Course Descriptions & Links

	100- & 200-level courses   [Direct link to Psyc102]
	300-level courses
	400-level courses
	Note: highlighted courses have links to on-line information.

Course Schedules: click here

102-3     Introduction to Psychology. (University Core Curriculum) [A] Course: S6 900] An examination of the variables related to the origins and modifications of human behavior using the viewpoints and techniques of contemporary psychology. Purchase of syllabus from local vendor required.

202-1     Careers in Psychology. A survey of fields of psychology from the perspective of available career options.  Activities, required skills, rewards, and external constraints that characterize different career paths are practiced and discussed in relation to students' abilities and interests.  Required of psychology majors, but open to any interested student.  Prerequisite: None

211-4     Research Methods in Psychology. An introduction to the use of scientific methods in the study of behavior. Considerations of experimental design and methodology are integrated with the treatment of data analysis, interpretation of results and writing of a research report. Students will write a research proposal, conduct an experiment and write a report of the experiment. This course satisfies the CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum requirement. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: 102.

222-3     Effects of Recreational Drugs on Mind and Body. Describes the physiological and psychological effects of substances used as recreational drugs for their psychoactive effects. Drugs discussed will include alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine and other stimulants, the barbiturates, methaqualone, the psychedelics, marijuana, tranquilizers, and the opiates. The purpose of the course is to provide the student with the facts concerning the effects of these drugs and the potential for their abuse and physiological and psychological dependence on them.

223-3     Diversity in the Workplace. (University Core Curriculum) Examination of factors affecting the full utilization of women, racio-ethnic minorities, older workers, disabled workers and workers with nontraditional sexual orientations in the workplace. Individual processes, such as group identities, stereotyping, prejudice; group processes such as inter-group conflict; and organizational processes such as structural barriers and informal integration will be studied. The class utilizes a lecture and small discussion-section format with in-class, team, and individual exercises and projects.

233-3     Psychology of Gender in Diverse Context. (University Core Curriculum) The course will examine how gender affects all aspects of our lives at the individual, societal and cultural levels. It will cover psychological theories and topics related to gender, and will examine issues of diversity, such as race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability and age as they interact with gender.

301-3     Child Psychology The biological and psychological development of the child from birth through puberty, and relevant research methods and results. Prerequisite: 102.

302-3     Introduction to Neuroscience. A survey of the role of biological processes in the behavior of humans and other species. Topics include structure and function of the nervous system, behavioral endocrinology, psychopharmacology, sensorimotor functions, sleep and waking, motivation and emotion, reinforcement, psychopathology, and learning and memory.

303-3     Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Examines interrelated psychological, biological and social aspects of development during adolescence and young adulthood based on a life-span perspective of development. Prerequisite: 102.

304-3     Adulthood and Aging. Examines the interrelated psychological, biological, and social aspects of development during middle and later adulthood based on a life-span perspective of development. Neuropsychological changes associated with normal and pathological aging will also be considered. Prerequisite:

305-3     Psychology of Personality. The inferred patterns underlying an individual's unique reactions to the environment. Investigates the motivation, development, and methods of changing these patterns, and how personality processes are studied. Prerequisite: 102.

306-3    Positive Psychology and Human Strengths. An introduction to a contemporary movement seeking to understand th enature of human strengths, characteristics, resources, and aspirations. Surveys this emerging discipline, emphasizing theory and practical applications promoting human potential. Topics include happiness, creativity, confidence, wisdom, and intelligence among other aspects of optimal human functioning. Prerequisite: 102.

307-3     Social Psychology. Surveys contemporary issues such as love and friendship, shyness and loneliness, sexual attitudes and behavior, management of impressions made on others, attitude change and persuasion, leadership, group processes, aggression, and helping behavior. Prerequisite: 102.

308-3     Psychology of Motivation. Examines variables affecting motivation in animals and humans. Topics include motivation based on cultural processes as well as those based on biological needs. Prerequisite: 102.

309-3     Psychology of Learning. Principles and laws of learning as derived from the classical and instrumental learning literature — acquisition, extinction, punishment, persistence, generalization, discrimination, motivation, drives, and incentives. Prerequisite: 211.

310-3     Cognitive Psychology. A survey of theory and research on attention, memory, language behavior, and problem solving. The principal orientation will be the information processing approach to the study of behavior. Prerequisite: 102.

311-4     Field Research Methods in Psychology. An introduction to field and other quasi-experimental methods appropriate for use in settings in which the researcher can exercise minimal control and manipulation. Included are designs and analytical methods for exploring cause-effect relationships in naturalistic settings. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: 211 or consent of instructor.

322-3     Personnel Psychology. Examines the methods of psychology used in the selection, placement, and evaluation of employees. Government regulations requiring equal opportunity, psychological measurement concepts, and employee performance evaluation in the work environment are covered. Prerequisite: 102.

323-3     Psychology of Employee Relations. Applied human relations at work focusing on interpersonal and small-group behavior. Covers effective communication, employee morale and motivating others, behavior modification, leadership and group dynamics, human relations and the law, and stress and coping. Prerequisite: 102.

331-3     Abnormal Psychology. An introduction to the major forms of psychopathology (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders). Topics include the symptomatology of different mental disorders, their etiology from psychological, biological, and sociocultural perspectives, and issues pertaining to diagnosis and treatment. Prerequisite: 102.

333-3     Psychology of Women. (Same as Women's Studies 341.) An examination of empirical evidence on the biological, psychological, and social functioning of women, describing women's roles, the genetic versus social determinants of women's behavior, and the implications for women's potential. Prerequisite: 102 or consent of instructor.

340-3     Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Provides an in-depth understanding of the nature of two major specialties in the field of psychology: clinical and counseling psychology. Students will examine the historical origins of the two areas, study their major theoretical definitions, compare and contrast the areas, and sample empirical and practitioner activities unique to them. Prerequisite: 102.

371-3     Problem Solving and Decision Making. Indicates how problem solving and decision making can be characterized and evaluated and how they might be modified or improved. Research and theory in related areas of psychology are reviewed with emphasis on the role of thinking, problem solving, expert judgment, and decision making in man-machine systems. Prerequisite: 102.

389-1 to 9     Seminar Selected Topics. Varied content Offered as need exists and as faculty interests and time permit May be repeated as topics vary. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

391-1 to 9     Individual Project. Individual study, research or experience under the supervision of a member of the Department of Psychology faculty. Of all credits that a student completes for PSYC 391, 392, 393, and 394, a maximum of three hours from any or all of these courses may count towards the major. Mandatory Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

392-1 to 9     Individual Project. Individual study, research or experience under the supervision of a member of the Department of Psychology faculty. For use in those cases where the faculty member deems a graded course to be appropriate. Of all credits that a student completes for PSYC 391, 392, 393, and 394, a maximum of three hours from any or all of these courses may count towards the major. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

393-1 to 9     Pre-professional Practicum. Directed experience in human services or other activities relevant to psychology at a public or private institution, agency, or organization. The experience is usually, although not necessarily, on a volunteer basis. Enrollment must be approved in advance by the director of undergraduate field placements for the Department of Psychology.  Mandatory Pass/Fail.  Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

394-1 to 9     Undergraduate Practicum in the College Teaching of Psychology. Supervised practicum in the college teaching of psychology for selected senior psychology majors. Of all credits that a student completes for Psychology 391, 392, 393, and 394, a maximum of three hours from any or all of these courses may count towards the major. Prerequisite: senior psychology major and permission of instructor.

407-3     Theoretical Issues in Learning. An introduction to the major theoretical issues in learning and their importance. A brief review of the history of such problems will be followed by a summary of the current research concerning these issues. Traditional figures in learning theory will be considered within the context of their positions on specific questions. Prerequisite: 211 and 309 or equivalent or graduate status.

409-3      History and Systems of Psychology. A review of the conceptual and empirical antecedents of modern psychology. Prerequisite: 211 and senior status, or graduate status.

411-3     Principles of Training. An in-depth coverage of practical problems concerned with training to which the principles of learning derived from pure laboratory investigations can be applied. Prerequisite: 211 and 309, or graduate status.

413-3     Individual Differences. Reviews the reliable and theoretically significant individual and group differences that have been revealed by research in the behavioral sciences. Examines differences in general intelligence, specific verbal and spatial abilities, stylistic and personality characteristics, as well as such group differences as sex, race, and socioeconomic status. Prerequisite: 211 and 305 or graduate status.

415-4     Psychopharmacology. A survey of the effects of drugs on the normal and abnormal behavior of humans and animals. A primary focus is upon understanding drug influences on behavior in relation to actions on the nervous and endocrine systems. Prerequisite: 211 and 302, or graduate status.

416-3     Recovery of Function Following Brain Damage. A survey of experimental animal and human clinical research as they relate to behavioral recovery following damage in the central nervous system. Recent theories and literature are stressed. Prerequisite: 211 and 302 or consent of instructor, or graduate status.

419-3   Behavioral Genetics. Advanced course covering genetic and environmental influences on human behavior, both normal and "deviant."

420-3     Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Topics in industrial and organizational psychology; applications of psychology to human resource management, such as job analysis, performance appraisal systems, personnel selection and training. Prerequisite: 211.

421-3     Psychological Tests and Measurements. Introduction to test theory and test development. Detailed coverage of selected tests from such areas as intelligence, aptitude and personality. Prerequisite: 211 or graduate status.

431-3     Psychopathology. A comprehensive overview of major psychological problems, including emotional, personality, psychotic and developmental disorders. Problems will be described in terms of their principal features, and research and theory will be reviewed. Strategies of assessment, the utility and limitations of diagnostic systems, alternative views of abnormality, and clinical research methods will be examined. Prerequisite: 211 and 305, or consent of instructor or graduate status.

432-3     Psychopathology of Childhood. An extensive review and systematic evaluation of theories and research pertaining to the behavior disorders of childhood. Emphasis will be upon empirical data and the implications of these data for the classification and treatment of these disorders. Prerequisite: 211 and 301 or graduate status.

440-3     Advanced Personality.  Comprehensive coverage of current topics in personality research and theory with an emphasis on empirical approaches to understanding complex issues in the field.  Prerequisite: 211 and 305 or consent of instructor, or graduate status,

441-3     Helping Skills in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Provides systematic training in helping skills for students considering clinical or counseling psychology as a career. Students learn to identify and demonstrate such skills as paraphrasing, reflection of feeling, interpretation, and confrontation, and will use them in practice situations. Prerequisite: 211 and 340 and senior standing in psychology major.

445-4     Introduction to Psycholinguistics. (Same as Linguistics 445.) A broad spectrum introduction to psycholinguistics. Topics to be covered include general methodology for the study of psycholinguistics, the nature of language, theories of human communication, language comprehension and production, first and second language acquisition, meaning and thought, natural animal communication systems and language of the brain. Prerequisite: 211.

451-3     Advanced Child Psychology. An assessment of concepts, methods, and research techniques within selected topic areas of developmental psychology. Prerequisite: 211 and 301, or consent of instructor, or graduate status.

461-3     Advanced Social Psychology. Critical examination of contemporary theories and research in social psychology. Practice in application of scientific findings to real-life problems of individuals and groups. Issues treated in depth are chosen for relevance to student's personal needs and career interests. Not for psychology graduate students. Prerequisite: 211 and 307 or graduate status.

463-3     Attitudes and Persuasion. An examination of theory and research regarding the formation of attitudes, the modification of attitudes, and the techniques for measuring attitudes. Prerequisite: 211 and 307 or graduate status.

464-4     Social Factors in Personality and Adjustment. (Same as Sociology 426.) Review of selected theoretical orientation and research traditions in social psychology. Comparison of different theoretical and methodological approaches: symbolic interaction, role theory, developmental and social psychology, theories of attitude organization and change, studies of belief and value systems, theories of socialization. Prerequisite: 211,

465-3     Needs Assessment Techniques for Mental Health Planning. Surveys methodological techniques for assessing the need for mental health services including developing a resource inventory, use of census and other social indicator data, rates under treatments, community and consumer surveys, hearing and site visits. Attention is also paid to method of presenting results of need assessments to lay boards. Prerequisite: 211 and senior standing in psychology major, or graduate status, or consent of instructor.

470-3     Psychology of Race and Racism. This course reviews the history and evolution of the construct of race as a psychological phenomenon. While the course will be largely psychological in nature, the pervasiveness of race in practically every sphere of life necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. The course will emphasize a theoretical and conceptual approach toward understanding the psychology of racialized thinking. Prerequisite: 211.

489-1 to 12     Seminar Selected Topics. Varied content. Offered as need exists and as faculty interests and time permit Prerequisite: 211 and consent of instructor.

499-6     (3,3) Senior Honors in Psychology. Intensive study in selective areas for students qualified for honors work in psychology. A research paper or equivalent will be required. Not for graduate credit. Prerequisite: 211 and consent of instructor.