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Course Descriptions

PSY 101 - Principles of Psychology (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Core Curr. SB
Introduction to the scientific investigation of human behavior and the psychological concepts, theories, and evidence underlying behavior. Students will also learn to apply psychological concepts to self and society.

PSY 201 - Brain and Behavior (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. FS
Core Curr. NS
An introduction to the scientific study of the nervous system and its relation to behavior. The underlying biology of learning, memory, language, sensation, emotion, reproductive behavior, psychopathology, and other topics.

PSY 205 - Quantitative Methods (3 hours)
Introduction to applied statistical analysis: data reduction and representation; frequency distributions and their measures; probability; sampling theory; significance testing. Descriptive and inferential analyses are presented in the context of psychological research. Not open to non-majors with credit in QM 262 and QM 263. Prerequisite: Course is open to PSY majors and NEU minors; others require consent of instructor.

PSY 206 - Research Methods in Psychology (4 hours)
Core Curr. WI
Basic principles of research design and interpretation; emphasis on experimental method. Laboratory work. Prerequisite: PSY 205 or consent of instructor. Course is open to PSY majors and NEU minors; others require consent of instructor.

PSY 245 - Stress and Resilience (3 hours)
Analysis of psychological stress and its impact. Application of strategies to foster resilience and adaptation to adversity. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent

PSY 250 - Environmental Psychology (3 hours)
Environmental Psychology scientifically investigates how people interact with the space around them. Topics include environmental perception and cognition, environmental attitudes and appraisals, personality and environment, personal space, territoriality, crowding, privacy, residences, urban/suburban/rural environments, institutional and work environments, natural environments and sustainability. Prerequisite: PSY 101.

PSY 280 - Psychology of Religion (3 hours)
An overview of both theory and method in the psychological study of religion. Emphasis will be on understanding the biological and psychological underpinnings of religious belief, behavior, and experience. Cross listed as RLS 280. Prerequisite: PSY 101.

PSY 295 - Fundamentals of Directed Research (0-3 hours)
Core Curr. EL
Students acquire skills to conduct basic research tasks within a research team or laboratory. Prerequisite: PSY 205 or equivalent; concurrent enrollment in PSY 481 or PSY 491; consent of instructor

PSY 299 - Special Topics (1-3 hours)
Introduction to the study of special issues related to applied and/or theoretical psychology, which may vary each time course is offered. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes. May be repeated under a different topic for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent; or instructor consent.

PSY 300 - Psychology of Women (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. CD
Women and their behavior: influence of psychological, social, and biological factors. Prerequisite: PSY 101.

PSY 303 - Lifespan Developmental Psychology (3 hours)
A survey of cognitive, physical, and social development extending from infancy to advanced adulthood. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Course is not open to psychology majors.

PSY 309 - Human Sexuality (3 hours)
Current knowledge concerning human sexuality. Prerequisite: 6 hours of psychology or consent of instructor.

PSY 311 - Principles of Abnormal Psychology (3 hours)
Survey of psychological disorders including psychotic, affective, anxiety, substance-related, and personality disorders. Current knowledge of symptoms, prevalence, course, etiology, treatment, and prevention. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Course is not open to psychology majors.

PSY 313 - Health Psychology (3 hours)
Biological, psychological, and social interactions that influence an individual's state of health and illness. Stress, pain, cardiovascular risk, cancer, chronic illness, addictive behaviors. Prerequisite: 6 hours of psychology and 3 hours of biology.

PSY 314 - Adult Development and Aging (3 hours)
Introduction to conceptual issues, research methods, and available data in adult development and aging. Note: This course is not open to students who have completed PSY 303 (Lifespan Developmental Psychology). Prerequisite: PSY 101

PSY 315 - Child Psychopathology (3 hours)
Psychological disturbances of childhood, including intellectual disabilities, autism, depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, and attention deficit disorders. Current knowledge of symptoms, prevalence, course, etiology, treatment, and prevention. Prerequisite: PSY 303 or PSY 350; PSY 311 or PSY 356.

PSY 319 - Positive Psychology (3 hours)
The scientific study of human psychological strengths and virtues. Empirical analysis and application of the experiences that allow persons to thrive and flourish. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent

PSY 320 - Human Factors Psychology (3 hours)
Introduction to psychological concepts and methods relevant to human-machine system design. Emphasis on issues related to human sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and motor performance. Survey of current areas of application. Prerequisite: PSY 101; PSY 205, MTH 111, or equivalent

PSY 321 - Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3 hours)
Job analysis, psychological testing, interviewing, performance appraisal, employment law, leadership, motivation, training, job satisfaction, organizational theory, and research methods. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

PSY 341 - Undergraduate Practicum: Child Study Center (1-3 hours)
Core Curr. EL
Supervised work in the applied setting of a preschool classroom. A maximum of 6 hours of practicum coursework (PSY 341 and PSY 342) is allowed. Prerequisite: PSY 350 or PSY 303.

PSY 342 - Undergraduate Practicum: Community Agency (1-3 hours)
Core Curr. EL
Supervised work in applied settings such as mental health clinics and counseling centers. A maximum of 6 hours practicum coursework (PSY 341 and 342) is allowed. Prerequisite: Junior standing in psychology and consent of instructor.

PSY 350 - Developmental Psychology (3 hours)
Critical examination of research and theory on cognitive, physical, and social development from prenatal through late childhood periods. Note: This course is not open to students who have completed PSY 303. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 352 - Personality Psychology (3 hours)
Critical examination of modern personality science, including major personality theories and contemporary personality research. The study of personality in relation to assessment, social behavior, environmental influences, culture, gender, cognition, physiology, behavioral genetics, and other topics. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 354 - Social Psychology (3 hours)
Theories, research findings, and methods of social psychology. Topics include person perception, attitude change, interpersonal attraction, aggression, competition, group processes, and leadership. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 356 - Abnormal Psychology (3 hours)
Critical examination of research and theory in psychopathology and behavior disorders including the etiology, assessment, and treatment of major forms of psychological disorders. Note: This course is not open to students who have completed PSY 311. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 360 - Psychology of Learning (3 hours)
Variables and conditions that affect the learning process; theories of learning. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 362 - Cognitive Psychology (3 hours)
Attention, memory, language use, problem solving, and artificial intelligence. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better) and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 364 - Behavioral Neuroscience (3 hours)
Physiological bases of behavior; emphasis on the neural structure and functional concomitants of receptor and effector processes, motivation, emotion, and learning. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better), PSY 201, and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 365 - Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory (1 hour)
Optional laboratory course for students concurrently enrolled in PSY 364. Includes sheep brain dissection. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PSY 364.

PSY 366 - Sensation & Perception (3 hours)
Physiology of the senses; processes by which sensory stimulation produces perceptual experiences. Prerequisite: PSY 101 (C or better), PSY 201, and PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 400 - Honors Research (3 hours)
Core Curr. WI
Completion of an honors thesis proposal in psychology. Topics include preparing a literature review, design and methods in psychology, hypothesis testing using statistical analyses, ethics in research, and professional issues pertaining to psychological research. Prerequisite: PSY 206; junior standing; honors program participant or instructor consent.

PSY 405 - Social Affective Neuroscience (3 hours)
Delves into current insights, debates, and research on social and emotional behavior and its neural basis. Course goals include providing an introduction to the theoretical, methodological, and intellectual challenges that influence these fields and their growth. Additionally, the course is designed to give a broad overview of current research and theory in the social and affective neurosciences, particularly where these two domains intersect, and explore how knowledge of neural systems, neuroendocrine function, functional neuro-anatomy, and neurochemistry can or cannot provide insights into social and emotional behavior. Cross-listed with NEU 405. Prerequisite: PSY 201, PSY 206; or instructor consent.

PSY 411 - Tests and Measurement (3 hours)
Core Curr. WI
Types of psychological tests, psychometric properties of tests, development and analysis of test items. Prerequisite: PSY 205 or equivalent; PSY 206; junior/senior standing.

PSY 414 - Cognitive Development (3 hours)
Provides an overview of cognitive change during childhood. Theoretical perspectives and research findings in major areas such as infant cognition, memory, language, concept formation, number, problem-solving, and social cognition. Applied issues pertaining to developmental disabilities and education will also be considered. Prerequisite: PSY 350 or ETE 225; PSY 206; 9 hours of psychology.

PSY 417 - Clinical Psychology (3 hours)
Issues in psychological assessment and psychotherapy, with an emphasis on empirical support of theories, techniques, and outcomes. Prerequisite: PSY 206; PSY 356 or equivalent.

PSY 420 - Psychology of Addiction (3 hours)
Drug use and abuse will be explored from psychological, biological, and treatment perspectives. Students will gain an understanding of the history of drug use and drug policy, and will be encouraged to identify sociological factors that promote abuse and incarceration. Students will be introduced to advanced pharmacological principles, neuroanatomy, and the neuroscientific basis of drug abuse. Theories of addiction and contemporary treatment and prevention paradigms will be explored. Prerequisite: PSY 201, PSY 206

PSY 424 - Intermediate Statistics for Psychology (3 hours)
Conceptual foundations of hypothesis testing, introduction to data analytic techniques, exploration of multiple regression/correlation and applications such as factor analysis. Prerequisite: PSY 205 or both QM 262 and QM 263 or equivalent.

PSY 439 - History of Psychology (3 hours)
Core Curr. WI
Conceptual origins, problems and controversies, and ideas that gave rise to modern psychology. Prerequisite: 15 hours of psychology or consent of instructor; PSY 206.

PSY 452 - Personality Theories and Theorists (3 hours)
Comprehensive survey of views on structure and function of personality, contemporary research, and methods of assessment. Prerequisite: PSY 206; PSY 356 or consent of instructor.

PSY 474 - Cross-Cultural Psychology (3 hours)
Major theories, research methods, and empirical findings in cross-cultural psychology. The role of culture in understanding and explaining mental health, interpersonal relationships, personality, cognition, sexual functioning, emotion, and other topics. Prerequisite: PSY 206; or consent of instructor.

PSY 481 - Reading (0-3 hours)
Directed reading by qualified students, with faculty guidance. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hrs. credit. Prerequisite: PSY 206; consent of instructor.

PSY 491 - Research (0-3 hours)
Directed research by qualified students, with faculty guidance. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: PSY 206; consent of instructor.

PSY 495 - Directed Research Experience (0-3 hours)
Core Curr. EL
Students conduct psychological research, which may include reviewing literature, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating results in a scientific presentation or paper. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: PSY 206 or equivalent; concurrent enrollment in PSY 481 or PSY 491; consent of instructor

PSY 499 - Advanced Special Topics (1-3 hours)
Advanced study of special issues related to applied and/or theoretical psychology, which may vary each time course is offered. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes. May be repeated under a different topic for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: 9 hours of psychology or consent of instructor; PSY 206

PSY 681 - Readings I (1-3 hours)
Readings in area selected by student. Prerequisite: graduate standing and prearrangement with instructor.

PSY 682 - Readings II (1-3 hours)
Readings in area selected by student. Prerequisite: graduate standing and prearrangement with instructor.

PSY 691 - Research I (0-3 hours)
Research in area selected by student. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 hours of credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing and prearrangement with instructor.

PSY 692 - Research II (1-3 hours)
Research in area selected by student. Prerequisite: graduate standing and prearrangement with instructor.