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Psychology Course Descriptions

  • PSY 100. General Psychology
    Credits: 4. Introduction to the science of behavior including study of motivation, learning and remembering, the brain, perception and thinking, social processes and developmental behavior disorders. Fulfills social science requirement.
  • PSY 150. Special Topics
    Credits: 4. May also be offered at 250, 350 and 450 levels. Recent offerings include The American Upper Class and Family Ghosts. Prerequisites vary.
  • PSY 213. Class, Race and Gender
    Credits: 4. The study of socioeconomic class, race and gender and the complex ways that these three interact. Fulfills diversity in the U.S. requirement. Offered once a year.
  • PSY 224. Developmental Psychology
    Credits: 4. Psychological aspects of human growth and development from conception through death, with emphasis on emerging capacities, expanding behavior and increasingly complex social interactions. Includes field work. Fulfills social science requirement.
  • PSY 232. Introduction to Personality
    Credits: 4. The study of personality from a variety of perspectives; emphasis on different theories, techniques of assessment and research. Fulfills social science requirement.
  • PSY 241. Mass Media
    Credits: 4. The study of mass media, including the impact of mass media on the ways people conceptualize the world, and the impact of mass media on human behavior. The course will look at a variety of media, including books and magazines, television, radio, film and the Internet. Offered once a year.
  • PSY 242. Psychology of African Americans
    Credits: 4. The study of African Americans from a psychological point of view, with emphasis on theories, research and models as they pertain to African Americans. The course examines a variety of issues, such as: ethnic identity, personality traits, nonverbal communication, racism, mental health and the legal system. Fulfills diversity in the U.S. requirement. Offered once a year (in the fall one year and in the spring the next).
  • PSY 260. Independent Study
    Credits: 1-4. May also be offered at 360 and 460 levels. Intensive reading and/or independent research on a topic of interest to the student. By departmental approval.
  • PSY 270. Interpersonal Communications (JPS 270)
    Credits: 4. Using an experiential learning laboratory approach, this course provides students with a solid theoretical foundation for understanding interpersonal communication, the internal dynamics that lead individuals to construct meaning and the skills needed to maintain effective relationships of all kinds.
  • PSY 290. Internship
    Credits: 1-4. Field experiences which are individually arranged so that students can become directly involved in work within the community. Highly recommended for all majors. May also be offered at the 390 level.
  • PSY 301. Research Methods and Analysis
    Credits: 4. Application of methods for collecting and analyzing behavioral science data and for drawing inferences from such data. Prerequisites: PSY 100, Historical Perspectives and Quantitative Literacy.
  • PSY 303. Research Methods and Analysis Practicum
    Credits: 4. This practicum is designed to supplement and expand on course material covered in PSY 301. It is strongly recommended that students enrolled in PSY 301 also enroll in the practicum during that semester. The activities in the practicum should deepen students’ understanding and increase their familiarity with methods and statistics used in psychological research. Ethical issues involved in research in psychology will be discussed throughout the course. Does not count toward the psychology major or minor. CR/NC.
  • PSY 332. Industrial and Organizational Psychology
    Credits: 4. Application of psychology to problems of employee selection, motivation, training, work environment and human relations in business, industry and other organizations. Prerequisite: PSY 100.
  • PSY 337. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
    Credits: 4. Childhood and adolescent problems encountered by clinical psychologists, special education teachers, social workers, counselors and school psychologists examined in the context of normal child development. Emphasis is on psychological factors in deviant and disturbed behavior and treatment procedures. Includes field work. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or PSY 232. Alternate years.
  • PSY 338. Theoretical Perspectives
    Credits: 4. PSY 338 Theoretical Perspectives. The course will focus on a major theoretical perspective in psychology, including behaviorism, cognitive psychology, humanistic psychology, or psychoanalytic psychology, one or more theorists within a perspective, or a comparison of theories or theorists. Rotating tiles. Repeatable.
  • PSY 340. Psychobiology (Biol 340)
    Credits: 4. Study of behavior from a biological point of view. Focus on the structure and function of the nervous system and on the relationships between behavior and the nervous system. Co-requisite: laboratory work. Prerequisites: either two courses in biology or one course in biology and one course in psychology. Alternate years.
  • PSY 341. Psychotherapy
    Credits: 4. Studies psychotherapy’s theoretical foundations and the therapist’s practical skills. The course will explore four to six therapeutic approaches in depth. The therapies chosen will vary each semester, as will the focus on individual, group, family or child modalities. Prerequisites: PSY 100, PSY 224 or PSY 232. Alternate years.
  • PSY 342. Abnormal Psychology
    Credits: 4. Adult psychopathology studied in the context of modern life; genetics, socio-cultural milieu and learning in the development and amelioration of behavioral abnormality. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or PSY 232.
  • PSY 343. Sensory Systems (Biol 343)
    Credits: 4. Detailed study of each of the major sensory systems, including the anatomy and physiology of each system, an analysis of the stimulus and measurements of sensory abilities. Laboratory work. Prerequisites: Either two courses in biology or one course in biology and one course in psychology. Alernate years. Fall.
  • PSY 344. Environmental Psychology
    Credits: 4. Study of the impact of human knowledge, attitudes and behavior on environmental problems and their solution. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or ENVS 100. Fulfills social justice/environmental responsibility requirement. Alternate years.
  • PSY 347. Social Psychology
    Credits: 4. Factors affecting the behavior of the individual in the social setting; laboratory and field research in social interaction. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or PSY 232.
  • PSY 349. Multiculturalism and Psychology
    Credits: 4. Examines various areas in which multiculturalism has been applied, such as education, mental health and counseling and inter-group relations. Students investigate cultural differences in development, examine cultural and personal identity and explore ways of improving relations among cultures. Prerequisite: PSY 100. Fulfills diversity in the U.S. requirement.
  • PSY 351. Psychology and Gender
    Credits: 4. Variable title. Repeatable.
  • PSY 352. Psychology of Language
    Credits: 4. This course will cover the psychological aspects of language use. We will spend time discussing, among other things: language acquisition, language production and comprehension, the dynamics of interpersonal communication, and the relationship between language and thought. Additionally, we will touch on issues of memory, mental representation, and neuroscience as they relate to the study of language. Prerequisite: PSY 100.
  • PSY 445. History and Contemporary Issues
    Credits: 4. Selected theoretical and methodological issues of contemporary psychology viewed in historical perspective. Prerequisites: PSY 301 and senior standing.
  • PSY 470. Senior Thesis
    Credits: 4. Major research project designed and conducted under the supervision of a faculty member.
  • PSY 490. Departmental Honors
    Credits: 4-8.