Bachelor of Science in Psychological & Brain Sciences

2.7 Minimum GPA

Note: CAPS is designed for students with adult responsibilities who may require part-time and flexible course schedules. Current high school students and recent graduates seeking a traditional WashU college experience should apply through the undergraduate admissions office: admissions.wustl.edu.

Below is a list of requirements for an application to the undergraduate degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences. Applications will be reviewed once all requirements are received.

Application Deadlines

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis and typically take three to five business days.  An application is incomplete and will not be reviewed until all of the application requirements have been received or processed.  Applicants are encouraged to submit all materials by the following dates:

• Summer 2024: April 30, 2024
• Fall 2024: July 31, 2024
• Spring 2025: Dec. 31, 2024

Completed Application Form

The online application is available on our Apply page. Applications are ready for review when all fields on the application form are completed and the required documents have been received.

Transcripts

Official (issued directly from the college or WashU) or unofficial (student-issued) copies of transcripts from the three most recent years of college-level work. If you have fewer than six units of transferable credit or CAPS course work, then proof of high school completion, General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency (HSE) must be submitted. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar to the WashU School of Continuing & Professional Studies. Electronic transcripts should be forwarded to washucaps@wustl.edu. For transcript questions, please contact our Admissions Coordinator, Patricia Agnew, at paagnew@wustl.edu.

Non-United States course work transcript verification
If the transcript you submit for consideration is from a college or university outside the United States, a course by course transcript evaluation is also required. Evaluations will be accepted from World Education Services (WES), Spantran or another member institution of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For Spantran evaluations, you must use this form. 

Personal Essay

Tell us about yourself in a brief essay (about 250 words). Why are you applying to WashU School of Continuing & Professional Studies? What are your goals, both academic and professional? Is there additional information we should know about you when considering your application?

All CAPS undergraduate students must satisfy the same general-education requirements. Students majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences at CAPS must also complete a minimum of 33 units in psychology, including the following:

INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY COURSES

• Introduction to Psychology (U09 100)
• Introductory Psychological Statistics (U09 300)
• Research Methods (U09 3015)

PSYCHOLOGY AREA COURSES

Five upper-level (300–400) psychology courses as indicated below:

Group A – Social/Personality (at least one course):

• Introduction to Social Psychology (U09 315)
• Psychology of Personality (U09 353)
• Cross-Cultural Psychology (U09 381)

Group B – Clinical/Affective (at least one course):

• Abnormal Child Psychology (U09 3195)
• Perspectives on Counseling (U09 330)
• Introduction to Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology (U09 368)
• Addiction and Treatment (U09 488)

Group C – Biological/Neurological (at least one course):

• Biological Psychology (U09 3401)
• Cognitive Neuroscience (U09 3604)

Group D – Behavior/Cognition (at least one course):

• Cognitive Psychology (U09 359)
• Learning and Memory (U09 365)

Group E – Lifespan Development (at least one course):

• Social Gerontology (U09 308)
• Developmental Psychology (U09 322)
• Psychology of Adolescence (U09 325)
• Psychology of Aging (U09 3261)

ADDITIONAL ELECTIVES

To complete the psychology major, students must complete 3 additional electives in psychology at the 300-400 level. A maximum of three units of independent study may apply to the major. Learn more about independent study and internships in Psychology.