General Psychology Concentration
Concentration General Psychology
Where Will Your Degree Take You?
Lab Assistant
Rehabilitation Specialist
Career Counselor
Human Resource Manager
Corporate Administration
Educational Psychologist
Program Of Study - General Psychology Concentration (39 credits)
The purpose of this program is to provide students with a broad background in contemporary psychology and its theoretical foundations, with a strong emphasis on research methods. It is flexible, and can be tailored to meet students' interests. This program is strongly recommended for students intending to pursue advanced studies in psychology or related fields. The critical thinking skills fostered by this concentration are useful in many academic and professional settings.
Required Courses: (15 credits)
PY 111 Introduction to Psychology
PY 218 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
PY 325 Experimental Methods and Research Design
PY 311 History and Systems of Psychology
PY 340 Psychological Assessment
One of the following: (3 credits)
PY 280 Practicum*
PY 391 Senior Seminar
Two of the following: (6 credits)
PY 211 Abnormal Psychology
PY 321 Personality
PY 323 Social Psychology
PY 330 Child Psychology
Two of the following: (6 credits)
PY 222 Learning
PY 234 Brain and Behavior
PY 236 Motivation
PY 237 Cognitive Psychology
Three other courses in psychology (9 credits)
The student and the advisor should agree upon these three additional courses. They may be drawn from the above lists or from other departmental offerings.
Required Courses: (15 credits)
PY 111 Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to the major areas, theories, concepts, and methods of contemporary psychology. Topics may include ways of perceiving, learning, and thinking about the world; emotions; motivation; the relationship between brain events and inner experience; child development and adult personality; self-concept; attitudes toward others and behavior in social situations; stress, coping, and the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Special attention will be paid to the application of scientific methods to the study of human cognition and behavior. General Education Choice for Part B. Offered every semester. 3 credits
PY 218 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (same as SO 218)
Addresses basic concepts and methods of statistical data analysis as applied in psychology and other social/behavioral sciences, including organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data. The course will provide students with a foundation in descriptive and inferential statistics, touching on frequency distributions, probability sampling, and hypothesis testing. Analyses conducted by hand and using SPSS. P: Fulfillment of the Level A math requirement. Generally offered every semester. 3 credits
PY 325W Experimental Methods and Research Design
An introduction to experimental methods and research design in psychological research. Includes hands-on experience with design, implementation of data collection, data coding and analysis, and the interpretation and communication of results. Students will learn and use APA style format in a research paper describing their research findings. P: PY 111, PY 218, and junior or senior status. Fulfills major Writing requirement. Offered annually. 3 credits
PY 311W History and Systems of Psychology
A study of the philosophical and scientific antecedents of contemporary psychology, the major theorists and research methods in the early years of psychological science, and their influence on current developments and controversies in the field. Offered every other year. P: PY 111. 3 credits
PY 340 Psychological Assessment
Psychological assessment involves the systematic appraisal of cognitive abilities, personality traits, social attitudes, interests, values, and other characteristics. Methods include interviews, self-report measures, projective techniques, and performance appraisals. This course covers the basic principles of test construction and validation used by psychologists and educational measurement specialists. It also covers the administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected psychological tests along with a critical evaluation of their qualities. P: PY 218 and open only to psychology majors with Senior status. Offered annually. 3 credits
One of the following: (3 credits)
PY 280 Practicum*
A three-credit field-based experiential practicum involving approximately 8-10 hours per week on site. Sites may include schools, clinics, community agencies, corporations, or laboratories depending on the student's interest and area of concentration. Offered every semester. P: Senior status or second semester Junior status and permission of Department Chair. 3 credits
PY 391 Senior Seminar
In-depth study of selected topics in psychology. Offered as needed. P: Open only to psychology majors with senior status. 3 credits
Two of the following: (6 credits)
PY 211 Abnormal Psychology
Psychological functioning is said to be abnormal when it is atypical and causes distress to the individual or to other members of that person's community. Viewed through a medical lens, these behaviors are regarded as signs of psychopathology (mental illness). This course provides a thorough grounding in the psychiatric diagnostic classification system, covering most of the major categories of mental disorder: anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and more. Theories explaining the various forms of mental disorder, research findings on their social, psychological, and biological correlates, and treatment options are also considered. P: PY111. Offered annually. 3 credits
PY 321 Personality
Personality involves the study of the consistent patterning underlying the day-to-day variability in human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Influential personality theories will be critically evaluated and applied, testing their abilities to cast light on individual differences in self-concept and relational style. General Education Choice for Part C and Writing requirement. Offered annually. P: PY 111. 3 credits
PY 323 Social Psychology
The study of individual and group behavior, this course addresses classical and contemporary issues and research on a number of topics, including person perception, social cognition, attitudes and attitude change, conformity, obedience, prejudice, gender, and interpersonal relationships and attraction. General Education Choice for Part C and Writing requirement. Offered every other year. P: PY111. 3 credits
PY 330 Child Psychology
An examination of the major theories, issues, and research regarding the developing child from conception to puberty, with emphasis on emotional, cognitive, and social development. Current issues, such as the effects of drugs on the fetus, child abuse, and day care centers will be discussed. Offered annually. P: PY 111. 3 credits
Two of the following: (6 credits)
PY 222 Learning
Whenever experience changes our behavior in a lasting way, learning has taken place. Learning includes acquisition of knowledge, mastery of concepts, cultivation of skills, and development of habits. This course surveys what is known about key forms of learning, emphasizing classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, verbal learning, and information processing models of memory. Major theories that attempt to explain these processes and how these theories are applied to real world concepts, such as education, will be covered. Offered annually. P: PY 111. 3 credits
PY 234 Brain and Behavior
The study of the anatomy and physiology of the brain and peripheral nervous system and their relation to behavior. Topics will include the neural basis of sensation, motivation, and learning, and the effects of traumatic brain injury and neurological disorders. P: PY 111 or BI 111. Offered every other year. 3 credits
PY 236 Motivation
An exploration of human and animal motivation and factors influencing the direction and magnitude of behavioral responses. The course considers the roles played by instincts, drives, arousal modulation, and incentives, while emphasizing behavioral and social learning approaches to reinforcement. Both lower-level biological motives (e.g., hunger) and higher-level acquired motives (e.g., achievement) will be covered. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motives and the applied topic of work motivation will receive special attention. Offered every other year. P: PY111. 3 credits
PY 237 Cognitive Psychology
This course is the study of how humans think, how we represent and process information in the mind/brain. Topics that may be covered include sensation and perception, attention, the representation of knowledge, memory, the nature and development of expertise, mental imagery, problem solving, creativity, language and reading, and individual differences. The course will have an applied focus where theories of how we represent and process information will be used to help solve real world problems in diverse areas such as education, medicine, sports, and law. Another focus will be to have students develop their understanding of the types of questions that cognitive psychologists ask and how they answer those questions; this will be developed through reading primary literature, in class demonstrations, and individual and/or group experiments and/or presentations. Offered every other year. P: PY 111. 3 credits