1010 General Psychology The science of behavior and mental processes: sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, emotion, personality development, adjustment and maladjustment.

1020 Controversies in Psychology: A Critical Thinking Approach Students will develop a critical thinking approach to reading, discussing and writing about psychological literature.  Students will learn to recognize and evaluate assertions, arguments and evidence and develop their abilities to express their ideas verbally and in writing.  Reading and discussion material will concern major controversies in the field such as the role of nature vs. nurture, intelligence testing, repressed memory, continuity vs. change in personality, and the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

1030 Tools for Success in Psychology Pre-requisite or co-requisite: PSY 1010 or 1020.   This is a course for psychology majors and individuals considering a psychology major.  Students will be introduced to American Psychological Association writing style, library research skills, portfolio requirements in the psychology major, career options in the field of psychology and ethical principles in psychology.

2010 Introduction to Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia (GER*)

2450 Life Span Developmental Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010      Study of the maturational and experiential influences on physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and personality development of the individual, from the prenatal period through late adulthood.  Developmental tasks and theories of developmental change related to life stages.

2700 Child Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010    Principles of growth, maturation, and learning relating to child development.  Interaction of hereditary and environmental factors influencing the social, cognitive, and personality development of the child.  Theories and research relative to the psychology of the child from the prenatal period through late childhood.

2760 Psychological Assessment and Intervention in Human Services Prerequisite: PSY 1010   This course will focus on the basic techniques of psychological assessment and interventions in human services. Areas of special focus will include psychological interviewing, limit setting, empathic responding, interpretation, behavioral modification, supportive interventions, and group and family therapy modalities. Working with transference and countertransference and addressing resistance to intervention will also be discussed. Through role-plays, study of case materials, and review of videotapes, students will have an opportunity to learn and practice a variety of techniques that will prepare them for entry level work in human service fields.

2830 Research and Quantitative Methods I Prerequisite: PSY 1010, PSY 1020 and PSY 1030   Students will develop basic knowledge and skills in conducting scientific research in psychology.  Emphasis will be placed upon learning the scientific method, research ethics, research design, measurement, descriptive and inferential statistics, and hypothesis testing.  Application and synthesis of these concepts for each student will involve the development of a research proposal

2840 Research and Quantitative Methods II Prerequisite: PSY 2830 or permission of instructor, and MTH 1040 or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: MTH 2350   Students will develop basic knowledge and skills in conducting scientific research in psychology.  Emphasis will be placed upon learning the scientific method, research ethics, research design, measurement, descriptive and inferential statistics, and hypothesis testing.  Application and synthesis of these concepts for each student will involve the development of a research proposal.

3010 Current Topics in Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010   The course will include reading and discussion of current research articles, focusing on topics in a different area of psychology each week.  Topics will change each time the course is offered, so it may be reelected.

3070 Psychology of Aging (GER*)

3130 Adolescent Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010      Nature of pre-adolescent and adolescent behavior and its underlying dynamics; systematic study of modern concepts for understanding and dealing with the adolescent and pre-adolescent in our society.  Emphasis on normal behavior development as it relates to the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth of adolescents.

3310 Understanding the Challenging Child: An Introduction to Emotional Disorders in Children This course is a targeted introduction to selected areas of child psychopathology through the presentation of some of the most common childhood behavioral and emotional disorders, including hyperactivity, depression, anxiety and conduct disorders. Psychological, familial and temperamental contributions to disorders will be presented. Treatment approaches will also be described.

3320 Psychology and the Law This course will introduce students to the basic issues and controversies at the intersection of psychology and law, including civil matters (issues of child custody, involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals, and the rights of patients in mental health treatment) and criminal matters (crime investigations, prosecution and sentencing).

3330 Psychological Issues in Child Abuse and Neglect Taking a psychological perspective, this course examines why child maltreatment occurs and who commits such acts, the short- and long-term effects of child abuse/neglect, the various treatment strategies employed with abused children and their abusers, and the broad legal and societal issues raised by this phenomenon.

3340 Self-Destructive Behavior in Adolescent Girls This course considers the psychological bases for self-destructive behaviors in adolescent girls. Topics considered include deliberate cutting of the skin, eating disorders, suicide and para-suicide, sexual promiscuity, gang membership, and substance abuse. Avenues for treatment and prevention are also discussed.

3420 Abnormal Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010      Nature of abnormal and deviant behavior and its underlying dynamics; systematic study of modern concepts of diagnosis, understanding, treatment and prevention of abnormal behavior patterns.  Emphasis on normal behavior development as delineated by psychopathology.

3480 Psychosocial Components of Hospice Care (HSP*)

3490 Psychology of Traumatic Experiences Prerequisite: PSY 1010   The course will describe the immediate and long term psychological effects of such traumatic events as abuse, accident, assault, crime, disaster, homicide and suicide.  The reactions of victims, witnesses and survivors will be examined.  Issues relevant to helping and healing in the aftermath of trauma will be discussed.

3520 Industrial/Organizational Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010       Application of concepts, theories and methods from psychology to issues in the workplace. Topics include research methods, employee selection and assessment, performance appraisal, training and development, leadership, motivation, job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational structure, and organizational change and development.

3660   Social Psychology: A Psychological Perspective Prerequisite: PSY 1010   Regarded as one of the core areas in psychology, social psychology is concerned with the influence of social factors on human behavior.  The basic subject matter includes social cognition, attitude formation, social influence, interpersonal attraction, prosocial behavior, aggression and prejudice.  The psychological perspective adopted in this course differs from a sociological perspective in several ways.  Psychology focuses on the individual, while sociology focuses on the groups that influence the individual.  Psychology is also unique in its use of the experimental method: psychologists manipulate variables under controlled conditions in the search for cause and effect relationships.  In contrast, sociology relies primarily on correlational and archival research.

3720 Introduction to Clinical Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 3420    This course will provide an overview of current issues in the mental health field and an introduction to important skills needed by professionals in their day to day work.  Students will become familiar with diagnostic approaches, issues in psychological assessment, interviewing and clinical data gathering, types of psychological intervention, legal and ethical considerations, and how to recognize, understand and minimize psychologically inevitable gender and cultural biases often encountered in mental health settings.

3750 Mental Health Treatment Theories Prerequisite: MH 3720 or permission of instructor.     This course will provide an intensive introduction to the most influential and prevalent treatment methods in the mental health field.  Students will learn to understand treatment approaches as discreet theoretical systems containing their own philosophical views of the person, conceptualizations of disorder, definitions of cure, and technical prescriptions.  Problems in determining the efficacy of treatment approaches will also be addressed.

PSY 3820 Forensic Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010 and PSY 3420 How the science of psychology is used by our legal system to better understand situations where an individual's state of mind or psychological functioning may have an impact on the legal process, the distinction between forensic and clinical work, conceptual underpinnings of forensic psychology, and role of psychology in the legal system and controversies surrounding its use. Career paths and training issues also discussed.

4220 Theories of Personality Prerequisites: PSY 1010, junior or senior standing, Psychology major or minor or permission of the instructor   An overview of the major theories of personality, the role of personality theories in development, how various personality theories can be distinguished from one another, and an evaluation of these theories.

4300 Cognitive Psychology Prerequisite: PSY 1010   Students will learn about all aspects of human thinking, including attention, perception, memory, knowledge, language, problem solving, creativity, decision making, and intelligence. Attention will be given to current research in areas such as mood-dependent memory, the power of suggestion in creating false memories, speed reading, and learning vocabulary, as well as the application of cognitive principles in everyday life. Course includes an online laboratory component in which students participate in a variety of experimental studies in various areas of cognitive psychology.

4500 Physiological Psychology (BIO) Prerequisites: PSY 1010 and BIO 2240 or BIO 2430       Ways in which behavior is influenced by physiological processes within the body and by the evolution of the species.  Study of the nervous system; sensory and motor systems; biological mechanisms influencing daily activity rhythms, motivation, emotion, learning, gender identity.  Normal and abnormal brain functioning.

4700, 4710  Mental Health Field Placement and Seminar I, II Prerequisites: PSY 4700 requires PSY 3750 pre- or co-requisite and permission of the instructor.  PSY 4710 requires PSY 4700   This course is designed to provide a 12-hour per week intensive field placement experience in a clinical setting to develop students' clinical interaction skills and prepare them for jobs in the mental health field.  It also includes a weekly, three-hour seminar held on campus which will augment supervision provided at the placement sites and provide additional support for students.  The seminar will also help students develop the ability to understand clinical material, document interactions, present clinical observations and prepare case reports and assessments.

4850 Advanced Research and Quantitative Methods I Prerequisite: PSY 2840       In preparation for graduate studies, students will develop advanced knowledge and skills in conducting scientific research in psychology.  Emphasis will be placed upon critical review and analysis of the scientific method, research ethics, research design, and measurement.  Descriptive and inferential statistics will be reviewed, and multivariate statistical techniques will be introduced.  Application and synthesis for each student will involve the development of a research proposal that qualifies as original research.

4860 Advanced Research and Quantitative Methods II Prerequisite: PSY 4850       In preparation for graduate studies, students will develop advanced knowledge and skills in conducting scientific research in psychology.  Emphasis will be placed upon critical review and analysis of the scientific method, research ethics, research design, and measurement.  Descriptive and inferential statistics will be reviewed, and multivariate statistical techniques will be introduced.  Application and synthesis for each student will involve the development of a project that qualifies as original research.

4950 Seminar in Psychology Prerequisites: senior standing.      This course, the capstone to the Psychology Major, will provide a review and consolidation of material covered throughout the major.  A significant focus will be preparation of a portfolio by refining and collecting work completed for courses in the major.  This will also allow for assessment of student learning goals.  In addition, the course will focus on graduate school preparation and continued professional development.