47 courses with the subject PSY, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
PSY 101Introductory Seminar1
This foundational course provides an overview of the Psychology program, related extracurricular opportunities, faculty expertise, and other topics central to being a Psychology major. It will serve as an introduction to the multitude of sub-disciplines within the field, the importance of the scientific nature of the discipline, as well as the development of professionalism within the major and future career endeavors. Spring only
This course surveys the main areas, influences, and research of human behavior including neuropsychology, genetics and environmental influences, perception, learning, memory, personality, motivation, emotions, stress and health, psychological disorders and therapy, development and social judgments and interactions. Fall and Spring
This course is designed to help psychology majors identify their career goals through the use of job and career technologies, interactions with alumni and professionals, and assignments that identify students’ passion, interests, and skills.
The course is designed to introduce students to the field of sport and exercise psychology by providing a broad overview of the major topics in the area. Specifically, the class will examine the following: 1) the influence that psychology and personal attributes have in directing involvement in sport and exercise activities; 2) psychological skills training (PST) and the use of psychological factors in order to promote increased enjoyment and enhance performance; and 3) how sport and psychology are interwoven to influence our physical and mental well-being.
PSY 123 (approved 10/2/2014. First offered Spring 2015)
PSY 220Psychology of Prejudice3
In this course, students will examine psychological theories and concepts that explain contributing factors and implications of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination across the “-isms” (racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, ageism, classism, sizeism and more). Students will apply research and learning approaches from cognitive, emotional social, developmental subfields to engage in intrapersonal exploration of social-cognitive attitudes as well as larger dynamics of oppression that maintain inequity in society. Students will engage in interpersonal dialogues in small groups and as a unified class to practice skills of empathy, perspective taking and active listening. The semester will end with a focus on real-world stigma and discrimination reduction interventions that foster education, compassion and social change.
This course investigates organizational, personnel, and industrial psychology with emphasis on applying basic psychological theory to make organizations more effective. Course topics include personnel selection, performance appraisal, employee and manager training, leadership and supervision, communication, motivation, attitudes, and job satisfaction.
This course examines the nature of stress and adjustment from a psycho-socio-cultural approach that includes dimensions of culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender.
This course will enable students to gain an understanding of the scientific methods behind psychological research, and how research in psychology is planned, conducted, communicated, and critiqued. Both experimental and non-experimental approaches will be discussed, along with a review of descriptive and inferential statistics.
This course is the second of a two-semester sequence of research related courses required of all psychology majors. The goal of the course is to help students develop the skills necessary to conduct research in psychology. Students will learn how to conduct research from identifying a problem to interpreting results. These skills will be developed through the completion of assigned laboratory exercises and a small independent research project.
This course examines the relationship between psychology and the American legal system. Students will gain an understanding of how psychology is applied in law enforcement, the judicial process and corrections. Topics discussed will include criminal investigations, eyewitness and expert testimony, child witnesses, domestic abuse and child abuse, the role of mental health and substance abuse issues in court cases, sexual offenders, and family law issues surrounding divorce and child custody.
Social psychology is the study of social influence and how social interactions may shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals. This course provides a broad overview of social psychology including: social cognition, social perception, self-knowledge, attitudes and attitude change, group processes, prejudice and stereotypes, interpersonal attraction, and pro-social behavior.
Media is present in almost every area of life today and is an area of study that will only increase in importance as the world becomes ever more interconnected. The goal of this course is for students to understand the structures, influences, and theories around media psychology. Covering core areas such as social media, positive media psychology, the effects of gaming, violence, and advertising, students will engage in contemporary discussions around propaganda and the ways media have informed the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health problems specifically in Western culture. Particular care is also given to addressing the interaction between issues of social justice and the media, as well as the effects media has on both the members of marginalized groups and the way those groups are perceived.
This course focuses on theories and research findings related to normative development from conception through adolescence. It examines physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development and the integrative influence of biological and environmental factors.
This course provides an overview of adult development from early adulthood through death by examining quantitative and qualitative changes across biological, physical, cognitive, mental, social, and emotional development. Developmental theories, models, and research methods will also be discussed with an emphasis on how socio-cultural factors impact adult development and death and dying.
PSY 285Communication Skills: Interviewing and Recording Techniques3
Development of skills that may be useful in working directly with clients and others, including listening for emotions, monitoring one’s own reactions and responses, and building a client-worker relationship, which can foster constructive change in the client.
This course focuses on the nature, causes, course, and treatment of psychological disorders including anxiety, mood, thought, eating, substance use, sexual, personality and psychotic disorders. Students will learn about different theories and models of mental health disorders as well as their diagnostic and classification process.
Provides psychology majors and minors an opportunity to engage in collaborative research at the undergraduate level. Students will have the opportunity to work with a member of the faculty and other students on research projects of general interest. Students can take up to four times for credit.
This course covers the techniques and findings of modem cognitive psychology, as well as the theoretical issues and explanatory models of complex mental processes. Topics include: thinking, problem-solving, creativity, memory, attention, language, mental imagery, cognitive development, and the neural basis of cognition.
This course is a survey of current and traditional research findings and theories related to classical, operant, and observational learning. Non-associative forms of leaming and the application of learning principles in behavior modification are also discussed.
This course surveys the recent advances in understanding how the brain works and how it controls behavior. Beginning with the basics of the structure and functioning of the nervous system, students explore the biological bases of topics such as sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, learning and memory, and abnormal behavior and its treatments.
This course deals with how we construct a conception of physical reality from sensory experience. While the primary focus will be on vision and hearing, the chemical senses (taste and smell) and the somatosenses (touch, temperature, vibration, etc.) will also be addressed. Students will cover the anatomy and physiology of the various sensory receptors, the neural mechanisms of sensation, sensory representation in the brain, as well as the phenomenological experience of perception. Topics will include the ways in which illusions can fool our senses and what they tell us about how our sensory systems work.
This course explores what is currently known about the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders and the use of psychoactive drugs to treat them. Starting with the basics of the brain/behavior relationship and principles of pharmacology, students will learn the symptoms and treatment of the mood, anxiety, and thought disorders among others.
This course explores the use and abuse of drugs from many perspectives: social, historical, legal, medical, pharmacological and psychological. Beginning with a basic coverage of how the brain controls behavior, students examine how drugs interact with the brain to have such powerful effects on behavior. Topics will include the medical use of drugs (including over-the-counter and psychotherapeutic drugs), the illegal abuse of drugs like heroin and cocaine, and the use and abuse of legal drugs such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of health psychology by providing a broad overview of the major topics in the area. Specifically, the class examines the following: stress and coping processes; health promotion and disease prevention; theories of health behavior change; social and psychological factors that affect health and illness, issues surrounding disease and pain management, and the role of health psychology in healthcare settings.
This course focuses on the psychology of gender with additional attention to cross-disciplinary perspectives. Students examine how biology, child socialization, and culture contributes to gender similarities and differences. Additional topics may include: gender and communication, gender and relationships, gender in the workplace, gender and power, gender and health, gender and history, and gender in literature.
This course teaches students about the development, implementation, reliability and validity, and uses of psychological assessment tests and measures including scales of personality, intelligence, achievement, and development.
This course will review the history of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), identify the characteristics of each disorder, as well as diagnostic criteria and procedures for diagnosis. Students will learn about the importance of early identification and detection, and will learn about research-based assessment tools and behavioral interventions used to treat ASD.
This course will focus on the nature, causes, course, and treatment of various child and adolescent disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, conduct disorder, autism, childhood depression, anxiety disorders in children, and eating disorders. These disorders will be discussed and understood as deviations from normal development in childhood and adolescence.
PSY 275 or PSY 290 or OS 303 Fall and Spring even years
PSY 335Trauma3
This course explores psychological trauma from a variety of viewpoints with an emphasis on interpersonal trauma and betrayal on both the individual and institutional levels. Students learn about responses to a variety of traumas including childhood trauma, adult sexual assault, war, and domestic violence and consider how socio-political contexts affect trauma research and intervention. Students discuss psychological disorders, interpersonal difficulties, and neurophysiological alterations and explore issues of resiliency and prevention of violence.
This course explores how psychologists assist the legal and court systems in various roles such as expert witnesses, trial, jury and court consultants, criminal profilers, and services in child custody courts and civil proceedings. Students examine the various roles and boundaries of psychologists within the legal system as well as ethics, roles, advocacy, objective/intuitive data, and candid “real life” depictions of the role of forensics in psychology.
Art Therapy is a mental health treatment that uses art making as a springboard to help express feelings and emotions and to assist in processing through problems or difficult situations in life. This class will serve as an overview of the mental health profession, focused on obtaining knowledge on the history and theories of art therapy, as well as discussing its methods and approaches. Students will also engage in practicing some art therapy clinical applications.
This course is designed for juniors or seniors majoring Psychology who are planning on applying to graduate programs. The course will walk students through the beginning aspects of the application process including solidifying their career choice, searching for accredited graduate programs in their field of choice, preparing and taking the GRE, and planning for necessary coursework during their last year.
Students must have a declared major in Psychology have junior or senior status.
PSY 386Graduate School Preparation Seminar II1
This course is designed for juniors or seniors majoring Psychology who are planning on applying to graduate programs. The course will walk students through all aspects of the application process from selecting programs to developing their application materials and preparing for interviews.
This course focuses on debates and conflicts over the past 30 years related to psychological concepts and theories of human behavior and experiences. The controversies discussed cross all subfields of psychology including clinical, social, developmental, biological, and cognitive. Topics may include multiple personality disorder, expert testimony, new age therapies, repressed memories, sexual orientation conversion therapies, inkblot tests, media violence, effect of spanking and divorce on children, and paranormal phenomenon. Students will learn in-depth methodologies for critical thinking and apply learned strategies to real-world problems. The course emphasizes the application of research skills to examine the multiple facets of each controversy in light of evidence gathered from current empirical sources. Students will take sides on an issue of their choice, gather evidence to support their position, and present their case in a symposium-style debate.
This course surveys prominent personality theories including psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, existential, and trait perspectives. Students critically evaluate personality theories as they relate to how traits and tendencies develop. Students review historical case studies and apply theories to their own personality development.
This course is an introduction to psychotherapy approaches for clinical populations. Students will learn the theory and practice of different forms of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, dialectical behavior therapy, and others. Students will also become familiar with the literature on the efficacy of psychotherapy, historical and current issues in the psychotherapy profession, and issues related to culture in psychotherapy.
The child interventions course focuses on assessment methods and interventions to treat child and adolescent disorders. Students will learn and practice how to conduct a comprehensive clinical interview to diagnose child and adolescent disorders and to become familiar with therapeutic issues such as ethical and legal responsibilities and how to build a therapeutic relationship. Several models of child therapy will be discussed including family therapy and parent training, dialectical behavior therapy, group and psychopharmacological approaches. The course emphasizes the application of research in clinical practice and places assessment and treatment in a multicultural context. Assignments focus on critical thinking about childhood problems and their treatments and the practical application of assessment and treatment techniques through role-plays, practice sessions, and experiential assignments.
Work experience in a setting where psychology is applied. Can be used to further career exploration or promote transition to the work place. Students may take up to two times for credit.
Completed 75 credits as a psychology major. Fall and Spring
PSY 476Ethics and Professional Development1
In this course students will engage in ethics and professional development training as well as group processing and debriefing of students’ practicum site experiences.
PSY 480AAdvanced Seminar in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood3
In this advanced topical seminar, students will further develop skills in critical reading/critical thinking, application, writing, and oral communication. We will analyze contemporary theories and current research on salient issues in adolescence and emerging adulthood such as: puberty; neurological and cognitive development; identity; dating and sexuality; family and peer relationships; school and work; racial, ethnic, and cultural influences; and adolescent problems. Both normative development and individual differences will be considered.
PSY 480BAdvanced Seminar in Controversies in Psychology3
In this advanced topical seminar, students will further develop skills in critical reading/critical thinking, application, writing, and oral communication. This course focuses on debates and conflicts over the past 30 years related to psychological concepts and theories of human behavior and experiences. The controversies discussed cross all subfields of psychology including clinical, social, developmental, biological, and cognitive. Topics may include multiple personality disorder, expert testimony, new age therapies, repressed memories, sexual orientation conversion therapies, inkblot tests, media violence, effect of spanking and divorce on children, and paranormal phenomenon. Students will learn in-depth methodologies for critical thinking and apply learned strategies to real-world problems. The course emphasizes the application of research skills to examine the multiple facets of each controversy in light of evidence gathered from current empirical sources. Students will take sides on an issue of their choice, gather evidence to support their position, and present their case in a symposium-style debate.
In this advanced topical seminar, students will further develop skills in critical reading/critical thinking, application, writing, and oral communication. This course aims to familiarize students with various contemporary topics within the social exclusion literature: whether there is a need to belong, what the different types of exclusion are, why societies/individuals exclude others, how we detect exclusion, and what our responses are to exclusion. We will examine theoretical and empirical articles in order to understand how social exclusion is conceptualized and tested in the field. Students will apply critical thinking skills in order to critique the literature and apply it to real life concerns (and post-graduation plans).
In this advanced topical seminar, students will further develop skills in critical reading/critical thinking, application, writing, and oral communication. The content of this course focuses on positive psychology; what is good about people, and what makes people happy resilient and content. This course will include both Eastern and Western notions of positive psychology and will review and analyze theories and research related to this new and exciting area of psychology.
