If you don’t declare a major in or switch your major to Psychology after reading this, you should probably just drop out. 

Hey readers! The major declaration deadline is coming up. That means it’s time for all of you to major in Psychology! You heard me, I want all of you to major in Psychology. Why, you may ask? 

Signs you should major in Psychology: 

• You’re fascinated by human thinking and behavior.
• You want to know why people do what they do.
• You think science is really cool but aren’t inclined towards more advanced math.
• You enjoy studying the practical, human-centered applications of data/statistics.
• The following career paths interest you: providing psychotherapy, practicing medicine, going into academia or research, working with businesses in consulting/human resources/data analytics on human interaction, working with non-profits or humanitarian groups, being a social worker/related profession, practicing law. Overall there’s a lot of career pathways a Psychology major can provide, although you’ll have more prospects if you pursue graduate school. 

As you can tell from the above list, Psychology is really cool. Personally, I’ve been a huge psych nerd since high school. I’ve read books, watched videos, and worked in labs, which is where most of my interest has been cultivated. In terms of the psych classes I’ve taken here, most tend to be textbook-based with exams that are mostly just lists of questions drawing on material memorized from lecture slides. In terms of the labs, they seem to be mostly centered on working with data analysis or developing a research project. At Barnard, I’ve found that some of the introductory Psychology classes have been boring or a recycling of material I already knew. However, as I’ve gotten into some of the more specialized classes, I’ve really enjoyed the course material and hearing from passionate professors. The more Psychology classes I take here, the more sure I am that I’ve chosen the right path in life. I really, really do love it. 

Below is a list of major and minor requirements for the Barnard Psychology major. If you’re a Columbia student, check out the Columbia Psychology course catalog. The Barnard Psychology course catalog is also a wonderful resource—I’ve read it a scary amount of times. Last but not least, some other classes are listed on the Barnard or Columbia Psychology websites. 

Major Requirements 

At least 13 courses must be taken to complete the Psychology major at Barnard. At least six of the required courses must be taken at Barnard or Columbia. All PSYC courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or above). 

• PSYC BC1001: Introduction to Psychology 
  • This can be replaced by any other psychology course if you enter Barnard with a 4 or 5 on the AP Psychology exam or 5 or 6 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) exam.
• PSYC BC1101: Statistics Lecture and Recitation 
  • This can be replaced by a similar Statistics course. 
• PSYC BC1020: Behavioral Research Methods and Analysis 
• Three PSYC lecture courses (at least one from each group) 
  • Group one 
    • PSYC BC2107: Psychology of Learning Lecture 
    • PSYC BC2110: Perception Lecture 
    • PSYC BC2115: Cognitive Psychology Lecture 
    • NSBV BC1001: Introduction to Neuroscience
  • Group two 
    • PSYC BC2125: Psychology of Personality Lecture
    • PSYC BC2129: Developmental Psychology Lecture
    • PSYC BC2138: Social Psychology Lecture
    • PSYC BC2156: Clinical Psychology Lecture
• Two PSYC laboratory courses (must be taken concurrently with their associated lectures) 
  • Group one 
    • PSYC BC2106: Psychology of Learning Lab 
    • PSYC BC2109: Perception Lab 
    • PSYC BC2114: Cognitive Psychology Lab 
    • NSBV BC2001: Laboratory in Neuroscience
  • Group two 
    • PSYC BC2124: Psychology of Personality Lab
    • PSYC BC2128: Developmental Psychology Lab
    • PSYC BC2137: Social Psychology Lab
    • PSYC BC2155: Clinical Psychology Lab
  • PSYC BC1010: Intro Lab Experimental Psych 
    • If chosen, this should be taken before other PSYC labs. 
• Additional PSYC courses 
  • At least one lecture or seminar course, bringing the total to 8 PSYC courses. 
• Outside courses 
  • One course from a cognate discipline (ANTH, COMS, ECON, LING, PHIL, SOCI, and STEM)
  • Two lectures in another science, one including a laboratory course (ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, EESC, or PHYS) 
    • These can be from different departments. 
    • The Department only accepted science courses the College approves as satisfying General Education Science Requirements.
    • Computer Science courses that count towards the College Science requirement can count as an Outside Science for the Psychology major.
• One senior requirement 
  • Includes one of the following classes with a thesis or capstone paper or project during the last two semesters: 
    • PSYC BC3465/6: Field Work Research Seminar: Toddler Center (two semesters)
    • PSYC BC3473: Clinical Field Practicum (one semester)
    • PSYC BC3601-08: Independent Study (3 or 4 credits) (one semester) 
    • PSYC BC3617/8: Senior Research Thesis + PSYC BC3601-08: Independent Study (two semesters) 
    • Any 3000-level PSYC or NSB seminar (one-semester)
  • This requirement can be fulfilled by a Columbia seminar or Supervised Individual Research with prior approval. 

Minor Requirements 

At least six courses must be taken to complete the Psychology major at Barnard. All courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or above). 

• PSYC BC1001: Introduction to Psychology 
  • This can be replaced by any other psychology course if you enter Barnard with a 4 or 5 on the AP Psychology exam or 5 or 6 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) exam.
• PSYC BC1101: Statistics Lecture and Recitation 
  • This can be replaced by a similar Statistics course. 
• One PSYC lecture course
  • Group one 
    • PSYC BC2107: Psychology of Learning Lecture 
    • PSYC BC2110: Perception Lecture 
    • PSYC BC2115: Cognitive Psychology Lecture 
    • PSYC BC2119: Systems Behavioral Neuroscience Lecture
  • Group two 
    • PSYC BC2125: Psychology of Personality Lecture
    • PSYC BC2129: Developmental Psychology Lecture
    • PSYC BC2156: Clinical Psychology Lecture
    • PSYC BC2118: Systems Behavioral Neuroscience Lab
• One PSYC laboratory course 
  • Group one 
    • PSYC BC2106: Psychology of Learning Lab 
    • PSYC BC2109: Perception Lab 
    • PSYC BC2114: Cognitive Psychology Lab 
  • Group two 
    • PSYC BC2124: Psychology of Personality Lab
    • PSYC BC2128: Developmental Psychology Lab
    • PSYC BC2137: Social Psychology Lab
    • PSYC BC2155: Clinical Psychology Lab
• Two additional PSYC courses
  • Lectures or seminars chosen from any course offered by the Department. 

Class Recommendations 

Below is a list of Psychology class recommendations compiled from a variety of Barnard and Columbia Psychology majors. 

• The Science of Living Well (Scott Barry Kaufman): I’m such a nerd for positive psychology. SBK really cares so much about his students and is so passionate about his field. He’s very funny and an engaging lecturer. I learned so much meaningful information in this class—we were required to read two books he wrote which were both very impactful in my life. SBK is only an adjunct lecturer and lives mostly in LA, so if he’s ever teaching this class I highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you’re a Psychology major/minor. 
• Clinical Psychology Lecture and Lab (Kathleen Taylor): I will vouch for Kathleen Taylor until the day I die! She’s an absolute gem, is so passionate about her subject, and gives amazing examples about the work she does in her private practice. She’s the sort of person who is very serious about her work and expects a lot of you, but is very willing to help you and provide feedback if you ask for it. In lab, we learned SPSS, which is very useful if you want to go into research (although it’s a dinosaur of a software). 
• Topics in Clinical Psychology (Irit Felsen): This class is discussion-based, learning about realistic scenarios of applying Clinical Psychology theory. 
• Abnormal Psychology (E’mett McCaskill): We learned about the major mental health disorders and how to diagnose them. In the lecture, it didn’t feel like the professor was listing things—it felt collaborative; McCaskill used real-world examples. 
• Psychology of Learning Lecture and Lab (Ken Light): Great teaching style, very interactive class with lots of examples given. Light was super helpful during scheduled office hours and was very responsive to emails for questions or scheduling additional office hours. 
• Perception Lecture (Robert Remez) and Lab (Mariel Roberts) 
• Drugs and Behavior (Carl Hart) 
• Drug Use and Abuse (E’mett McCaskill)
• Thinking & Decision Making (Katherine Fox-Glassman) 
• Anxiety, OCD, and OCD-related Disorders (Michael Wheaton)
• Clinical Field Practicum (Julia Sheehy) 

There are also so many graduate-level Psychology classes you can take, although I haven’t explored those yet. 

More Outside Testimonies 

• “I wish that instead of taking two outside sciences, I could instead take other psychology-related courses. It’s a completely different set of skills.” 
• “I really like the organization of Barnard’s Psychology major requiring core skills through statistics and behavioral methods that allows us to delve into our interests with the tools necessary to take a critical research approach. My main interest in psychology is thinking & decision-making but unfortunately there are no Barnard specific courses or faculty in this area. Thankfully, being part of Columbia University, I have been able to fully pursue this interest with incredible course offerings and research lab opportunities. But I do really value the main base I have at Barnard as a Psychology student because the professors are very accessible and I have been able to be a Teaching Assistant for courses I have loved taking here thus far.”

Last-Minute Tips 

• It’s super easy to do research! You’ll be unpaid (boo), so everyone wants you. Here’s a great list of faculty mentors who routinely look for Psychology research assistants. 
• Thinking of going clinical? Want to pursue a PhD or PsyD? The Barnard Psychology Department website has a ton of resources on that! Professor Kathleen Taylor is also an amazing resource—she’s the pre-clinical advisor. Definitely check out the Clinical Field Practicum class as well—there are a lot of really interesting placement sites you could work at! 
• Once you’re a second-semester sophomore, apply for the Psi Chi, probably the most prestigious Psychology honor society! It has a lot of benefits and being a member can make you eligible for various grants. 

Any questions? Email emma@bwog and I’d be happy to talk to you! 

Cover Image via Bwog Archives