Department of Psychology & NeuroscienceWhat is the goal of advising in psychology?
We want the focus of your work with a faculty member in the major to be on mentoring. Mentoring conversations help students reflect on the decisions they are making, identify potential goals (academic, personal, professional), and process whether students are choosing courses and extracurricular activities that support their desired goals. Students must meet with their assigned faculty advisor once a semester in order to remove the registration hold on DukeHub.
Support for the nuts and bolts of major requirements and other logistics, called transactional advising, is provided through the Office of Undergraduate Studies. This involves helping students understand specific requirements for degrees offered and logistics around course codes, course offerings, practical steps for applying for practica/independent study/Graduation with Distinction, processing course transfer requests, tracking progress in the major/minor, and connecting to relevant Campus resources. Students can reach out to our office at psychologyDUS@duke.edu.
Can I use AP/IB credit to place out of PSY 101?
All psychology majors and minors are required to take PSY 101 at Duke, which has been designed to provide a thorough and consistent foundation for students seeking a degree in psychology. Students with AP/IB credit report finding that PSY 101 strengthens their knowledge foundation and goes beyond what they learned in high school. AP or IB will count as PSY 11, which can be used toward Trinity total 34 credit requirement but not for a psychology degree. Read students' comments about why taking PSY 101 at Duke makes a difference.
Do First-Year seminars (PSY 89S) count towards the major or minor degrees in psychology?
No. Although first-year seminars are a great way to explore your interest in psychology, PSY 101 is the official introductory course for majors.
Do courses taken S/U count towards the major or minor degrees in psychology?
Students are only allowed ONE elective S/U credit to count towards their AB, BS, or minor degrees in Psychology.
If I take a 300- or 400-level seminar, will that fulfill both the major requirements for seminar AND 300+ level course?
No. Students must take two separate courses to fulfill these two requirements.
If I am pursuing a double major, will I be able to replace one of the courses in the PSY 204L/205L sequence with a statistics course outside the Department?
No. In most cases, you will need to complete an additional course in statistics.
Would you recommend a double major in psychology and neuroscience?
We do not recommend that students pair the psychology major with neuroscience because the fields are very closely related and, because only two courses may be double counted between majors, students will spend most of their time at Duke completing major requirements instead of broadening their education by exploring courses in other fields.
Would you recommend an interdisciplinary major between psychology and neuroscience?
We do not recommend that students construct an interdisciplinary major between these closely aligned fields. Any attempt to do so nearly always results in a psychology major with more of a neuroscience focus, and we can’t approve an IDM that essentially comprises one of the two majors. Psychology majors who want to focus more on neuroscience have ample opportunity to take courses cross-listed with neuroscience, especially if they pursue the BS degree and focus on neuroscience courses as their electives.
Where can I find information about research opportunities in the major?
You will find information following this link on our website, including information about funding and support. You can also set up an appointment with our program coordinator to answer specific questions you have.
I am considering applying to graduate school in the future. Does your office offer any guidance with that?
Yes. You can read some information on our website following this link. We also encourage you to talk to your faculty advisor about your plans. Our program coordinator is also available to help you get started in this process.
Does your office provide support for finding jobs and/or internships?
Yes. We advertise new opportunities on a daily basis through this link. Our program coordinator is also available to help you think through this process.