Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Psychology

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Psychology provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in psychological sciences or are preparing for graduate programs in psychology or related fields. With a bachelor's degree, students may pursue numerous careers such as mid and top-level managers, market research analysts/specialists, human resources specialists/managers, social and human service assistants, psychiatric technicians, survey researchers, and probation officers/correctional treatment specialists. Most careers in psychology require graduate work. With a graduate degree, students may pursue a number of careers, including but not limited to: psychologists (industrial-organizational, clinical, counseling, and school), research scientists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, statisticians, teachers, and human factors engineers.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Psychology (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8122
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Explain how Psychology is a science and interdisciplinary.
  • Identify interrelationships between biological, psychological and socio-cultural processes.
  • Apply Psychological science to everyday life and career goals.
  • Utilize a systematic method of investigation, design and conduct a psychology research project.
  • Locate, interpret and evaluate research findings.
  • Analyze and interpret data using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Utilize scientific findings and theories to generate new ideas.
  • Evaluate the impact of socio-cultural diversity and societal inequality on social and psychological issues and research.
  • Interact effectively with others using an understanding of the role culture, values and biases play in communication.
  • Utilize effective written, oral and visual communication skills in varied contexts, in accordance with the professional conventions within the field of psychology.
  • Apply ethical standards and social responsibility to evaluate psychological science and practice.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

$100,800

Human Resources Managers

$122,850

Human Resources Specialists

$64,110

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

$112,690

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

$66,790

Mental Health Counselors

$50,460

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

$56,120

Psychiatric Technicians

$35,370

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

$77,770

Social and Human Service Assistants

$39,460

Social Science Research Assistants

$54,200

Statisticians

$97,450

Survey Researchers

$79,080

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
  • Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
  • Psychiatrists

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MA Mathematics Critical course Before enrolling into a math course, speak to your Academic Advisor to ensure you are selecting the correct math for your transfer goals as MAT14+ is not applicable to all transfer plans MA 3–6
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously. SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY230 or
(PSY230 and
PSY231) or
PSY230WL		 Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab CS or CS or CS 3–4
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences Students who select the ASU Tempe BA transfer option must select a Related Area course that satisfies the SB requirement SB 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY290AB or
(PSY290AC (LEC) and
PSY290AC (LAB))		 Research Methods or (Research Methods and Research Methods Laboratory) L, SG or L, SG 4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative May be met by Transfer Plan requirements or met by PSY290AB OR PSY290AC unless used to meet L;
Recommend PSY275 		SG or SQ 0–4
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry May be met by PSY290AB OR PSY290AC if not used to meet SG L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MA Mathematics Critical course Before enrolling into a math course, speak to your Academic Advisor to ensure you are selecting the correct math for your transfer goals as MAT14+ is not applicable to all transfer plans MA 3–6
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously. SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences Students who select the ASU Tempe BA transfer option must select a Related Area course that satisfies the SB requirement SB 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative May be met by Transfer Plan requirements or met by PSY290AB OR PSY290AC unless used to meet L;
Recommend PSY275 		SG or SQ 0–4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY230 or
(PSY230 and
PSY231) or
PSY230WL		 Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab CS or CS or CS 3–4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY290AB or
(PSY290AC (LEC) and
PSY290AC (LAB))		 Research Methods or (Research Methods and Research Methods Laboratory) L, SG or L, SG 4
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry May be met by PSY290AB OR PSY290AC unless used to meet SG L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–4
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=190014).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Psychology