Majoring in Psychological Sciences
Psychology majors at W&M have a lot of options. You may declare either a B.S. or a B.A. in Psychology. Both majors allow you to build a program of coursework that either emphasizes a sub-field of psychology, or allows you to explore the breadth of the field.
Psychology is one of William & Mary's most popular undergraduate majors. Each year about 150 students graduate with one of our majors.
Our majors often don't have a single, specific career goal in mind. A bachelor's degree in psychology will not make you a psychologist - you need a graduate degree for that. But, a major in psychology is an ideal focus of W&M's liberal arts education: our majors gain insights into human behavior and thought. We teach laboratory and social research techniques. You will learn how to use statistics and other quantitative methods. Our classes focus on critical thinking and communication. These skills form a solid foundation for any career.
As a major, you will explore the breadth of our field by taking courses that cover different sub-disciplines. You will also take courses that dive into specific topics in-depth. You will work with your major advisor to determine which courses will meet your goals. You will also have opportunities to do research, either on your own as an Honors project or as part of a class or in a professor's laboratory.
It is impossible to describe the "typical" career path of Psychological Sciences alumni. About half of our alumni go on to some sort of graduate school. They may study psychology, law, medicine, business, nursing, or another academic discipline. The other half goes on to start their careers. You will find our majors doing good work in every field imaginable.
William & Mary also offers a major in Neuroscience. This is an interdisciplinary major that requires courses in biology, mathematics and chemistry as well as psychology courses.
