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FAQS for Secondary Fields (subject to change)
Please read through the FAQs below to see if your specific question is answered before contacting an adviser or the Undergraduate Office. Also, please read the General FAQs from the Student Handbook.
*UPDATE: As of Fall 2011, the category Affiliate Electives no longer exists. Only courses from the Psychology portion of Courses of Instruction and courses listed on the website under Departmental Advanced Courses will count toward the three required Advanced Courses. If you have taken a course from the former Affiliate Electives list in Spring 2011 or earlier, students will be grandfathered in and one course from this list will still meet the Advanced Course requirement.
I. Questions about Advising and Filing:
II. Questions about Double-Counting Courses:
III. Questions about Requirements:
THE ANSWERS:
I. Questions about Advising and Filing:
Who can I talk to about psychology secondary field requirements?
After having carefully read the requirements and the FAQs, you may seek out an adviser to answer your questions. Students in houses may contact the psychology Concentration Adviser assigned to their house. Students who are not yet in houses may come to William James Hall during drop-in hours. You may also email questions to psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu. top
How do I declare a secondary field in psychology?
- Notify the department of your intention to complete a secondary field by using the Secondary Field Webtool and clicking on the "Notify" icon. Do not "file" at this time.
- Complete the required coursework.
- Complete and File the online Form to File for a Secondary Field electronically by following the instructions provided.
- Print the filed form to be signed by the department.
- Prior to 5th Monday, email the Psychology Undergraduate Office (psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu) to make an appointment to come to the Psychology Undergraduate Office, William James Hall 218, to have the printed form reviewed and signed. If you have any approved petitions, it is your responsibility to keep a copy of the approved petition and attach it to your printed form.
- Prior to 7th Monday of your final term, hand in the filed and signed form to the Registrar no later than 5pm top
II. Questions about Double-Counting Courses:
Can I count courses I have taken for my concentration or for Core requirements toward a psychology secondary field?
A college-wide rule states that only one half-course may double count for a secondary field and concentration. Courses count first for concentration, and then one may be double-counted for a secondary field. In short, you must take 5 courses toward the secondary field that don't meet any other concentration requirements. top
How do I know whether something is counting toward my concentration?
Check your student record and see which courses are marked "1C" (Keep in mind these aren't always current!). All concentrations have different policies about which and how many courses they count toward the concentration, and about accommodating students who want to do a secondary field. Some combinations may not be possible. A student should check with his or her concentration about whether or not they are willing to change what counts for the concentration in order for the student to do a secondary field. Concentrations are not required to make such accommodations at this time. top
III. Questions about Requirements:
I have a Psychology AP Score = 5. Does that mean I only have to take 5 half-courses?
No, you will need to still take 6 half-courses to complete the secondary field. Since you have an AP score of 5, you will not need to take an introductory psychology course, but you will need to take an additional Advanced Course so that your total number of courses is 6. You may choose to take Science of Living Systems 20 (or Psychology 1 or SCI B-62 if taken prior to Fall 2009) if you wish. Please note that Psychology AP = 5 is treated differently for concentrators. top
I have a Statistics AP Score = 5. Can I be exempt from the Psychology 1900 requirement?
No. You must take this course or an approved substitute. If you have an extremely strong statistics background and are interested in exploring higher level statistics that are relevant to the field of psychology, please e-mail the Psychology Undergraduate Office at psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu. top
Can I count Science B-62 toward the Introductory Psychology Requirement?
Maybe. This course will meet the Introductory Psychology requirement if taken in Spring 2006 or in Spring 2009. If taken another time, Science B-62 may count as an advanced course. top
What happened to Psy 16 (Developmental Psychology)? What can I take instead of this course?
Psychology 16 is no longer being offered beginning Fall 2011. Science of Livings Systems 15, Developmental Psychology: Origins of Knowledge replaces Psychology 16 as a Foundational Course, but will only count toward the Foundational Course requirement if taken in Fall 2011 or later. Students may only take one of these courses (Psy 16 or SLS 15) toward the secondary field.
What courses can I use as Advanced Courses?
The courses that may count towards the Advanced Course requirement are very specific, and no exceptions will be made. You may count any courses designated as Departmental Courses, including the limited number of courses from other departments or schools that are on this approved list. PLEASE NOTE that Positive Psychology taken in Spring 2008 CANNOT be counted toward the secondary field.
As of Fall 2011, secondary field students may ONLY count a course from a different department or school toward the secondary field if it appears on the list of Departmental Courses. Secondary field students CANNOT count any of the "Expedited Non-Departmental Courses” that are only approved to count as advanced courses for concentrators (see list for courses that DO NOT COUNT)
If you have taken a course that was formerly on the Affiliate Courses list in 2010-11 or earlier, you will be permitted to count ONE course from this list toward the secondary field. (Courses from this list taken in Fall 2011 or later will not count). Former Affiliate Courses:
- Historical Study A-87 (formerly History of Science 175), Madness and Medicine: Theories in the History of Psychology (Culture and Belief 34 cannot count)
- History of Science 171, Narrative and Neurology (no longer offered)
- History of Science 177, Stories under the Skin: The Mind-Body Connection in Modern Medicine (no longer offered)
- Life Sciences 1a, Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology
- Life Sciences 1b, Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution
- Neurobiology 130 (formerly Psychology 1205), Drugs and the Brain: From Neurobiology to Ethics
- Organizational and Evolutionary Biology 53, Evolutionary Biology
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Can I count courses taken in the Harvard Summer School?
CERTAIN psychology courses offered by the Harvard Summer School will automatically count for secondary field credit if you have not already taken the equivalent course during the academic year. See the list of summer school courses, updated in February each year, that can count. top
Can I count courses taken out of residence (SOR) toward the secondary field?
Only SOR courses from the Harvard Summer School that count as psychology departmental courses can count for secondary field credit. Please see list here. Sorry, we are not able to accept petitions to count study abroad course from other programs. top
I transferred to Harvard. Can I count courses from my prior institution?
Possibly, depending on the courses you took and the credit Harvard has awarded you. If you are in this situation, please be in touch with the Psychology Undergraduate Office at psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu. top
Why don't courses that count for psychology concentration credit also count for the secondary field?
Because there are only 6 half-courses in the secondary field, the faculty thought it was important that they all be core psychology courses. Since there are 12 half-courses in the concentration, there is room to allow students to supplement a strong psychology backbone with a few, more broadly related courses. top
My friend had a petition approved for a certain course, so mine will be approved too, right?
Not necessarily. Each petition is decided on a case-by-case basis. To ensure that you will be able to count courses when you go to turn in your paperwork to file a secondary field, it is important to turn in a petition for review as early as possible, preferably before you take the course. You are responsible for retaining a copy of any signed, approved petitions and turning them in along with your final paperwork to the Undergraduate Office, William James Hall 218. top
What is the process for petitioning for one of the allowable exceptions?
Very few cases actually require a petition. First, keep in mind that you do not need to fill out a petition for the approved substitute courses (e.g. Psyc S-1 in the summer school or a Psych AP score of 5). Petitions for other courses are not usually allowed, with the exception of petitions to meet the basic methods requirement with a statistics course you have already taken for your concentration or for transfer students who have taken coursework at another institution. Please note that we do not accept any petitions for courses to meet the Advanced Course Requirement or for courses taken abroad.
You can download a copy of the petition here. You can sign it electronically (by typing your name: Jane Doe - Signed electronically) on the signature line and e-mailing it along with any relevant materials as an attachment to psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu, or drop it off in William James Hall 218.
Once we review the petition, we will e-mail you to let you know whether it was approved. If approved, you will need to pick up a copy of the signed petition and retain the copy. It is your responsibility to keep track of any approved petitions, and to turn in a copy along with your final paperwork to file for a secondary field program. top
Can I petition to count a different course to meet the Introductory or Foundational Course requirements? I've already taken advanced psychology courses without having taken this required course.
No - Even if you have already excelled in more advanced courses, you will need to go back and complete the Introductory and/or Foundational Course requirement(s). top
Can I petition to count a psychology-related course from another department (like Madness and Medicine or Psych and Economics?).
No. Secondary field students may ONLY count a course from a different department or school toward the secondary field if it appears on the list of Departmental Courses (see above for more info), and we do not accept any petitions for Advanced Courses. Although we agree that these courses are a nice way to expand on the topics you will learn in psychology, we do not count them because there are only 6 half courses in the secondary field, and we want to be sure that these six represent a solid core of psychology courses. We encourage you to consider taking these courses to pursue your interests. top
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