Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: The term "psychologist" assumes that you have a doctoral degree in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree). Beyond the four years it takes to earn a Bachelor's degree, graduate training at the doctoral level takes an additional 4-6 years.

2. What if I want to be a psychiatrist-do I have to major in psychology?

Answer: Although psychology is one of the possible majors you could choose, you do not have to major in psychology in order to become a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is an M.D. (Medical Doctor) with a specialty in treating psychological problems. (Just like a pediatrician is an M.D. with a specialty in childhood illnesses.) Future psychiatrists major in the sciences or liberal arts and complete the pre-med curriculum during their undergraduate years.

3. I really enjoy psychology and took a psychology course in high school, but I don't know what I want to do after graduation. Do I need to decide on a career before choosing psychology as a major?

Answer: Perhaps the thing that psychology majors have in common more than anything else is their collective uncertainty about a career path. About 25% of our majors go into the human services field (counseling and other helping professions). The remainder enter as wide a variety of career fields as you can imagine. If you don't have specific career goals, the best major for you is one that you are excited and motivated about.

4. I want to have a career as a counselor. Do I need to get a Ph.D.?

Answer: Not necessarily. It is possible to enter many career paths in the counseling field with a master's degree. There are several relevant degrees including Master's in Psychology, Master's in Education, and Master's in Social Work.

5. I want to major in psychology but my parents say I'll never get a job in business with a psychology major. Is this true?

Answer: Actually the majority of psychology majors at UNH obtain jobs in business and industry. Most liberal arts majors including psychology are considered excellent preparation for the business field. Psychology is especially appropriate because of our emphasis on the "science" of psychology and on human behavior. Through both our statistics and research methods courses students learn valuable analytic skills.

6. I've heard that if you don't plan to go on to graduate school after college you might as well forget about psychology as a major. How true is this?

Answer: Not at all true! Nationally less than 25% of all psychology majors go on to earn a graduate degree in psychology. Yet psychology is one of the largest majors in the country! What are all those other majors doing? Anything and everything-it really depends on your interests and what opportunities come your way!

Current UNH Students

1. I took Statistics in another department. Can I use it to fulfill the Psychology Department's statistics requirement?

Answer: No. If you have taken a statistics course other than Psychology 402, you must do one of two things (at your option): A: You may take the Psychology Department's statistics competency exam. If you pass the competency exam you do not have to take Psychology 402 but you must take another Psychology course to replace Psychology 402. If you do not pass the statistics competency exam you must take Psychology 402. B: You may take Psychology 402. (Beginning Spring 2009 students may earn credit for two statistics courses under ONLY these circumstances).

2. I'm a Junior trying to get into the psychology major. I heard it is tough to get into the major. Am I guaranteed getting into the psychology major if I have completed the prerequisite courses of Psychology 401 and 402 with at least a C and have a 2.0 grade point average?

Answer: At the present time the psychology department admits all qualified students who apply to the major.

3. I took Psychology 402 to fulfill the General Education Group II Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Now I want to major in psychology. What do I do?

Answer: Beginning in Fall 2007 all Psychology majors are permitted to use Psychology 402 for either the General Education Group II Quantitative Reasoning requirement or for the major, but not both. If you use Psyc 402 for the General Education requirement you must take an extra Psychology course to replace it in the major (any extra 500 or 700 level course other than Psyc 595, 4 credit, C- minimum).

4. I got a D in a psychology course. What should I do?

Answer: That depends. If the course was a required core course (401, 402, or 502), then you must repeat the course and earn a grade that is acceptable for the major (C-). If it was not a required core course, then you have the option of either repeating the course or taking another psychology course in its place. This choice should include a consideration of why you got a D in the first place. If the reasons for the low grade are not likely to reoccur, then you could consider repeating the course. Keep in mind, though, that you can only earn credit for a course once and that only the most recent grade counts in your GPA (whether it is higher or lower than the original grade!)

5. I've heard that if you go abroad or on exchange for one semester you can't graduate on time. Is this true?

Answer: Some students who go abroad or on exchange take fewer credits than a normal UNH course load (16 credits). In order to graduate on time those students must make up for such a credit deficit, unless they had a credit excess to begin with (see #8 below). If credits are a concern, it may be possible to take a 16 credit course load, even if the college has a three credit system.

6. I want to attend graduation with my class, but I'll have one more course to take in the summer. Can I still attend graduation?

Answer: The rule is as follows: if you are within 8 credits of graduating in May, you may attend graduation provided you file your intent to graduate card for September or December by the May intent card deadline.

7. I was hoping to complete a second major but I'm going to run out of time. Can I still graduate?

Answer: You may graduate with only your first major, provided you file a change of program form dropping your second major. If, after graduation, you wish to complete an "additional" major, you may register as a special student through OE to complete the requirements of an "additional" major. These courses will be listed on a non-degree transcript. Upon completion, a notation will be added to your non-degree transcript: "Completed the requirements for a second major in _______".

8. I entered UNH with AP (Advanced Placement) credit. How can I use this credit to my best advantage?

Answer: Assuming there is no good reason why you should graduate with more than the required number of credits (128), you can use your credit excess in one or more of several ways: A. Take fewer credits during a semester abroad or on exchange, to have more time to travel and experience the culture. B. If you are in the honors program, take fewer credits during your senior year so you'll have more time to devote to your senior honors thesis. C. Build up sufficient additional credits to graduate early if there is good reason to do so. D. Breath a sigh of relief if you have to drop a course unexpectedly and your credit excess permits you to avoid a credit deficit.

9. I took Psychology 401 and 402 to fulfill General Education requirements and now I want to declare a second major or a minor in psychology. Do I have to replace these general education courses?

Answer: No! Second major or minor courses may be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

10. I was planning to do a second major, but now I've heard about the "Dual Degree Program". What's the difference?

Answer: There are two types of programs that involve two majors: A. Double major program: 128 credits required. One major is designated for the degree (first major). Complete the requirements for a second major. One set of degree requirements determined by the first major. B. Dual degree program: 160 credits required. 2.5 minimum GPA required. Normally must be different degrees (B.A. and B.S.) but two B.S. degrees are possible if in different fields). Two B.A. degrees are not allowed. Two sets of degree requirements but may overlap courses that can be applied to either degree.

Transfer Students

1. I transferred from a psychology program that offered a B.S. degree. Can I still pursue the B.S. degree at UNH?

Answer: No. The psychology department at UNH offers only the B.A. degree at the undergraduate level.

2. I'm considering transferring to UNH, but my college offers three-credit courses and UNH offers four-credit courses. What will happen to my psychology courses?

Answer: All psychology majors including those who transfer to UNH must complete a minimum of 44 credits. A three-credit course may fill a requirement in the major, but the transfer student will need to take extra credits in psychology to compensate for the credit deficit created by applying transfer courses to the major.

3. I have a credit deficit as a result of transferring. I can't afford summer courses. What should I do?

Answer: Any student in good academic standing may take up to five courses or 20 credits in any semester for the same tuition charge. In addition, the pass/fail grading option is often used by students who are taking extra credits to relieve a credit deficit.