Virginia Community Colleges
Psychology Programs
Psychology programs at community colleges in this state. Intro psych, abnormal, developmental, and transfer-track coursework for four-year programs.
23 colleges · 642 sections · 21 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
Intro and developmental psychology are among the highest-enrollment sections at Virginia community colleges — partly because most college students take at least one psych course as a general-education requirement, and partly because the field is a popular transfer-track major. 642 sections across 23 VCCS colleges this term cover general psychology, abnormal psychology, developmental psych, and statistics for psychology.
A psychology associate is almost entirely transfer-prep. Direct career roles in psychology (clinical, counseling, school) require a graduate degree, but the CC associate completes the first two years of a four-year psychology bachelor's at lower tuition. Adjacent career paths — social services case manager, behavioral technician, mental-health technician — open up with just the associate plus relevant certifications.
Colleges offering Psychology
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Virginia Community College | 147 | 12 | 49 | 346 | — |
| Tidewater Community College | 95 | 11 | 59 | — | — |
| Brightpoint Community College | 52 | 6 | 34 | 78 | — |
| Germanna Community College | 43 | 8 | 25 | — | — |
| Virginia Western Community College | 32 | 7 | 15 | — | — |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | 31 | 4 | 15 | — | — |
| Reynolds Community College | 29 | 4 | 20 | — | — |
| Blue Ridge Community College | 23 | 6 | 13 | — | — |
| Central Virginia Community College | 22 | 4 | 11 | — | — |
| Laurel Ridge Community College | 20 | 3 | 9 | — | — |
| New River Community College | 15 | 4 | 10 | — | — |
| Piedmont Virginia Community College | 15 | 3 | 7 | — | — |
| Virginia Highlands Community College | 15 | 6 | 12 | — | — |
| Southwest Virginia Community College | 14 | 4 | 10 | — | — |
| Patrick & Henry Community College | 13 | 5 | 6 | — | — |
| Rappahannock Community College | 13 | 3 | 8 | — | — |
| Southside Virginia Community College | 12 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| Wytheville Community College | 11 | 3 | 8 | — | — |
| Camp Community College | 9 | 4 | 7 | — | — |
| Danville Community College | 9 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| Mountain Empire Community College | 9 | 2 | 6 | — | — |
| Mountain Gateway Community College | 8 | 3 | 4 | — | — |
| Eastern Shore Community College | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
Psychology Availability Snapshot
How psychology sections are being offered across 23 colleges in Virginia this term (642 sections total).
Delivery format
- online330 (51%)
- in person209 (33%)
- hybrid96 (15%)
- zoom7 (1%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)175
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)108
- Evening (5 PM and after)50
- Asynchronous / TBA309
Start dates
Sections begin on 19 distinct dates. 177 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Degree requirements by college
Expand a college to see the courses required for graduation. Data sourced from each college's official catalog.
Brightpoint Community College1 program
Required Courses
- SDV 100College Success Skills67 sections
- ENG 111College Composition I71 sections
- MTH 154Quantitative Reasoning38 sections
- PSY 200Principles of Psychology22 sections
- SPA 101Beginning Spanish I8 sections
- CST 100Principles of Public Speaking22 sections
- ENG 112College Composition II24 sections
- MTH 245Statistics l9 sections
- SPA 102Beginning Spanish II2 sections
- PSY 230Developmental Psychology22 sections
- HIS 121United States History to 187710 sections
- BIO 101General Biology I27 sections
- PSY 210Statistics for Behavioral Sciences2 sections
- ART 101History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic9 sections
- HIS 111World Civilization Pre-1500 CE10 sections
- ENG 246American Literature2 sections
- BIO 102General Biology II5 sections
- PHI 220Ethics and Society16 sections
- PSY 225Theories of Personality2 sections
Transfer Elective
- ELEC XXXChoose 1: Credits / Units: 3not offered
- ART 101History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic9 sections
- ART 102History of Art: Renaissance to Modern9 sections
- CST 130Introduction to the Theatre2 sections
- CST 151Film Appreciation I7 sections
- ENG 245British Literature1 section
- ENG 246American Literature2 sections
- ENG 255World Literature2 sections
- HIS 111World Civilization Pre-1500 CE10 sections
- HIS 112World Civilization Post-1500 CE3 sections
- HIS 121United States History to 187710 sections
- HIS 122United States History Since 18658 sections
- HLT 110Personal and Community Health3 sections
- MUS 121Music in Society4 sections
- PLS 135U.S. Government and Politics4 sections
- REL 230Religions of the World7 sections
- SOC 200Introduction to Sociology15 sections
- SOC 268Social Problems2 sections
Source: College catalog
Germanna Community College1 program
Northern Virginia Community College1 program
Powered by Modern Campus Catalog™.
1st Semester
Total 13 credits
13 creditsSee catalog for course list
2nd Semester
Total 15 credits
15 creditsSee catalog for course list
3rd Semester
Total 17 credits
17 creditsSee catalog for course list
4th Semester
Total 17 credits
17 creditsSee catalog for course list
Source: College catalog
Rappahannock Community College1 program
First Semester
- SDV 100College Success Skills11 sections
- ENG 111College Composition I18 sections
- PSY 200Principles of Psychology6 sections
- MTH 154Quantitative Reasoning17 sections
- MTH 1619 sections
- BIO 101General Biology I16 sections
- ITE 152Introduction to Digital and Information Literacy & Computer Applications6 sections
Second Semester
Third Semester
Fourth Semester
Source: College catalog
Virginia Highlands Community College1 program
Recommended Course Sequence
62 credits- SDV 101Orientation to College Success(1 cr)13 sections
- ENG 111College Composition I(3 cr)15 sections
- ITE 152or ITE 119(3 cr)2 sections
- PSY 200Principles of Psychology(3 cr)6 sections
- MTH 161Precalculus I(3 cr)6 sections
- ENG 112College Composition II(3 cr)5 sections
- MTH 245Statistics I(3 cr)3 sections
- PSY 210Statistics for Behavioral Sciences(4 cr)1 section
- SOC 200Introduction to Sociology(3 cr)3 sections
- PSY 230Developmental Psychology(3 cr)5 sections
- HIS 121or HIS 122 United States History to 1877 or United States History Since 1865(3 cr)5 sections
- BIO 101General Biology I(4 cr)10 sections
- PSY 215Psychopathology(3 cr)1 section
- PSY 225Theories of Personality(3 cr)1 section
- ENG 245or ENG 246 British Literature or American Literature(3 cr)2 sections
- CST 100Principles of Public Speaking(3 cr)5 sections
- BIO 141Human Anatomy and Physiology I(4 cr)16 sections
- PSY 216or PSY 219 Sociology Psychology or Cross-cultural Psychology(3 cr)not offered
- PSY 211Research Methods(4 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
Common Psychology courses
- PSY 200Principles of Psychology(264 sections)
- PSY 230Developmental Psychology(257 sections)
- PSY 215Psychopathology(29 sections)
- PSY 235Child Psychology(18 sections)
- PSY 216Social Psychology(16 sections)
- PSY 210Statistics for Behavioral Science(14 sections)
- PSY 116Psychology of Death and Dying(7 sections)
- PSY 225Theories of Personality(7 sections)
- PSY 219Cross-Cultural Psychology(5 sections)
- PSY 120Human Relations(4 sections)
- PSY 126Psychology for Business and Industry(4 sections)
- PSY 211Research Methodology for Behavioral Sciences(4 sections)
Frequently asked questions
- Can I become a therapist or psychologist with a CC degree?
- No. Clinical and counseling psychology require at least a master's degree (Licensed Professional Counselor) and often a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) plus state licensure. The CC associate is the first two years of the path; expect 6+ more years of education after the bachelor's to practice clinically.
- What jobs are available with just an associate in psychology?
- Direct-service roles that benefit from psych foundations but don't require licensure: behavior technician (especially in autism / ABA settings), mental-health technician at residential facilities, social-services case manager, school paraprofessional, and intake or admissions specialist at human-services agencies. Pay is modest but the work is meaningful and the field has steady openings.
- Does psychology credit transfer to a four-year program?
- Yes — intro psych, developmental, abnormal, social, and psychology statistics all transfer cleanly to Virginia state universities under the standard articulation agreement. The structured associate-of-science-in-psychology pathway is the safest route to ensure every credit applies toward the major.
- Is community college a good place to start psychology?
- Often yes — the intro psychology sequences are the same content at CC and four-year, taught at substantially lower tuition with often smaller class sizes. Students serious about clinical careers should plan for the bachelor's and graduate work to follow; students considering related applied fields (social work, counseling, education) can use the associate as a flexible foundation.
Compare Psychology programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Virginia’s psychology programs stack up.
Other programs in Virginia
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.