300
This course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical models, research findings, and practical skills and techniques of counseling and psychotherapy.
This course meets once per week to discuss issues of importance to those pursuing a career in psychology or related discipline. Topics will include career exploration, preparations for the GRE, APA writing style, graduate studies and schools, thesis projects, internships, and more. Psychology students are required to attend and participate.
The focus of this course is on defining, explaining, and evaluating human behavior. Specifically, the course will examine diagnoses and treatment for many common psychological disorders. A portion of the course is devoted to case studies and determining instances of maladaptive behavior. The course will provide insight into the various issues involved in developing, diagnosing, and treating a mental health disorder.
Learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to past experience. Research on the mechanisms of learning in both human and nonhuman animals has shaped the field of Behaviorism, which emphasizes observable, measurable behavior over internal, mental processes. This course will familiarize students with experimental approaches used to investigate environmental influences on behavior. Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning theories will be emphasized. Applications of behavioral approaches to addiction, sexual behavior, animal training, parenting, and education will be explored.
The course will focus on the biological-psychological-social approach to understanding human behavior. Topics will focus on mindfulness and meditative experiences, increasing physical activity, improving sleep quality and managing stress. Students will create projects and explore how certain changes in our health influence our mood and body. It is expected that students will influence the content and material of the course.
Advanced Writing. This course provides training in experimental research methodologies. Emphasis is placed on determining the correct methodology and data-analysis for a variety of research projects. During the course, students will design and complete a psychological research project. This will include, background research, ethics training, recruitment of subjects, designing the study, running participants, and data analysis. It is expected that all students will complete a poster presentation with their group project by the end of the course. In addition, students will also write a scientific research proposal in APA format. The paper will be used to develop skills in scientific writing as well as understanding formatting requirements with APA.
Social Science. This course will examine human sexuality from a biopsychosocial perspective. We will consider the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence sexual behaviors, attitudes, and values. We will gain an understanding of the diversity of sexual behaviors and lifestyles, particularly focusing on human sexuality in the United States. Students will enhance their critical thinking skills through the investigation of scientific evidence for each of the topics covered. Finally, this course requires openness and respect of diverse perspectives to enable students to explore and develop their unique views about human sexuality.
Personality psychology is the scientific study of individual differences that predict the way individuals think, feel, and behave. Various contemporary theoretical perspectives (e.g., trait, psychodynamic, cognitive, neuroscience) will be presented to understand how personality is developed, expressed, and measured.
This course provides an introduction to the study of mental processes and discusses how the cognitive perspective has shaped modern psychology. Both behavioral and neuropsychological approaches to theory will be explored. The course includes such topics as the history of cognition, an introduction to cognitive neuroscience, attention, perception, language processing, memory, decision making, and consciousness. Students will review and replicate classical and contemporary cognitive psychology experiments. Students will also augment their critical thinking skills through the critique of experimental methodology and the application of scientific reasoning to common cognitive problems.
This course provides in-depth exposure to the roles and responsibilities of Mental Health Professionals within the criminal and (to a lesser extent) civil systems of justice in the United States. Additionally, the course will focus on how the legal system shapes the role of the mental health profession in the court arena. Topics covered include but are not limited to the psychology of jury selection; the identification and psychological evaluation of criminal suspects; the psychological factors associated with eyewitness and jury experiences; issues of mental competency and insanity; and the death penalty.
This course will introduce students to adventure and experiential therapies, which incorporate fun and engaging activities (e.g., rock climbing, songwriting, paddleboarding) to facilitate experiences of personal growth, relationship-building, and improved resilience. In this course, students will not only learn about relevant theory and research, but will also directly participate in and facilitate a variety of experiential activities. This is an ideal course for those seeking to learn more about psychology, counseling, and human service via fun and innovative techniques. A significant portion of class will be spent directly engaged in physically-active and socially-demanding tasks, though students of all physical ability levels are welcome and encouraged.
This High Impact Practice (HIP) allows students to develop a greater understanding of psychological theories, and build career relevant skills through course aid. An undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) for any psychology course is expected to provide assistance to the professor of the course. Responsibilities of a course TA depend on the professor's need but can include: attending class, grading assignments and tests, taking attendance, providing assistance to students with studying and assignments, and holding review sessions before exams.
Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.