Psychology Courses

This course provides an overview of basic psychological principles that underlie human behavior and reactions to everyday life. Students are provided an opportunity to apply critical-thinking skills to psychological problems and issues. The basic tenets of psychology are presented from a historical perspective, with attention to research-based behavioral science.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is an introduction to the study of personality. The course examines theoretical explanations for understanding personality development and explores each theory. The course also investigates how personality is assessed. The focus is on approaches that psychology has developed for understanding personality and on applications for organizational processes.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

General Psychology is a survey course which introduces the student to the major topics in scientific psychology as applied to human behavior. Applications of these principles will be made to the human experience.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course examines the concepts and practical applications of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage one's own internal emotional environment and one's ability to participate in relationships with others. Through a highly interactive format, the course will focus on how to assess basic skills in emotional intelligence, how to develop strategies to improve and enhance basic skill levels, and how to experiment with techniques that facilitate dealing with others of varying emotional backgrounds and competency levels.

Credits: 1

Full Course Description

The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the various methods of inquiry, terminologies, and theoretical systems that comprise the history of psychology. A broader view is used to introduce the modern era of psychology and its use. These include: structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and phenomenological/existential approaches.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This is an introductory course in applied statistics, with particular emphasis in psychology. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are included. In addition, this course provides the basic statistical background and understanding needed.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course seeks to synthesize the many theories of human motivation with the practical application of motivating employees. To this end, the course will examine historical theories as well as recent developments in the field of motivation and their relationship to management practices. The primary concepts of goals, quality of work, and rewards will be examined and applied to the workplace.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is designed to expose you to the underlying physiological mechanisms of behavior. Physiological psychology is a complex but fascinating field of study. It explores the relationship between our biological systems and behavior. Structure and function of the nervous system from the neuron to the brain, as well as the interrelationships between the brain and such behaviors as eating, sleeping, learning, memory, emotion, and mental disorders will be discussed using examples from the behavior of both humans and lower organisms.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course examines theories and research results pertaining to the structures (self, person, role, and event schemas) and processes (expectations, attributions, and inferences) underlying self and person perception.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course will present an overview of cognitive psychology and its findings, theories, and approach. Cognitive psychology deals with how we acquire and use knowledge so the course will cover topics such as perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning, and problem solving.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course focuses on a historical view of human development leading to the current life span approach to form an understanding of the developing individual, and it explores influences on human development, ranging from individual models to cross-cultural groups. Emphasis is given to personality, social, intellectual, and physical development, and the major theories used to describe how people change throughout their life span.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course concerns the study of learning from the most basic associationistic ideas to complex cognitive behaviors such as problem solving and thinking. Various ideas regarding the nature of the mind are presented along with the fundamental concepts of learning and conditioning. Strengths and weaknesses of the memory system are discussed as they relate to higher cognitive processes such as language, problem solving, and eyewitness identification. Neurophysiological correlates of cognitive phenomena and memory disorders are also discussed.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course provides a unified view of the field of social psychology organized around the concepts of social influence and power and exchange in social life and explores in-depth human thoughts, feelings, and actions as influenced by other people.  Specific topics include socialization, perception of self and others, pro-social and anti-social behavior, attitudes, interpersonal attraction, social influence, and group behavior.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course surveys the field of personality from a scientific perspective, examining the general approaches to understanding personality. The key theorists and concepts associated with each perspective are highlighted, along with the strengths and limitations of the different approaches.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to theories and research concerning abnormal behavior (psychopathology). The course will address such topics as the incidence (frequency) of abnormal behavior of various types; how abnormal behaviors are classified into various diagnostic categories; the etiologies (causes) of psychological disorders; and the variety of methods employed in the treatment of abnormal behavior.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

Using an issues-based approach, this course examines drugs of abuse and the impact of abuse on the individual, family, and society with an emphasis on the employer and work environment. Legal and ethical implications of chemical dependency in the workplace are addressed, and the hallmarks of creating drug-free workplace programs are examined.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is concerned with analyzing the external and internal system dynamics that maximize performance excellence of individual and work groups in an organization. Organizational Psychology focuses on the human factor of business. This course applies Organizational Psychology theories and techniques to the features/dimensions of corporate structure that are transforming in order to accommodate the changes in the modern world. An understanding of external and internal customer relations in the transformed organizations is discussed.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course provides an exploration into how managers and employees work in groups for the completion of organizational objectives. Emphasis is placed on the growing dependency on self-directed work teams in the workplace. This course equips students with the ability to manage work teams, work in teams successfully, and to obtain results via team dynamics. In addition, impacts upon customer satisfaction are explored.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is designed to introduce the student to the field of industrial/organizational psychology. The emphasis is on the psychological principles and how they can be applied in a work context. Topics will include legal issues in employment, selection of employees, performance appraisal, training, leadership, motivation, and group behavior.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

A study of the issues and influences related to gender, sexual orientation, and the major racial/ethnic and cultural groups in the United States and how they affect theoretical and research paradigms in psychology and clinical and counseling practices. The course expands the students’ frame of reference concerning human diversity and applies this knowledge to counseling and research issues in psychology.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

In this course students will learn about the interaction between people and their environments; how our behavior affects our environment, and how that environment, in turn, influences our own behavior. An emphasis will be placed on developing behavioral solutions for environmental problems.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course will cover the basic principles, research, and theories on testing and measurement of psychological constructs. It is expected that students complete the course with knowledge of various techniques for psychological testing; a familiarity of several professionally developed tests; the ability to develop, administer, and interpret certain tests; and knowledge of measurement theory which includes reliability and validity.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course presents students with theoretical frameworks to foster an understanding of the various dimensions of human development across the life span. Emphasis is placed on biological, cognitive, and psychosocial development within the context of gender, family systems, social roles, and culture.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course enables students to differentiate among the primary theoretical models of personality theory, such as psychodynamic, affective, cognitive-behavioral, and systems theory. Emphasis is on the importance of students recognizing belief systems and the underlying assumptions inherent in various personality models that accurately reflect their own personal perspectives. Students also learn to recognize strategies and approaches in psychology that reflect identified personality theories as a foundation.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course covers a wide range of definitions and models that focus on the complex or problematic psychological disorders and conditions of psychopathology. Emphasis is on learning accepted conceptualizations of such disorders along with contemporary treatment approaches. Students are introduced to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the basis of diagnosis and classification of psychopathology. Critical thinking skills are emphasized, as are multicultural, legal, and ethical issues involved in the field of abnormal psychology.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course provides students with a foundation in statistical methods and principles of measurement and assessment necessary for competency in research, evaluation, and treatment planning for professional psychology practice applications. Students learn statistical models, procedures, and measurement practices that are relevant to the mastery of examination procedures in psycho-educational assessment, organizational assessment, and clinical examinations that use standardized testing instruments, criterion based assessments, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course provides students with an in depth focus on cultural factors and cross-cultural perspectives in the field of psychology. Students learn to identify and consider cultural variables in the application of psychological theories and practices. Multicultural issues and valued diversity are the main content focus throughout the course.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course integrates learning theories and principles with advanced study of early childhood, elementary, middle, high school development, and adult learning in relation to educational practice. Perspectives on behaviorism and cognitive and social learning are explored in the context of their practical application by the professional in the classroom.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is an overview of the fundamentals of research methods applicable to the broad field of psychology. Topics include research design, quantitative and qualitative forms of analysis, ethical issues in research, and appropriate documentation of research processes and outcomes. Students become critical evaluators of research, with emphasis placed on engaging the students in analytical reading of research literature in psychology and the application of skills in conducting primary behavioral research.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course surveys various professional activities in psychology and the legal and ethical responsibilities of the psychology professional. Students learn underlying ethical principles relevant to a broad range of issues in the field of psychology, as well as to interpret and act upon various situations appropriately and effectively. Content includes issues such as subject and client rights, confidentiality, duty to warn and protect, dual relationships, supervision and consulting, ethics with special populations, and ethical decision-making models.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course examines major theories of learning with relevance to instrumental and classical (Pavlovian) conditioning, cognitive learning processes, motivation, affect, and memory. The students will explore relevant research on traditional and contemporary issues in learning, with an emphasis is on human learning from both behavioral and cognitive perspectives.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course covers the basic theoretical foundations and recurrent themes in social psychology, including attitudes, stereotyping, conformity, power, aggression, prosocial behavior, the social self, emotions, group dynamics, and inter-group relations. Emphasis is on recent empirical and theoretical developments and includes models of social cognition that are a focus of contemporary social psychological theories.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course surveys what modern cognitive psychology says about problem solving and reasoning, memory, language, imagery, and the processes and pathology of language and thought. Cognitive models of information processing in humans and animals are reviewed.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

This course is an in-depth look at organizational psychology and therefore covers the organizational side of the field, including the impact of the organizations on the individual and on groups of individuals. The dynamics and cultural characteristics of organizations are identified and described in-depth, and organizational development and change are given particular emphasis as well. 

Credits: 3

Full Course Description

A survey of biological and biochemical correlates of behavior, focusing on the structure and function of the central nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, and the endocrine system as they relate to psychological processes of sensation, drive, emotion, learning, and memory.

Credits: 3

Full Course Description