Major
The Psychology Major at Stanford provides flexibility for students pursuing interests in various fields.
Major Requirements
All students declaring a major in Psychology must complete a minimum of 70 units of course work in Psychology, 60 of which must be taken in the Department of Psychology. The remaining 10 units can be taken outside of the Department but must be pre-approved by your faculty advisor or petitioned through Student Services.
All courses taken towards the 70-unit requirement must be taken for a letter grade of C- or better, except for courses offered only on a S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) basis. Students who are double majoring or completing a minor degree in another department may not overlap (double-count) courses, unless the overlapping courses constitute introductory skill requirements, such as PSYCH 10.
Course Requirements
Two introductory courses:
- Psych 1: Introduction to Psychology
- Psych 10: Introduction to Statistical Methods, or a comparable Statistics course*
Five of the following Core Courses, with a minimum of two from each area A and B:
Area A Courses:
- Psych 30: Introduction to Perception
- Psych 35: Minds and Machines (enrollment in any crosslisting count towards the major)
- Psych 45: Introduction to Learning and Memory
- Psych 50: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Area B Courses:
- Psych 60: Introduction to Developmental Psychology
- Psych 70: Introduction to Social Psychology
- Psych 75: Introduction to Cultural Psychology
- Psych 80: Introduction to Personality and Affective Science
- Psych 90: Introduction to Clinical Psychology
- Psych 95: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
The syllabi for these courses can be found on the Stanford Syllabus website.
One Writing in the Major (WIM) course:
Academic Year 2025-2025 WIM courses: PSYCH 138, PSYCH 164, and PSYCH 180
(Academic Year 2023-2024 WIM courses: PSYCH 138, PSYCH 144, PSYCH 164, PSYCH 175 and PSYCH 180)
(Academic Year 2022-2023 WIM courses: PSYCH 144, PSYCH 175 and PSYCH 180)
(Academic Year 2021-2022 WIM courses: PSYCH 138, PSYCH 150, PSYCH 164, PSYCH 175 and PSYCH 180)
Elective Requirements:
The remaining unit requirements can be fulfilled through elective PSYCH courses. An elective Psychology course is any PSYCH course (excluding independent study, research and practicum). There are also three cognate courses from other departments that count as PSYCH courses, not outside units. These courses are: BIO 150, PSYC 135, and PSYC 139 (all other PSYC courses count as outside units). Students may count up to 10 units of psychology research (PSYCH 195 and 198), independent study (PSYCH 194), and teaching practica (PSYCH 182 and 281) toward the Psychology major. Students who are teaching assistants for a Psychology course or who are enrolled in the senior Honors Program are allowed up to 15 units in independent study and research. Any units beyond these limits may be counted toward the 180 units required for graduation.
Capstone Requirement:
Satisfied in the senior year of the major by completing one of the following two options:
- Psych 196: PsychApplied Program
- Psych 198: Honors Program
*Pre-approved comparable Statistics courses are: STATS 131/BIO141, STATS 191, STATS 203, HUMBIO 88, HUMBIO 89, ECON 102A
Double Counting Units:
Students pursuing a double major or minor in another department may not double count any courses in the Psychology major aside from the Statistics requirement (PSYCH 10/STATS 60 or equivalent pre-approved course).
Course Transfer Policy:
For majors who are not transfer students, the department does not accept coursework taken at other universities to be counted towards the major. Therefore, all 70 units must be completed at Stanford.
For majors who are transfer students, the department may potentially accept coursework taken at other universities before matriculating to Stanford. A student must have declared Psychology as a major to submit a petition for transfer credit. Stanford credit for courses completed at other institutions must have been granted by the External Credit Evaluation section of the Registrar’s Office; those units may be applied toward the 180 units required for graduation.
Please Note: Stanford's Psychology One is designed for students who may major or minor in Psychology and has also been carefully crafted to serve as an important contribution to any liberal arts education. For this reason, the Department does not accept AP credit towards the major or minor requirements.
Answers to questions about major requirements can be found in Frequently Asked Questions.
Pathways
Pathways are for students to use as a resource and advising tool within the major. While these pathways are not declared in Axess, they are meant to give students a list of available classes to take in a certain area if they choose as they progress through the major.
Early Childhood Cognition, Learning, and Development Pathway
Judgment and Decision-Making Pathway
Mind, Culture, and Society Pathway