currently no planned changes to course offerings as a result of these curriculum changes. However, please note that the tentative course offerings published by Psychology are always subject to change until officially published on the campus Schedule of Classes.
To ensure we can continue supporting students with enrollment and other time-sensitive advising needs, the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office will post additional FAQs on our website and host information sessions over the next few months. In the interim, our team is available to answer brief overview questions as they arise. We highly encourage student attendance at these events, where we will walk through the changes and address common questions. After the sessions, advisors will be available to assist with more specific or individual follow-up questions. We are working hard to develop resources to support students’ academic experience and look forward to sharing more soon.