Psychology (PS)
PS-101 General Psychology
LASC Categories: HBS
Introduction to history of psychology, scientific method, brain/nervous system, development, learning, motivation, sensation/perception, personality, psychopathology, psychotherapy, cognitive processes, social behavior.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-193 Special Topics in Psychology for First Year Students
LASC Categories: FYS
Introductory level course covering topics of sepcial interest to first year students. Offered only as a First Year Seminar.
Fall only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-205 Research Methods
LASC Categories: WAC
Prerequisites: PS-101 and EN102
The design, conduct, analysis and reporting of research are stressed. A broad range of laboratory experiments and demonstrations are conducted.
Every year. 3 Credits
PS-210 Developmental Psychology
LASC Categories: HBS
Prerequisites: PS-101
Physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and moral development from conception to adolescence is examined within a framework of various theories.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-222 Introduction to Health Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Introduction to the areas and methods of Health Psychology. Topics include: epidemiology, behavior change, compliance, alternative medicine, healing, chronic illness.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-224 Positive Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Exploration of the psychology research on a fulfilling and flourishing life including happiness, self-esteem, love, goal setting, mindfulness and spirituality.
Other or on demand and other or on demand. 3 Credits
PS-230 Brain and Behavior
Prerequisites: PS-101. Credit will not be granted for both PS 230 and PS 380
An introduction to the biological basis of behavior.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-250 Social Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
The psychological dynamics of social interaction including verbal and non-verbal communication, group dynamics and attitude formation and change.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-252 Applied Social Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Survey of applied social psychology including psychology in educational, organizational, and legal settngs; diversity, environmental, health, media, and consumer issues.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-254 Persuasion
Prerequisites: PS-101
Explores the areas of persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining in various situations by utilizing psychological theories/approaches to explain behavior.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-255 Psychological Foundations of Diversity
Prerequisites: PS-101
Explores the gender, racial/ethnic, multiple-group membership, cultural, social class, religious, disability and sexual orientation facets of diversity.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-260 Psychology of Human Sexuality
Prerequisites: PS-101.
Sexuality as a foundation of personality. The wide range of human sexuality is explored; sexual development, roles, attitudes and behaviors.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-261 Couples and Family Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Couples and family psychology will be explored, focusing on dating, partnering, separation, divorce, intimacy, sexuality, prenting, and aging families.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-263 Psychology of Women
Prerequisites: PS-101
Women's psychological development throughout the lifespan will be examined, including female development, achievement, stereotyping, stress, violence and psychological disorders.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-270 Drugs and Behavior
Prerequisites: PS-101
This course will explore the effects of psychotropic drugs on the brain and subsequent effects on behavior.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-275 Psychological Statistics
LASC Categories: QR, QAC
Prerequisites: PS 101 and a passing grade in a college level math or an accuplacer score of 3 or higher
Data tabulation; graphing; measurement of central tendency, variability and correlation; hypothesis testing applied to psychological and sociological data. Hand and computer analysis.
Fall and Spring and every year. 4 Credits
PS-276 Research Methods
LASC Categories: WAC
Prerequisites: PS-101 EN-102 PS-275, and 3 credits in another 200 level Psychology course.
Exploration of psychological research methodologies including: scientific method, design, conduction, analysis, and reporting of research, ethical principles and APA format.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-280 Sensation and Perception
Prerequisites: PS-101
Selected sensory and perceptual processes are studied in the context of current theory and research.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-295 Special Topics in Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Selected areas of mutual interest to instructor and students. Topics and prerequisites are announced in advance.
Other or on demand and other or on demand. 3 Credits
PS-297 Independent Study: Research in Psych
Prerequisites: PS-101, and PS-275 or PS-276.
Students pursue an area of research interest under faculty supervision. May include assisting fac with ongoing research. Written report required.
Fall and Spring and every year. 1-3 Credits
PS-307 Applied Research Methods
LASC Categories: WAC
Prerequisites: PS-101, PS-205 or PS-276, PS-275 EN-102
Extension of research design and methods introduced in PS-276: Research Methods, including applied research design, statistical analysis, and scientific writing.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-310 Development of Exceptional Children/Youth
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-210.
Characteristics and needs of children with exceptionalities: including behavior retardation, giftedness, physical or sensory disabilities, emotional or social maladjustments.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-312 Psychology of Adolescence
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-210.
The mental, emotional, social and physical changes of contemporary adolescence are examined with emphasis on family, peer and school influence.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-315 Physical and Sexual Abuse
Prerequisites: PS-101
Etiology, characteristics, consequence, treatment and prevention of various forms of physical, sexual and emotional abuse in children, adolescents and adults.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-318 Behavior Management Techniques
Prerequisites: PS-101
Considers the basic concepts of behavior management, including behavior modification for exceptional and normal populations.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-320 Development of Thinking and Knowing
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-210
Spring only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-322 Psychology of Aging
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-210.
Adulthood and old age are studied with special emphasis on current developmental theories.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-325 Psychology of Learning
Prerequisites: PS-101
Learning as a fundamental concept in understanding behavior; examines principles and theories of learning, emphasizing experimental findings.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-330 Theories of Personality
Prerequisites: PS-101
A survey of major theories of personality. Why people behave as they do is explored through the different theories.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-335 Abnormal Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Etiology, dynamics and treatment of psychopathology and their relation to normal personality are considered from traditional and contemporary perspectives.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-340 Introduction to Psychometrics
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-275
Methods and instruments used in the evaluation of the psychological attributes of human beings.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-345 Cognitive Psychology
LASC Categories: WAC
Prerequisites: PS-101 PS-275 PS-276 and EN-102
This course introduces students to areas of cognitive psychology including memory, language processing and decision making.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-355 Social and Personality Development
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-210.
This course will examine social and personality development from Piagetian, Neo-Piagetian and Sociocultural perspectives.
Fall only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-365 Cultural Psychology
LASC Categories: TLC, HBS, WAC
Prerequisites: PS-101, EN-102, PS-210
This course addresses the role culture plays in human psychological processes and approaches to researching cultural aspects of human action.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-380 Physiological Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Psychobiological problems; current physiological research in emotion, motivation, and learning and the use of physiological methods in psychology.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits
PS-381 Physiology of Behavior
Prerequisites: PS-101. Take PB-200 or PS-230 or PS-380.
The use of physiological methods in physiological research covering topics such as emotion, motivation, sleep, and learning.
Every year. 3 Credits
PS-385 Motivation
Prerequisites: PS-101
A study of conditions that arouse, direct and sustain behavior. Topics include: goals, competence, control, arousal, self-esteem, achievement and stress.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
PS-400 Internship in Psychology
Provides opportunity to advanced students to increase experience through internship with sponsoring community organization, institution, or business under appropriate supervision.
Fall and Spring and every year. 1-3 Credits
PS-405 Independent Study: Topics in Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-275. Take PS-205 or PS-276.
Student will pursue an area of special interest through research or field work under close supervision of a faculty member.
Fall and Spring and every year. 1-3 Credits
PS-407 Independent Study: Advanced Research in Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101 PS-275 and PS-307. Take PS-205 or PS-276.
Students undertake empirical research under faculty supervision. Written report(s) required.
Fall and Spring and every year. 1-3 Credits
PS-408 Directed Study: Psychology
Directed study offers students, who because of unusual circumstances may be unable to register for a course when offered, the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with agreement from a faculty member.
3 Credits
PS-410 Capstone: Seminar in Developmental Psychology
LASC Categories: CAP
Prerequisites: PS-101 PS-210 PS-275 PS-276 and PS-307. Take PS-312 or PS-322 and PS-325 or PS-345. Take PS-230 or PS-380. Take 3 electives from PS-310, PS-318, PS-320, PS-355, PS-400
Patterns of physical, mental and emotional development are explored with emphasis on independent work.
Fall only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-435 Clinical Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101 and PS-335
Practical issues, methods and techniques of current psychotherapies with emphasis on psychonanalytic, client-centered, and behavioral approaches.
Fall only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-450 Capstone: Contemporary Issues in Psychology
LASC Categories: CAP
Prerequisites: PS-101 PS-275 PS-276 PS-307. Take six courses in the major.
A Capstone course dealing with recent and emerging topics, issues, and methods in psychological science. Content and format varis with instructor.
Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits
PS-485 Psychobiology of Mental Disorders
Prerequisites: PS-101. Take PS-230 or PS-380.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
PS-492 Capstone: Seminar in Mental Health
LASC Categories: CAP
Prerequisites: Completed Mental Health Concentration Required PS-330 and PS-335 and PS-340 and PS-435 Take PS-400 or PS-318 or PS-315;
A capstone course dealing with recent and emerging topics, issues, and methods in mental health. Content and format varies with instructor.
Spring only and every year. 3 Credits
PS-495 Special Topics: Psychology
Prerequisites: PS-101
Selected areas of mutual interest to instructor and students. Topics and prerequisites are announced in advance.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits