Undergraduate

Undergraduate Course Descriptions

10T Human Relations: 0 credits Fall Semester
100 Biological Foundations of Psychology: 3 credits Fall Semester
11T Dynamics of Behavior: 0 credits Fall Semester
110 Introduction to Psychology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; A survey of modern scientific psychology. Topics include learning, memory, perception, cognition, personality, motivation, emotion, development, abnormal psychology, and social psychology. Participation in a small number of experiments is required to ensure that students become acquainted first hand with the experimental laboratory methods used in Psychology. Students may choose to satisfy this requirement by writing a small number of methodology papers instead.
120 Orientation to the Study of Psychology II: 1 credit Spring Semester; Critical discussion of research reports in psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 110.; Only for Psychology and Psychobiology majors with fewer than nine Psychology credits.
201 Social Psychology: Psychological Perspective: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; The major theories, methods and research findings in social psychology. Attitude formation and change, person perception, interpersonal attraction, aggression, group structure, leadership, conformity and mass phenomena. Emphasizes the individual as the basic unit of analysis (compare SOC 302). Prerequisite: PSY 110.
202 Introduction to Psychobiology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Behavior viewed from a biological perspective. Survey of biological factors subserving sensation, perception, sleep, emotions, motivation, learning, memory, and development. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
203 Child and Adolescent Development: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Survey of significant aspects of growth and development throughout the lifespan. Emphasis placed on childhood and adolescence. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
204 Introductory Biobehavioral Statistics: 4 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Application of descriptive and inferential statistics to behavioral data. Principles and methods of summarizing data. Correlation and regression. Basic concepts of probability, hypothesis testing, and decision making. Tests of significance, confidence intervals, and analysis of variance. Examples and problems from biology, education, medicine, nursing, psychology, sociology. Prerequisite: MTH 101 or 105 or scores on the Mathematics Placement Test sufficient for admission to a calculus course.
207 Introduction to Cognition: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Survey of theory and research on human information processing and cognitive processes. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
209 Introduction to Personality: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; A survey of the area of Personality, including the relation of Personality to General Psychology, history of theory and research in the field, definition, assessment, and research findings in major substantive areas. Prerequisite: PSY 110. Not for students with credit in PSY 416.
215 Stress Management: 3 credits First Summer Session; Causes and symptoms of stress. Theory and practice of stress management. Discussion of relaxation techniques, meditation, biofeedback, exercise, diet, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness training, time management, and social engineering (Summer session only). Prerequisite: PSY 110 or permission of instructor.
261 Industrial and Organizational Psychology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Applications of psychology in business, industry, and to organizational effectiveness in general. Supervisory, leadership, morale, personnel selection, training, human factors engineering, and consumer psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 110 for Psychology majors. Junior or senior standing for non-majors.
281 Special Topics and Psychology: 1-3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Prerequisite: PSY 110.
295 Studies in Psychology: 1-5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
296 Studies in Psychology: 1-5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
297 Studies in Psychology: 1-5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
301 Psychology of Gender: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & Second Summer Session; Psychological theories and research related to understanding issues of gender across the lifespan. Prerequisite: Six credits in psychology.
305 Psychology of Drugs and Behavior: 3 credits Spring Semester; The psychological and physiological effects of drugs. Includes psychosocial aspects of drug use and the treatment and prevention of abuse. An introduction to psychopharmacology Prerequisite: PSY 202; or BIL 150 and six credits in Psychology.
316 Experimental Psychology: 4 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Selected laboratory experiments and demonstrations, lectures, collateral readings in methods and results of psychological experimentation. Prerequisite: PSY 110 and 204.
332 Tests and Measurements: 3 credits Spring Semester & First Summer Session; Theory and principles of construction, use, evaluation, and interpretation of psychological tests and testing procedures. Prerequisite: PSY 110 and 204.
333 Attitudes and Persuasion: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; An analysis of the major theories and research findings relating to attitude formation and change, including a review of widely used persuasion techniques. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology.
340 The Psychology of Thinking and Learning in Children: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Development of perception, thought, and language processes throughout the lifespan with an emphasis on early and middle childhood. Prerequisite: PSY 203.
341 Psychology of Social and Emotional Development: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Social and emotional growth; topics include family and peer relationships, sex roles, self-control, and moral development. Prerequisite: PSY 203.
342 Psychology of Adulthood and Aging: 3 credits Spring Semester; Major developments during the middle and later years of adulthood including changes in family and peer relationships, cognitive changes, physical changes, psychological aspects of death and dying. Prerequisite: PSY 203.
343 Psychology of Language Development: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Developmental sequences in the acquisition of language; the scientific endeavor to understand language learning. Prerequisite: PSY 203.
344 Psychology of Infancy: 3 credits Fall Semester; Perceptual, motor, cognitive and social development during the first two years of life. Specialized research methods and assessment procedures. Prerequisite: PSY 203.
350 Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Interaction of biological and social factors in normal sexual development, and behavior patterns; etiologies of dysfunctions, paraphilias and gender-identity disorders; assessment and intervention procedures. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology.
352 Abnormal Psychology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Diagnostic formulations of the clinical syndromes; theories of psychopathological states. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology.
365 Practicum: 1- 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Individual or small group activities and discussions regarding general principles of psychology; learn by doing; field experiences, library research, or teaching assistance. PSY 365 does not count for major or minor. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology, junior standing, and permission of Chairman.
367 Introduction to Research Projects: 1- 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Students assist on a research project in psychology under supervision of a faculty member. Activities include library research, data collection and management, and attendance at research team meetings. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology preferably including 204. Students must obtain faculty sponsorship, in writing, prior to registration.
368 Introduction to Research Projects: 1- 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Students assist on a research project in psychology under supervision of a faculty member. Activities include library research, data collection and management, and attendance at research team meetings. Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology preferably including 204. Students must obtain faculty sponsorship, in writing, prior to registration.
381 Special Topics in Psychology: 1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Prerequisite: Six credits in Psychology.
395 Studies in Psychology: 1- 5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
396 Studies in Psychology: 1- 5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
402 Psychobiology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neurochemistry followed by an introduction to the physiological bases of sensation, motor systems, motivation, emotion, learning and memory. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology including PSY 202; or nine credits in Psychology and BIL 150.
403 Neuroscience Laboratory: 4 credits Spring Semester; Research methods and laboratory experiments in contemporary Neuroscience, from individual cells to behavior. Scientific report writing and computer applications in experimental design and analysis. Lecture/Lab. Prerequisite: PSY 316. Prerequisite or corequisite: PSY 402 or BIL 268.
414 Motivation: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Experimental evidence relating to theories of motivation. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology.
416 Personality Theory: 3 credits Spring Semester & First Summer Session; The role of structure, development, dynamics, individual differences, assessments, and deviations. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology.
417 Emotion: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Theory and research concerning the development, arousal, and expression of emotional reaction. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology.
418 Experimental Personality and Social Psychology: 4 credits Fall Semester; Readings, laboratory experiments, and demonstrations relevant to behavioral and biomedical sciences. Experimental design, methodology, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of research with scientific report writing and computer applications. Prerequisite: PSY 316 and either 201, 203, or 209.
420 Health and Medical Psychology: 3 credits Spring Semester; The psychosomatic and biopsychosocial models of illness. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology including 202, or permission of instructor.
440 Abnormal Child Psychology: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester & First & Second Summer Session; Factors that interfere with normal development, including mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, and delinquency. Prerequisite: Junior standing and nine credits in Psychology including PSY 203.
441 Psychology of the Mentally Retarded: 3 credits Fall Semester; The etiological, social, and psychological aspects of mental retardation. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology including PSY 203.
444 Intermediate Psychological Statistics: 3 credits Spring Semester; Statistical reasoning and methods. Prerequisite: Nine credits in psychology including PSY 204.
450 Psychology of Religion: 3 credits Fall Semester; Contemporary psychological theory and research on religious belief, experience, and behavior. Topics include the biological bases of religion, religious development, and the links of religion to health and well-being. Prerequisite: PSY 110, REL 101, and three additional credits in Psychology or Religious Studies.
475 Social Interaction Processes: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; An in-depth analysis of variables leading to, and processes involved in, human social interactions ranging from superficial encounters to intimate relationships. Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology, including PSY 201.
481 Special Topics in Psychology: 1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology.
495 Studies in Psychology: 1- 5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
496 Studies in Psychology: 1- 5 credits Not Offered; Transfer Credit Only; Special topics taken at other institutions with no direct equivalents.
498 Senior Honors in Psychology I: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Independent research project. Prerequisite: 18 credits in Psychology and eligibility for Honors in Psychology.
499 Senior Honors in Psychology II: 3 credits Fall & Spring Semester; Independent research project. Prerequisite: 18 credits in Psychology and eligibility for Honors in Psychology.
501 History and Systems of Psychology: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only Development of psychology as a science.; Prerequisite: 12 credits in Psychology.
502 Culture, Values, Religiosity, and Mental Illness: 3 credits Fall Semester; Cultural differences in the manifestation, course, and outcome of serious mental disorders; the relationship between chronic mental disorders and ethnicity, religious values, family cohesion, attributions of control, and world view; cultural differences in societies' reactions to and treatment of mentally ill patients. Prerequisite: PSY 110; 316, 352.
590 Special Topics: 3 credits Offered By Announcement Only; Prerequisite: Nine credits in Psychology.