Golden West College

Associate in Arts Degree for Transfer, Psychology

The Associate in Arts in Psychology for Transfer degree covers the contemporary perspectives on understanding human behavior, including biological, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, and sociocultural, as well as the effects of nature versus nurture on behavior and abilities. Students learn how to analyze the various methods used to study behavior, including the naturalistic observation method, the correlational method, the experimental method, kinship studies, the epidemiological method, and the case-study method.

In this program, students will gain the solid foundations they’ll need to be successful in the field and in their continued studies by taking a range of classes that focus on both knowledge and skills. Students who complete the psychology curriculum start with a broad overview of the discipline, begin to develop their writing and research skills, and then take a deep dive into particular topics in our specialty classes, including Lifespan Development, Abnormal Behavior, Social, and Biopsychology. Psychology majors learn to characterize the nature of psychology as a science; understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues; use reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments related to conclusions about psychological issues; and identify appropriate applications of psychology in solving problems. Students come out of the program with a working knowledge of discipline-applicable statistics and research methods, a solid writing experience across our curriculum, critical thinking skills, and a comprehensive knowledge base that helps them discover their particular interests and direction.

Students who successfully complete this major will have a solid foundation for a psychology transfer program and many careers in the social service fields. A Master's degree or higher is required for most counseling or research psychologist positions.