{"id":113,"date":"2021-09-16T22:16:09","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T22:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/psychology\/?page_id=113"},"modified":"2026-03-24T17:32:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T17:32:44","slug":"majors-and-minor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/psychology\/majors-and-minor\/","title":{"rendered":"Major & Minor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Explore and Discover. <\/span> Psychology is the scientific study of brain, behavior, and beliefs. Have you ever wondered how people came to be the way they are? Why people act differently when they are with others? How the brain accomplishes the mundane feats of body movement, attention, memory, and language? Psychological science answers these and many more questions about how people think, feel, and act.<\/p>\n

Major<\/a> | Minor<\/a> | Major\/Minor Declaration<\/a><\/p>\n

Psychology Major<\/h2>\n

The Department of Psychology offers a general program of study for students who desire a broad background in contemporary psychology, as well as an Honors Program<\/a> for exceptional students. The department offers a wide variety of opportunities for undergraduates to gain active research experience alongside leading faculty. Such research experience is considered a fundamental aspect of education in psychological science.<\/p>\n

Faculty in the department also play a significant role in the neuroscience major<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Requirements<\/h3>\n

The psychology major requires the completion of 36 credit hours of coursework. The major includes the psychology fundamentals<\/a>: an introductory psychology course, a quantitative course on data analysis methods in psychology, and a research methods course.<\/p>\n

The major also requires completion of four distribution courses<\/a> and five electives<\/a>. There are no concentrations in the psychology major. Students with another related major or minor must identify 24 credit hours that will be solely attributed to the psychology major.<\/p>\n

Comprehensive Exam Requirement<\/strong><\/p>\n

All majors must complete the psychology Comprehensive Exam at the beginning of their final semester at Vanderbilt. The department will email students to schedule the exam. Students studying abroad for their last semester should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies<\/a> of Psychology in the second-to-last semester, or the last semester they are on campus, to take the Comprehensive Exam.<\/p>\n

The exam is offered in person only and typically takes about 60 to 90 minutes to complete.<\/p>\n

Psychology Minor<\/h2>\n

A minor in psychology requires completion of the following:<\/p>\n