Psychology
Associate in Arts for Transfer Degree Psychology · San Diego Mesa College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Summary
The Associate in Arts in Psychology for Transfer is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a related major in the California State University (CSU) system. It is accepted by some but not all CSU campuses. Students who complete this degree and transfer to a participating CSU campus will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. It may not be appropriate preparation for students transferring to a CSU campus that does not accept the degree.
NOTE: Students intending to transfer into this major at a CSU should consult with a counselor and visit ASSIST for guidance on appropriate transfer coursework.
Award Notes: The following is required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:
- Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University
- Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units in an “AA-T” or “AS-T” major.
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework. While a minimum of 2.0 is required for admission, some CSU campuses and majors may require a higher GPA. Please see a counselor for more information.
- Minimum grade of “C” or “P” or better for each course in the major. Students should review the Pass/No Pass acceptance policy of the transfer institution prior to requesting this grade option.
- Certified completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern.
Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Psychology Program will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking in reading, writing, and/or speaking about concepts and issues related to human behavior and mental processes using the scientific approach, thereby identifying problems, theses, arguments, evidence and conclusions.
- Demonstrate effective writing and/or speaking about human behavior and mental processes (for example, formulating theses, making arguments, analyzing and weighing evidence, and deriving conclusions).
- Demonstrate recognition of the significance of ethics and diversity in Psychological Science.
- Compare and contrast different research methods used in Psychological Science; Demonstrate understanding of the applications and implications of technology and its appropriate uses.
Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE MAJOR: | 13 | |
| PSYC C1000 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 255 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 3 |
| PSYC 258 | Behavioral Science Statistics | 3 |
| PSYC 259 | Behavioral Science Statistics Laboratory | 1 |
| orPSYC 259R | Statistics Laboratory Using R | 1 |
| PSYC 260 | Introduction to Physiological Psychology | 3 |
| Select one of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| PSYC 166 | Introduction to Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 230 | Psychology of Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSYC 245 | Introduction to Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 283 | Introduction to Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| BIOL 107 | General Biology-Lecture and Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 210A | Introduction to the Biological Sciences I | 4 |
| SOCO 101 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| Select at least 3 units from the following (not selected above): | 3-5 | |
| PSYC 111 | Psychological/Social Aspects of Aging, Death, and Dying | 3 |
| PSYC 112 | Interpersonal Relations | 3 |
| PSYC 121 | Introduction to Child Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 125 | Introduction to Behavior Modification | 3 |
| PSYC 133 | Psychology of Women | 3 |
| PSYC 135 | Marriage and Family Relations | 3 |
| PSYC 137 | Human Sexual Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 155 | Introduction to Personality | 3 |
| PSYC 161 | Introduction to Counseling | 3 |
| PSYC 166 | Introduction to Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 201 | Academic and Career Opportunities in Psychology | 1 |
| PSYC 211 | Learning | 3 |
| PSYC 230 | Psychology of Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSYC 245 | Introduction to Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 255L | Introduction to Psychological Research Laboratory | 1 |
| PSYC 259 | Behavioral Science Statistics Laboratory | 1 |
| PSYC 259R | Statistics Laboratory Using R | 1 |
| PSYC 260L | Introduction to Physiological Psychology Laboratory | 1 |
| PSYC 276 | Field Work in Psychological Services | 3 |
| PSYC 283 | Introduction to Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| ANTH 102 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| BIOL 107 | General Biology-Lecture and Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 210A | Introduction to the Biological Sciences I | 4 |
| CHIL 101 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| ENGL 202 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| MATH 150 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | 5 |
| PHIL 101 | Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| SOCO 101 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |