Non-Departmental Advanced Courses

Non-departmental Advanced Courses are courses from other departments that allow students to explore topics in psychology from the perspective of a related discipline, and/or courses that contain relevant psychological or neuroscienctific content.

Psychology secondary field students may count pre-approved Psychology courses offered in other sections of the catalog, but cannot count any other non-departmental courses toward the secondary field requirements.

Psychology concentrators may choose to count one or two non-departmental courses (limits on these courses depend on your track) towards their Advanced Course requirements (Note that there is a separate list of psychology courses offered in other departments that do not count against these limits).

Non-departmental courses are broken down into two groups:

Expedited Courses

Expedited courses are non-departmental courses that have been pre-approved to count towards the Advanced Course requirement by the Department of Psychology.

To get credit for these courses as a concentrator, you must:

E-mail your request to count a course - including the course number, course name, and semester you took it - to psychology@wjh.harvard.edu and CC your Concentration Advisor in the same e-mail.
Receive an e-mail of confirmation back. This will serve as your "receipt" for concentration credit. If you do not receive a response, please follow up at psychology@wjh.harvard.edu.
Be sure you haven't reached the limit on these courses for your track.

Below is a list of expedited courses for Psychology concentrators listed in the Course Catalog. Please consult the Department if you have a question about counting a course that is no longer offered.

**None of these courses can count for secondary field students.**
**Students are encouraged to petition courses that have been added in the 2023-2024 academic year and are not already on the list below.**
**Cross-registered courses taken at other Harvard and local schools are no longer expedited and must be petitioned as of Fall 2024.**

[BRACKETED COURSES] are not being offered in the 2026-2027 academic year.

African and African American Studies (AFRAMER)

AFRAMER 185Y, Made to Feel: Race & Affect in the Americas
[AFRAMER 197, Poverty, Race, and Health]

Anthropology (ANTHRO)

ANTHRO 1900, Counseling as Colonization? Native American Encounters with the Clinical Psy-ences
[ANTHRO 1290, Culture and Evolution (formerly jointly offered with the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology as HEB 181)]
[ANTHRO 1640 (formerly CULTBLF 62), Language and Culture]
[ANTHRO 1988, Kinship, Citizenship, and Belonging]
[ANTHRO 2859, Colonial Encounters, Postcolonial Disorders]

Applied Mathematics (APMTH)

APMTH 231, Decision Theory (jointly offered with Department of Engineering Sciences as ENG-SCI 201)
[APMTH 126, Statistics and Inference in Biology]

Applied Computation (APCOMP)

APCOMP 209A, Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science (formerly APCOMP 209, Data Science) (jointly offered with Department of Statistics as STAT 109A & School of Engineering as COMPSCI 1090A)
APCOMP 209B, Data Science 2: Advanced Topics in Data Science (jointly offered with Department of Statistics as STAT 109B & School of Engineering as COMPSCI 1090B)

Biomedical Engineering (BE)

BE 130, Neural Control of Movement

Chemistry (CHEM)

CHEM 110, The Chemistry and Biology of Therapeutics

Computer Sciences (COMPSCI)

COMPSCI 32, Computational Thinking and Problem Solving
COMPSCI 50 (if taken for letter grade), Introduction to Computer Science
COMPSCI 79, Design of Useful and Usable Interactive Systems (formerly COMPSCI 179, Design of Usable Interactive Systems)
COMPSCI 96, System Design Projects: Machine Learning for Social Impact
COMPSCI 1050 (formerly COMPSCI 105, 199R), Privacy and Technology
COMPSCI 1090A, Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science (formerly COMPSCI 109, Data Science) (jointly offered with Department of Statistics as STAT 109A & School of Engineering as APCOMP 209A)
COMPSCI 1090B, Data Science 2: Advanced Topics in Data Science (jointly offered with Department of Statistics as STAT 109B & School of Engineering as APCOMP 209B)
COMPSCI 1710, Visualization (formerly COMPSCI 171)
COMPSCI 1810, Machine Learning (formerly COMPSCI 181)
COMPSCI 1820, Planning and Learning Methods in AI (formerly COMPSCI 182, Artificial Intelligence)
COMPSCI 2760, Design, Technology, and Social Impact (formerly COMPSCI 276)
[COMPSCI 108, Intelligent Systems: Design and Ethical Challenges]
[COMPSCI 134, Networks]
[COMPSCI 189, Autonomous Robot Systems]
[COMPSCI 1360 (formerly COMPSCI 136, 186), Economics and Computation]
[COMPSCI 1870, Introduction to Computational Linguistics and Natural-language Processing (formerly COMPSCI 187, Computational Linguistics)]

Culture and Belief (CULTBLF) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[CULTBLF 34, Madness and Medicine]
[CULTBLF 47, The Darwinian Revolution]
[CULTBLF 58, Case Studies in the Medical Humanities: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Experience of Illness and Healing]
[CULTBLF 61, Gender and Science]

Earth and Planetary Sciences (E-PSCI)

[E-PSCI 100, The Missing Matlab Course: An Introduction to Programming and Data Analysis]

Economics (ECON)

ECON 50/50A (formerly ECON 1152), Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems with Laboratory Component (jointly offered with the Kennedy School as SUP 135)
ECON 1010A, Intermediate Microeconomics
ECON 1011A, Intermediate Microeconomics: Advanced
ECON 1030, Psychology and Economics
ECON 1050, Strategy, Conflict, and Cooperation
ECON 1057, Game Theory with Applications to Social Behavior
ECON 1123, Introduction to Econometrics
ECON 1333, Economics of Mental Health and Homelessness
[ECON 1018, Cultural Economics]
[ECON 1036, The Psychology and Economics of Beliefs]
[ECON 1436, Economics and Morality]
[ECON 1818, Economics of Discontinuous Change]
[ECON 2034, Networks]
[ECON 2050, Behavioral Economics, Law and Public Policy (jointly offered with the Kennedy School as API 305)]

Education Studies (EDST)

EDST 121, Educational Outcomes in Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Perspectives (jointly offered with the Graduate School of Education as EDU AH103)
EDST 125, Children with Learning and Developmental Differences (jointly offered with the Graduate School of Education as EDU T250)
EDST 133, Adolescent Development (jointly offered with the Graduate School of Education as EDU H236)
EDST 135, Education in the East and West (jointly offered with the Graduate School of Education as EDU H518)
EDST 138, Neuroscience and Education: Foundations, Development, and Applications (jointly offered with the Graduate School of Education as EDU H450)

Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning (EMREAS) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[EMREAS 13, Analyzing Politics]
[EMREAS 17, Logical Reasoning (formerly QR 22, Deductive Logic)]

Engineering Sciences (ENG-SCI)

ENG-SCI 139, Innovation in Science and Engineering: Conference Course
ENG-SCI 201, Decision Theory (jointly offered with Department of Applied Mathematics as APMTH 231)
[ENG-SCI 21, The Innovator’s Practice: Finding, Building, and Leading Good Ideas with Others]
[ENG-SCI 22, Design Survivor: Experiential Lessons in Designing for Desirability]
[ENG-SCI 157 (formerly ENG-SCI 155), Biological Signal Processing[

General Education (GENED)

GENED 1033, Conflict Resolution in a Divided World (formerly GHHP 60, Negotiation and Conflict Management: From the Interpersonal to the International)
GENED 1056, Human Nature (formerly HEB 1280, Human Nature)
GENED 1064 (formerly ETH-REASON 45/SCRB 187), Brains, Identity, and Moral Agency
[GENED 1058, Tech Ethics: AI, Biotech, and the Future of Human Nature]
[GENED 1076, Equity and Excellence in K12 American Schools (formerly US-WORLD 35, Dilemmas of Equity and Excellence in American K-12 Education)]

Government (GOV)

GOV 50, Data Science for the Social Sciences (formerly GOV 1005/50, Data)
GOV 94SAF, EJ Safra Undergraduate Ethics Fellowship Seminar
GOV 1010, Survey Research Methods
GOV 1090, Biotech Ethics (jointly offered with the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology as SCRB 120)
GOV 1742, Psychology of International Relations
[GOV 1008, Introduction to Geographical Information Systems]
[GOV 1372, Political Psychology]
[GOV 1430, Tech Science to Save the World (formerly The Politics of Personal Data)]
[GOV 1759, Behavioral Insights and Public Policy: Nudging for Good]
[GOV 94DN, Mapping Social and Environmental Space]
[GOV 1093, Ethics, Biotechnology, and the Future of Human Nature (jointly offered with the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology as SCRB 60)]
[GOV 1115, Protest Movements from Chartism to BLM (formerly Social Movements, Protest, and Politics in Comparative Perspective)]
[GOV 2372, Political Psychology]

History (HIST)

[HIST 1916, The History of Evidence]

History and Science (HISTSCI)

HISTSCI 1770 (formerly HISTSCI 170), Broken Brains: A Patient-Centered History
[HISTSCI 108, Bodies, Sexualities, and Medicine in the Medieval Middle East]
[HISTSCI 174, Critical Experiments in the Human Sciences: Conference Course]
[HISTSCI 176, Brainwashing and Modern Techniques of Mind Control]
[HISTSCI 178, Psychotherapy and the Modern Self (formerly History of the Psychotherapies). Note: GENED 1179 is NOT approved to count as an advanced non-departmental course.]
[HISTSCI 179, The Freudian Century]
[HISTSCI 1472, Mental Health in Crisis: From War Neurosis to Covid-19]
[HISTSCI 1490 (formerly HISTSCI 149), The History and Culture of Stigma]
[HISTSCI 1740, Psychology of War]
[HISTSCI 1780, Psychopathologies of Modern Life]
[HISTSCI 1825 (formerly HISTSCI 188), Open Minds, Wired Worlds: Computers and Cyberculture]
[HISTSCI 1829, (formerly HISTSCI 189), The World We Made: Technology and Society]

Human Evolutionary Biology (HEB)

HEB 30 (formerly HEB 1330), Primate Social Behavior
HEB 39 (formerly HEB 1339), The Human Brain in the Animal Kingdom
HEB 117 (formerly HEB 1317), Evolution, Anatomy, and Physiology of Sleep
HEB 130 (formerly HEB 1310), Hormones and Behavior
HEB 135 (formerly HEB 1328), Clinical Comparative Medicine: Evolutionary Perspectives on Mental and Physical Health (formerly Evolutionary Medicine: Comparative Perspectives on Medical, Surgical, and Psychiatric Illness)
HEB 183, Science Writing
[HEB 140, The Evolution of Friendship]
[HEB 143 (formerly HEB 1332), Primate Development]
[HEB 145 (formerly HEB 1384), Thinking Through Human Cognition]
[HEB 181, (formerly HEB 1290, Genes, Mind, and Culture/Cultural Evolution), Culture and Evolution (formerly jointly offered with the Department of Anthropology as ANTHRO 1290)]

Life Sciences (LIFESCI)

LIFESCI 1A, An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology
LIFESCI 1B, An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution

Linguistics (LING)

LING 105, Sounds of Language
[LING 83, Language, Structure, and Cognition (formerly Language, Structure, and Culture)]
[LING 101, The Science of Language: An Introduction]
[LING 103, Language in its Social Context (formerly Language and Society)]
[LING 106, Knowledge of Meaning]

Mathematics (MATH)

[MATH 156, Mathematical Foundations of Statistical Software]

Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)

MCB 105, Systems Neuroscience (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 105)
MCB 112, Biological Sequence Analysis (formerly Biological Data Analysis)
MCB 115, Cellular Basis of Neuronal Function
MCB 125, Molecular Basis of Behavior (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 125)
MCB 129, The Brain: Development, Plasticity and Disease (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 129) (formerly The Brain: Development, Plasticity and Decline)
MCB 170, Brain Invaders: Building and Breaking Barriers in the Nervous System (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 170)
[MCB 64, Cell Biology in the World (formerly The Cell Biology of Human Life in the World)]
[MCB 101, Human Genetics]
[MCB 143, Neurobiology of Vision and Blindness (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 143)]
[MCB 145, Neurobiology of Perception and Decision-Making (jointly offered with the Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 145)]
[MCB 148, The Neurobiology of Pain]
[MCB 186, Sleep and Circadian Clocks: From Biology to Public Health (formerly Circadian Biology: From Cellular Oscillators to Sleep Regulation)]

Neuroscience (NEURO) (The Department of Neurobiology changed its name to Department of Neuroscience as of 2018-19 academic year)

NEURO 57, Animal Behavior (jointly offered with Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology as OEB 57)
NEURO 101AA, Alzheimer's Disease: Causes and Consequences of Brain Degeneration
NEURO 101DD, Dopamine: A Systems Neuroscience Perspective
NEURO 101EE, Neuroscience of Psychedelic Experiences
NEURO 101HH, Worth the effort?: The Neural Mechanisms of Decision Making
NEURO 101JJ, Timing the Brain: Circadian Clocks and Their Role in Neural Function and Behavior
NEURO 101L, Sleep Talk: Unraveling the Mystery of Sleep (formerly *NEURO 101LA and 101LB, The Neurobiology of Sleep and its Role in Mental Health)
NEURO 101MM, Memory Models: The Many Levels of Learning in the Brain
NEURO 101NN, Math Meets Mind: Applied Mathematics in Neuropsychiatry
NEURO 101PP, The Fragile Brain: How Environmental Factors Impact Neurodevelopment
NEURO 101V, Sculpting Activity: Neural Inhibition in Health and Disease
NEURO 101W, Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience
NEURO 105, Systems Neuroscience (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 105)
NEURO 120, Introductory Computational Neuroscience
NEURO 125, Molecular Basis of Behavior (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 125)
NEURO 129, The Brain: Development, Plasticity and Disease (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 129)
NEURO 130, Visual Recognition: Computational and Biophysical Perspective
NEURO 170, Brain Invaders: Building and Breaking Barriers in the Nervous System (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 170)
NEURO 180, Development, Plasticity, and Regeneration in the Mammalian Brain (jointly offered with Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology as SCRB 180)
NEURO 240 (formerly NEURO 140), Biological and Artificial Intelligence
[NEURO 101CC, Comparative Neuroscience and Brain Circuits across Species]
[*NEURO 101FA and 101FB (formerly Neurobiology 111A and 111B), Synaptic and Non-Synaptic Plasticity: How the Brain Learns (formerly Neurobiology of Learning and Memory)]
[NEURO 101FF, Building a Human Brain: Cortical Development from Cells to Circuits]
[NEURO 101GG, The Neuroscience of Artificial Neural Networks: From Inspiration to Analysis]
[*NEURO 101IA and 101IB (formerly Neurobiology 104A and 104B), The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction]
[*NEURO 101OA and 101OB, Food for Hungry Minds: The Neural Basis of Feeding Behavior]
[*NEURO 101PA and 101PB, Making Sense of our Senses]
[*NEURO 101QA and 101QB, The Neuroscience of Learning and Memory]
[NEURO 101R, Neurobiology of Emotion and Mental Health Disorders (formerly *NEURO 101RA and 101RB, Neurobiology of Emotion and Mood Disorders)]
[*NEURO 101TA and 101TB, Neuroscience of Addiction]
[NEURO 101U, Neural Circuits for Navigation]
[NEURO 101X, Stress Resilience and Susceptibility: Mechanisms and Models]
[NEURO 101Y, Neuropharmacology of Pain]
[NEURO 101Z, Brains and Bytes: Neuroprosthetics, Brain-Computer Interfaces, and Artificial Intelligence]
[NEURO 143, Neurobiology of Vision and Blindness (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 143)]
[NEURO 145, Neurobiology of Perception and Decision-Making (jointly offered with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as MCB 145)]

*Neuroscience previously offered a few year-long, indivisible courses for 4.00 credits. Students must have taken both the "A" and "B" versions of these courses before receiving any concentration credit. Version "A" may not be reflected in your Advising Report.

Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB)

OEB 50, Genetics and Genomics
OEB 53 (formerly BIOL 53), Evolutionary Biology
OEB 57 (formerly BIOL 57), Animal Behavior (jointly offered with Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 57)
OEB 145, Genes and Behaviors
OEB 223, Topics in Neurogenetics

Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 14, Morality and the Good Life: An Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 156, Philosophy of Mind
[PHIL 6, Ancient Ethics and Modern Morality]
[PHIL 18, Human Ethics: A Brief History]
[PHIL 177, Educational Justice: Proseminar]
[PHIL 179, Race and Social Justice]

Science of Living Systems (SCILIVSY) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[SCILIVSY 16, Human Evolution and Human Health]
[SCILIVSY 19, Nutrition and Global Health]

Science of the Physical Universe (SCIPHUNV) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[SCIPHUNV 13 (formerly Science A-49), Why You Hear What You Hear: The Science of Music and Sound]

Social Studies (SOC-STD)

[SOC-STD 40, Philosophy and Methods of Social Science]

Societies of the World (SOCWORLD) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[SOCWORLD 25, Case Studies in Global Health: Biosocial Perspectives (formerly ANTHRO 1825, Health, Culture, and Community: Case Studies in Global Health)]
[SOCWORLD 47, Contemporary Developing Countries: Entrepreneurial Solutions to Intractable Problems]

Sociology (SOCIOL)

SOCIOL 1024, Social Inequality (formerly SOCIOL 24, Introduction to Social Inequality)
SOCIOL 1025, Management and Work (formerly The Sociology of Organizations) (formerly SOCIOL 125, Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations)
SOCIOL 1170, Sociology of Childhood
[SOCIOL 1203, Conspiracy Culture]
[SOCIOL 1027 (formerly SOCIOL 27), Introduction to Social Movements]
[SOCIOL 1046, Life and Death by Design (formerly SOCIOL 1146, Death by Design: Health Inequalities in Global Perspective)]
[SOCIOL 1112 (formerly SOCIOL 112), Men, Women, and Work]
[SOCIOL 1117 (formerly SOCIOL 117), Social Trauma and Collective Identity]
[SOCIOL 1125 (formerly SOCIOL 125), Personal Networks]
[SOCIOL 1131, Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector (formerly Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations)]
[SOCIOL 1135 (formerly SOCIOL 135), Education and Culture]
[SOCIOL 1143 (formerly SOCIOL 143), Just Institutions]
[SOCIOL 1256, Data Visualization]

Statistics (STAT)

STAT 109A, Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science (formerly STAT 121, Data Science & STAT 121A, Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science) (jointly offered with the School of Engineering as COMPSCI 109A & APCOMP 209A)
STAT 109B, Data Science 2: Advanced Topics in Data Science (formerly STAT 121B, Data Science 2: Advanced Topics in Data Science) (jointly offered with the School of Engineering as COMPSCI 109B & APCOMP 209B)
STAT 110, Introduction to Probability
STAT 139, Introduction to Linear Models (formerly Statistical Sleuthing Through Linear Models)
[STAT 120, Introduction to Applied Bayesian Inference and Applications (formerly Introduction to Applied Bayesian Inference and Multilevel Models)]
[STAT 140, Design of Experiments]
[STAT 160, Introduction to Survey Sampling and Estimation (formerly Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys)]
[STAT 186, Introduction to Casual Inference (formerly Statistical Methods for Evaluating Causal Effects)]
[STAT 260, Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys]

Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (SCRB)

SCRB 120, Biotech Ethics (jointly offered with the Department of Government as GOV 1090)
SCRB 180, Development, Plasticity, and Regeneration in the Mammalian Brain (jointly offered with Department of Neuroscience as NEURO 180)
[SCRB 60, Ethics, Biotechnology, and the Future of Human Nature (jointly offered with the Department of Government as GOV 1093)]
[SCRB 182, Got (New) Brain? The Evolution of Brain Regeneration]

Theater, Dance & Media (TDM)

[TDM 173X, Acting and Authenticity (formerly Performance Elective: Acting and Authenticity)]

United States in the World (US-WORLD) (This category of courses is no longer offered as of the 2019-20 academic year, but the courses, if taken prior to then, can still count for non-departmental course credit)

[US-WORLD 15, Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration: From Obama to Trump (formerly Is the American Racial Order Being Transformed?)]

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Petitioned Courses

Petitioned Courses are other non-departmental FAS courses not already on the departmental course list, cross-registered courses (including non-FAS Harvard courses and MIT courses), or courses taken in other departments while studying out of residence that you believe will contribute significantly to your study of psychology.

These courses must include significant psychology content and relate directly to your own concentration program. Introductory courses in other departments, independent reading or research courses in other departments, non-departmental independent study courses, Tutorial courses in other departments, and First-Year Seminar or Core Courses not taught by Department of Psychology faculty are NOT usually approved as Advanced Courses.

To petition these courses as a concentrator:

You must complete a petition for these courses, attaching a statement and syllabus. The form must have your Concentration Advisor's signature. Please note that this signature does NOT mean that your advisor approves your petition, but rather that they believe you have made the strongest case for the course.
You are encouraged to submit the petition BEFORE you enroll in the course.
Courses taken outside of FAS require cross-registration in addition to your approved petition. Cross-registered courses not approved to count for concentration credit may still be taken for Harvard College credit.
Petitions are evaluated by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and ADUS, or occasionally the Committee on Undergraduate Instruction.

Approved courses will meet the following criteria...

The course is relevant to psychology. The course material bears directly upon areas of psychology in that (1) the readings report or consider relevant empirical psychological research; (2) the phenomena studied are amenable to analysis from multiple levels; and (3) the course actually gives some attention to multiple perspectives and interactions among levels. An emphasis on theory is sometimes acceptable if multiple and testable theories are considered.
The course is relevant to your program. Your statement relates the course to your interests in psychology, to coursework you have taken, and/or to thesis plans you have.
The course is rigorously evaluated. Courses evaluate students at least in part on their knowledge of the research literature, indicated by course examinations or papers.

When thinking about petitioning a non-departmental course, it is important to keep in mind this concentration's approach to psychology. We want Psychology students to learn to draw conclusions about humans or animals based upon empirical data. Because other disciplines may employ different approaches, a course in another section of the catalog that addresses topics of psychological importance may not do so in a empirical way. While we certainly appreciate that such a course and its approach can be valid and rigorous, and that it deserves to be part of your undergraduate education, it may not be appropriate as a Psychology Advanced Course. Instead, it may provide you with an interesting linkage between your concentration and non-concentration courses, and students often find making such intellectual connections gratifying.

What Happened to the Affiliate Electives List?

The courses that were on the Affiliate Electives list in 2010-11 have been moved to the list of expedited courses (at the top of this page). Concentrators may still count these courses, but will now need to email us at psychology@wjh.harvard.edu in order for the course to be counted for concentration credit. As of Fall 2011, secondary field students can no longer count non-departmental courses, and can only count one course from the former Affiliate Electives list if taken in 2010-11 or earlier.

Note: Elsewhere on Harvard websites, you may come across the term "half-course." A half-course is a course that takes one semester to complete (rather than a full year), and is typically worth 4 credits. Because most Psychology courses are technically "half-courses" and last only one semester, we find it easier to simply use the term "course" to refer to these.