Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Commonly-Asked Questions in Psychology

Q. Can I take summer courses at a community college and then transfer the credits to WPU?

A. You may transfer up to 60 credits from a community college or 90 credits from a 4-year university; once you have 60 credits (counting both WPU and community college courses) then you may not transfer credits to WPU. See the WPU student handbook.

Q. I'm about to graduate! Can I take PSY 4800 the senior seminar course even if I am missing requirements?

To be eligible to take PSY4800 a student must first complete PSY2020, PSY2300, and PSY3530. Students are not permitted to do PSY4800 concurrent with these requirements. Students can, however, complete Psychology electives concurrent with PSY4800. Psychology electives are Psych courses that were not used to meet core Psych requirements; and Psych majors need three (3) Psych electives.

Q. Is there a minimum grade for Psychology courses?

A. Psychology majors must have at least a 2.0 overall Psych GPA to graduate.  Although Ds in the majors are allowed, you cannot have too many of them or your overall Psych GPA will be below a 2.0. 

Q. Can I take the courses designated for Mercer? What does that designation mean?

A. William Paterson is housed in Wayne, NJ and also hosts students at a satellite campus in Mercer county (West Windsor, NJ). Students living in and around Mercer county can complete the WP Psychology degree program at that satellite campus. Only students in the WP @ Mercer program are eligible to take courses with the Mercer designation, which includes targeted online (section -88) and in-person (section -78) courses. If you wish to be enrolled in the WP @ Mercer program, please speak with your academic advisor.

 Q. How do I register for more than 16 credits?

A. From the undergraduate catalog: "Students completing 120 credits in eight (8) semesters require an average load of 15 credits per semester, although up to 19 credits in some major programs may be carried without special approval. Registration for more than this number of credits per semester is permitted only under unusual circumstances and requires high academic standing and approval (using an ADR request) of the student’s advisor, department chairperson, and the appropriate dean." Speak with your advisor if this is something that you need to consider.

 Q. How can I improve my GPA?

A. You may wish to retake courses in which you received low grades. See the course repeat policy.

 Q. How do I apply for graduation?

Log into WPConnect. Click on the “Student” tab. Go to the “Graduation” section and click the appropriate link. Application deadlines are as follows:
January Graduation      September 1
May Graduation            December 1
August Graduation       June 1

Note: Students completing their degree requirements during the summer MUST apply for August graduation