2015-2016 Graduate Catalog

PSY 500 Educational Psychology for Teachers

This course is designed to be an in-depth overview of research and theory on learning and cognition, social and personal development, individual differences, motivation and assessment of student learning. Particular attention will be given to the application of these topics to classroom settings.

3

PSY 508 Workshop

A variety of workshops on special topics within the discipline. Goals and objectives will emphasize the acquisition of general knowledge and skills in the discipline. Repeatable, under different subtitles.

1-3

PSY 513 Professional Renewal

Update skills and knowledge of professionals in the discipline. Goals and objectives will be specifically directed at individual professional enhancement rather than the acquisition of general discipline and knowledge or methodologies. S/U or letter graded. Repeatable under different subtitles.

1-3

PSY 530 Life Span Developmental Psychology

Human growth and development from conception through senescence, focusing on cognitive, affective, social and pyschomotor developmetn throughout the life span.

3

PSY 540 Theories and Principles of Learning

A survey of classical and contemporary theory and research related to human cognition. Topics include the study of learning processes, memory and higher cognitive functions.

3

PSY 550 Cognitive Development

Examine classic and contemporary research and theory on cognitive development of children, and specific topics such as attention, memory, and intelligence. Undergraduates may not register without permission of instructor.

3

PSY 575 Educational Assessment

The course will provide educators with the skills needed to evaluate, explain, and apply assessment and testing data to inform classroom instruction and education decisions.

3

PSY 580 Psychopharmacology

Intended to educate clinicians about the various medications that are often used in the treatment of mental illness and the mechanisms that allow them to work.

3

PSY 581 Brain and Education

Prerequisites: Graduate status or junior or senior with a cumulative GPA over 3.0. This course offers an overview of neuroscience research targeted at educators. Topics covered will include background on brain structure and function, neural communication and drug effects, attention, emotion, motivation, learning, language. Disorders commonly found in the classroom will be highlighted throughout.

3

PSY 582 Behavioral Genetics

Prerequisite: PSY 120. Majors only. Juniors or above. 3.0 GPA and above. Introductory genetics course recommended. Consider genetic basis of behavior in humans and animals; contemporary issues include heritability, cognitive disabilities, psychopathology, personality disorders, and pharmacogenomics.

3

PSY 585 Psychology of Addiction

Prerequisite: Graduate status; undergraduates must be Junior or Senior with GPA of 3.0 or above. This course is designed to conduct an in-depth introduction into the scientific literature across a range of contemporary subtopics in the field of addiction. It is intended to give students a broad, yet comprehensive, overview of the research and theoretical perspectives on drug and alcohol addiction. Students will have an opportunity to learn about the diagnostic criteria used to classify substance disorders, and will apply this information to journal article readings and projects. The course is taught as a seminar, with interactive dialogue, presentations, mini-lectures, and videos.

3

PSY 587 Social Cognitive Neuroscience

Prerequisite: Graduate Status; Junior or Senior with GPA of 3.0 or above. Social cognitive neuroscience (SCN) studies the implicit and explicit cognitive and emotional processes and their underlying brain mechanisms that contribute to our understanding of others' mental states (and our own as well). This course will examine a set of core Social Cognitive Neuroscience subtopics in order to gain a graduate level introduction to this burgeoning field.

3

PSY 590 Seminar in History and Systems

Philosophical perspectives and major theories and systems are reviewed as they contributed to the development of contemporary psychology. Course required for state psychology board licensing eligibility.

3

PSY 595 Special Topics in Psychology

Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA or higher. Scheduled on an irregular basis to explore special areas in psychology and carries a subtitle for each offering. Check department office for topics currently planned. Repeatable, under different subtitles.

1-5