Students who are transferring to Missouri State and planning to major in Psychology need to meet with an advisor in the Psychology Advisement Center to discuss degree requirements, after transfer credit has been evaluated. You will find some information about how course credit will transfer to Missouri State by checking the Missouri State transfer equivalency site and looking at the Missouri State transfer credit policy.

Students will first need to apply and be admitted to the university. All transcripts must be sent to Missouri State for evaluation of transfer credit.  Some coursework in Psychology may transfer as specific classes offered at Missouri State.  Other coursework may transfer as elective hours in psychology.  Students wishing to have transfer credit for psychology courses re-evaluated need to meet with a designated member of the Psychology Department.

Special considerations for those transferring from two-year or Community Colleges

• An Associate of Arts degree from most Missouri public or private institutions will meet all lower division General Education Requirements for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Students will still need to complete the 3 hr Capstone course, GEP 397, once they enroll on the Missouri State campus.
• All transfer students must meet Missouri State’s residency requirements. These include the completion of a minimum of 30 total credit hrs; 12 credit hrs in the major; 6 credit hrs in the minor; and no less that 20 of the last 30 credit hrs to be completed on the Springfield Missouri State campus.
• Psychology courses completed at 2-year or community colleges will transfer to Missouri State as lower division credit. We do not re-evaluate them as upper division credit.
• Up to 6 credit hours of lower division psychology electives will fulfill specific requirements of the Psychology Major. See #3 on reverse.
• Note that all Foundation Course Work requirements are for upper division courses.
  • Upper division psychology courses at Missouri State, such as ‘Psychology of Childhood’ or 'Abnormal Psychology', covers content similar to courses that may be taken at two-year and community colleges. Those will transfer as lower division electives and will not meet Foundation Course Work requirements. Such courses may, however, be used to meet a specific pre-requisite for another course.
  • Students are encouraged to fulfill Foundation Course Work requirements at Missouri State with courses in which course content is dissimilar to a course already taken.
  • For example, a student transferring a course in Abnormal Psychology from a two-year institution will receive lower division elective credit for the course, not credit for PSY 304. The student is then encouraged to choose a course other than Abnormal Psychology to fulfill the "Applied" Foundation Course Work requirement for the major. If the student chooses PSY 512 – Personality Theories and Systems, for which PSY 304 is a pre-requisite, the pre-requisite will be waived.
• Students interested in enrolling in PSY 150 – An Introduction to the Psychology Major, should do so during their first semester on campus. This course is a good way to get lots of up-to-date advisement information.
• It is essential that students meet with their advisor regularly to assure that academic progress is directed toward the student’s career or educational goals.
• It is especially important for Psychology majors who have already completed a significant number of credits toward their degree to get involved and become acquainted with the department. Opportunities to participate in research, to get hands-on experience, and to get involved in both Psychology Club and PSI CHI are excellent ways to do this.

Applying to the Psychology Degree Program:

Admission to the Psychology Degree Program establishes the catalog year for a student majoring in Psychology. Because students must be admitted to a degree program before completing 60 credit hours, it is especially important for students transferring to be informed about this process early. For information on admission to degree program requirements and how and when to begin the process, visit Applying to the Degree Program or you may call (417) 836-6841 or go to Hill Hall 313 to speak with an advisor.