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PSYCHOLOGY COURSES
Take 12 credits from the following courses:
An overview of the content and methodology in the field. Topics such as the history
of psychology, physiological psychology, learning and memory, perception, motivation,
child development, personality and social foundations are considered 3 CreditsS A consideration of representative approaches to the study of human personality, beginning
with standard theoretical approaches and their applications. This is followed by a
consideration of selected topics within the field of personality, e.g. aggression,
sexuality, dependency, and competence. 3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY 101 A brief consideration is given to the historical approaches to " mental illness, "
followed by a consideration of present day classification, diagnostic measures, and
therapy. Emphasis throughout is upon experimental data as applied to the various disorders. 3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101. The study of human interaction and interpersonal relationships, including selected
areas of current research and theory such as social perception, interpersonal communication,
attitude formation and change, conformity, aggression, and interpersonal attraction. 3 CreditsS PY-101 Introduction to Psychology
PY-202 Personality
PY-203 Abnormal Psychology
PY-205 Social Psychology
PY-210 Psych Professional Development Seminar
This course explores professional opportunities in the field of psychology and related fields. You will assess your professional skills and interests and create materials needed for a successful internship, job, or graduate school search. We also will explore how professional knowledge and skills can be shared as future engaged and effective members of communities.
1 CreditsS
PY-211 Race, Ethnicity, and Identity Studies
This course explores the constructs of race, ethnicity, and identity with a focus on how they help us understand ourselves, societies, and the relationship between self and society. The course explores race, racism, antiracism, equality, and hierarchy. As a Social Inquiry course, this course emphasizes social scientific methodologies to address these topics.
3 CreditsS,WK-SIPre- or Co-Req: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.
PY-238 Biopsychology
Focuses on neurobiology and neuroanatomy as they relate to sensory processes, motivation, reinforcement, learning, and memory.
3 CreditsS, NPrerequisites: PY101 or BI105 or permission.
PY-260 Research Methods & Statistics I
Part one of a two-part sequence of Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology. This course focuses on becoming a better research producer and a research consumer from a psychological science perspective. Students will learn to think critically about media claims and accurately summarize primary source articles about behavior. Students will learn to use statistical software to accurately describe data. Students will learn to communicate effectively about research through written and oral work and make ethical judgments informed by APA ethical standards. Students will design and execute their own individual research studies.
4 CreditsCW,Q,SPrerequisite: PY-101
PY-270 Cognitive Neuroscience
Focuses on the neural mechanisms of mental processes including sensation and perception, attention, memory, reasoning, and decision making. Topics include basic neuroanatomy, functional imaging techniques, and evidence from neurotypical and clinical populations.
3 CreditsS, NPrerequisites: PY101.
PY-302 Moral Judgment
This course meets the Ethical Responsibility requirement. This course will cover basic issues relevant to understanding and evaluating moral judgment. We will compare philosophical models of human judgment with psychological models of human judgment. You will apply both philosophical and psychological models to contemporary ethical issues and reflect on your own beliefs and social responsibilities.
3-4 CreditsS, SW-ER, CTGES
PY-303 Learning & Conditioning
Explores the issue of how we are changed by experience, using primarily a behaviorist perspective, applied to animal and human data. Both theory and applied applications of theory will be considered.
3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101.
PY-304 Cognitive Psychology
Explores an array of issues in human memory, primarily from a cognitive/information processing point of view. Major emphasis is on using research data to formulate answers to both theoretical and applied questions.
3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101.
PY-312 Cultural Psychology
Cultural psychology is the scientific study of how cultural norms influence how individuals think, feel, and behave. Cultural psychologists study the ultimate social situation: culture. Questions from this field are relevant to our everyday lives and are important in shaping our understanding of ourselves and views of others.
3 CreditsS
PY-321 Health Psychology
Course will examine empirical findings from disciplines of psychology, medicine, and public health. Course topics include research methods, stress and social support, health behavior and primary prevention, management of chronic/terminal illnesses, gender and cultural issues in health, and psychoneuroimmunology. An underlying theme will be to dispel health-related myths and fads that are so prevalent in the popular media.
3 CreditsSPrerequisites: PY101.
PY-322 Sport Psychology
This course provides an overview of sport psychology. Students will gain insight into the psychological processes involved in sport and other fields involving human performance. Topics such as motivation, arousal and stress, burnout, skill acquisition, team dynamics, and psychological skills training will be explored as they relate to maximizing our ability to perform at a high level.
3 CreditsSPre-Req: PY-101
PY-350 Developmental Psychology
This course is designed to integrate core topics in the discipline of developmental psychology with current key issues in society. Consequently, students will have the opportunity to analyze scientific literature and make connections to current, everyday life issues. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to explore developmental theory and its connection to public policy, known as " best practices " in parenting and education and consider developmental theory's influence on current trends in our broader society.
3 CreditsSPrerequisites: PY101 or ED120 or ED130.
PY-361 Research Methods & Stats Psychology II
This course focuses on becoming a better research producer and a research consumer from a psychological science perspective. Students will learn to think critically about media claims and accurately summarize primary source articles about behavior. Students will learn to use statistical software to accurately describe data. Students will learn to communicate effectively about research through written and oral work and make ethical judgments informed by APA ethical standards. Students will design and execute their own individual research studies.
4 CreditsS, CW, QS
PY-399 Special Topics
Variable: 1-4 credits. Occasional offerings in which a group of students and a professor explore an area of specialized interest in a seminar format. Recent offerings have been " Multicultural Psychology " and " Psychology of Gender. " Students may take each ST: course for credit.
1-4 Credits
PY-401 Comparative Psychology
Comparative Psychology examines the continuity of behavioral and psychological mechanisms between nonhuman animals and humans suggested by evolutionary theory. Attention is paid to the comparison between human and nonhuman animals on traditionally human characteristics, including self-recognition, language, culture, tool use, and several other characteristics.
3 CreditsS, N, CSPrerequisites: PY101 or BI105 and Junior or Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
PY-402 Evolutionary Psychology
This course uses the lens of modern evolutionary theory to understand human behavior. We will look for the influence of human evolutionary history on several modern human behaviors including, among others, dating and marriage, aggression, altruism, child-rearing, and behavioral differences between the sexes.
3 CreditsS, N, CSPrerequisites: PY101 or BI105 and Junior or Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
PY-404 School Psychology
This course explores a scientist-practitioner model for improving learning and educational outcomes for all students. Focus is on the application of psychological principles and research-based models of prevention and intervention to improve outcomes. As a community-engaged learning course, coursework will be applied to a project identified by a community partner as meeting a community need.
4 CreditsS, SW-LEPre-req: PY-101. Pre-req or co-req: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.
PY-412 Expertise and Performance
What makes a great performer great? This course addresses this basic question by exploring various processes underlying skill learning and performance from a psychophysiological and neuroscientific perspective. Throughout the course, a model of effective learning and performance will be developed, discussed, and critiqued, guided by the unifying principle of efficiency.
3 CreditsN,S,CSPre-Reqs: PY-101.
PY-415 Capstone in Psychology
The purpose of this course is to assess the skills students acquire during their undergraduate career in the Psychology Department. Students will be expected to produce a written professional work.
3 CreditsS, CSPrerequisites: PY101 and PY309 and ND.SS214 and Senior standing.
UPPER-LEVEL COURSES
Take 6 credits from the following courses (at the 300/400 level) :
PY-302 Moral Judgment
This course meets the Ethical Responsibility requirement. This course will cover basic issues relevant to understanding and evaluating moral judgment. We will compare philosophical models of human judgment with psychological models of human judgment. You will apply both philosophical and psychological models to contemporary ethical issues and reflect on your own beliefs and social responsibilities.
3-4 CreditsS, SW-ER, CTGES
PY-303 Learning & Conditioning
Explores the issue of how we are changed by experience, using primarily a behaviorist perspective, applied to animal and human data. Both theory and applied applications of theory will be considered.
3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101.
PY-304 Cognitive Psychology
Explores an array of issues in human memory, primarily from a cognitive/information processing point of view. Major emphasis is on using research data to formulate answers to both theoretical and applied questions.
3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101.
PY-312 Cultural Psychology
Cultural psychology is the scientific study of how cultural norms influence how individuals think, feel, and behave. Cultural psychologists study the ultimate social situation: culture. Questions from this field are relevant to our everyday lives and are important in shaping our understanding of ourselves and views of others.
3 CreditsS
PY-321 Health Psychology
Course will examine empirical findings from disciplines of psychology, medicine, and public health. Course topics include research methods, stress and social support, health behavior and primary prevention, management of chronic/terminal illnesses, gender and cultural issues in health, and psychoneuroimmunology. An underlying theme will be to dispel health-related myths and fads that are so prevalent in the popular media.
3 CreditsSPrerequisites: PY101.
PY-322 Sport Psychology
This course provides an overview of sport psychology. Students will gain insight into the psychological processes involved in sport and other fields involving human performance. Topics such as motivation, arousal and stress, burnout, skill acquisition, team dynamics, and psychological skills training will be explored as they relate to maximizing our ability to perform at a high level.
3 CreditsSPre-Req: PY-101
PY-350 Developmental Psychology
This course is designed to integrate core topics in the discipline of developmental psychology with current key issues in society. Consequently, students will have the opportunity to analyze scientific literature and make connections to current, everyday life issues. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to explore developmental theory and its connection to public policy, known as " best practices " in parenting and education and consider developmental theory's influence on current trends in our broader society.
3 CreditsSPrerequisites: PY101 or ED120 or ED130.
PY-361 Research Methods & Stats Psychology II
This course focuses on becoming a better research producer and a research consumer from a psychological science perspective. Students will learn to think critically about media claims and accurately summarize primary source articles about behavior. Students will learn to use statistical software to accurately describe data. Students will learn to communicate effectively about research through written and oral work and make ethical judgments informed by APA ethical standards. Students will design and execute their own individual research studies.
4 CreditsS, CW, QS
PY-399 Special Topics
Variable: 1-4 credits. Occasional offerings in which a group of students and a professor explore an area of specialized interest in a seminar format. Recent offerings have been " Multicultural Psychology " and " Psychology of Gender. " Students may take each ST: course for credit.
1-4 Credits
PY-401 Comparative Psychology
Comparative Psychology examines the continuity of behavioral and psychological mechanisms between nonhuman animals and humans suggested by evolutionary theory. Attention is paid to the comparison between human and nonhuman animals on traditionally human characteristics, including self-recognition, language, culture, tool use, and several other characteristics.
3 CreditsS, N, CSPrerequisites: PY101 or BI105 and Junior or Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
PY-404 School Psychology
This course explores a scientist-practitioner model for improving learning and educational outcomes for all students. Focus is on the application of psychological principles and research-based models of prevention and intervention to improve outcomes. As a community-engaged learning course, coursework will be applied to a project identified by a community partner as meeting a community need.
4 CreditsS, SW-LEPre-req: PY-101. Pre-req or co-req: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.
PY-402 Evolutionary Psychology
This course uses the lens of modern evolutionary theory to understand human behavior. We will look for the influence of human evolutionary history on several modern human behaviors including, among others, dating and marriage, aggression, altruism, child-rearing, and behavioral differences between the sexes.
3 CreditsS, N, CSPrerequisites: PY101 or BI105 and Junior or Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
PY-412 Expertise and Performance
What makes a great performer great? This course addresses this basic question by exploring various processes underlying skill learning and performance from a psychophysiological and neuroscientific perspective. Throughout the course, a model of effective learning and performance will be developed, discussed, and critiqued, guided by the unifying principle of efficiency.
3 CreditsN,S,CSPre-Reqs: PY-101.
PY-415 Capstone in Psychology
The purpose of this course is to assess the skills students acquire during their undergraduate career in the Psychology Department. Students will be expected to produce a written professional work.
3 CreditsS, CSPrerequisites: PY101 and PY309 and ND.SS214 and Senior standing.
Secondary Emphasis Credit Total = 18
Six credits must be at the 300/400-level. Any course exception must be approved by the advisor and/or department chair.