It has come to our attention that the requirements for the Psychology major have been changed. It is now required that Psychology Majors take only one lab as opposed to the previously required two Advanced Research Lab courses. These two labs are in addition to the University General Education Requirement of a Scientific Reasoning course with a Lab and the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences requirement of an additional Natural or Physical Sciences course with a Lab. These requirements mean that all Senior Psychology majors have taken a total of at least 4 Laboratory courses.

In addition to the required Lab courses, Psychology Majors must take at least 2 mathematics-related courses, Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology.

In comparison, a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Cognitive Neuroscience requires only one research lab course and just 2 or 3 mathematics courses.

With two Lab courses and 2 Mathematics courses required for the Psychology major, something uncharacteristic of other Bachelor of Arts majors, We believe that current seniors’ scientific work should be acknowledged by earning a Bachelor of Science degree as opposed to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Not only would this accredit the accomplishments of Psychology majors but it would acknowledge the scientific nature of the psychology field in general. The failure to accept Psychology as a science further pushes the lack of understanding of the topic and helps to reinforce the common misconceptions and myths that make the topic so underrepresented in places such as the workplace.

GW's categorization of Psychology as an art shows a blatant lack of support for psychological studies and science and contributes to the marginalization of those who suffer from mental illnesses.

We urge the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences and the George Washington University administration to consider this change not only to support and award their students for their work but to take a large step in the direction of acceptance and understanding for those of us who suffer from mental illness and face the direct results of the widespread lack of acceptance of Psychology as a science, every day.