Undergraduate Program
Description of Undergraduate Courses
101. Introduction to Psychology. I, II, S. 3 hr. Survey of general psychology.
201. Psychology as a Profession. I, II. 1 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Orientation to opportunities for experience, employment, and graduate and professional training in psychology. This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
202. Research Methods in Psych. I. II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101 and STAT 211. Research methods in experimental, developmental, clinical, and community-social psychology in the laboratory and the natural environment. (Course listed as PSYC 2 through 1992-1993).
231. Leadership & Human Relations. I, II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Concentrates on principles of psychology that can be applied to improving relations with others as well as being a more effective leader. Pragmatic orientation includes using the principles to solve problems in relationships, in small organizations, and in large systems.
232. Sex Roles and Behavior. I, II, S. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Relates sex-typed behavior to physiological, social, and cultural processes. Current social concerns such as rape and abortion legislation, child care, and expanded career options for both sexes are examined from a psychological perspective.
241. Intro to Human Development. I, II, S. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Survey of human psychological development across the life span with emphasis on change in biological, cognitive, and social-emotional processes. Special attention given to theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and practical issues.
251. Intro to Social Psychology. I, II, S. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101. Examination of social interaction and behavior from a psychological perspective. Topics include: Attraction, social perception and cognition, attitudes and attitude change, social influence and group process, prosocial behavior and aggression, cultural influence, and prejudice.
281. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. I, II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101).Introduction to major categories of behavior disorders; etiology, prevention, and treatment.
293. Special Topics in Psychology. I or II. 1-3 hr. PR: Consent. Contemporary topics in psychology considered at an intermediate level for both psychology majors and majors in other areas.
301. Biol Foundations of Behavior. I, II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 101 and PSYC 202. Introduction to animal behavior. Survey of fundamental concepts (evolution, genetics, adaptation and learning) and research methods in understanding animal behavior including primate species. Includes laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
302. Behavior Principles. I, II. 4 hr. PR: PSYC 202. Principles of behavior and learning and the significance of these principles for psychological theory and application; laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
331. History & Systems of Psych. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 232, 241, 251, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. A survey of psychology from its origins in philosophy, biology, and physics through the early major schools of psychological thought to modern perspectives on the science of behavior and its applications to human affairs.
342. Prenatal & Infant Development. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Behavior and development from conception to 2 years. Includes behavioral genetics and hazards of prenatal development, as well as sensory-motor, cognitive, language, and socioemotional behavior during infancy.
343. Child & Adolescent Behavior. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theory and research on major psychological processes in childhood and adolescence; maturation, personality, socialization, sensory, and cognitive development.
345. Adulthood and Aging. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Psychological issues in the study of adulthood, with an emphasis on the characteristics of older adults. Topics include the psychosocial and biological context of aging, cognitive and personality changes from early to late adulthood, psychopathology in later life, dementia, issues in caregiving, and death and dying.
351. Topics in Social Psychology. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 251; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Social factors that determine human behavior, survey of research in selected areas of social psychology and their implications for social phenomena.
362. Psychological Assessment. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 232, 241, 251, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Psychometric theory and development of psychological assessment instruments. Includes behavioral, personality, intellectual, neuropsychological, forensic, achievement, and aptitude assessment.
363. Personality Theory. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 232, 241, 251, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theoretical and empirical readings in a survey of major perspectives in personality theory, including dynamic, cognitive, humanistic, and behavioral.
365. Forensic Psychology. 3 hrs. PR: PSYC 101 and junior or senior standing. Surveys role of psychology in the legal system. Issues addressed include: insanity, child custody, sexual abuse, police fitness, eye witness and jury selection.
364. Psychology of Adjustment. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 232, 241, 251, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Dynamic principles of human personality adjustment.
379. Community Psychology. II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202, 231, 232, 241, 251, or 293 and at least junior or senior psychology major or consent. Psychological principles applied to treatment and intervention at the community level; manpower development, organizational change, and systems analysis.
382. Exceptional Children. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 241; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Exceptional mental retardation or advancement; organic disabilities having behavioral consequences, such as cerebral palsy or deafness; and behavior disorders.
423. Cognition and Memory. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Theoretical and empirical issues in cognitive psychology. Topics include mechanisms and theories of attention, memory, language, and conceptual processes.
424. Learning and Behavior Theory. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 302; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Advanced course in empirical and theoretical issues in the psychology of learning.
425. Perception. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 202; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Survey of the structure and function of human sensory systems (primarily visual and auditory), perceptual issues and theories.
426. Physiological Psychology. I or II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 301; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Advanced study of the physiological mechanisms of behavior. Topics include neural and endocrine mechanisms of behavior and issues, methods, and findings in behavioral neuroscience.
474. Behavior Modification. I, II. 3 hr. PR: PSYC 302; junior or senior psychology major or consent. Basic principles of behavior and their application to changing significant human behavior. Includes clinical, educational, parenting, industrial/organizational, community, and other applications.
490. Teaching Practicum. I, II, S. 1-3 hr. PR: Consent. (No more than 3 hours of PSYC 490 may be counted toward the 42 hours of psychology to which psychology majors are limited.) Teaching practice as a tutor or assistant.
491. Field Experience in Psych. I, II. S. 1-18 hr. PR: junior or senior psychology major and consent (application and interview). (May be repeated to a maximum of 18 hours, does not count as credit toward the major.) Prearranged experiential learning program to be planned, supervised, and evaluated for credit by faculty and field supervisors. Involves temporary placement with public or private enterprise for professional competence development.
493. Special Topics. 1-6 hr. Investigation of topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
495. Independent Study. I, II, S. 1-3 hr. PR: Consent. (No more than 10 hours may be applied to the 42 hours of psychology to which Psychology majors are limited.) Individually supervised reading, research, and/or applied projects.
498. Honors Investigation & Thesis. I, II, S. 3 hr. (May be repeated for credit; max. credit 6 hr.) PR: junior or senior psychology major and admission to Honors Program in Psychology. Supervised readings and investigation culminating in the honors thesis.