Overview

When Descartes first said, “I think, therefore I am,” he was opening up what would eventually become one of the biggest questions about human nature. How is the mind related to the body? Where do they intersect, and how do they interact? The mind/body divide has been pestering philosophers for centuries now, and yet here it is: mind and body joined together in one large and complicated major.


Similar to a biopsychology major, a Physiological Psychology major (try saying that three times fast) is interested in the relationship between the brain and our behavior. This is some complicated material, and it should be since what you will be dealing with could offer mankind insight into the essence of humanity. You will have all of the skills and training of a psychologist, along with unique insights into the structure and function of the human brain normally left to neuroscientists. There are also, of course, some extra benefits here because the next time your parents ask you why you took the car and broke curfew, you can tell them that it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with your superior colliculus.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

  • Advanced Writing in Psychology

  • Biological Psychology

  • Biology-II

  • Cognitive Psychology

  • Developmental Psychology

  • General Psychology

  • History of Psychology

  • Psychopathology

  • Statistics

  • The Human Animal


HIGH SCHOOl PREPARATION

Take psychology if your school offers it. Biological sciences are essential to this major, so load up on them. Quantitative skills, especially those taught in calculus and statistics, will prove very useful.