REAL Curriculum Requirements for Psychology Majors

At a very broad level, the REAL General Education Curriculum is Radford University's general education model. In contrast to traditional general education models, where general education requirements are typically separate from other graduation requirements, REAL allows you to meet the general education requirements within your major(s) and through additional minors that you select. The name REAL reflects the major academic areas covered in the model: R (Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning), E (Humanistic or Artistic Expression), A (Cultural or Behavioral Analysis), and L (Applied Learning).

The Psychology Major's Guide to REAL is a resource that you can use with your advisor to help you navigate REAL. This guide containes a more detials explanation of the requirements of real and how to navigate the choices you get to make within REAL.

Foundational Writing Requirement
    ENGL 111. Principles of College Composition. (3 hrs - General Education Course).

Foundational Math Requirement
    MATH 100 or 125 recommended. Principles of College Composition. (3 hrs - General Education Course).

6 Credit Hours of WI Designated Courses
    Recommended for Psychology Majors: ENGL 112. Principles of College Composition. (3 hrs - WI - General Education Course).
        -Recommended in Freshman or Sophomore Year
    Required for Psychology Major: PSYC 491. Topical Research in Psychology. (3 hrs - WI).
        -Recommended in Senior Year.

Area R - Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning
    This area is satisfied by completion of the Psychology Major.

Area A - Cultural or Behavioral Analysis
    This area is satisfied by completion of the Psychology Major.

Area E - Cultural or Behavioral Analysis
    Psychology Majors can complete Area E with a variety of Majors or Minors. See list below.
    Students can also create their own "Custom" REAL Studies Minor in Cultural and Behavioral Analysis, by takeing 15 hours of course work designated as E, with at least 3 hours at the 300 or 400 level. Courses must come from at least two different prefixes (e.g., ENGL and PHRE).

Area L - Applied Learning
    Psychology Majors can complete Area L with a variety of Majors or Minors. See list below.
    Students can also create their own "Custom" REAL Studies Minor in Applied Learning, by takeing 15 hours of course work designated as E, with at least 3 hours at the 300 or 400 level. Courses must come from at least two different prefixes (e.g., DANC and MGMT).

Prior to graduation, students will need to complete at least 30 hours of courses that have been designated as General Education (GE) courses in the Undergraduate Catalog. These courses are typically (though not always) 100 or 200 level courses. The 30 hr GE requirement can be completed inside or outside of the REAL requirements listed above. See below for informaiton on how to find information about what courses are listed as GE.

Psychology majors will likely complete 18 of the 30 hours when they take the following courses:
    ENGL 111 (3 hrs)
    ENGL 112 (3 hrs)
    MATH 100, 121, or 125 (3 hrs)
    STAT 200 (3 hrs)
    PSYC 121 (3 hrs)
    PSYC 230 or 317 (3 hrs)

The remaining 12 GE Credit hour will be completed by courses that are either part of other degree programs [major or minor(s)] that may fulfill remaining REAL Areas (E and L) or by courses taken as General Electives (not part of any degree program, but needed to get to 120 credit hours).

The spread sheet files below list whether Majors, Minors, and Course count toward any of the R, E, A, and/or L areas. They also include information about Classes that count toward the 30 hr. General Education (GE) requirement. These spreadsheets provide information based on their respective catalog years, so make sure you are using the list that matches your catalog year. You can check your degree audit to see what catalog year you are on; your catalog year is typically the year you started at RU/RUC.

- 2021-2022 List of Majors, Minors, & Classes and their role in REAL and General Education (Excell Spreadsheet)

- 2022-2023 List of Majors, Minors, & Classes and their role in REAL and General Education (Excell Spreadsheet)

- 2023-2024 List of Majors, Minors, & Classes and their role in REAL and General Education (Excell Spreadsheet)

- The Undergraduate Catalog will also show whether a classes counts as GE and covers a REAL area and whether majors or minors cover one or more REAL area. Again, be sure that you are using the catalog year that matches the year listed in your degree audit (usually this is the year that you started at RU/RUC)

- You can also search the online course schedule to find the GE and REAL classes which are offered in a given semester. After you select the semester (Term), you can select Advanced Search. Next, you can choose one or more of the following from the Attribute options: Applied Learning (L), Cultural/Behav Analysis (A), Genera Education (GE), Human/Artistic Expression (E), or Scientific/Qant Reasoning (R).

History Minor (E, A)
Professional Writing Minor (E)
Literature and Expression Minor (E)
Creative Writing Minor (E)
Philosophy Minor (E)
Ethics Minor (E)
Religious Studies Minor (E)
Leadership Minor (E, L)
International Studies Minor (E, A)
Health Humanities Minor (E) – Includes Psychology courses
Leagal Studies Minor (E, A)
Social Justice Minor (E, A)
Health and Aging Minor (E) - Includes Psychology courses
Cultural Studies Minor (E, A)

English (E, A)
History (E, A)
Social Science (E, A) – Teaching Certification
Philosophy/Religious Studies (E)
Music (Therapy, Buisness, & Education) BM (R, E, A)

Art BS (E, A)
Creative Arts and Design Minor (E)
Music Production Minor (E)
Design Studies Minors (E/E, A)
GIS - Remote Sensing & Visualization (E)
Theater Minor (Performance Concentration) (E)

Criminal Justice Minor (A, L)
Forensic Studies Minor (L)
Applied History Minor (L)
Leadership Minor (E, L)
Biology Minors (L/R, L)
Business Administration Minor (A, L)
Management Minor (L)
Entrepreneurship Minor (L)
Marketing Minor (A, L)
Education Minor (A, L)

Criminal Justice BA/BS(A, L)
Media Studies/Advertising BA/BS (L, R)
Communications - Public Relations BA/BS (L, R)
Nursing (R, A, L)
Biology BS (R, L)
Biomedical Sciences BS (R, L)
Medical Laboratory Sciences BS (R, L)
Chemistry-Biochemistry (R, L)
Chemistry-Forensics (R, L)
Chemistry-Professional Chemist (R, L)
Political Science (A, L)
Recreation, Parks, & Tourism (R, A, L)
Management (R, A, L)
Business Administration (A, L)
Marketing (R, A, L)
Math/Statistics (A, L)
Computer Science and Technology (R, L)
Cybersecurity (R, L)
Information Science and Systems (R, L)
Cybersecurity (R, L)
Information Science and Systems (R, L)

Chemistry Minor (R, L)
Esport Services Minor (L)
Information Systems Minor (L)
Accounting BBA (R, A, L)
Finance, BBA (R, A, L)
Dance Technique Minor (L)
Design Studies in Applied Design and Culture Minor (A, L)
Design Studies in Professional Practice Minor (L)
Theater Minor (Production Concentration) (L)
Leadersship & Military Science (L)
Museum Studies Minor (L)
Coaching Minor (A & L)
Economics BBA (R, A, L)
Applied Mathematics BS (R, L)
Geology (General or Engineering and Environmental Science Concentration) (R, L)
Geology BA (R, L)
Geospatial Science BS/BA (R, L)
Allied Health BS (L)
Health & Exercise Science BS (A, L)
Exercise, Sport, & Health Education BS (A, L/R, L)
Nutrition & Dietetics BS (A, L)
Sports Management BS (A, L)
Physical Education Teaching BS (A, L)
Emergency Services Minor (R, L)
Physics and Astronomy (L)
Social Work (A, L) – but the time issue is a challenge

Leadership Minor (E, L)
Wicked Problems Minor (E, L)
Dance Minor (E, L)
Spanish Minor (E, L)
Dance Minor (E, L)
Design Studies -- Applied Design & Expression Minor (E, L)
Music Industry Minor (E, L)
Music Performance Minor (E, L)

Art Education BA (E, A, L)
Art History & Museum Studies BA (E, A, L)
Studie Art BFA (E, A, L)
Graphic Design BFA (E, A, L)
Music BS/BA (E, L)
Dance BFA/BA (E, L)
Dance Education BS (E, L)
Design (Fashion Design, Interior Design, Fashion Merchandising, and Design Management) BS/BFA (E, A, L)
Theatre, BA/BS (E, L)