Below are descriptions of the courses currently taught in the department. For availability (including terms taught, class times, and current enrollment numbers) or to register, click on the course title and you will be redirected to the registrar's page.
For information about undergraduate major and minor requirements, please see the Students section.
| PSY 199 SPECIAL TOPICS (1-16) |
| PSY 201 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Scientific study of behavior and experience. Biological bases of behavior; sensation and perception; conditioning, learning and memory; thinking, problem solving, language, and consciousness; cognitive, personal and social development. (SS) (Bacc Core Course) |
| PSY 202 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Motivation and emotion; personality; measurement of human differences; adjustment, psychopathology and psychotherapy; attitudes and social behavior. (SS) (Bacc Core Course) |
| PSY 301 RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY (4) Study of scientific methodology in psychology, including experimental and observational techniques. Topics include problem identification and hypothesis formation, research design, application of statistics, collection and interpretation of data, computer usage, and research report writing. Lec/lab. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 and PSY 202 and ST 211 or (ST 351 or ST 351H) |
| PSY 330 BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR (3) Introduction to the relationships of the structure and functioning of the human brain to behavior. Information from neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neurosurgery and neurology is combined with psychological research on both normal and abnormal human behavior. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 202. |
| PSY 340 COGNITION (3) Theories, research and applications concerning cognition. Topics include perception, attention, memory, learning, thinking and language. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 202. |
| PSY 350 HUMAN LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT (3) An introduction to physical, social, cognitive and linguistic development with an emphasis on theory and methodology. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 and PSY 202 |
| PSY 360 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) The study of behavior and experience in a social context. Topics include person perception, attribution, attraction and love, attitudes and attitude change, aggression and social influence and group dynamics. Applications of social psychological principles to other fields, e.g., law, health care, etc. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 202 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 201. |
| PSY 360H SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) The study of behavior and experience in a social context. Topics include persons perception, attribution, attraction and love, attitudes and attitude change, aggression and social influence and group dynamics. Applications of social psychological principles to other fields, e.g., law, health care, etc. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 202 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 201, Honors College approval required. |
| PSY 370 PERSONALITY (3) An overview of major theories of personality is followed by an introduction to personality testing and research. (SS) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 and PSY 202 |
| PSY 381 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Survey of various forms of psychological disorders; theories regarding etiology and treatment. Special emphasis on research approaches to such disorders. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 201 and PSY 202 |
| PSY 381H ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Survey of various forms of psychological disorders; theories regarding etiology and treatment. Special emphasis on research approaches to such disorders. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 202 OTHER PREREQS: Honors College approval required. |
| PSY 401 RESEARCH (1-16) OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 402 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-16) Graded P/N. OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 403 THESIS (1-16) OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 405 READING AND CONFERENCE (1-16) OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 406 PROJECTS (1-16) OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 407 SEMINAR (1-16) Graded P/N. OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 408 WORKSHOP (1-16) Graded P/N. OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 410 FIELD EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN SERVICES (6-15) Practicum/internship placement in community human service agencies. Includes regular on-site supervision, relevant readings, projects, and faculty site visits. Graded P/N. OTHER PREREQS: Departmental approval required. |
| PSY 426 GENDER DIFFERENCES (3) Survey of theories, life cycles and contemporary problems of women and men in a social context. Emphasis on factors relating to differential self-concept and behaviors. Psychological research in differences between women and men. May be offered in alternate years. OTHER PREREQS: A 300-level course in psychology. |
| PSY 432 PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Basic vertebrate neurophysiology and neuroanatomy in relation to behavior. Neural and hormonal correlates of sensation, learning, memory and motivation. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 330 OTHER PREREQS: Or equivalent biological science background. |
| PSY 433 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (3) Drug-brain-behavior interactions. Psychoactive drugs and their relationships to normal and abnormal behavior in humans. OTHER PREREQS: Upper-division standing. Biological science background helpful. |
| PSY 437 MOTIVATION (3) Biological, learning, and cognitive approaches to human and animal motivation. Topics include evolution, homeostasis, drive, arousal, incentive motivation, achievement motivation, and social motivation. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 330 or PSY 340 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 301. |
| PSY 440 COGNITION RESEARCH (4) Advanced scientific methodology primarily in the areas of attention, learning, memory, and thinking. Students will design their own research projects, collect and analyze data, and write a professional report. (Writing Intensive Course) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 301 and PSY 340 |
| PSY 442 PERCEPTION (3) Fundamental concepts of animal and human sensation and perception, with emphasis on audition and vision. Applications of psychophysical methods to research in all sensory modalities. Includes review workshops on basic mathematical, physical and physiological concepts necessary to interpret research in this field. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 330 or PSY 340 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 301. |
| PSY 444 LEARNING AND MEMORY (3) Experimental and theoretical work on learning, conditioning, and memory in animals and humans. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 340 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 301. |
| PSY 448 CONSCIOUSNESS (3) Psychological, phenomenological, and physiological approaches to the content and processes of subjective awareness. Topics include philosophical issues, cortical and reticular neurophysiology, sleeping and dreaming, selective attention, imagery, and self-awareness. May be offered alternate years. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 340 OTHER PREREQS: PSY 301. |
| PSY 454 COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT (3) Discusses intellectual development from infancy to adulthood. Topics include the origin of thinking, the development of perception, attention, memory, problem solving, language, academic skills, and social cognition. Piaget, Vygotsky, and information processing approaches will be discussed. May be offered in alternate years. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 350 |
| PSY 456 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (3) Covers theories and research concerning human social development. Topics include theories of socialization; the development of social relationships; the self-concept; emotion; sex roles; social cognition; pro-social behavior; morality; self-control; and aggression. May be offered in alternate years. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 350 |
| PSY 458 LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (3) Psychological processes involved in the acquisition and use of language throughout childhood. Biological, cognitive, and social influences on language will be discussed, as well as personal uses of language, such as language in thought and reading. May be offered alternate years. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 350 |
| PSY 460 ADVANCED SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS (4) Advanced experimental research methods in the social sciences. Issues in psychological construct operationalization, experimental design, data collection, analysis, and report writing will be emphasized. (Writing Intensive Course) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 301 and PSY 360 |
| PSY464 SOCIAL COGNITION (3) Research and theory concerning cognitive structures and processes underlying social judgment and social behavior. Topics include attribution theory, social inference, person memory, schema-based information processing. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 360 |
| PSY 470 PSYCHOMETRICS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING (4) An introduction to psychological measurement is provided, with emphasis on the notions of reliability and validity; advanced correlational techniques are introduced. These methods are applied to contemporary tests of personality, aptitude, and achievement. (Writing Intensive Course) ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 301 and (PSY 340 or PSY 370 or PSY 380 or PSY 381 or PSY 481) |
| PSY 482 PSYCHOTHERAPY (3) Survey of the theory, techniques and research on the major contemporary systems of psychotherapy. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 370 or PSY 380 or PSY 381 or PSY 481 |
| PSY 483 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (3) Developmental perspective on child and adolescent psychological disorders including causal factors, associated features, and research-supported interventions. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 350 or PSY 381 or PSY 481 OTHER PREREQS: Or equivalent. |
| PSY 485 BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION (3) Review of basics of operant and classical conditioning. Research on behavior modification and behavior therapy with both normal and abnormal animals, human adults, and children. Application areas include behavior problems, handicaps, eating disorders, time management, self control stress management, contingency contracts, and cognitive therapies. Individual projects. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 350 or PSY 380 or PSY 381 or PSY 481 OTHER PREREQS: Or equivalent work in family life or education. |
| PSY 496 INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (3) Survey of psychological research and theory relevant to organizations, industry, and other work settings. Topics include training, employee selection, performance evaluation, work attitudes, and motivation. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 360 or PSY 370 |
| PSY 498 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY (3) Psychological factors in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention of, treatment of, and recovery from illness: Behavioral contributions to illness, life-style risk factors, stress and the immune system, psychological response to symptoms and care-givers, health habits and self-care, management of pain and chronic illness, disability and terminal illness. ENFORCED PREREQS: PSY 330 or PSY 340 or PSY 350 or PSY 360 or PSY 370 or PSY 481 |
| PSY 499 SPECIAL TOPICS (1-16) Newly emerging or specialized topics that can only be offered occasionally or for particular purposes. Each offering will be structured with a syllabus. OTHER PREREQS: To be determined for each offering. |
| PSY 499H SPECIAL TOPICS (1-16) Newly emerging or specialized topics that can only be offered occasionally or for particular purposes. Each offering will be structured with a syllabus. OTHER PREREQS: To be determined for each offering and Honors College approval. |