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Undergraduate FAQ

Credit Towards the Degree

COVID-19 policies and info for academic year 2020-2021:

  • Courses taken with a grade of 'CR' (credit) or 'S' (satisfactory) will count towards satisfaction of major requirements that otherwise require a letter grade.
  • Summer quarter courses can be taken to fulfill Introductory and Core requirements for the major.
  • If you have questions about academic participation during the four quarter year, please refer to this resource from the Registrar.

Can I use AP Psychology credit towards the major?

The Psychology One course 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, AP credit is not accepted towards the degree requirements.

If I have taken a psychology course at a different college, can the credit be transferred towards my Stanford Psychology major or minor?

Yes. Evaluation of transfer credit for the Psychology major or minor is a two-step process. First, Stanford credit for courses completed at other institutions must be granted by the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office in the Office of the Registrar. Those units can then be applied toward the 180 units required for graduation. Secondly, the Psychology Student Services Office will evaluate the courses to determine if they can be applied toward Psychology major/minor requirements. To have the petition evaluated, you must declare a major or minor in Psychology, fill out the petition form, and submit this and a copy of a signed transcript from the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office to the Psychology Student Services Office.

Are there special restrictions on Summer Session Psychology courses?

Yes. Summer Quarter Psychology courses are not equivalent to courses given during the regular academic year and cannot be used to fulfill the core courses requirement. However, they can still be applied towards the 70 overall units required for the major.

Additionally, a course taken during the Summer Quarter cannot be used to replace the grade of a non-Summer Quarter course, even if the title and units of the two courses are the same.

How does the online quarter in Spring 2020 with only S/NC grades impact my Psychology major/minor?

Courses taken in spring quarter 2020 will count towards the major and minor with S or CR grades. This exception accommodates the University's policy to only offer courses on a Satisfactory / No Credit basis during the online-only quarter during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Faculty Advisors

Can I choose a non-Psychology professor to be my faculty advisor if our areas of interest align?

No; students majoring in Psychology must choose an advisor from active faculty within the Department of Psychology

For Transfer Students

What are the unit and course requirements for transfer students at Stanford who wish to major or minor in Psychology?

Students may use only one transfer course toward fulfilling the core course requirement of the major or minor. Units from additional core-equivalent transfer courses can be applied toward the major or minor, but the courses cannot be counted as one of the required core courses and, if approved, will be counted as elective psychology units.

Applying for Programs

How can I apply to your undergraduate program?

All undergraduate applications are handled by Stanford University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Enrolled students will then have the ability to declare the major in Psychology no later the start of their junior year.

How can I apply to the Coterminal Master’s Program?

The Department of Psychology no longer offers the Coterminal Master’s Program for undergraduates.

Further questions can be directed to your PsychConnect peer advisors, or to our Student Services Officer, Andrea Sims. You can reach Andrea by email at asims [at] stanford.edu (asims[at]stanford[dot]edu) or stop by the Student Services Office in Room 100 in Building 420 on the Main Quad.