Psychology

Programs

Courses

PSYC 115: Intro to Psychological Sciences

Credits 3
An introduction to various perspectives within psychology: physiological, learning, cognitive, developmental, social and clinical. Format is typically lecture and discussion. Note: Students cannot receive credit for both PSYC 115 and PSYC 116. Offered every semester.

PSYC 116: Behavior, Health Care & Society

Credits 4
This course is designed for students interested in health professions and covers introductory topics in psychology and sociology. There will be discussions of how the foundations of behavior influence physical and mental health and how values guide decision-making, as well as exploration of the ethical issues that health care professionals face. Students will apply fundamental knowledge about people and culture to better appreciate how individuals interact with health care professionals, understand their health and illness, and make decisions about their care. This course helps students realize how psychological and social factors may influence the type of care they provide. Students must have taken or be currently enrolled in CHEM 111. Note: Students cannot receive credit for both PSYC 115 and PSYC 116. Offered every fall.

PSYC 210: Social Psychology

Credits 3
Surveys major topic areas in social psychology including obedience, conformity, cognitive dissonance, social cognition, prejudice and interpersonal attraction. Offered every spring.

PSYC 220: Adult Psychopathology

Credits 3

Develops knowledge of psychological disorders and mental illness as well as empathy for individuals with these disorders and their families. Focus will be on disorders commonly seen in adulthood, including cognitive decline. There will be discussion of the development and presentation of disorders and the role of family, communities and other contexts. Offered every spring.

PSYC 230: Human Development

Credits 3

Provides a general introduction to contemporary psychological theory and research of lifespan human development. This course focuses on the cognitive, emotional and social transformations that take place during infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. 

PSYC 245: Research Methods & Statistics

Credits 4

Introduction to experimental design and the analysis of research data in psychology. Topics include methods for observing, measuring and describing behavior. Students will learn to use the statistical software JASP or R in data description and analysis. Offered every semester.

PSYC 250: Brain & Behavior

Credits 4
This course is an exploration of the biological bases of behavior. It covers the physiological bases of neural communication, sensory systems, learning and memory, sleep, stress and psychological disorders. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Offered every fall.

PSYC 320: Psychology Junior Seminar

Credits 2

This course is designed for psychology students in their junior or senior year of study to help prepare students for professional life. Students will work to develop several skills essential for planning for transition to post-college life.

PSYC 347: Psycholinguistics

Credits 3

This course provides an introduction to psycholinguistics, which is the study of the mental representations and processes involved in language comprehension, production, and acquisition. Class discussion will be based on academic articles, covering such issues as speech perception, lexical access, and sentence processing. Issues on bilingual language processing will also be discussed.

PSYC 352: Cognitive Psychology

Credits 3

This course covers the mental processes that underline human thought and behavior, such as attention, memory, comprehension, reasoning, problem-solving and language. Considers established and current theoretical models, research methods and experimental results.

PSYC 353: Behavioral Neuroscience

Credits 3

This course covers the physiological bases of neural communication, addiction, psychiatric disorders, sex and eating. During this course, students work in groups to try to replicate the findings of a published research article. Offered every fall.

PSYC 355: The Neuroscience of Stress Reduction

Credits 4

This course explores the neurological mechanisms that support stress reduction methodology- including pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods such as music, aromatherapy and meditation. Biological and environmental factors that may impact the development of neural systems involved in stress will also be explored, including chronic stressors such as racism, misogyny and poverty.

PSYC 356: Psychology of Prejudice

Credits 3

Through lecture, discussion and experimentation, this course explores the psychology of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Analyzes the causes and consequences of prejudice and similarities and differences in types of prejudice. Offered every fall.

PSYC 358: Human-Animal Interactions

Credits 3
Anthrozoology, or Human-Animal Studies, is an emerging interdisciplinary field. This class will focus on the psychological ramifications of the interactions between human and non-human animals. Students will attempt to start understanding why people squeal over baby animals, salivate over meat, sob over the loss of pets, and more.

PSYC 362: Cross-Cultural Psychology

Credits 3

This course examines the ways in which culture influences the ways that people think, feel and behave. Students will explore a variety of cultural contexts.

PSYC 363: Children's Thinking

Credits 3

Focuses on how children’s cognitive processes and mental representations change from infancy to
adolescence. Theoretical claims, empirical findings and methodological issues are critically
evaluated. Topics include children’s visual and auditory perception, language and literacy,
learning and memory, mathematical and spatial thinking, logical and scientific reasoning, problem
solving, theory of mind and social cognition.

PSYC 364: Psychology of Women

Credits 3
Examines women's lives and experiences through the lens of psychological research. Includes a variety of psychological perspectives and issues in women's lives, as well as discussions about gender as a social framework. Offered every other spring.

PSYC 365: Neuroscience of Fear

Credits 3

This course explores the nature of fear and anxiety and the brain mechanisms that support them. It will also examine how environmental factors may impact the development of relevant neural connections and physiological systems.

PSYC 366: Cradle & Grave

Credits 3

The first half of this course will focus on infant development from conception to toddlerhood. Topics during this part of the course will include prenatal development, neurological and motor development, language acquisition, and cognitive and socio-emotional growth. The second half of the course will focus on the psychology of death and dying. Topics will include physiological and psychological aspects of the dying process, and the psychology of grief and loss. Offered every spring.

PSYC 367: Psychology of Immigration

Credits 3

This course will focus on psychological theories and empirical research related to the acculturation process as well as helping students gain an understanding of the lived experience of immigration related challenges.

PSYC 368: Human Sexuality

Credits 3
Sexuality is central to our lives. It is involved in many of our most fundamental relationships and engages some of strongest emotions. This course provides an examination of human sexuality (encompassing sexual behaviors, sexual identity, social norms/attitudes, etc.) and the psychological, physiological and sociocultural influences upon human sexuality. Offered every other spring.

PSYC 372: Psychology of Sport

Credits 3
Psychology of Sport is the scientific study of behavior, cognition, emotion and social dynamics of individuals involved in athletic performance and the practical application of that research. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, the development of mental skills that enhance athletic performance, motivation, goal setting, emotional regulation, group dynamics, mental imagery and character development. Students also will study the historical emergence and current status of the field of sport of psychology.

PSYC 373: Moral Education

Credits 3
Examination of psychological theory and research on moral development, various techniques of moral education, and philosophical and psychological perspectives of moral goodness. Offered every other spring.

PSYC 374: Introduction to Counseling

Credits 3

Surveys major approaches to psychotherapy and the most important contributions of each approach to contemporary clinical work. Includes videos and case readings of actual therapy sessions. Also includes a lab in which students learn basic listening and core counseling skills.

PSYC 375: Racism and Public Health

Credits 4

This course explores historical controversies over health disparities—access to health care, racialization of disease, inferior treatments—and relates these disparities to social inequalities structured by race, class, gender, sexuality, and citizenship status. This course will also examine how racism functions as a chronic stressor that contributes to current racial health disparities in the United States.

PSYC 376: Health Psychology

Credits 3
This course is an introduction to health psychology, which explores connections between physiology, behavior and health.

PSYC 377: Psychology of Happiness

Credits 3

The scientific study of what enables individuals and communities to thrive. Uses readings, lectures and discussions to investigate such topics as happiness, subjective well-being, character strength, gratitude and resiliency. Offered every fall.

PSYC 378: Psychoactive Drugs & Behavior

Credits 3

This course will cover the psychological, physiological and pharmacological aspects of both legal and illegal drug use as well as abuse. The class will examine the effects of drugs on both an individual level as well as a societal level.

PSYC 486: Comprehensive Research Project

Credits 3

All majors are required to design and conduct an independent empirical research project as part of the comprehensive exam. Usually these will be experimental or correlational research designs.