BA Psychology

Courses

PSY 103 General Psychology
This course is a survey of principles, concepts, and ideas from psychology. Topics will include research in psychology; biological bases of behavior; sensation and perception; learning; developmental psychology; social psychology.
Not open to students who have taken PSY 102.
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 111 Psychological Perspectives of Teaching and Learning
This course, designed for prospective teachers, explores teaching and learning through the lens of psychological theories. The course addresses individual differences in intelligence, cognitive development, and socioemotional development, focusing on the importance of ascertaining students' backgrounds and individual strengths and weaknesses. The course emphasizes various perspectives of how people learn, concentrating on how to apply learning theories to the design of independent and cooperative learning environments. For education majors only.
Open to Education Majors only
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 202 Child and Adolescent Development
This course provides an overview of human behavior, growth and development, covering childhood and adolescence (specifically birth through age 21). Basic concepts, principles, and theories of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development during prenatal development, infancy/toddlerhood, early childhood, middle and late childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood are addressed. The emphasis on this course is on normal physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth and development.
Requisites: PSY 103 or PSY111. Not open to students who have taken PSY203
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 203 Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan
This course provides an overview of human growth and development, covering the lifespan of the individual. Basic concepts, principles, and theories of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development at each major stage of life from prenatal development through late adulthood are addressed in the course.
Course not for Psychology majors
Prerequisites: PSY 103; Not open to students who have taken PSY202 and not open to students who are either psychology majors or education majors
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 204 Neuroscience
This course is a survey of neural base of behavior. Topics will include the sensory system (e.g., vision and audition), neuroanatomy and neurotransmitter. Brain structure will be associated with neurological functions and dysfunction (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease). Finally, neural correlates of "sleep", "movement" and "learning" will be covered.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 205 Sensation and Perception
This course will focus on theory, methodology, and research findings primarily in the areas of visual and auditory perception. Behavioral, physiological, and ecological approaches will be thoroughly explored. Data from both human and animals subjects will be presented.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
On Occasion

PSY 206 Social Psychology
This course addresses the role of the real and imagined presence of others on people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It examines how people make sense of others' behavior as well as topics including interpersonal relationships, aggression, and altruism.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 207 Cognitive Psychology
This course addresses how we understand and make sense of the world. Topics include perception, memory, thinking, knowledge, and language.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 208 Learning and Memory
This course is a survey of findings, methods and principles in animal and human learning and memory. Topics usually include classical and operant conditioning, reinforcement theory, short-term and long-term memory, and selected current issues.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 209 Psychopathology
This course covers the historical approaches to the concepts of normality and abnormality. The description of traditional patterns of problem behavior in addition to reference to relevant personality theories and clinical research are presented. Note: This course is the same as the previously named Abnormal Psychology and it is equivalent to Abnormal Psychology at other universities.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 210 Psychological Statistics I
This course introduces the principles of descriptive and inferential statistics.
Must be taken within the first 9 credits as a psychology major.
A pre or co requisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 211 Experimental Psychology
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of science and the basic principles of research. The design of observational, correlational, and experimental research is covered. Representative experiments are performed, analyzed and reported in written form.
Prerequisite: PSY 210
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 212 Psychological Tests and Measurements
This course addresses some of the types of tests and measurements that are used within different areas of psychology. The course focuses on concepts such as reliability and validity and how the utility of tests can be assessed.
A pre requisite of PSY 210 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 213 Psychological Statistics II
This course is a further study of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will learn how to interpret statistical analyses presented in research articles, and they will learn to conduct and interpret their own analyses. The use of computer programs for the analysis of data is emphasized.
Pre-requisite of PSY 210 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 240 Personality: Research and Theory
This course is a survey of major personality theories. Their historical development and current research are among the topics covered.
A pre or co requisite of PSY 103
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 272 Systems and Theories of Psychotherapy
This course is a comparative study of methods of counseling and psychotherapy. Topics included are theories and approaches that concern a change toward healthy behavior and feelings of self-worth.
A pre or co requisite of PSY 103
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 342 Cultural Psychology
Although psychology has shown us a lot about how we behave, feel, and perceive the world, it has traditionally focused on research looking at American college sophomores and white lab rats (populations that researchers often have relatively easy access to!). How much of what we think we know about how people behave, feel, and perceive the world varies with culture and experience? This course addresses how culture can affect social cognition (e.g., the explanations we make for our own and others' behavior), identity, perceptions, and behavior. PSY206 (Social Psychology) recommended.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 370 Developmental Disabilities
This course is a survey of the etiology and treatment of a wide range of developmental disabilities including autism, intellectual impairment, perceptual impairments, speech and language disorders, and behavioral and emotional disabilities. Recommended for students who have taken PSY202 or PSY203.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 399 Special Topics in Psychology
The instructor chooses a study of selected topics in psychology. The subject of each topic is announced in the preceding semester. May be taken twice if topics are different. Course is under the applied category of courses
Credits: 1 to 3
Every Fall

PSY 416 Experimental Psychology II
This course is an advanced treatment of research methods and content in the one area of psychology (e.g., neuropsychology, social psychology, behaviorism). The area of psychology will be announced in advance. Practical experience in experimental design, execution, analysis of research, and the writing of research reports is included.
Pre-requisite of C- or better in PSY 211.
Credits: 3
Every Fall and Spring

PSY 422 Issues in Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging
This course explores theory and research on development of the emerging adult, the young adult, the middle adult, and the late adult. Topics essential to the psychology of aging in each of these stages will be addressed, including physical development and health, memory and cognitive processes, identity, personality, and socioemotional development. In addition to addressing theory through textbook readings, this course focuses on reading and discussing current research in adulthood and aging.
A pre requisite of PSY 211 or instructor permission is required.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 430 Differential Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Disorders
This course will primarily focus on disorders of the central nervous system. It will introduce the student to the standard neurological approaches for diagnosing diseases associated with the brain and spinal cord. It will include some clinical disorders such as cancer (e.g., neoplasms, gliomas, menigiomas), myasthenia gravis, migraines, diseases of the spine and skull (e.g., cervical spondylosis, syringomelia) and motor neuron diseases.
Pre-requisite: PSY 204 or PSY 209 or PSY 330
Credits: 3
On Occasion

PSY 440 Issues in Social Psychology
This course offers students an opportunity to learn more about specific topics within social psychology. The course will cover in detail one aspect of social psychology, such as persuasion and attitude change, prejudice and stereotyping, social cognition, applications of social psychology. May not be taken more than once even if topic is different.
A pre or co requisite of PSY 206 and PSY 211 or at least 12 credits in psychology coursework.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 441 The Psychology of Gender and Relationships
Why do people form relationships? Why do people stay in seemingly bad relationships or end seemingly good relationships? Does gender matter in the development and maintenance of relationships? This course addresses these questions by examining different psychological theories and concepts that help to address both gender and relationships.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Fall

PSY 460 Issues in Applied Behavior Analysis
This course will cover the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and address how Applied Behavior Analysis can be used to provide interventions for those with ASD.
'Requisites: Pre or Co requisite of PSY208 or at least 12 credits in psychology coursework'
Credits: 3
On Occasion

PSY 461 Applied Behavior Analysis
This course is a survey of the methodology for the analysis of human behavior and techniques for behavioral change. It includes a discussion of behavioral approaches to developing more effective systems of rehabilitation in institutions for the mentally ill and intellectually impaired, and for behavior change in the homes or classrooms of normal and emotionally disturbed children.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 481 Forensic Psychology: The Law and Human Behavior
This course covers psychological principles and practices applied to the legal system. Expert testimony, relevancy of mental illness, competencies, abuse and trauma are among the topics covered.
A pre or co requisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
Every Spring

PSY 482 Psychology in the Workplace
This course examines the application of psychological principles, theory, and research to work settings. Topics covered usually include individual differences, personnel selection and placement, employee training and development, job analysis and performance measurement, attitudes and motivation in the workplace, fairness and equity, leadership styles, teamwork and effectiveness, and organizational theory and change. The principles taught are applicable in healthcare, education, industrial, and corporate settings.
Pre requisites: PSY 206 or 207
Credits: 3
On Occasion

PSY 483 Psychosomatics: Bodily Protest
This course is a study of physical disease as influenced by the emotions from historical, causative and research points of view. Psychophysiological disorders of every bodily system are studied including cancer, heart disease and obesity.
A prerequisite of PSY 103 is required.
Credits: 3
On Occasion

PSY 484 Behavioral Economics
This course describes how the use of evidence from psychology can improve the predictive power of standard economic theories. Standard economic theories represent human beings in ways that are often different from how they really behave. Evidence suggests that human behavior diverges often from standard notions of economic rationality in predictable ways. Predictions about individual behavior are more accurate and the policies of governments are more effective when this evidence is effectively used. This course is a non-technical introduction to the intersection of psychology and economics. Same as ECO 323.
Credits: 3
On Occasion