Psychology Curriculum
The Psychology Major
The Department offers study in a broad range of the fields of psychology, including courses in abnormal behavior, cognitive processes, developmental, environmental, physiological, and social psychology.
The emphasis within these areas is to prepare the student to critically evaluate evidence about behavior and mental processes with a strong emphasis on research design and interpretation of data.
The knowledge and skills acquired in this liberal arts program enable students to pursue a career in related areas or to continue their education at the graduate level.
Degree Requirements
Course Catalog
Course Offerings
Below is a list of available courses offered by the psychology department. Consult the Registrar’s Office and the College Catalog for registration information.
PSYC 1105 - Introduction To Psychology
This course will survey basic principles of psychology. Topics include history of psychology, research methods, neuroscience and behavior, development through the lifespan, thinking and language, psychological disorders, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, memory, emotions, and social psychology. Additional topics may include motivation, personality, intelligence, health/stress, and therapy. Credit hours: 4. (SS)
PSYC 2202 - Personality Psychology
The study of theories and research on individual differences and the sense of self. Readings and discussion focus on the major theoretical perspectives on the structure and development of human personality, and on methods for assessing individual differences. Cultural differences in theories of personality are considered, and current research studies on biological and environmental influences on personality are explored. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2205 - Social Psychology
An introduction to the scientific study of social behavior. Traditional areas such as attitudes, aggressive and prosocial behavior, interpersonal attraction, person perception, and group dynamics are covered, as well as the application of social psychological research to contemporary social problems. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2208 - Developmental Psychology
An overview of growth, maturation, and change in the human from conception through adolescence. The topics discussed include prenatal effects on the development of behavior, development of cognitive abilities in early childhood, and the effects of social interactions on development of personality and cognition. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2209 - Sensation And Perception
How do we come to learn about the world around us? How do we construct a conception of physical reality based on sensory experience? This course will cover the basic theories and methods of studying sensation and perception. The major emphasis is on vision and audition, although other modalities may be covered. Representative topics include receptor function and physiology, color, motion, depth, psychophysics of detection, perceptual constancies, adaptation, pattern recognition, and the interaction of knowledge and perception. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2210 - Consciousness
This course will introduce students to the concept of human consciousness as a critical aspect of human psychology. Students will learn the major theories regarding consciousness and its role in driving the human experience. Students will examine consciousness from neurological, social, evolutionary, philosophical, and clinical perspectives. Students will explore research on different methods of altering conscious experience. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2211 - Cognitive Psychology
This course is an introduction to human cognition and will cover how humans learn to deal with information from the environment. Students will concentrate on the classic topics including memory, attention, categorization, problem solving, language, reasoning, and decision making. Included is a discussion of the established theories and findings of cognitive psychology, how they relate to brain structure and functions, how these findings can be applied to real world problems, and how different methods of cognitive research can be used to understand mental processes. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2212 - Psychology Of Gender
Consideration of how gender is related to the way people think, feel, and act in the world, and how gender-related differences develop. Course will focus on theories, questions, methods, and findings of psychological research on gender and gender development. The role of gender will be studied in relation to gender roles, identity, child and adolescent development, sexuality, health (physical and mental), close relationships, family life, work (paid and unpaid), violence, and harassment. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105 or G ST 2202. (CI).
PSYC 2213 - Psychological Disorders
A survey of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the various forms of psychopathology, e.g., a comparison of the physiological and environmental explanations of depression and the implication of each of these explanations for treatment. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2227 - Applied Statistical Analysis
An introduction to statistical analysis in psychological science. Topics include sampling, probability, descriptive statistics, null hypothesis testing, including t-tests, ANOVAs, regression, and correlations, and non-parametric tests. Additionally, students will learn about effect size and estimating power in statistical tests, as well as have an introduction to using statistical software (SPSS), and interpreting statistical results from articles in the research literature. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105 or permission of instructor. A student may receive credit for two of these courses: ECON 2227, MATH 2227, POL 2231, PSYC 2227, or SOC 3395. (QR)
PSYC 2228 - Research Methods
Discussion of techniques used in psychological research. Topics include basic research designs, ethical research practices, the use of descriptive and inferential statistics within psychological research, drawing conclusions from results, and writing and reporting findings. Throughout the course, students will develop an original research hypothesis and will write a research proposal in an APA-style paper. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105 and 2227.
PSYC 2251 - Biological Bases Of Behavior
This course presents a survey of the biological bases of human behaviors. The first part of the course consists of an introduction to structure and functions of the nervous system including the role of hormones in that function. The latter part of the course explores the application of those concepts to explanations of behavior with a special focus on humans. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2260 - Language Acquisition And Devel
This course will introduce students to the study of human language. Topics will include processes and theories of language development, as well as cognitive and neurological building blocks of language. Although emphasis will be placed on typical patterns of language development, we will also explore how language develops in other contexts (e.g. developmental disability, deafness, and bilingual households). Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 1105.
PSYC 2285 - Psyc One Time Only
PSYC 2286 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 4. One time only.
PSYC 2288 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 4. One time only.
PSYC 3305 - Research In Psychology
Each student works on a research project in conjunction with a faculty member in the department. Projects may be at any stage of the research process, including a review of the literature, study design, data collection, data entry and analysis, writing up the final results and preparing research for a presentation. Often these projects precede or continue a Summer research project. The research time is supplemented by readings and individual conferences with the instructor. Credit hours: 1, 2, 3, or 4. Open only to psychology majors in consultation with faculty. Individual conferences to be arranged. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of eight hours. Sections might be offered on a Pass/Fail basis at the discretion of the instructor.
PSYC 3316 - Testing & Measurements
This course explores the theory and practice of psychological assessment. Major topics include test construction and validation, with attention to statistical techniques; appropriate test use, including legal and ethical issues; and major tests for measuring mental abilities, achievement, personality, and psychopathology. Throughout the course, students will develop and validate an original measurement tool and will report on their research in an APA-style paper. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228.
PSYC 3325 - Psychology Of Music
In this course, students will explore the ways that music engages the mind, brain, and body. The course will function as a seminar, with students reading research articles from the fields of music cognition, cognitive science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology. Students will understand and evaluate behavioral science methods used in research and integrate content with their own musical experiences. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisites: PSYC 2227 or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3330 - Health Psychology
A study of psychological influences on health, illness, coping, stress, pain, and health-related behaviors. Discussion of how health is related to attitudes, emotions, personality, and social support. A focus on health-enhancing and health- compromising behaviors will allow students to develop and implement a personal health behavior modification program. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3334 - Think & Reason Psycholog Sci
We are all necessarily consumers of psychological research. This course focuses on the skills that students need to critically evaluate scientific research. Students learn to analyze primary source articles, to identify strengths in weaknesses in research design, and more importantly, extrapolate from study results to draw conclusions regarding research findings. This includes discussing how study results generalize to other areas in psychology, and to other fields of study, such as law, educational settings, medical practice, and ethics. The course also focuses on building arguments, assessing the validity of assumptions, and understanding how historical schools of thought have influenced both scientific questions asked and how scientists have interpreted the answers. In order to accomplish these goals, the class studies a variety of historical and contemporary myths and controversies in the field of psychology, examining the research that gave rise to and/or refutes the myths and controversies, ending with a study of the current Open Science movement in psychology. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3338 - Cog Neuroscience
This course explores the link between processes of mind and brain. The class will investigate how scientists utilize current technologies to understand the neuronal activity and anatomy of the brain that supports perception, memory storage, and recall, among other topics. Students will read and evaluate scientific sources and compare those findings to one popular culture depiction of a mind-zombies. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3341 - Evolutionary Psychology
An examination of how the processes of evolution have influenced the development of human thinking and behaviors. Exploration may include the study of reproductive behaviors, parental behaviors, aggression, altruism, emotional expression, language, and others. The course will be conducted primarily as a seminar and include readings from popular press texts, theoretical scholarly articles, and original reports of research results. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3343 - Psychopharmacology
This course presents a look at the ways that drugs can affect behavior. The course will include an in depth review of neurotransmission including neurotransmitter systems and functions of the synapse. The effects of both recreational drugs and psychotherapeutic drugs on those systems will be presented along with discussion of behavioral consequences of using those drugs. Primary source readings will be used to explore the methodology of research in this area. Historical and contemporary social and medical policy for use and misuse of these drugs will also be considered. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228.
PSYC 3351 - History Of Psychology
This course addresses the roots of modern psychological thought and methodology, from their origins in philosophy and the natural sciences through the refinements of psychology in its current form. In addition to learning about the major schools of psychology, e.g., Functionalism, Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis, students will explore how cultural forces shape psychological theories and the experiences of the people who develop them. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
PSYC 3361 - Advanced Topics In Psychology
Exploration of a focused research area of psychology through primary source readings and discussion. Topics will vary from year to year. Credit hours: 4.
PSYC 3385 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 3. One time only.
PSYC 3385L - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 1. One time only.
PSYC 3386 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 4. One time only.
PSYC 3388 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 4. One time only.
PSYC 4401 - Exper And Advanc Research Design
A lab-based course in research design with an emphasis on experimental design. Students conduct several experiments, analyze data, and interpret results. Critical analysis and synthesis of a body of literature informs the design and execution of a pilot study for the capstone project. An in-depth study of ethical principles in psychological research includes statistical and writing practices. This course is writing-intensive. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 and senior standing. (WI)
PSYC 4486 - Psyc One Time Only
Credit hours: 4. One time only.
PSYC 4493 - Senior Seminar
The two-session seminar (with PSYC 4494) involves development and execution of a senior research project. During the first session, each student, in consultation with faculty, develops a proposal for a research project in a chosen area of psychology. These projects are carried out during the second session and are presented both in an American Psychological Association style research paper and orally to the seminar. Students present the results of their research at a regional conference. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 and 4401. Open only to psychology majors.
PSYC 4494 - Senior Seminar
The two-session (with PSYC 4493) seminar involves development and execution of a senior research project. During the first session, each student, in consultation with faculty, develops a proposal for a research project in a chosen area of psychology. These projects are carried out during the second session and are presented both in an American Psychological Association style research paper and orally to the seminar. Students present the results of their research at a regional conference. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 2228 and 4401. Open only to psychology majors.
