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Psychology

If you are fascinated by how the mind works, and you like to help people overcome their problems, then psychology could be just the degree for you.
 
When you study psychology, you examine such things as personality, intelligence, motivation, mental disorders, memory, dreaming, hypnosis and biofeedback. You also explore how people’s everyday experiences affect their family, education, work and play. This pre-major program provides the general education requirements needed to transfer to a four-year university or college.
 
Whether your goal is to counsel people as a practicing psychologist—or you want to apply your psychology education to a career in business, marketing, social work or other field—this program can lead you to a wide range of career opportunities.
 
Many people who study psychology go on to pursue careers or additional education in mental health, medicine, social work, public health, teaching or related fields.

AA-DTA Program Learning Outcomes

Communication Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Create, organize, present, and adapt effective verbal and nonverbal messages to diverse audiences in diverse contexts
2. Explain the active listening process and the skills necessary  to understand verbal and nonverbal information
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically think: summarize, interpret, and evaluate written discourse 
4. Write clear, well-focused and well-organized papers using documentation
5. Select and integrate textual evidence within academic essays
6. Create expository essays using traditional academic forms and standards
7. Appropriately use college-level language skills, i.e., grammar and punctuation

Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Recognize a problem and identify the information required to solve it
2. Develop and apply appropriate algebraic models (e.g. numerical, graphical and symbolic) to obtain a solution to the problem
3. Explain the process of reasoning used to arrive at the solution

Humanities Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Demonstrate, in writing or verbally, awareness that different contexts and/or world views produce different human creations
2. Identify and explain diverse cultural customs, beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles
3. Identify ideologies, practices and contributions that persons of diverse backgrounds bring to our multicultural world
4. Use evidence or sound reasoning to justify a position

Social Sciences Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Describe the methods used for conducting research within the various disciplines of the social sciences
2. Evaluate the credibility of information regarding topics within the social sciences and differentiate between information derived from empirical sources and information derived from opinion, folklore, and/or emotions
3. Identify the impact of social, cultural, historical, political, geographical, and/or religious factors on behavior
4. Express increased engagement and confidence in the ability to apply course material for the purpose of improving self,  relationships,  community, society, and/or the world

Math and Science Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Select, use, or develop an appropriate model including numerical, graphical, or symbolic representations
2. Use evidence or sound reasoning to justify a position or draw conclusions using appropriate terminology and symbolism
3. Demonstrate laboratory skills including making qualitative and quantitative observations about natural systems
4. Ascertain and critically evaluate the interrelationships within complex systems

Health Distribution Area Outcomes:
1. Our students will be able to develop an appreciation of  physical activity as a lifelong pursuit and means to better health.
2. Our students will be able to recognize the physical and mental benefits of increased activity.
3. Our students will be able to examine the effects of nutrition, rest and other lifestyle factors that contribute to better health.
4. Our students will be able to demonstrate motor skill performance of various physical activities.
5. Our students will be able to define the various health components of fitness and determine the lifestyle factors for development of physical fitness and training strategies.
6. Our students will be able to identify common health and fitness myths and trends involved with the evolving nature of physical education. 
7. Our students will be able to utilize physical activity as a tool to manage stress.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway


Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Prepare for College-level Math

Math placement is required for this program. If your math placement is below MATH& 146, you’ll need to take the following sequence of courses, starting from the level you placed into:
AE 48 → MATH 87 → MATH 88 → MATH& 146

Prepare for College-level English

English placement is required for this program. If your English placement is below ENGL& 101, you’ll need to take following sequence of courses, starting from the level you placed into:
AE 36 → AE 46 and 47 (taken together) → AE 67 → ENGL 99 → ENGL& 101 → ENGL& 102

Associate in Arts (AA) is the community college degree designed to transfer to most bachelor's of arts degrees at all public and many private Washington four-year institutions. A candidate for the AA-DTA degree must complete 90 quarter credits in academic courses numbered 100 and above with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and meet specific distribution requirements.

Program Map for

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Total Program Credits: 93


Program Courses

First Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
ENGL&101
English Composition I  
5
GUID 102
Strategies for Success  
3
PSYC&100
General Psychology  
5
 
Math Electives  
5
Total Credits
 
18
Math Electives: Choose 5 credits Math Electives: Choose 5 credits  
MATH&107
Math in Society  
5
MATH&146
Introduction to Stats  
5

Second Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
ENGL&102
Composition II  
5
HLTH 104
Stress Management  
3
 
Health/PE Group B Electives   1
2
 
Math/Science Group A Electives  
5
Total Credits
 
15

Third Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
BIOL&160
General Biology with Lab  
5
CMST 227
Intercultural Communication  
5
PSYC&200
Lifespan Psychology  
5
Total Credits
 
15

Fourth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
SOC& 201
Social Problems  
5
 
Humanities Group B Electives  
5
 
Psychology Electives  
5
Total Credits
 
15
Psychology Electives: Choose 5 credits Psychology Electives: Choose 5 credits  
PSYC&180
Human Sexuality  
5
PSYC 204
Research Methods in Social Science  
5
PSYC&220
Abnormal Psychology  
5

Fifth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
HIST 105
Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues  
5
SOC 221
Race and Ethnic Relations  
5
 
Foreign Language Electives  
5
Total Credits
 
15

Sixth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
ENVS&101
Introduction to Environmental Science  
5
PHIL 110
Introduction to Ethics  
5
 
General Electives  
5
Total Credits
 
15
ANTH&100
Survey of Anthropology  
5
ASL& 122
Am Sign Language II  
5
BUS& 101
Intro to Business  
5
GEOG&100
Introduction to Geography  
5
POLS 125
Introduction to Global Issues  
5
POLS&202
American Government  
5
PSYC&180
Human Sexuality  
5
PSYC 204
Research Methods in Social Science  
5
PSYC&220
Abnormal Psychology  
5
SOC& 101
Intro to Sociology  
5
SOC 230
Sociology of Gender  
5
SPAN&122
Spanish II  
5

1 Select any two-credit PE class

Estimated costs for completing this program

 
WA Resident
Non-Resident
International
Tuition
$ 9,425
$ 11,538
$ 21,349
Books
$ 150
$ 150
$ 150
Course Fees
$ 79
$ 79
$ 79
Institutional Fees
$ 3,212
$ 3,212
$ 3,212
Total Costs
$ 12,866
$ 14,979
$ 24,789

Costs for completing a degree or certificate can vary. For more information about costs, visit our How Much Does it Cost? page.

Have a question? Let's hear it.

Michael Buckley

Department Chair
Michael.Buckley@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8845

Gwendolyn Cash-James

Dean Arts and Sciences
Gwendolyn.James@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8883

Erin Smith

Assistant Dean of Arts and Sciences
Erin.Smith@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8016