Psychology Department Supplemental Application Process
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do I need to do to declare the Psychology Major at Sac State?
The Psychology Major is impacted. As such, an additional application is required to be submitted in
order to be considered for admission to the Psychology major. This application is called the
“Supplemental Application” and is in addition to the application submitted for university admission.
For more information, visit our website at:
https://www.csus.edu/college/social-sciences-
interdisciplinarystudies/psychology/impaction.html.
2. How can I become eligible to submit the supplemental application? You must complete the
following criteria:
a. Have 30 units of college level coursework completed.
b. Have PSYC 2, Introductory Psychology, (or equivalent) completed with a C or better within 3
attempts (for those who took the course in Spring 2020, a grade of CR (“credit”) will be
accepted for the purpose of eligibility to apply to the Psychology major).
c. Be in Good Academic Standing at the time of application.
d. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 in all college level coursework.
e. Have all of your college-level transcripts on file with Sacramento State
Admissions/Registrar at the time of application.
3. Are there any other classes required to be completed in order to apply?
No other classes are required to be completed before you apply other than the Introductory
Psychology course.
4. Do AP and IB units count towards college level units?
Yes, they do. The AP Psychology Exam can also be counted as the equivalent of the Introductory
Psychology course as long as a score of 3 or above was earned.
5. How do I find out which course at my community college is equivalent to the Introductory
Psychology class?
You can search for the equivalent course on https://www.assist.org/.
6. How do I fill out the supplemental application to show completion of my Introductory to
Psychology course?
If you completed the course at a community college:
Institution Term Equivalent Course Units Grade
Institution where introductory
course was taken Term course was taken Course Code Unit worth Grade Received
(EX; American River College) (Fall 2020) (PSYC 300) (3) (B)
Advanced Placement Test (AP) or International Baccalaureate Test (IB)
Institution Term Equivalent Course Units Grade
High School Attended Term Test was taken AP Psychology
(EX; Rio Americano High School) (Spring 2020) (AP Psychology) (3.0) (P)
7. Which community college classes can I take to fulfill major requirements?
Classes that routinely transfer into the Psychology Major at Sac State from community colleges are
articulated classes for PSYC 2 – Introductory Psychology, PSYC 8 – Methods of Psychology.
Depending on current articulation status, PSYC 9 – Statistics for Psychology may be transferred
from the community college. We are still in the process determining equivalences for PSYC 9, so you
may need to contact the Department if you are unsure about a PSYC 9-transferrable course. Last,
long as the student’s catalog rights begin in Fall 2018 or later. CHAD/CHDV 30 is a class focused on
Lifespan Development. You may have taken a Lifespan Development class that is not listed as
articulated on Assist.org but that the department will accept for this requirement. Reach out to the
Department once you are accepted to the major if you took a Lifespan Development course that is
not articulated with CHAD/CHDV 30 at Sac State. No other community college Psychology courses
will transfer into the major at Sac State but they can potentially transfer in as GE requirements.
Bear in mind that Assist.org may not be fully updated. Please contact the Department of Psychology
via e-mail at psychology@csus.edu if necessary for the most current articulation information.
8. Can I transfer in other upper division Psychology courses into the major?
We evaluate upper division coursework completed at other 4-year institutions on a case by case
basis. We will oftentimes request a syllabus of the course to help us determine the potential
equivalency or course substitution.
9. Are transcripts required for the supplemental application?
Transcripts must be on file with Admissions/Registrar for us to evaluate your application to the
major. In addition, having an unofficial copy of all of your college-level transcripts available in your
personal files may be helpful in case we need to request those.
10. How will we know we got admitted or not?
We will communicate with all applicants via e-mail. The decisions are sent via e-mail 2 – 3 weeks
after the application deadline. Please make sure to check your Junk Mail as these e-mails may
sometimes end up in that folder.
11. How do we submit a change of major/declaration of major form once we have been admitted
into the major?
If you are admitted into the major, we will submit a Declaration of Major form on your behalf. These
forms are very different from the ones that other non-impacted majors use which prevents students
from declaring the major on their own. The Registrar’s Office will only accept these from the
Psychology Department staff directly.
12. Will we need to re-apply every semester in order to remain a major?
Once you have been admitted into the major, you will not have to re-apply each semester to remain
a major. If you are academically dismissed, academically disqualified, or if you take more than one
semester off (Fall & Spring) without a Leave of Absence you will need to re-apply to the major.
13. If I am an incoming transfer student that did not get admitted into the major, does this mean
that I won’t be able to attend Sac State?
You will still be able to attend Sac State as long as you have been admitted to the University
regardless of whether you were admitted to an impacted major. With this in mind, you will be able
to attend Sac State under the academic plan/major or “Expressed Interest in Psychology.” This
means that students under this academic plan/major will be considered undeclared students with
an expressed interest in declaring the Psychology major.
14. Can I re-apply to the major if I don’t get in the first time?
Yes, you will be able to re-apply. However, we strongly recommend that students interested in
reapplying contact an Academic Advisor to discuss your academic progress and plan of action.
15. I am an incoming transfer student and my registration date looks like it is before my
orientation date. Can I register before attending New Student Orientation?
For incoming transfer students: you will not be able to register until you attend orientation. The
registration date that shows up on your Student Center is not accurate. The registration hold will
remain in place until you have attended New Student Orientation.
For current Sac State students: the registration date that shows up on your Student Center is
accurate and this is the day that you will be able to register.
Questions? Contact the Department of Psychology at psycapply@csus.edu. FALL 2021
