Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Psychology

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ or
MAT15+ or
MAT187 or
MAT188 or
MAT212 or
MAT213
College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus or Precalculus or Brief Calculus or Brief Calculus Critical course OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix.

Before enrolling into a math course, speak to your Academic Advisor to ensure you are selecting the correct math for your transfer goals as MAT14+ or MAT15+ are not applicable for all University program requirements.

MAT14+ OR MAT15+ recommended for students intending to transfer to NAU, Psychological Sciences, BS or U of A, Psychology, BA.

(MAT15+ and MAT182) OR MAT187 OR MAT188 recommended for students intending to transfer to ASU.
MA or MA or MA or None or MA or MA 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
Elective General Electives 0–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
MAT182 Plane Trigonometry Critical course (MAT15+ and MAT182) OR MAT187 OR MAT188 recommended for students intending to transfer to ASU. QNR in combo w/ MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156; 0–3
Elective General Electives 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY230 or
(PSY230 and
PSY231)
or
PSY230WL
Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab CS or CS or CS 3–4
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3
Elective General Electives 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY290AB or
PSY290AC
Research Methods or Research Methods L, SG or L, SG 3–4
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
IAM Institutions of the Americas IAM 3
Elective General Electives 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ or
MAT15+ or
MAT187 or
MAT188 or
MAT212 or
MAT213
College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus or Precalculus or Brief Calculus or Brief Calculus Critical course OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix.

Before enrolling into a math course, speak to your Academic Advisor to ensure you are selecting the correct math for your transfer goals as MAT14+ or MAT15+ are not applicable for all University program requirements.

MAT14+ OR MAT15+ recommended for students intending to transfer to NAU, Psychological Sciences, BS or U of A, Psychology, BA.

(MAT15+ and MAT182) OR MAT187 OR MAT188 recommended for students intending to transfer to ASU.
MA or MA or MA or None or MA or MA 3–5

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
MAT182 Plane Trigonometry Critical course (MAT15+ and MAT182) OR MAT187 OR MAT188 recommended for students intending to transfer to ASU. QNR in combo w/ MAT150 or MAT151 or MAT152 or MAT155 or MAT156; 0–3
Elective General Electives 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY230 or
(PSY230 and
PSY231)
or
PSY230WL
Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab CS or CS or CS 3–4
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences SCB 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PSY290AB or
PSY290AC
Research Methods or Research Methods L, SG or L, SG 3–4
Elective General Electives 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
Elective General Electives 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
IAM Institutions of the Americas IAM 3
Elective General Electives 0–3

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.