Department of Psychology

Suggested Course Sequence

You have a lot of flexibility in building your class schedule over your time at ISU.  Please work closely with your academic advisor in crafting a class schedule that meets your educational and professional goals. 

In general, you can use the first digit of a course number to determine in which year it is suggested that you take the course.  For example, students majoring in psychology typically complete PSY 101 (Introductory Psychology) in their first year.  We recommend that students take PSY 201 (Introduction to Research Methods) early in their college career, typically in the second semester of their first year or in the first semester of their second year. 

Sample schedule of classes over 8 semesters at ISU:

First Year at ISU:

         Fall Semester:

              PSY 101: Introductory Psychology (1^st of 5 required courses)

         Spring Semester:

              PSY 150: Introduction to Careers in Psychology (2^nd of 5 required courses)

Second Year at ISU:

         Fall Semester:

              PSY 201: Introduction to Research Methods (3^rd of 5 required courses)

              100-level or 200-level elective (e.g., PSY 100; 1^st of 3 electives)

         Spring Semester:

              200-level core course (e.g., PSY 266; 1^st of 5 core courses)

              200- or 300-level core course (e.g., PSY 270 or PSY 310; 2^nd of 5 core courses)

Third Year at ISU:

         Fall Semester:

              300-level core course (e.g., PSY 344; 3^rd of 5 core courses)

              PSY 375: Statistics in Psychology (4^th of 5 required courses)

         Spring Semester:

              300-level core course (e.g., PSY 362; 4^th of 5 core courses)

              200-level or 300-level elective (e.g., PSY 338; 2^nd of 3 electives)

              PSY 384: Interviewing Skills (required for PSY 484; may be used as 3^rd elective)

Fourth Year at ISU:

         Fall Semester:

              PSY 376: Advanced Research Methods (5^th of 5 required courses)

              PSY 485: Psychology and Society** (Gen Ed Capstone; may be used as 3^rd elective)

         Spring Semester:

              PSY 484 or 486 (Required culminating experience)

              300-level core course (e.g., PSY 368; 5^th of 5 core courses)

**PSY 485 fulfills the Gen Ed Capstone requirement for Psychology majors.  PSY 485 is a revolving topics course.  Please consult with your academic advisor at the beginning of your Junior year to discuss upcoming topics for PSY 485.  This course is open to second semester Junior Psychology majors and to Senior Psychology majors.

For information about General Education requirements, please visit: http://www.indstate.edu/site/gened/1668.html.    [this site has a link to a helpful "student tracking sheet" that will allow you to track your progress through the General Education curriculum]