- PSYC 101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- A survey course introducing the core areas of psychology, including biopsychology, learning and memory,
intelligence, developmental psychology, stress and health, personality, abnormal psychology, psychotherapy,
and social psychology.
- PSYC 250 STATISTICS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (4)
- Descriptive and inferential statistics in the design, analysis, and interpretation of social science
research with practical application using computers in laboratory. The statistical methods to be covered
include frequency distributions and graphing, measures of central tendency, measures of variability and
correlation, t-tests, analysis of variance and several distribution-free tests. Prerequisites: MATH 101 or
MATH 105 and the introductory course in the major or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 251 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course is an overview of research design in psychology. Topics covered include research ethics,
reliability and validity of psychological measures, observational and survey methods, quasi-experimental
designs, and experimental design and control. Prerequisite: PSYC 250.
- PSYC 309 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course takes an integrative approach to the understanding of psychological disorders, exploring
biological, psychological, and social influences and their interaction. Scientifically-grounded methods
of assessment and treatment are emphasized, and cultural differences in psychological difficulties and
their treatment will also be discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 311 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- An introduction to theoretical systems and approaches to the prevention and treatment of psychological
difficulties, with an emphasis on empirically-supported interventions. Prerequisite: PSYC 309.
- PSYC 312 PRACTICUM IN PSYCHOLOGY I (3)
- This course consists of on-site practical experience and a supervisory discussion/content seminar related
to paraprofessional work in psychology in one of the following areas: 1) teaching, 2) research, 3) clinical
work. Prerequisite: Permission of the psychology faculty.
- PSYC 313 PRACTICUM IN PSYCHOLOGY II (3)
- Same course description as PSYC 312. A second practicum in psychology. Prerequisite: PSYC 312.
- PSYC 314 FIELD EXPERIENCE IN ART THERAPY (3)
- Same course description as PSYC 312 Practicum in Psychology. This course shall function separately in
title only from that of PSYC 312 Practicum in Psychology. In order to meet undergraduate art therapy
recommendations of the American Art Therapy Association, it is necessary for the practicum to be identified
as Field Experience in Art Therapy. The course will be offered at the same time, etc., as PSYC 312
(when demanded) and will meet all the requirements and expectations of PSYC 312.
- PSYC 316 ART THERAPY (3)
- An introduction to therapeutic techniques using artistic productions as an aid to psychotherapy. The
course involves an analysis of approaches with specific clinical populations; e.g., juvenile delinquents,
geriatric clients, etc. This course also includes a historical and theoretical appraisal of the use of art
therapy in both clinical practice and research. Prerequisite: PSYC 309 or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 320 HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR (3)
- A course designed to investigate the scope of intrapersonal and interpersonal human sexual behavior. A
psychological approach is emphasized, examining the acquisition of sexual scripts through learning, varieties
of sexual experience, both typical and atypical, and the psychodynamics of sexual adjustment. Prerequisite:
PSYC 101.
- PSYC 321 INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- The application of psychological theory and methodology to individuals and groups in organizational settings.
Topics include managerial appraisal and consultation, employee training and development, personnel research,
improving employee relations, and designing optimal work environments. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or BADM 310.
- PSYC 325 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course explores contemporary trends and techniques in the field of health psychology. Included are
such topics as psychological intervention in physical illness, adherence, activity level, obesity, smoking
prevention, acute and chronic stress, stress appraisal, delay in seeking treatment, immunological competence,
interventions with children, lifestyle change programs, holistic psychology, and the health care system.
Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 326 PSYCHOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE (3)
- The focus of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of the nature of addiction to various
psychoactive substances and its treatment. This includes a study of the psychological and social factors
associated with substance abuse and theories of etiology, along with an understanding of the scope of services
and critical issues in services for persons with psychoactive substance use disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 330 FAMILY THERAPY (3)
- The focus of this course is on the major schools of family therapy. The family is viewed as a unit of
treatment and as a multigenerational emotional system. Case studies are emphasized. Prerequisite: PSYC 309
or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 331 COUNSELING CHILDREN (3)
- This course focuses on the main components of an elementary school counseling program: counseling
(both individual and small group), class guidance, and consultation. Included is information about how
to use a variety of counseling techniques, an overview of relevant counseling approaches, childhood
social-emotional developmental issues and situational concerns, evaluation and treatment planning, and
legal and ethical issues specific to the elementary counseling setting. Prerequisite: PSYC 311 or permission
of instructor.
- PSYC 340 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course consists of an introduction to the scientific study of human development over the lifespan.
Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 341 INFANT/CHILD DEVELOPMENT (3)
- This course is designed to help students understand their own developmental past, present and future
which they may then use as parents or in their career paths involving infants and children. This course
examines topics of classic and contemporary developmental theories, research and concepts as they apply to
the developing person from conception through childhood. These topics will focus on the biological, cognitive
and psychosocial perspectives of human development. Prerequisite: PSYC 340 or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 342 ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT (3)
- Designed for those with a professional interest in adolescence. Course content emphasizes cognitive,
physical, and psychosocial-affective variables which affect adolescent development. Prerequisite: PSYC 340
or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 343 PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING (3)
- This course explores both the physiological and psychosocial correlates of the aging process. Topics
include the sensory-motor, hormonal, biochemical, nutritional, and neurological aspects of aging; factors
related to substance abuse, memory loss, attention deficits, delirium, and dementia; and key factors in the
mental health of the elderly. Consideration is also give to cultural and social-political aspects of aging,
as well as death and the process of dying. Prerequisite: PSYC 340 or permission of instructor.
- PSYC 365 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (3)
- Psychopharmacology is the study of drugs that influence mood and behavior. This course will address
principles of drug action, basic physiological mechanisms by which psychoactive drugs work, drugs used
to treat mental/emotional/neurological disorders, and drugs of abuse. Social issues surrounding drugs
will be only briefly discussed, as it is most important to understand drug mechanisms and effects before
forming opinions on social policy. Students will be required to write a research paper on a topic of
interest to them within the field. Prerequisites: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 367 SOCIAL PERCEPTION (3)
- Social perception is the process in which people form impressions of individuals. This course examines
that process, exploring the array of information people use in impression formation and management, including,
but not limited to, attitudes, emotions, mood, biases and other environmental factors. Assorted social
perception theories, relevant research and real-world applications are also discussed throughout the course.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 370 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION (3)
- Sensation and perception is the subfield of psychology which examines how elemental stimuli in the
environment (e.g. light) are translated into a complex psychological phenomenon (e.g. perception of color).
All five sensory modalities (vision, audition, olfaction, gustation, and tactile/body senses) will be
addressed. Physiology of the sensory systems and theories of perception are the major thrust of this course.
An attempt will be made to address applications of this field (e.g. acuity testing and therapy).
Prerequisites: PSYC 251 and ENGL 102, 103, or 104. Completion of PSYC 461 is strongly recommended but not
required.
- PSYC 371 MEMORY AND COGNITION (3)
- An introduction to human cognitive processes including attention, perception, memory, concept formation,
psycholinguistics, problem solving, and thinking. Course emphasizes the role of experimentation in understanding
the information processing systems underlying human cognition, language, and memory. Prerequisite: PSYC 251
and ENGL 102, 103, or 104.
- PSYC 372 PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING (3)
- A survey of methods, empirical findings, and theoretical interpretations in human and animal learning,
including such topics as classical and operant conditioning, animal cognition, and machine learning. The
course also covers discrimination, generalization, and the role of reward, punishment, and other motivational
variables in learning. Prerequisite: PSYC 251 and ENGL 102, 103, or 104.
- PSYC 381 INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course is designed for students interested in learning theoretical as well as practical information
as it relates to the psychology of sport. This class will introduce students to both the areas of sport
psychology and health psychology. Students will be presented with a number of effective mental training
exercises that will help to enhance one’s level of athletic performance. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 404 PSYCHOLOGY SEMINAR (3)
- A course designed to serve the needs of students who are majoring or minoring in psychology and who
expect to pursue graduate studies in the field. The purpose of this course is to allow faculty to expose
students to topics not included in the present curriculum, or topics which, although included, are not
covered in sufficient depth for pre-professional students. The seminar may include sharing the results of
individually assigned readings, individualized research, and/or a discussion of theoretical or research
topics as reported in contemporary literature and chosen by the faculty instructor. Prerequisite: Permission
of instructor.
- PSYC 405 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- A study of the interaction of individuals in group situations, the products of collective activity, and
their influence upon the individual. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 410 PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONALITY (3)
- This course reviews classical and contemporary theories of personality in some depth, evaluating each
theory on its scientific and philosophical merits, as well as on its utility in applications in clinical,
educational, and business settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 415 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS (3)
- This course is a survey of the psychological instruments available for the measurement of human behavior,
beliefs, and attitudes. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 420 HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- An overview of the historical and philosophical basis of psychology and the relationship of contemporary
systems. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 430 HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY (3)
- An exploration of the field of humanistic psychology. The theoretical orientations of selected humanistic
psychologists (e.g. Carl Rogers, Leo Buscaglia, Viktor Frankl, Harold Greenwald, and Abraham Maslow) are covered
in depth. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 461 BIOPSYCHOLOGY (3)
- This course involves a study of the structure and function of the nervous system. Students will gain an
appreciation for the biological basis of everyday behaviors and an understanding of the physiological
correlates of many types of psychological pathology. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
- PSYC 484 DIRECTED READINGS (3)
- As a first course in a series of two, the Directed Readings seminar is designed to prepare students for the
senior thesis capstone course. In collaboration with a faculty mentor, the student will develop an idea for an
original research project, conduct a review of the relevant literature, and generate an appropriate research design.
The final product of the class will be an APA format paper describing the final design. Prerequisites: A Group I elective
and senior standing.
- PSYC 485 SENIOR THESIS (3)
- Students acquire and perform skills involved in conducting and reporting empirical research. These include
the forming of hypotheses, designing research to test those hypotheses, analysis of the resulting data, and the
writing up of a complete report of the research results following APA guidelines. This is the Department of
Psychology’s capstone course, designed to foster and evaluate the students’ fundamental understanding of
psychology as an empirical research science. Prerequisite: PSYC 484.
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