Undergraduate Psychology Courses
PSY 100 - Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to psychology as a science. Core topics are: psychology as a profession,
research methods, biological bases of behavior, and learning. Additional topics are
se¡lected from: personality (normal and abnormal), sensation and perception, cognition,
social, intelligence, and develop¡ment. 3 credits.
PSY 197 - Research Internship
Research experience under direct faculty supervision. In¡volvement in planning and
carrying out a research program, learning basics of data collection and management,
and examination of issues within specific content areas. Prereq¡uisites: PSY 100 and
departmental permission. 1-3 credits.
PSY 210 - Infant and Child Development
Overview of child development from conception up to ado¡lescence with an emphasis
on important issues for healthy development during infancy and childhood. Prerequisite:
PSY 100. 3 credits.
PSY 215 - Adolescent Development
Overview of normal development from preadolescence through young adulthood. Major
themes include: identity formation, formal operations, family and peer relationships,
and puberty. Prerequisite: PSY 100. 3 credits.
PSY 220 - Introduction to the Mental Health Field
Overview of the history of mental health care, the current mental health care system,
clinical cases, and therapeutic communication. Additionally, this course explores
careers within the field. Prerequisite: PSY 100. 3 credits
PSY 227 - Social Psychology
The influence of others on an individual's cognitions, emo¡tions, and behaviors. Attention
is directed to conformity, aggression, interpersonal relations, stereotyping and the
role of culture. Prerequisite: PSY 100. 3 credits
PSY 228 - Personality
Examines the concept of personality: theories, methods of research, controversies,
and empirical evidence. The major approaches to personality theories are discussed
in light of their historical and current significance. Prerequisite: PSY 100. 3 credits
PSY 259 - Statistics in Psychology
Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics including measures of central
tendency, probability, and hypothesis testing. Emphasis upon computation and psychological
ap¡plications of correlational procedures, t-tests, ANOVA, and an introduction to
non-parametric statistics. Prerequisites: PSY 100 and successful completion of University
Math requirement. 3 credits.
PSY 298 - Special Topics
Examination of specific developments, issues, and/or creative work in the field of
psychology. 3 credits.
Prerequisites for any course numbered 300 or above must include PSY 100 - Introduction
to Psychology.
PSY 302 - Motivation
The basic motivational processes underlying the arousal, direction and maintenance
of behavior are examined. Major theories of motivation are evaluated with emphasis
on recent empirical findings and their relevance for future research. Prerequisite:
PSY 100 and 3 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 303 - Perception
Topics include the physiological nature of the senses and their relationship to behavior
in phenomena such as perceptual illusions, color blindness, depth in graphic arts,
and the per¡ception of time and motion. Complex interactions between perception and
culture, past experience, and personality are examined. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and
3 credits in psychology. 3 credits
PSY 311 - Learning
Problems, methodology, empirical findings, theories and controversies about both basic
and advanced forms of learning and behavioral change. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and 3
credits in psychology. 3 credits
PSY 313 - Cognition
Recent and classic theory and research regarding human learning and memory, including
models of attention, memory storage, retrieval, forgetting, language, and decision
making. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and 3 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 320 - Abnormal Child Psychology
Examination of basic issues in child and adolescent psy¡chopathology. Exploration
of symptoms and determinants of children's behavioral problems with emphasis on motiva¡tion,
learning, development and interpersonal interactions. Prerequisite: PSY 228. 3 credits.
PSY 321 - Abnormal Psychology
Concepts of abnormal behavior are examined in light of historical, cultural, psychological
and psychobiological perspectives. Empirical research and methodology are em¡phasized;
other topics may include etiology, diagnosis and treatment. Prerequisite: PSY 228.
3 credits.
PSY 331 - Tests and Measurements
Types of psychological and educational tests and their major uses. Topics include
test construction, administration, scoring, and interpretation, psychometrics, test
selection and evalu¡ation, ethics, and testing special populations. Prerequisite:
PSY 259. 3 credits.
PSY 361 - Industrial and Organizational Psychology
A survey of the psychological factors that influence the individual in work settings.
Topics may include employee attitudes, job satisfaction, personnel selection, decision
making, leadership, group dynamics, stress, substance abuse, performance assessment,
and market research and advertis¡ing. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and 3 credits in psychology.
3 credits.
PSY 370 - Educational Psychology
Exploration of psychological theories, principles, and their applications to educational
settings. Topics may include development, learning, intelligence, learning differences
and styles, motivation, educational measurement and evaluation. Prerequisite: PSY
100 and 3 credits in psychology. 3 credits. Students may receive credit for only ONE of 370 or 371.
PSY 371 - Educational Psychology for Early Childhood Majors
Exploration of psychological theories, principles, and their applications to educational
settings for young children. Topics include development, learning, intelligence, learning
differ¡ences and styles, motivation, educational measurement and evaluation. Prerequisite:
PSY 100 and 3 credits in psychology. 3 credits. Students may receive credit for only ONE of 370 or 371.
PSY 383 - Brain and Behavior
Basic physiological mechanisms underlying human and animal behavior. Sensory, neural,
endocrine, and motor response systems are considered within the context of various
psychological functions; sensation, perception, learning, thinking, motivation, and
personality. Variations in behavior resulting from maturational or pathological processes
are also considered. Prerequisite: PSY 100 and 3 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 393 - Experimental Methods
Introduction to research procedures and experimental design. Students learn to design
and carry-out experiments through demonstrations and 'hands-on' experience. Laboratory
exercises include critically reading research reports from psychological journals,
using computerized databases to locate primary source literature, analyzing data with
com¡puterized statistical software, and writing research reports in APA format. Prerequisite:
grade of C or higher in PSY 259. 4 credits.
PSY 401 - Seminar in History and Systems of Psychology
Philosophical and scientific antecedents to major systems in psychology including
behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, psychoanalysis, humanism, developmental and cogni¡tive
psychology. Prerequisite: 12 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 406 - Language
An examination of the psychological processes involved in language production and
comprehension. Topics include speech perception, structure of language, language acquisi¡tion,
language disorders, and the relationship of language to meaning and thought. Prerequisite:
12 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 412 - Psychology of Women
Surveys influential contributions in the psychology of women. Topics include alternative
research approaches, gender dif¡ferences, human development, interpersonal relationships,
and social problems. Prerequisite: 12 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 415 - Topics in Development
Empirical investigation into physical, cognitive, and/or socioemotional development
during childhood, adolescence, and/or adulthood. Prerequisite: 12 credits in psy¡chology.
3 credits.
PSY 427 - Seminar in Close Relationships
Examination of the factors which affect intimate relations with emphasis on both content
and research methods. Topics include love and intimacy, pre-marital relations, marriage,
divorce, and remarriage. Prerequisites: 12 credits in psychology. 3 credits.
PSY 461 - Data Gathering Techniques: Assessment
Training in data gathering techniques in different content areas of psychology with
emphasis on construction and scor¡ing of selected psychological instruments. Lecture:
3 hours; Laboratory 2 hours. Prerequisites: PSY 393 and departmental permission. 4
credits.
PSY 462 - Data Gathering Techniques: Instrumentation
Training in data gathering techniques in different content areas of psychology with
emphasis on electronic instrumentation in psychological research. Lecture: 3 hours;
Laboratory, 2 hours. Prerequisites: PSY 393 and departmental permission. 4 credits.
PSY 463 - Field Practicum in Psychological Research
Field experience in a psychological research setting. Exposure to and application
of theoretical and practical aspects of psychological research in various data collection
environ¡ments. Prerequisite: PSY 393 and departmental permission. 3 credits. (Repeatable
up to 6 credits.)
PSY 465 - Seminar in Psychological Counseling and Therapy
Theories and practice of psychological counseling and psy¡chotherapy. Prerequisites:
12 credits in psychology including PSY 228. 3 credits.
PSY 471 - Seminar in Psychological Services
Contemporary issues and problems in providing psychologi¡cal services. Course is composed
of lecture, case studies, and student presentations. Prerequisites: Departmental permission
and 12 credits in psychology including PSY 465 or 474. 3 credits.
PSY 472 - Field Practicum in Psychological Services I
Field experience in a psychological mental health setting such as a mental hospital,
public school or community mental health clinic. Prerequisite: departmental permission.
Special condition: Corequisite PSY 471. 3-6 credits.
PSY 473 - Field Practicum in Psychological Services II
Field experience in a psychological mental health setting such as a mental hospital,
public school, or community mental health clinic. Prerequisites: PSY 472 and departmental
permission. 3-6 credits.
PSY 474 - Seminar in Behavior Theory and Practice
Basic principles and ethics of behavior management and modification are considered
from theoretical and practical standpoints. Students will apply these principles in
real life settings. Prerequisites: 12 credits in psychology including PSY 228 or 311.
3 credits.
PSY 484 - Comparative Animal Behavior
Physiological, developmental, and learned aspects of adaptive behavior are studied
within a species comparative context, including study of individual behavior, social
organization, and communication patterns. Prerequisites: 12 credits in psychology
and BIO 100 or departmental permission. 3 credits.
PSY 487 - Psychopharmacology
Basic principles of psychopharmacology. Topics include: drug classification systems,
pharmacokinetics, pharmaco¡dynamics, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, mechanisms
of tolerance and dependence. Emphasis on latest research developments. Prerequisites:
12 credits in psychology includ¡ing PSY 383. 3 credits.
PSY 490 - Seminar for Psychology Majors
An in-depth study of a selected area of psychology with emphasis on latest developments
in research. Prerequisite: Senior psychology major. 3 credits
PSY 491 - Animal Physiological Techniques
Laboratory experience in neurophysiological research techniques (electrode implantation
or micro-injection), neu¡roanatomy, behavioral testing and histological techniques.
Prerequisites: 12 credits in psychology including PSY 383 or departmental permission.
4 credits.
PSY 492 - Psychology and Law
The relationship between psychology and law with emphasis upon psychological theory
and research. Topics may in¡clude criminal justice, competency, courtroom procedure,
jury deliberation, social justice and the mentally disabled. Prerequisites: 9 credits
in psychology including PSY 321. 3 credits.
PSY 494 - Seminar in the Human Nervous System and Behavior
Foundations of neuropsychology, current models of integra¡tive brain functioning including
brain systems mediating basic and complex human behaviors, and brain function within
a clinical context. Prerequisites: 12 credits in psychology and BIO 100 or departmental
permission. 3 credits
PSY 495 - Departmental Honors
The completion of a research problem and the reporting of this work in a thesis which
must be defended successfully before the department. Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA at the
end of three years of collegiate study and 3.2 in the major and departmental permission.
3 credits.
PSY 499 - Independent Study
Prerequisite: departmental permission. Not acceptable as 400-level course required
for graduation. 1-4 credits.