Hi all, If a Psychology course is labeled with a prefix "PY", rather than "PSY" is it considered less-han? Or if the course number is PSY 6400 as opposed to PSY 640, is that a higher-level course?
>> I'm 99.99% sure that the prefix is up to the college that teaches the course. You can google a list of traditional prefixes, you'll find PSY, PSYC, PSYCH, etc. Some schools use variations for reasons unrelated to academics or department issuing credit- my community college (I know, not grad level) has changed ours three times in 17 years. We used to be on a 3 alpha system, then two, and now we are using 3 letters again. When we merge departments this year, we will be using 4 letters. My point is that the actual courses have not changed at all. So, based on my observations, I'd say it depends on the school and what their system is. Harvard Extension uses made up alpha-numerics LOL, and they use them for both under grad and grad level, with the distinction "E" before the number (PSY-E1240 is open to both grad and undergrad) and numbers there do not follow the traditional "500/600" for graduate work. My next class has the number "50" in it (?). That said, if you transfer work, the college you transfer into always can bump your credits up or down (or not allow at all!) based on any number of things.
Thanks Jennifer, that does help a lot. I have found what I think is a great solution to my two-year search for a grad program. As I started looking for a great online counseling masters program, I gradually became aware that I would like to teach psychology as adjunct while I would be developing a counseling practice. I want to do both, but discovered my COUN-prefix courses would not allow me to teach psych. This program, however, at University of West Alabama has 24 credits of psych courses plus the remaining in counseling and education classes. So I am thrilled that I will have the needed 18 hrs. to teach psych, while pursuing counseling at the same time. I was worried about the prefix, though, but it seems that you hve explained that. Anyway, thanks so much for your post.
WNMU offers DL graduate level courses in psychology at reasonable tuition costs. http://www.wnmu.edu/VirtualCampus/InterdisciplinaryMasters.htm
