Psychology
Psychology
Social & Behavioral SciencesHave you ever wondered why people do the things they do? Psychology helps us understand how the human mind works and how they behave.
View Transfer Options, Degrees & CertificatesAt Irvine Valley College, our Psychology courses provide academic instruction in basic psychology concepts, theories, terminology and research methods, and promote students' life skills, personal growth and interpersonal effectiveness. Students majoring in psychology focus on understanding human personality and behavior, cognition, and emotions, as well as researching psychological issues of current concern.
The critical insight that psychology requires makes this major especially appropriate for those considering careers in any of the helping professions (such as mental health counseling, public health, and social work), teaching, or behavioral research; or for those seeking a widely applicable liberal arts background.
Program Length
This program can be completed in two years.
Transfer Options
IVC’s Psychology for Transfer, AA-T, helps students transfer to the CSU system. We encourage you to speak to one of our Psychology instructors, or an IVC Academic Counselor, to help you plan a degree path that is right for your goals.
Program Specific Support
- IVC’s Student Success Center
- Psychology Faculty
Your Support Team
Your success is our priority! Whether you are just starting, in the middle of, or completing your time at IVC, we have a team of people in your corner to help keep you on-track to reach your goals at IVC and beyond!
Coming Soon: Completion Teams to get students from start to goal! Look for your team beginning fall 2021!
Transfer Options, Degrees and/or Certificates
Sample Academic Plans
- This is only a sample academic plan. Some UC majors may have additional required or recommended courses for transfer. Please see a counselor to create a customized My Academic Plan (MAP) that will best meet your specific academic goals.
| Course | Title | IGETC Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR 1 | College Writing 1 | 1A | 4 |
| PSYC 1 or 1H | Introduction to Psychology | 4 & Major | 3 |
| COMM 1 | Communication Fundamentals | 1C | 3 |
| Arts | Arts GE Course | 3A | 3 |
| Humanities | Humanities GE Course | 3B | 3 |
| Course | Title | IGETC Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR 2 | College Writing Critical Thinking | 1B | 4 |
| PSYC 10* or (PSYC 10 & Math 3A*) | Statistics for Social Behavior Sciences or (Statistics and Calculus) | 2A & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 3 | Physiological Psychology | 5B & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 3 LAB | Physiological Psychology Lab | 5C | 1 |
| PSYC 6, 7, 9 or 11 | Various Psychology Courses | 4 & Major | 3 |
| Course | Title | IGETC Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 2 | Research Methods | Major | 4 |
| PSYC 13, 32, or 33 | Various Psychology Courses | Various & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 30 or PSYC 37 | Social Psychology or Abnormal Psychology | 4 & Major | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities | Arts or Humanities GE Course | 3A or 3B | 3 |
| Transfer Elective | UC Transfer Elective (Courses 1-99) | 3 |
| Course | Title | IGETC Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 5 or PSYC 20 | Various Psychology Courses | 4 & Major | 3 |
| Physical Science | Physical Science GE Course | 5A | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral Science | Social Science GE Course (Non-Psychology Course) | 4 | 3 |
| Transfer Elective | UC Transfer Elective (Courses 1-99) | 3 | |
| Transfer Elective | UC Transfer Elective (Courses 1-99) | 2-3 |
- Different UCs have different psychology degrees or tracks, and each option will have different math requirements and other major preparation requirements.
- Note: This sample academic plan does not account for the Language Other than English requirement necessary to meet Full IGETC Certification.
- This is only a sample academic plan. Some CSU majors may have additional required or recommended courses for transfer. Please see a counselor to create a customized My Academic Plan (MAP) that will best meet your specific academic goals.
| Course | Title | CSU GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR 1 | College Writing 1 | A2 | 4 |
| PSYC 1 or 1H | Introduction to Psychology | D & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 7 | Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolscence | E & Major | 3 |
| COMM 1 | Communication Fundamentals | A1 | 3 |
| Arts | Arts GE Course | C1 | 3 |
| Course | Title | CSU GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 3 | Physiological Psychology | B2 & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 3L | Physiological Psychology Lab | B3 & Major | 1 |
| PSYC 10 | Statistics for Social Behavior Sciences | B4 & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 5, 9, 11, 20, 30, 32 or 37 | Various Psychology Courses | D& Major | 3 |
| HIST 20 or HIST 21 | US History Course | C2 | 3 |
| Transfer Elective | CSU Transferable Elective (Courses 1-199) | 2-3 |
| Course | Title | CSU GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 2 | Research Methods | D & Major | 4 |
| PSYC 13 | Psychology of Reasoning and Problem Solving (Spring Only) | A3 & Major | 3 |
| PSYC 15A | Faculty Mentored Research in Psychology | Major | 2 |
| PSYC 5, 9, 11, 20, 30, 32 or 37 | Various Psychology Courses | D & Major | 3 |
| Transfer Elective | CSU Transferable Elective (Courses 1-199) | 3 |
| Course | Title | CSU GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 6 or PSYC 33 | Various Psychology Courses | Major | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities | Arts or Humanities GE Course | C1 or C2 | 3 |
| Physical Science | Physical Science GE Course | B1 | 3 |
| PS 1 | American Government | D | 3 |
| Transfer Elective | CSU Transferable Elective (Courses 1-199) | 2-3 |
- This is only a sample academic plan. Please see a counselor and check IVC's catalog to create a customized My Academic Plan (MAP) that will best meet your specific academic goals.
| Course | Title | AA GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR 1 | College Writing 1 | 1A | 4 |
| PSYC 1 or 1H | Introduction to Psychology | 4 & Major | 3 |
| COMM 1 | Communication Fundamentals | 1B | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity | Cultural Diversity GE Course | 5 | 3 |
| Lifelong Health* | Lifelong Health and Personal Development GE Course | 9 A/B/C | 1 |
| Course | Title | AA GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 10 | Statistics for Social Behavior Sciences | 2 & Major | 3 |
| Major | Psychology Major Course from List A | Major | 3-4 |
| Humanities | Humanities GE Course | 6 | 3 |
| Fine Arts | Fine Arts and Languages GE Course | 7 | 3 |
| Elective | Degree Applicable Elective (Courses 1-299) | 3 |
| Course | Title | AA GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC 2 | Research Methods in Psychology | 1C & Major | 4 |
| Major | Psychology Major Course from List B | Major | 3 |
| Natural Sciences | Natural Sciences GE Course | 3 | 3 |
| Elective | Degree Applicable Elective (Courses 1-299) | 3 | |
| Elective | Degree Applicable Elective (Courses 1-299) | 3 |
| Course | Title | AA GE Area/Major | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology Major Course from List C | Major | 3 |
| Major | Psychology Major Course from List A, B or C | Major | 3 |
| American Institutions | American Institutions GE Course | 8 | 3 |
| Lifelong Health* | Lifelong Health and Personal Development GE Course | 9 A/B/C | 3 |
| Elective | Degree Applicable Elective (Courses 1-299) | 3 |
- Take one course from two different categories among GE areas 9A, 9B, and 9C. Please refer to the AA GE pattern for details.
*Students may be eligible for one or more AA/AS/AA-T/AS-T degrees if they complete a GE transfer pattern, have specific courses, and have 60 transferable units. Please see a counselor for degree options and advisement.
- AA = Associate of Arts
- AS = Associate of Science
- AA-T = Associate of Arts for Transfer
- AS-T = Associate of Science for Transfer
- COA = Certificate of Achievement
- COP = Certificate of Proficiency
Explore Careers Related to Psychology
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Median Salary
$59,515
Job Growth
+19%
Education
- Associate's Degree
- 6%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 69%
- Master's Degree
- 26%
Clinical Psychologists
Median Salary
$99,053
Job Growth
+25%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 16%
- Doctoral or More
- 84%
Compliance Managers
Median Salary
$87,678
Job Growth
+9%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 9%
- Certificate
- 7%
- Some College
- 1%
- Associate's Degree
- 5%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 63%
- Master's Degree
- 14%
Counseling Psychologists
Median Salary
$99,053
Job Growth
+25%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 35%
- Doctoral or More
- 65%
Educational, Guidance, and Vocational Counselors
Median Salary
$76,899
Job Growth
+17%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 6%
- Master's Degree
- 93%
Healthcare Social Workers
Median Salary
$77,150
Job Growth
+27%
Education
- Bachelor's Degree
- 4%
- Master's Degree
- 96%
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Median Salary
$110,867
Job Growth
-41%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 47%
- Doctoral or More
- 53%
Marriage and Family Therapists
Median Salary
$45,375
Job Growth
+46%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 100%
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Median Salary
$58,663
Job Growth
+25%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 4%
- Certificate
- 4%
- Associate's Degree
- 3%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 16%
- Master's Degree
- 72%
- Doctoral or More
- 1%
Mental Health Counselors
Median Salary
$48,360
Job Growth
+38%
Education
- Associate's Degree
- 1%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 34%
- Master's Degree
- 64%
Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
Median Salary
$94,365
Job Growth
+19%
Education
- Doctoral or More
- 100%
Postsecondary Psychology Teachers
Median Salary
$95,831
Job Growth
+10%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 15%
- Doctoral or More
- 85%
Psychiatric Aides
Median Salary
$31,208
Job Growth
+11%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 63%
- Certificate
- 3%
- Some College
- 16%
- Associate's Degree
- 4%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 12%
- Master's Degree
- 2%
Psychiatrists
Median Salary
$254,064
Job Growth
+12%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 7%
- Doctoral or More
- 93%
Regulatory Affairs Managers
Median Salary
$87,678
Job Growth
+9%
Education
- Associate's Degree
- 4%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 75%
- Master's Degree
- 21%
Rehabilitation Counselors
Median Salary
$31,347
Job Growth
+23%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 20%
- Associate's Degree
- 4%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 26%
- Master's Degree
- 49%
- Doctoral or More
- 1%
School Psychologists
Median Salary
$99,053
Job Growth
+25%
Education
- Master's Degree
- 100%
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
Median Salary
$48,360
Job Growth
+38%
Education
- H.S. Diploma or Less
- 1%
- Certificate
- 2%
- Some College
- 7%
- Associate's Degree
- 14%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 26%
- Master's Degree
- 48%
- Doctoral or More
- 2%
Not sure if Psychology is the right fit?
That's OK!
Begin with the Exploratory Interest Area and explore Psychology while still working toward your academic goals.
Or speak to one of IVC’s Academic Counselors to learn more about all of your options.
