Declare a Major
2023-24 Major Declaration Requirements
Students intending to declare a major in psychology or human development must:
- meet all prerequisites,
- complete the Application Webform (below), Major + Grad Requirement Review (formerly Application Quiz), and the Major Application Short Answer Essay Questions
- complete the application webform fully and on time.
The quiz and new major application web portal are open beginning the first week of fall, winter, and spring quarter, see link below. Application is unavailable summer quarter.
For students who have met the minimum requirements, admission to the major will be determined each quarter on a space-available basis. Please note that the Department of Psychology is highly impacted, meaning the number of students wishing to declare exceeds the space available.
Candidates are selected based on a variety of factors, including GPA and written responses to application questions, and will be notified of major application status well in advance of Phase I registration for the subsequent quarter.
2023-24 Major Prerequisites
- Completion (including current class enrollment) of at least 90 credits;
- Completion of at least 20 PSY credits (with a C- or better) by the end of the current quarter, including completion of PSY 101 and PSY 203*, and completion/current enrollment in two courses from PSY 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250, or transfer credit for those courses as indicated on the Transfer Equivalency Report. At least 5 200-level PSY credits taken at Western;
- Achieved a Western GPA (based on at least 12 credits) of 2.70 or higher. In the absence of a Western GPA, a GPA of 2.70 or higher from an equivalent four-year institution (based on at least 12 credits) or a cumulative GPA from a completed Associates degree may substitute for the Western GPA. A psych GPA (based on an average of two or more 200-level major-required psych courses*) may substitute for a cumulative GPA.
* Exception for current enrollment in PSY 203 sections available to most transfer students. See Major Application Exception Form.
Spring '24 Application Open April 5-19
SUBMIT HERE
Prerequisites
When applying to the psychology/HD major students may utilize a variety of GPAs the meet/exceed 2.7, including:
- Western cumulative GPA (based on at least 12 completed credits),
- psychology GPA (based on an average of all completed PSY 210-250 and 203 coursework), or
- in the absence of a Western GPA, a cumulative GPA from an equivalent four-year institution (based on at least 12 credits) or a completed Associates degree may substitute for the Western GPA.
To calculate a psychology GPA, please utilize the GPA Calculator. Plug in all completed/equivalent PSY 203 and 210-250 courses, from WWU or transferred from another institution, to determine an average. Two completed grades are required to constitute an average. The most grades that can be applied is 6: 203, 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250.
In the absence of a Western GPA, a cumulative GPA from an equivalent four-year institution (based on at least 12 credits) or a completed Associates degree (DTA) may substitute for the Western GPA.
This GPA will be located on your unofficial transcript, obtained from your previous institution and can only be utilized until you earn a Western cumulative GPA based on 12 or more credits.
Please upload a copy of your unofficial transfer transcript when prompted on the Major Application Webform.
The main Psychology homepage always lists info session slides under Advising Resources.
Application
Any order. That said, we highly recommend submitting your essay responses after attending info sessions/essay lab/advising to ensure you are crafting clear, specific answers.
Example question:
What is the total number of upper-division credits, 300- and 400-level courses, required by WWU to graduate with a bachelor's degree?
A) 90
B) 60 (correct answer)
C) 44
D) 50
No preference is given to early application submission. Just have all materials in by the deadline.
Yes!
No. Students may reapply to the psychology/human development major as many times as they want. The Admissions Committee will only know that you are reapplying if you include that information in your essay responses. No preference to given to reapplication.
No. A list of available course exceptions is available here: https://chss.wwu.edu/psychology/registration
