Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Introduces the major chemical and biological principles through the study of the human body and emphasizes the interrelationships between the body organ systems. Systems physiology, diseases, nutrition, genetics, and human ecology are the major topics. This is the second course in a two-term sequence of Biology courses for non-majors. The BIOL200 Laboratory is designed to reinforce understanding of the topics covered in lectures. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, BIOL150. Credits: 4

Provides a broad, general introduction to psychology--the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. This course includes such topics as memory, learning, the study of the nervous system, psychological disorders and therapy, sexuality, attitudes, conformity, persuasion, and motivation. Students gain an increased awareness of the broad range of phenomena investigated by psychologists and a greater ability to understand and critique psychological research. Prerequisites: GE105. Co-requisites: GE106. Credits: 3

Introduces students to the basic concepts and problems encountered in social scientific investigation, including types of data and measurement, sampling, probability, and research design. This is an introductory course in social science research methodology that emphasizes the importance and limitations of theory and methodology in social science research, as well as the purposes of applied research, program evaluation and research ethics. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150. Credits: 3

Studies the basic concepts and mechanisms inherent in the process of human development from conception to adolescence. The course describes the nature and context of human development, as well as the research methods used to study it. Students examine the biological, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral aspects of development through various theoretical models. The major emphasis is on normal growth and development. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150. Co-requisites: PSY200. Credits: 3

Covers the study of normal growth and change from adolescence through adulthood to old age, and gives students an appreciation for the complex ways in which human beings grow and change over the life span. The course emphasizes major theories and themes in human development, the developmental tasks and challenges a person must master at different times across the life span, how research is formulated and carried out, and applying knowledge to real world situations. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY220. Credits: 3

Introduces students to the scientific study of the way people think about, feel, and behave in social situations. It involves understanding of how people influence and are influenced by others around them. The topics covered will examine how individuals perceive themselves and others, how individuals interact with others, and how individuals think in social settings. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the perspectives, research methods, and empirical findings of social psychology. An equally important goal will be to develop critical and integrative ways of thinking about theory and research in social psychology. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150. Credits: 3

Provides knowledge of how statistics are used to evaluate theories in the social sciences. Students will become familiar with a variety of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques such as: frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, probability, correlation, and hypothesis testing. During the course, students will learn how to use SPSS (a computer statistical program for Social Sciences) to carry out statistical procedures.

Emphasizes the molecular aspects of human neuroscience, particularly as they relate to how the brain’s normal and abnormal functioning affect human experience and behavior. The course will particularly focus on those aspects of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and physiology, which directly influence an organism’s human experience, motivation, language, thought, and learning. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, BIOL150, BIOL200. Credits: 3

Introduces various theoretical approaches to the study of learning, and behavior change. Topics include but are not limited to classical and operant conditioning, and observational learning. The main goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of learning theories, research methods and empirical findings of this field of psychology. Students will be able to discuss the experimental strategies used by scientists to investigate how animals, including humans, learn as well as apply such theories to human learning when relevant. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Provides an overview of abnormal psychology and an introduction to the field of clinical psychology. The course focuses on the description of various psychological disorders, how they develop, the course they follow, and their treatment, emphasizing current theory and research. This course uses the diagnostic system developed by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-IV, with students being required to learn both the strategies the system uses to categorize patterns of abnormal behavior, and what those characteristic patterns are. Issues to be explored will touch on major controversies in the field. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Focuses on the basic principles associated with human cognition exploring such topics as perception, attention, memory, knowledge, problem solving, reasoning and language comprehension and production. The course guides students in an exploration of what is known about cognitive psychology, how it was discovered, and what is still left to be discovered. Upon completion of the course, students understand related cognitive theories and how the scientific method works within the context of cognitive psychology and are able to appreciate how research and theory in cognitive psychology have been applied to real-world problems. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Provides a broad introduction to the key theories of personality, including the perspectives of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, social/life-span, humanistic, and cognitive/behavioral. The course draws attention to significant contemporary movements, such as positive psychology and cross-cultural psychology, and their application in the study of personality theories. The course is designed to help students understand various historical issues and controversies to date, what research has shown, and what difficulties are encountered in trying to form a comprehensive understanding of human personality. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Provides students with a broad overview of the theory, research and practice of health psychology and behavioral medicine, with an emphasis on the prevention and modification of health compromising behaviors. The class will also address the psychological management of stress, pain and chronic/terminal illness as well as effective interventions for specific health behaviors and disorders. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Introduces students to the philosophy, principles, and methods of scientific research in experimental psychology. The focus of the class is on experimental research methods, although non-experimental and descriptive research techniques are also covered. Among the many topics to be discussed are the goals, assumptions, and requirements of science; the steps of the scientific method; ethics, experimental control, and research design; sampling and generalization; and hypothesis testing and statistical significance. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY260. Credits: 3

Helps students understand the historical foundations of psychology, their influence on contemporary psychological thought, and the growth of psychology as a science. The course covers major concepts of various schools of psychological thought and contemporary theoretical systems as they have evolved historically, including ideas expressed by philosophers, physiologists, and psychologists. It also considers the impact of human and cultural diversity on the science of psychology. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Provides students with opportunities for learning through practical experience in a professional setting. The intern will be given the chance to relate principles presented in textbooks and classroom settings to real-life situations, under responsible supervision. Prerequisite(s): All required courses Credits: 4

Aims to bring together the organizational, statistical and expressive skills fostered during undergraduate work. This course is the culminating activity in the psychology major. Students are expected to conduct a small-scale, thorough, empirically-based research project (e.g., a survey, a field observation, or an experiment) in any area of psychology. This research, with a specific purpose and hypothesis of the student’s choice, must include review of the relevant professional literature, systematic data collection, analysis and interpretation, and professional write-up of the overall work. Prerequisite(s): All required courses Credits: 3

Introduces the field of educational psychology and explores the development of cognitive functions and language, individual and cultural differences, and research on teaching and learning. The course also covers learning theories, developmental theories, issues of motivation, emotion, class management, intelligence and diversity, as well as understanding measurement and assessment, teaching and learning styles and special needs. Prerequisite: GE105, GE106. Credits: 3

Provides an introduction to the field of Play Therapy including the theories and principles involved in its practice. By the nature of the subject, learning-by-doing is emphasized. The course involves hands-on-experience directly associated with the theoretical ideas outlined in the course readings, with the overall aim to facilitate self-expression and the development of one’s creative potential in a non-threatening way. At the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of the use of Play Therapy as a healing modality and how it can be applied when working with various age groups for clinical and non-clinical populations. Prerequisite(s): GE105, PSY101 OR PSY150; PSY220 Credits: 3

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the field of Forensic Psychology by dealing with many different domains of the subject. The student will obtain an understanding of inventories, procedures, case conceptualizations and interventions based on Forensic Psychology theory and practice. Students will be able to gain knowledge on a wide range of subjects which will be addressed by discussing theory and then going on into skills’ practice. The course is structured in a manner which will give the students the opportunity to work on their practical and critical skills. The whole course will be focused on how theory is embedded in practice and case performance. Prerequisite(s): GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY240 Credits: 3

The social psychology seminar constitutes an interdisciplinary field of study, concerned with how psychological processes help illuminate concepts, principles and theories social scientists use to better understand other areas of interest like politics, culture, sociology or marketing. Various contexts may be addressed, including cultural, social, historical, economic, and political with the primary goal of advancing students’ understanding of how such factors impact the lives of populations. Some of the major lines of advanced social psychology theory and research as well as their applications to human life can be explored in this course. The applications of this course may include group decision-making, personality characteristics of leaders and followers; racism and stereotyping, and their impacts; the influences of emotion and cognition on decisions; the origins of violence and genocide; and relations and interactions within and between groups as in business relations and the workplace in general. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Co-requisites: PSY240. Credits: 3

Equips the entry-level clinician with an understanding of the variety of ethical dilemmas faced in clinical psychology. Students will learn an ethical paradigm with which effective counseling can be practiced. Students will study legal precedents that have been established in the clinical field. This course will stimulate students’ self-awareness of personal, values, and multicultural issues concerning ethical decision making. Prerequisite(s): None Credits: 3

Provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for understanding psychometric issues as well as the relationship between research and practice. The course focuses on the uses of different tests in a variety of settings. Students gain theoretical and practical basis for selecting and using the wide range of test and measurement data available to applied researchers. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200. Credits: 3

Explores contemporary approaches to assessment, treatment planning, and intervention based in biopsychosocial systems and empirically supported interventions. The major areas covered include the theoretical foundations of major therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic and existential-humanistic. The course emphasizes multicultural and ecological contexts in planning and conducting multi-faceted interventions for change. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY330. Credits: 3

Focuses on child and adolescent psychopathology with lecture presentations and discussions concentrating on disease etiology, epidemiology, phenomenology, nosology, and diagnosis. Students are engaged in a critical review of common child and adolescent psychopathology and challenge social and cultural assumptions of what constitutes “normal” vs. “pathological” behavior, cognition, and emotion. Topics to be reviewed include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disorders and Eating Disorders. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY220, PSY330. Credits: 3

Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of clinical neuropsychology. The course includes discussion of such topics as functional neuroanatomy, principles of neuroscience, brain development, neurological disorders and etiologies, neurodiagnostic techniques, normal and abnormal brain functioning, and neuropsychological and behavioral manifestations of neurological disorders. Special topics include clinical neuropsychological assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with neurological, medical, or neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY300, PSY330. Credits: 3

Surveys the history and various theoretical approaches to the study of learning and behavior modification, and the basic and applied research from which current behavior modification techniques have been derived. The course addresses theoretical and ethical issues raised by application of these approaches. Topics include positive control, aversive control, stimulus control, symbolic control of behavior, classical and operant conditioning, modeling, cognitive principles and behavioral and cognitive interventions. Students learn applied behavior modification techniques including: observing and recording behavior and formulating and writing behavioral objectives. This course also includes an examination of motivation, attitude formation and cognitive intervention approaches. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY320. Credits: 3

Helps students develop a critical understanding of contemporary psychological approaches to the understanding of addiction. Students consider the relative contributions of psychological theories from the fields of biological, behavioral, social, and cognitive psychology to understanding, treatment, and prevention of both drug-related addictions and selected addictive behaviors, such as gambling, overeating, alcoholism etc. Prerequisites: GE105, GE106, PSY150, PSY200, PSY330. Credits: 3