College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of Psychology
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Psychology Major and Minor

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A psychology major in the making

Interested in helping others or understanding human behavior? Iowa State’s undergraduate psychology degree will prepare you for careers in many fields. You can start your career right after earning your bachelor’s degree or continue on to graduate school. Our program offers two degree options: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Both provide a strong foundation in psychology. The B.S. emphasizes extra training in psychological research, while the B.A. emphasizes combining psychology with another area of study through an approved minor, certificate, or second major.

Meet with your advising team in the department to talk with you about your academic and career interests to help you decide which option is the best fit for you.

Winning Combinations

  • 26%

    of students combine their psychology degree with another major.

  • 56%

    Add a minor to their psychology degree.

Double majors

Many students combine their psychology degree with another major (26%) or a minor (56%). These students often complete courses in the following fields:

A psychology degree is excellent preparation for pre-professional paths. You can go on to law school, medical school or professional programs such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy or other health-related careers.

When pursuing a double major or double degree at Iowa State University, you must complete all departmental requirements for both psychology and you second major or degree. For a double degree, must also fulfill all requirements for both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and psychology, along with an additional 30 credits. To graduate, a total of 120 credits is required, including 45 credits at the 3000-4000 level. You also need need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00.

Zakiya Johnson

You’re going to love psychology at Iowa State because they have so many resources for their students, and they encourage all life paths.

Zakiya Johnson, ’23 psychology

Minor

Adding a psychology minor will complement any degree. Having the ability to communicate clearly, think critically, and analyze complex problems—while also understanding the diverse nature of human behavior— will give you a competitive edge in today’s job market. Learn more about why a minor or second major in psychology may be right for you.

The psychology minor requires completion of 18 credits including:

  • PSYCH 1010: Introductory Psychology (3 credits, C- min)
  • Five additional psychology classes (15 credits)
  • Additional Considerations

Nine (9) credits must not be used to meet any other requirements for graduation (except for total credits and 3000/4000 level credit requirements). Of those nine credits, six (6) credits must be taken at Iowa State with a grade of C or higher. An overall C average (2.00) is required and a C- minimum must be obtained in each course. At least nine (9) of the 18 credits must be earned in 3000/4000 level courses.

Courses not accepted for the psychology minor

Psychology 1110/1120/1310/2110 cannot be used for the minor. No more than three (3) credits may be in Psych 2910, 4900, 4910 and 4920. Transfer courses labeled as Psych 1T- will not be applied to the minor. Courses from study abroad or National Student Exchange must be approved by the Psych Advising Office to be used for the minor.

Transfer students

Thinking of transferring to Iowa State and becoming a psychology major? Students are eligible to transfer from an accredited two-or four-year institution. Iowa State’s TRANSIT program makes the process easy.

If you have any questions, please email the psychology advising office or call 515-294-9780.

Scholarships

We offer several scholarships and awards to psychology majors: Alison Morris Memorial Scholarship, Jane Ross-Reynolds Memorial Scholarship, Kenneth Sufka Undergraduate Scholarship, Travel Award, and Psychology Poster Competition Award. Psychology majors may also apply for a variety of other scholarships and awards offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Experiences

Tailor your college experience to gain valuable skills for your future career. A wide variety of student organizations and clubs are available for you to join—including academic, honor societies, political & activism, intramural sports and more.

Gain leadership and service experience through Student Engagement, go to one of the many fun campus events, or learn more about clubs and activities at the annual ClubFest to see the many ways you can get involved during your time at Iowa State.

Our PsyClone Connect Learning Community is a unique opportunity that offers a year long learning community experience for first year and transfer student psychology majors.

Where passion for helping others meets career possibility

Psychology graduates go directly into many different careers – and are also exceptionally prepared for graduate school.

Curious as to where a psychology degree could take you? Here are just some examples from our many alumni.

  • School counselor
  • Professor
  • Attorney
  • Government teacher
  • Project manager
  • Research coordinator
  • Substance abuse counselor
  • Crisis intervention specialist
  • Behavioral health technician
  • Forensic psychologist
  • Marketing and public relations professional
  • Nonprofit case worker
  • Market research analyst
  • Psychotherapist
  • and more!

The LAS Career Services team can also help you plan for your future career with career development education, workshops, career fairs, and personalized career advising appointments.

Take the next step

Undergraduate resources