Through Bruin Bound, connect virtually with newly admitted students and learn about academic programs, financial aid, research, career resources and housing. Take virtual tours, watch presentations, chat with advisors and find out about student clubs and organizations. Plus, visit campus to join student-led tours, talk to admission representatives and more. Find everything you need to make UCLA your new home.
Your future is Bruin.
Visit today: bruinbound.ucla.edu and bruinbound.ucla.edu/transfers.
**If you have questions about your application to UCLA or any Admissions specific inquiries, please contact the UCLA Admissions Office directly (https://admission.ucla.edu/contact). We do not handle Admissions decisions or inquiries at the departmental level.**
Welcome to the Department of Psychology! Here at UCLA, we present psychology as a scientific discipline that employs systematic methods of inquiry to study and explain human and animal behavior, both normal and abnormal, in terms of a variety of underlying variables, including neural, physiological, and cognitive processes; developmental factors and individual differences; and social and interpersonal influences and contexts. The structure of the undergraduate curriculum has been designed to reflect the extensive breadth of psychology in terms of both the range of behavioral phenomena studied and the variety of methods and theoretical approaches employed, while allowing students to pursue in greater depth those areas in which they become most interested. Beyond basic core courses, students can take many specialized courses in areas such as psychobiology, animal behavior, learning and memory, motivation, perception, cognition, measurement, personality, and clinical, social, developmental, community, and health psychology.
A choice of three undergraduate majors is offered:
While the majors overlap in certain fundamental and basic knowledge bases, they differ considerably in their focus (i.e., the extent to which certain areas of psychology and related disciplines are studied) and in terms of the different student interests and needs they satisfy.
- If you are a transfer student interested in Psychology, note that you must be admitted directly into this major. You will not be able to change into this major after admission. (UCLA Transfer Admissions Guide)
- If you are a transfer student interested in Psychobiology, note that life science majors are required to complete extensive preparatory courses prior to transfer, therefore, you must be admitted directly into a life science major; you will not be able to change from a non-life science major into a life science major after admission to UCLA. (UCLA Transfer Admissions Guide)
- If you are a transfer student interested in Cognitive Science, note that you must be admitted directly into this major. You will not be able to change into this major after admission. (UCLA Transfer Admissions Guide)
In addition to the many resources that UCLA offers to help students gain research and internship experience, our department provides the following opportunities for our majors to participate in experiences with a psychological focus:
Research Opportunities
Psychology 196A: Research Assistantship in Psychology
Assist faculty members and graduate students at UCLA who are conducting research in the field of psychology.
Psychology 196B: Research Assistantship in Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science majors only: Assist Psychology Department faculty members or graduate students who are conducting research in the area of Cognitive Science.
Psychology Fieldwork Courses
Psychology 195A: Fieldwork in Psychology
Serve as a paid or non-paid intern in a community setting that has a psychological orientation.
Psychology 195B: Fieldwork in Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science majors only: Serve as a paid or non-paid intern in a fieldwork setting in the area of Cognitive Science.
We also have a few special programs through the department that students with interested in research in Psychology or pursuing graduate programs in Psychology can take part in:
Psychology Research Opportunities Programs (PROPS)
Gain research experience while attaining information and guidance on pursuing a graduate degree. Open to students from underrepresented groups (i.e. students eligible for financial aid, first generation college students).
Psychology Departmental Honors Program
Conduct individualized research and attend a weekly seminar, culminating with the completion of an Honors thesis. Satisfactory completion leads to being awarded a degree with honors or highest honors.
Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC)
This conference allows undergraduate psychology students from UCLA, other California campuses and campuses across the nation to share their research at a professional conference designed specifically for them.