Psychology AA Degree

A diverse field of academic study and practical application, psychology deals with personal behaviors such as mental life and personal development, and how development depends on individual and cultural experience and biological variables. The emphasis of the program is to enable students to understand and apply psychological principles to everyday life situations, understand the needs or special concerns of people and the impact of certain stresses that affect human behavior.  Students investigate how humans and other species develop and adapt to everyday problems. Maladaptive behavior creates personal, interpersonal, cultural, and numerous other difficulties. Psychology explores not only how these difficulties can be avoided or removed, but is also interested in how psychology can enhance well-being.  Students will develop the knowledge that is basic to a career in areas of professional psychology, marriage and family therapy, and human services. The curriculum provides appropriate courses to support areas such as the natural sciences, mathematics, language arts, and the humanities.

Psychologists may work in academic, research, industrial and governmental settings. Many clinical psychologists are employed in clinics or in hospitals or are engaged in private practice, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Also, skills developed through a psychology program are utilized in jobs such as Marriage Family Therapists (MFT), case workers, counselor aides, sales, marketing, personnel, and management positions.The Associate of Arts in Psychology program offers students a comprehensive education in the content and method of the discipline.  A variety of courses allow students to expand their intellectual horizons and acquire the core ideas and skills of psychology.  The missions of the program are to provide a major that presents psychology as a rational science of affect, behavior and cognition; and to provide a major that fulfills the general requirements for transfer, including of the California State University transfer requirements. Two tracks are offered: the Psychology A.A. and the Psychology AA-T. Students who complete the AA-T or “associate degree for transfer” will receive “priority admission with junior status to the California State University system.”

Learning Outcomes

Upon satisfactory completion of this program students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes, and the historical trends in psychology.
  2. Recognize basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
  3. Transfer to a higher level learning institution.

Program Requirements

Course Code Title Units
Required Courses
PSY 001General Psychology3
PSY 003Developmental Psychology3
SOC 001Introductory Sociology3
SOC 003Fundamentals of Statistics3
or MATH 014 Statistical Methods
Electives
Select 12 units to be chosen with advisor approval:
BI 005Molecular and Cell Biology5
CIS 010Computer Literacy4
PSY 007Positive Psychology3
PSY 010Psychological Aspects/Marriage & Family3
PSY 012Human Sexuality3
PSY 020Adolescent Psychology3
PSY 023Psychology of Women and Gender3
PSY 025Intro to Research Methods for Soc Sciences3
PSY 027Biological Psychology3
PSY 029Abnormal Psychology3
PSY 033Personal & Social Adjustment3
Required Subtotal12-13
Elective Subtotal12
Select one of the following:37-39
Kinesiology Activities2
DEGREE TOTAL63-66