Psychology (PSYC)

College of Arts and Sciences

 

(GE) = Approved General Education Course

201 Foundations in Psychology, 3 credit hours (GE)
Facts, principles, and theories of psychology with which every educated person should be familiar. PSYC 201 is a prerequisite for all other Psychology courses. Recommended for sophomores.

203 Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work, 3 credit hours (GE)
Introduction to social welfare as a humane and stabilizing influence in U.S. society, and to social work as the dominant profession in social welfare. Students who have received credit for SWK 203 cannot receive credit for PSYC 203. (Cross-listed with SWK 203.)

300 Descriptive Statistics, 3 credit hours
Choice, preparation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistical techniques in the behavioral sciences, including data tabulation, frequency distributions, graphs, measures of central tendency and variability, standard scores, correlation, and computer data processing. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and 3 hours of Mathematics.

304 Special Topics in Psychology I, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of one area of specialization within psychology. May be repeated for credit as often as topic changes. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, 3 additional hours of Psychology, and consent of instructor.

305 Special Topics in Psychology II, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of one area of specialization within psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, 3 additional hours of Psychology, and consent of instructor.

306 Lifespan Developmental Psychology, 3 credit hours
Behavior throughout the human life span, from conception to death; biological, cross-cultural, and environmental factors influencing physical, intellectual, perceptual, social, personality, emotional, and verbal development; theories and methodology of the scientific study of development. Students may not receive credit for both this course and FCS 291. Prerequisite: PSYC 201.

307 Psychology of Death, 3 credit hours
Current perspectives on issues surrounding death and dying. Emphasis on grief, mourning, and coping with loss. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and PSYC 306 or consent of instructor.

310 Psychopathology, 3 credit hours
A study of psychopathological behavior, theoretical models, and therapy modalities. Prerequisite: PSYC 201.

311 Substance Abuse, 3 credit hours
Evolution of alcohol and drug abuse/dependence in the U.S. and selected other countries and models used to treat substance abuse. Content includes the effects of drugs, including alcohol, on the body, as well as how the disease of dependence affects every area of life and the lives of family members. (Cross-listed with SWK 311 and SOC 311.)

312 Psychology in Film, 3 credit hours
An exploration of topics such as social psychology, psychopathology, developmental psychology, therapy, learning through an examination of the presentation of psychology in film. Prerequisite: PSYC 201.

321 Social Psychology, 3 credit hours
Reciprocal influences of individuals in social interaction settings, social perception, social cognition, attitudes, social exchange, social influence, and control. Prerequisite: PSYC 201. Students who have received credit for SOC 321 cannot receive credit for PSYC 321. (Cross-listed with SOC 321.)

322 Human Behavior and the Social Environment, 3 credit hours (GE)
Examination of the interrelationships among the individual, family, small groups, organizations, and the community. Special attention given to diversity, cultural sensitivity, oppression, and discrimination. Prerequisites: PSYC 201. Prerequisite or corequisite: PSYC 306. Students who have received credit for SWK 322 cannot receive credit for PSYC 322. (Cross-listed with SWK 322.)

340 Cognitive Psychology, 3 credit hours
An analysis of thinking, conceptualization, attention, memory, problem solving, language, and related mediational processes in the individual. Prerequisite: PSYC 201.

345 Principles of Learning, 3 credit hours
Basic principles of classical and operant conditioning, including reinforcement, punishment, and stimulus control. Application to animal and human learning. Prerequisite: PSYC 201.

350 Forensic Psychology, 3 credit hours
The study of psychological principles associated with various aspects of the legal system, including forensic assessment and expert witness testimony, police stress, lawyers and judges in the courtroom, victims’ rights, and the use of the insanity defense in criminal cases. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, and 310 (completed or concurrent enrollment).

351 Clinical Techniques and Ethics for the Behavioral Sciences, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of various theoretical models underlying psychotherapy; clinical decision-making and assessment before, during, and after therapy; non-traditional therapies; biologically based therapies; ethical issues in psychotherapy; therapy over the life span; racial and gender issues in psychotherapy; and the efficacy of psychotherapy. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and 310.

352 Health Psychology, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of health psychology as a subdiscipline within psychology. Emphasis on the interaction of biopsychosocial factors as they influence physical illnesses. Methods of successful intervention with patients, based on psychological research, will be a major focus. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and 3 additional hours of Psychology.

415 Human Factors, 3 credit hours
Design of systems, work places, and products that effectively support humans in the tasks they perform. Topics include display-control designs, human perceptual limitations, human information processing, design of the work place, and designing to minimize the impact of human error. Case studies will be used. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and PSYC 340 or consent of instructor.

418 Psychological Testing, 3 credit hours
Psychological testing instruments used in clinical, counseling, industrial, and educational settings. Emphasis on criteria and information sources for selection of psychological tests, score interpretation, ethical considerations, bias in testing, and current issues in test use. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, 300 (completed or concurrent enrollment), and 310 (completed or concurrent enrollment).

420 Sensation and Perception, 3 credit hours
Study of sensation and perception from a historical perspective and current paradigms. Sensory systems and their biological organization as well as traditional and contemporary questions about perception of sensory information. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and junior or senior standing.

425 Biological Psychology, 3 credit hours
Physiological bases of behavior, including learning, motivation, psychopathology, emotion, the senses, body rhythms, and other brain-behavior relationships. Neurochemical aspects of behavior and drug effects. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and BIO 100, 105, or 106, or consent of instructor.

430 Experimental Psychology and Inferential Statistics, 3 credit hours
Experimental design, computer analyses, and inferential statistics appropriate to the field of psychology. Methodologies discussed include case studies, surveys, observational studies, correlational studies, and factorial designs. Sampling theory, hypothesis testing, and parametric statistics are covered. Course includes a significant computer component appropriate to analyzing and presenting research findings in the behavioral sciences and related fields. Ethical issues in research and writing APA-style results and discussion sections are also covered. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and 300 and completion of 3 additional hours in Psychology.

445 Sex Roles, Gender, and Culture, 3 credit hours
Studies of sex roles within broader cultural patterns in various societies. Topics include: acquisition of gender, interactional styles, and political/economic consequences of gender differences. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and SOC 230. (Cross-listed with SOC 445.)

489 Individual Research I, 3 credit hours
Open to Psychology majors only. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, 15 additional hours of Psychology, and consent of instructor.

490 Individual Research II, 3 credit hours
Open to Psychology majors only. Prerequisites: PSYC 201 and 489, 15 additional hours of Psychology, and consent of instructor.

491 Directed Readings in Psychology, 3 credit hours
Current literature on selected, varying topics in Psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, 9 additional hours of Psychology, and consent of instructor.

499 Senior Seminar in the History of Psychology: A Capstone Experience, 3 credit hours
A capstone course that surveys the history and development of the discipline of psychology. Emphasis will be placed on integrating material from the psychology curriculum in order to examine the interconnectedness of the field, despite its vast diversity. Prerequisites: BIO 105, PHIL 290, PSYC 201 and 425, and 21 additional hours of Psychology.