Curriculum for Psychology Degree

A survey of the science of psychology, including an overview of human behavior in various areas such as physiopsychology, development, learning social psychology, personality and abnormal behavior.

Students will explore human behavior in the social context. They will consider such topics as the way people influence the behavior, thoughts, and attitudes of others and the way individuals process information about themselves and other people.

Students will learn to understand the structural and functional organization of the nervous system in health and disease, and will gain awareness of the research and technological advances in the field of neuroscience. Students will gain knowledge they can apply to other areas of psychology.

This course explores the nature of human cognitive processing by examining cognition (perception, learning, memory) and metacognition (knowledge thinking, problem solving). A combination of current research in the area, classic demonstrations, and related materials will be used to promote self-awareness of students as thinkers and learners.

An examination of theory and research in the field of personality. The course covers major theoretical perspectives (psychoanalytic, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and trait), as well as contextual and developmental influences on personality and behavior.

The course is a study of successful human functioning, examining the nature of human strength and life satisfaction. At the core is an examination of factors contributing to happiness, optimism, and resilience. The goal is to foster an appreciative approach to human behavior, emphasizing what contributes to effective adjustment to typical life. Students will explore the research and findings that seek to explain greater levels of happiness experienced by some individuals and to identify the building blocks of an individual's physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources. Course will include the application of research findings to daily life.

The course examines the prevalence of mental and emotional problems and provides an overview of the many forms that psychological disorders can take. There will also be some discussion of assessment and therapy. The course will cover assessment and treatment of psychological problems from psychodynamic, behavioral and humanistic perspectives.

Students will examine major theoretical perspectives in the field of counseling psychology (e.g., psychoanalytic, person-centered, cognitive/behavioral). Students will have the opportunity to practice clinical assessment, listening skills, try out various counseling skills, as well as reflect on ethical issues involved with counseling. Discussion and written work will emphasize the importance of being able to apply a wide repertoire of counseling skills. A final self-reflective project will ask the students to critically evaluate their own counseling ability and learned skills.

Students will evaluate a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods through examination, study, and use of scholarly research. In small groups, students will practice applying basic research techniques. Students will explore how statistical procedures and software aid in organizing, analyzing and describing data.

Students will expand their knowledge and skills by conducting individual quantitative research projects using the scientific method and appropriate statistical procedures and software. Students will report their findings in a formal written report and presentation to an audience of faculty members and peers.

Students will explore psychological theories and concepts by applying parametric and nonparametric approaches. A thorough examination of these approaches and how they relate to the field of psychology will be discussed. Students will learn how to use a statistical software program for answering psychology-related research questions. This course will be taught in conjunction with PSY-202 (Research Methods II).