Courses
Social Sciences
Psychology (PSY)
- PSY-B 308 Family Psychology (3 cr.) Family psychology examines how family of origin experiences influence the development of the self. This course will provide students with a basic understanding of systems theory and the life cycle of families. The characteristics of healthy versus unhealthy family dynamics will be explored and an understanding of how family interactions shape individual development will be gained. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of current family therapy theories and techniques.
- PSY-B 310 Life-Span Development (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours in psychology. This course emphasizes the life span perspective of physical and motor, intellectual and cognitive, language, social and personality, and sexual development. Commonalities across the life span as well as differences among the various segments of the life span are examined. Theory, research, and practical applications are equally stressed.
- PSY-B 354 Adult Development and Aging (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. The course content examines changes that occur with age in the following areas: intelligence, memory, personality, sexuality, health, living environments, economics, developmental disorders, and treatment for developmental disorders.
- PSY-B 366 Concepts and Applications of Organizational Psychology (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours in psychology or consent of instructor. The study and application of psychological principles to understand human behavior in the work setting. Emphasis on the role of psychological theory and research methodology in solving human behavior problems in the workplace. Specific areas of coverage include work motivation, job satisfaction, employee involvement, communication, leadership, team effectiveness, work and well-being, organizational structure and culture.
- PSY-B 378 Introduction to Industrial Psychology (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours in psychology or consent of instructor. The design and application of psychological analysis and research methods to address personnel issues including recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, compensation, evaluation, and safety. Emphasis on interviewing skills, research methods, performance analysis and improvement, ergonomic solutions, and legal issues.
- PSY-B 386 Introduction to Counseling (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 324 This course will help students acquire a repertoire of basic counseling interview skills and strategies and expose students to specific helping techniques. This will be an activity based course and students will enhance the general education goals of listening and problem solving.
- PSY-B 388 Human Sexuality (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. A survey of human sexuality to increase knowledge and comfort regarding sexuality in a variety of aspects, i.e. sexual behavior and response, influences of culture and environmental factors, psychological issues, disability effects on sexuality, sexual research, anatomy and physiology.
- PSY-B 452 Senior Seminar in Psychology (3 cr.) P: Senior status, completion of PSY-P250/P251 or PSY-P341/P342, and consent of instructor. Topics in psychology and interdisciplinary applications. Repeatable for credit up to 12 units, provided different topics are studied.
- PSY-G 532 Group Counseling (3 cr.) This course explores the practical and theoretical concepts of group theories, dynamics, process, and stages of group counseling and integrates interpersonal communication styles, fundamental group strategies; group facilitation along with clinical training/skills building that will prepare future group leaders. Special attention is given on the use of group therapy with addictive/ substance-related disorders. This course incorporates laboratory experiences and students are required to explore interpersonal factors as they contribute to counseling skills and techniques. Current issues, controversies, and ethics in group counseling will be examined.
- PSY-G 550 INTERNSHIP IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING (3 cr.) This course expands the experiential training students received in practicum. The course provides a continuing opportunity to apply theory to practice in mental health counseling under direct clinical supervision. Students will engage in a variety of professional activities performed by regularly employed counseling professionals in the setting.
- PSY-G 563 Foundations of Mental Health Counseling (3 cr.) This course explores the foundations and contextual dimensions of mental health counseling. Course material will include theoretical underpinnings of mental health counseling, the counselor's role in diagnosis and intervention selection, and the contemporary trends in mental health counseling.
- PSY-P 101 Introduction to Psychology 1 (3 cr.) Introduction to research methods, data, and theoretical interpretation of psychology in the areas of learning, sensation and perception, and behavioral neuroscience.
- PSY-P 102 Introduction to Psychology 2 (3 cr.) Continuation of P101. Developmental, social, personality, and abnormal psychology.
- PSY-P 199 Planning Your Psychology Career (1 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. Intended for Psychology majors only. Where do you want to be 10 years from now? How can you get there? Information for undergraduate majors to help them intelligently organize their undergraduate studies. Information about what psychologists do, professional and practical issues in career choice, course selection, intern/research experience, and planning a course of study.
- PSY-P 220 Introduction to Drugs and Behavior (3 cr.) Introductory discussion of basic human neuroanatomy and the influence of drugs on the brain and behavior. The study of social and clinical aspects of drug use is covered.
- PSY-P 234 Principles of Mental Health (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours of psychology. Development and maintenance of mental health by application of psychological and psychiatric principles of normal human behavior.
- PSY-P 301 Psychology and Human Problems (3 cr.) P: Junior standing. Contemporary human problems considered from a psychological perspective. Representative topics include stress, creativity, environmental impact, behavior control, volunteerism, and drug usage.
- PSY-P 303 Health Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. Focuses on the role of psychological factors in health and illness. Through readings, lecture, and discussion, students will become better consumers of research on behavior-health interactions and develop a broad base of knowledge concerning how behaviors and other psychological factors can impact health both positively and negatively.
- PSY-P 305 Psychology and Cultures (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology; or consent of instructor. Methods and findings of cross-cultural psychology. Sensitization to cross-cultural and sub-cultural variations and the impact of culture in understanding human behavior. Cultural competence development.
- PSY-P 307 Applied Behavioral Analysis (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology This is an introductory course in applied behavior analysis (ABA), covering the application of basic learning principles to socially relevant human behavior. This course includes basic learning principles, the research methods and techniques of ABA, and the application of ABA across a wide range of populations, settings, and behaviors.
- PSY-P 316 Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours of Psychology. Development of behavior in infancy, childhood, and youth; factors that influence behavior.
- PSY-P 319 Psychology of Personality (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. R: PSY-P 102. Methods and results of scientific study of personality. Basic concepts of personality traits and their measurement; developmental influences; problems of integration.
- PSY-P 320 Social Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. Principles of scientific psychology applied to the individual in a social situation.
- PSY-P 321 Group Dynamics (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. Exposes the student to interpersonal processes inherent in group settings. Topics may include group psychotherapy, social factors in groups, group decision making or group violence. Particular focus of course may vary with instructor.
- PSY-P 322 Psychology in the Courtroom (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. This course considers the psychological aspects of roles and interactions in the courtroom. Topics include definitions of "sanity" and "competency," eyewitness testimony, jury selection, psychological autopsies, and the psychologist as "expert witness."
- PSY-P 324 Abnormal Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. R: PSY-P 102. A first course in adult abnormal psychology; including forms of abnormal behavior, etiology, development, interpretations, and final manifestations.
- PSY-P 325 Psychology of Learning (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. Facts and principles of human and animal learning, especially as treated in theories that provide a general framework for understanding what learning is and how it takes place.
- PSY-P 326 Behavioral Neuroscience (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. R:BIOL-L 100, BIOL-L 105, or AHLT-M 330. An examination of the cellular bases of behavior, emphasizing contemporary views and approaches to the study of the nervous system. Neural structure, function, and organization are considered in relation to sensory and motor function, motivation, learning, and other basic behaviors.
- PSY-P 328 Evolutionary Psychology (3 cr.) This course considers the bigger picture of human existence by looking at ways that past adaptations to our environment may have helped to create our complex behavioral repertoire. From an evolutionary perspective, topics will include human ancestry, mate choice, kin selection, cooperative behavior, aggressive behavior, status hierarchies, and art. The human animal's relation to other species will be emphasized.
- PSY-P 329 Sensation and Perception (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. R: BIOL-L 100, BIOL-L 105, or AHLT-M 330. Basic data, theories, psychophysics, illusions, and other topics fundamental to understanding sensory and perceptual processes.
- PSY-P 334 NEUROETHICS (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. This course explores how advances in neuroscience are changing our views of what it means to be human, our understanding of responsibility and blame, and how these advances are being used. Topics include the current state of cyborgs, implications of biohacking interventions, and definitions of life and death.
- PSY-P 335 Cognitive Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. Introduction to human cognitive processes, including attention and perception, memory, psycholinguistics, problem solving, and thinking.
- PSY-P 336 Psychological Tests and Individual Differences (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 250 or PSY-P 341. Principles of psychological testing. Representative tests and their uses for evaluation and prediction. Emphasis on concepts of reliability, validity, standardization, norms, and item analysis.
- PSY-P 340 Sleep and Dreams (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 101. This course is designed to provide you with an essential understanding of sleep and dreams, and their importance in our daily lives. Course content includes theories of sleep and dreams, the biological basis of sleep and dreams, biological rhythms, the relationship between sleep and daytime alertness and performance, sleep requirements, sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, the role of sleep and dreams in mental/physical health, the relationship between sleep and both cognitive and emotional functioning, dream content and meaning, dreaming and creativity, lucid dreaming, and the impact of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders on academic and social life.
- PSY-P 341 Research and Quantitative Methods in Psychology I (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology; and MATH-M 101 or higher, or math placement into MATH-M 118 or higher. Course is designed to enable students to become both a user and an informed consumer of basic statistical techniques used in psychological research. Students will also learn to design and critique the methodology of psychological research. Preparation of research proposals/reports using statistical analysis and knowledge of research methods is required. This course is the first semester of a two-semester course and must be taken the semester before taking P 342. Should be taken prior to enrolling in other 300- and 400-level psychology courses.
- PSY-P 342 Research and Quantitative Methods in Psychology II (3 cr.) P: PSY-P341. Course is a continuation of P 341 that includes statistical analysis, research methods, and proposal/report writing used in psychological research. This course is the second half of a two-semester course and must be taken the semester after P 341. Should be taken before enrolling in other 300- and 400-level psychology courses.
- PSY-P 345 Learning R for Data Analysis (3 cr.) The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to using the R environment for data analysis. Topics covered in this course include basic fundamentals of using R, manipulating data files, descriptive and inferential analyses, and data visualizations.
- PSY-P 346 Neuroscience (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours of Psychology. A survey of contemporary neuroscience, examining the neural basis of behavior with approaches including molecular, cellular, developmental, cognitive, and behavioral neuroscience. Sensory and motor function, learning and memory, and other behaviors are considered using anatomical, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, and genetic approaches, providing a balanced view of neuroscience.
- PSY-P 351 Psychobiology, Self, and Society (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours in Psychology. The physiological and neural bases of selected behavioral processes (for example, hunger, thirst, sleep, addiction, aggression, sex) will be examined as a means of understanding individual behavior and then in relation to larger, related issues of ethics, law, and societal organization.
- PSY-P 354 Statistical Analysis in Psychology (3 cr.) P: PSY-P101, PSY-P102, or 6 credit hours in Psychology, and either MATH-K300, PSY-P250/P251, or PSY-P341/P342. Use of statistics in psychological work, including multivariate statistical methods. Understanding of statistics as they are presented in the psychological literature. Use of computer statistical software package to analyze psychological data.
- PSY-P 363 Psychology in the Schools (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. This course is an introduction to the field of School Psychology. It focuses on the history of the profession and examines the role and function of school psychologists. Introduced early in the semester, theory (behavior theory and social learning theory) and multicultural diversity permeate all course activities and discussion. The course also provides an overview of the organization and operations of schools, and topics include the role of special education, ethical and legal issues, and school psychologists as data-based problem-solvers.
- PSY-P 380 Ethical Issues in Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. This course introduces students to methods of ethical reasoning, as well as ethical principles and laws that arise in the practice of psychology in academic, research, and clinical settings.
- PSY-P 407 Drugs and the Nervous System (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 326 Introduction to the major psychoactive drugs and how they act upon the brain to influence behavior. Discussion of the role of drugs as therapeutic agents for various clinical disorders and as probes to provide insight into brain function.
- PSY-P 408 Brain and Cognition (3 cr.) Discussion of the brain systems involved in cognition and perception. Particular emphasis will be placed upon understanding the anatomy and function of cerebral cortex in humans and monkeys. Neural models of brain function will be considered.
- PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 326. This course will survey the major work in the field of the neurobiology of memory, approaching the subject from anatomical, physiological, and neurochemical perspectives. Topics covered will include animal models of memory that have proven useful in this research, as well as what has been learned from humans with brain damage and from brain-imaging studies. The facts and fiction of memory-enhancing drugs will also be discussed.
- PSY-P 417 Animal Behavior (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. Methods, findings, and interpretations of recent investigations of animal behavior.
- PSY-P 425 Behavioral Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 324. A survey of major behavior disorders, with emphasis on empirical research and clinical description relative to etiology, assessment, prognosis, and treatment.
- PSY-P 430 Behavior Modification (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. Principles, techniques, and applications of behavior modification, including reinforcement, aversive conditioning, observational learning, desensitization, self-control, and modification of cognitions.
- PSY-P 438 Language and Cognition (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 335. This course surveys the major themes that characterize psycholinguistics. Emphasizes the mental processes that underlie ordinary language use, the tacit knowledge that native English speakers have of their language, and the processes by which children acquire language.
- PSY-P 440 Topics in Cognitive Psychology (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 335. Seminar courses in current areas of research in cognitive psychology. Specific topic determined by instructor offering the course.
- PSY-P 442 Infant Development (3 cr.) P: 6 hours in Psychology. Surveys cognitive, socioemotional, and perceptual-motor development during the first two years of life. Emphasis is on theory and research addressing fundamental questions about the developmental process, especially the biological bases for developmental change.
- PSY-P 454 Field Experience in International Psychology (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in Psychology. Examines clinical psychology from a multi-national perspective using applied research methodology. In addition to attending lectures and contributing to a research lab, students will be required to participate in a travel abroad component for this course.
- PSY-P 457 Topics in Psychology (1-3 cr.) P: Junior or senior standing or consent of instructor. Studies in special topics not usually covered in other department courses. Topics vary with instructor and semester. Repeatable for credit up to 6 units, if topics differ.
- PSY-P 459 History and Systems of Psychology (3 cr.) P: PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102, or 6 credit hours in Psychology; and 6 additional credit hours in psychology. Historical background and critical evaluation of major theoretical systems of modern psychology: structuralism, functionalism, associationism, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and psychoanalysis. Methodological problems of theory construction and system making. Emphasizes integration of recent trends.
- PSY-P 460 Women: A Psychological Perspective (3 cr.) P: 6 credit hours in psychology. Focus is on a wide range of psychological issues of importance to women (e.g., gender stereotypes, women and work, the victimization of women, etc).
- PSY-P 461 Human Memory (3 cr.) Research, theory and data on human memory and information-processing models of memory.
- PSY-P 477 Applied Research in Psychology (1-6 cr.) P: PSY-P 250 or P341 or consent of instructor. This course will provide an in depth investigation of research methods and their associated statistical procedures. Special emphasis is placed upon the translation of research findings to applied settings. The topic to be investigated will vary. May be repeated for up to 6 credit hours.
- PSY-P 488 Environmental Psychology and Sustainable Living (3 cr.) Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field concerned with how the physical environment and human behavior interrelate. Most of the course focuses on how our environments in both urban and natural settings affect human health and well-being. Students also examine how human attitudes and behaviors affect environmental quality and our larger global ecosystem.
- PSY-P 490 Critical Investigations in Paranormal Phenomena (3 cr.) This course will provide a hands-on laboratory experience that will be dedicated to reviewing the literature on parapsychology, evaluating the methods and findings of famous studies in the field, and conducting replication studies intended to correct methodological errors and inconclusive findings.
- PSY-P 493 Supervised Research I (0-3 cr.) P: PSY-P 250/P251 or PSY-P 341/342 or consent of the instructor. Active participation in research. An independent experiment of modest magnitude, or participation in ongoing research in a single laboratory. Repeatable for credit up to 6 units.
- PSY-P 494 Supervised Research II (2 cr.) P: PSY-P 493. A continuation of P493. Course will include a journal report of the 2 semesters of work. Repeatable for credit up to 6 units.
- PSY-P 495 Readings and Research in Psychology (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. S/F grading. Repeatable for credit up to 9 units.
- PSY-P 502 Developmental Psychology (3 cr.) An advanced introduction to the theory and experimental analysis of ontogenetic processes. Special emphasis on human development.
- PSY-P 503 Complex Cognitive Processes (3 cr.) A survey of topics in human information processing including attention, short-term storage, long-term retention, retrieval from memory, concept attainment, problem solving, speech perception, and psycholinguistics.
- PSY-P 505 Organizational Psychology (3 cr.) Organizational Psychology involves the application of psychological principles and methods in understanding human behavior within organizations. Organizational Psychology focuses on such topics as employee motivation, employee satisfaction, counterproductive behavior, leadership, group behavior/teams, organizational communication, work stress, and organizational development. This course will incorporate both an examination of content and research in these areas, as well as the application of various techniques utilized by psychologists studying and addressing problems in these areas.
- PSY-P 511 Seminar in Professional Skills, Legal Issues and Ethics (3 cr.) This course provides a critical analysis of professional issues and the ethical and legal standards in the practice of psychology. Traditional and emerging practice areas will be discussed. Topics such as professional codes of ethics, legal restrictions, licensure, prescription drug privileges, managed care, and treatment efficacy research will be explored. Ethical standards and decision-making will be studied in the context of professional practice.
- PSY-P 512 Seminar in Grant Writing (3 cr.) The overall objective for this course is to give you the tools to help you successfully compete for grant funds for organizations, schools, non-profit agencies, community service groups, and businesses.
- PSY-P 535 Introduction to Additions Counseling (3 cr.) This course serves as an introduction to the field of counseling and human development services, with a special focus on addictions.
- PSY-P 537 Program Evaluation (3 cr.) To provide an overview of data-based strategies for assessment, planning, implementation will be presented along with illustrative case examples: needs assessment, process evaluation, systems analysis, experimental-outcome evaluation, adversarial evaluation. Required for all M.A. in Applied Psychology students whose concentration is social/community.
- PSY-P 540 Principles of Psychology Assessment and Predicting (3 cr.) Concepts of validity and reliability. Diagnostic devices viewed as bases for decisions. Classification. Comparison of methods of making predictions about individuals.
- PSY-P 541 Methods of Survey Research (3-4 cr.) The course does not assume much prior statistical knowledge; it is designed to enable students to be both users and informed consumers of basic methodological and statistical techniques used in survey research. It covers sample selection, survey design, and analysis of survey data.
- PSY-P 624 Principles of Psychopathology (3 cr.) Description of the phenomena of psychopathology and principles associated with their classification.
- PSY-P 632 Introduction to to Clinical Intervention (3 cr.) This course provides a systematic integration of theory, research, technique, and evaluation. Based on the available research literature, time-limited and structured interventions for specific clinical problems are designed, administered, and evaluated.