Building a Solid Foundation for our Majors with the Introductory Psychology Course

Abstract

To envision the introductory psychology course as a foundational part of the major curriculum, priority should be placed on its relevance to the subsequent coursework in the major and its responsiveness to evolving regional, national, and global standards. In this article the authors describe their own strategy for gathering information from multiple sources to explore the foundational potential of the introductory psychology course taught in their department at a medium-sized public university in the USA. They administered surveys to their psychology faculty and students, considered department characteristics and resources, and reviewed national and international professional standards. They conclude that their strategy may be useful for psychology departments at other institutions interested in considering the role their introductory course plays within the context of their undergraduate major curriculum.