Academic Catalog - Psychology AA & AS
Degree & Course Information – Psychology AA
An associate of arts program in Psychology could be a first step toward a variety of professional roles in this field, including substance abuse counselor, human resources director, or social worker. In this program, you will primarily explore the social aspects of human behavior. This degree is transferable to universities offering a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.
Student should work closely with their advisor and contact their transfer institution choices for more specific transfer information.
The first year of a Psychology program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses in your first year is proven to greatly increase your likelihood of crossing the stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts and Humanities, History, Social and Behavior Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences.
Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses will become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of social psychology, cognitive development, and mental health will grow and deepen. After completing a 60-credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers a bachelor’s degree.
Psychology – AA (60 credits)
Required Courses that Fulfill General Education Requirements (34-36 Credit Hours) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title | |
| (Written) Communication | 6 | A GT Pathways-approved CO1 course (GT-CO1) AND A GT Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2) OR A Gt Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2) AND A Gt Pathways-approved CO3 course (GT-CO3) |
| Mathematics | 3 | One GT Pathways-approved Mathematics course (GT-MA1), prefer MAT 1260 Introduction to Statistics, except:
|
| Arts & Humanities | 6 | Two GT Pathways Arts & Humanities courses (GT-AH1, GT- AH2, GT-AH3, GT-AH4) |
| History | 3 | One GT Pathways History course (GT-HI1) |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 6 | Two GT Pathways Social & Behavioral Sciences courses from the following categories: (GT-SS1, GT-SS2, GT-SS3). May NOT be PSY courses. |
| Natural & Physical Sciences | 7-8 | One GT Pathways BIOLOGY course, must be a GT-SC1 course with lab AND One GT Pathways course of the student’s choosing (GT-SC1 OR GT-SC2) |
*Additional Required Courses (18 Credit Hours) & Electives (10-11 Credit Hours) |
|
|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title |
| 3 | PSY 1001 General Psychology I |
| 3 | PSY 1002 General Psychology II |
| 9 | Three GT Pathways Psychology courses (GT-SS3) |
| 3 | COM 1150 Public Speaking OR COM 1250 Interpersonal Communications |
| Electives – 10-11 credit hours | |
*Please note: if these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the bachelor’s degree as elective credit toward graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.
¹The University of Colorado Denver prefers COM 1150 Public Speaking to fulfill this requirement.
**Any additional Psychology courses beyond the 15 credits indicated may not apply toward degree requirements.
*If a student should need to take remedial and/or pre-requisite courses they are not included in this degree plan.
**** Some courses may not be offered at Otero but are available at Colorado Online @ ****
Otero College is a part of a Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement between Colorado community colleges and universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The following Colorado public four-year institutions will accept your completed Psychology AA degree from Otero College.
Adams State University
[B.A. Psychology; Developmental, Clinical, Sport Psychology, or
Psychology emphases]
Colorado Mesa University
[B.A. Psychology; Psychology or Counseling Psychology
concentrations]
Colorado State University-Pueblo
[B.A. Psychology]
Fort Lewis College
[B.A. Psychology]
Metropolitan State University of Denver
[B.A. Psychology]
University of Colorado Boulder
[B.A. Psychology]
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
[B.A. Psychology]
University of Colorado Denver
[B.A. Psychology]
University of Northern Colorado
[B.A. Psychology]
Western Colorado University
[B.A. Psychology]
Degree & Course Information – Psychology AS
An associate of science program in Psychology can be a first step toward a variety of professional roles in this field, including psychiatric technician, laboratory assistant, or rehabilitation case worker. In this program, you will primarily explore the neuroscience behind human behavior. This degree is transferable to universities offering a bachelor of science degree in psychology.
Student should work closely with their advisor and contact their transfer institution choices for more specific transfer information.
The first year of a Psychology program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses in your first year is proven to greatly increase your likelihood of crossing the stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts and Humanities, History, Social and Behavior Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences.
Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses will become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of social psychology, cognitive development, and mental health will grow and deepen. Coursework will include General Psychology, General College Biology, and General College Chemistry. After completing a 60-credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers bachelor’s degrees.
Psychology – AS (60 credits)
Required Courses that Fulfill General Education Requirements (35 Credit Hours) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title | |
| (Written) Communication | 6 | A GT Pathways-approved CO1 course (GT-CO1) AND A GT Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2) OR A Gt Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2) AND A Gt Pathways-approved CO3 course (GT-CO3) |
| Mathematics | 4 | MAT 1340 College Algebra (GT-MA1) or a higher level course in the Calculus sequence |
| Arts & Humanities | 6 | Two GT Pathway Art & Humanities courses from the following categories: GT-AH1, GT-AH2, GT-AH3, GT-AH4 |
| History | 3 | One GT Pathways History course (GT-HI1) |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 6 | Two GT Pathways Social & Behavioral Sciences courses (GT-SS1, GT-SS2, GT-SS3) |
| Natural & Physical Sciences | 5 | BIO 1111 General College Biology I w/Lab |
| 5 | BIO 1112 General College Biology II w/Lab (GT-SC1) | |
*Additional Required Courses (12 Credit Hours) & Electives (13 Credit Hours) |
|
|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title |
| 3 | PSY 1001 General Psychology I |
| 3 | PSY 1002 General Psychology II |
| 3 | PSY 2221 Social Psychology (GT-SS3) |
| 3 | COM 1150 Public Speaking¹ OR Any GT Pathways-approved COM-prefix course |
| **Electives – 13 credit hours | |
*Please note: if these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the bachelor’s degree as elective credit toward graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.
¹The University of Colorado Denver prefers COM 1150 Public Speaking to fulfill this requirement.
**For the University of Colorado Denver: Students planning to transfer to CU Denver should complete both two-semester sequences of BIO 1111 & 1112 AND CHE 1111 & 1112 at the community college; in addition, students should not take any additional Psychology courses as electives
*If a student should need to take remedial and/or pre-requisite courses they are not included in this degree plan.
**** Some courses may not be offered at Otero but are available at Colorado Online @ ****
Otero College is a part of a Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement between Colorado community colleges and universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The following Colorado public four-year institutions will accept your completed Psychology AS degree from Otero College.
Colorado State University-Ft Collins
[B.S. Psychology; General Psychology concentration]
Colorado State University-Pueblo
[B.S. Psychology]
University of Colorado Denver
[B.S. Psychology]