Description
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It differs from other fields that are concerned with the human condition in that it uses the scientific method. Psychologists attempt to understand the workings of individuals, animals and groups. Psychologists work in a variety of settings including universities and colleges, clinics and hospitals, business and industry, government agencies, law enforcement and the military. Psychology can be an academic or research discipline or an applied science.
The Psychology Department offers two majors. All psychology students are required to take a common core of courses in the foundations of psychology. The General Psychology major is for students who intend to pursue careers in psychology. Such careers usually require at least the M.A. degree for entry-level employment. The General major is designed to provide a strong foundation for graduate study.
Degree Requirements
General Psychology Major 36 Credits
Core: Topics and methods to illustrate concepts, principles, and theories in Psychology (12 credits) |
| | | cr. |
PYC 1000 | Introductory Psychology | | 3 |
STA 2250 | Statistics | | 3 |
PYC 2010 | Research Methods I | | 3 |
PYC 2020 | Research Methods II | | 3 |
Basic Processes: (6 credits)
One of the following courses with lab: |
| | | cr. |
PYC 4070 | Psychobiology (formerly Physiological Psych), and | | 3 |
PYC 4080 | Advanced Psychobiology Lab | | 3 |
or,
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| | | cr. |
PYC 4090 | Perceptual & Cognitive Processes, and | | 3 |
PYC 4100 | Advanced Perceptual & Cognitive Lab | | 3 |
or,
Developmental Psychology/Family Life: (6 credits)
|
| | | cr. |
PYC 2500 | Developmental Psychology, and | | 3 |
One of the following:
Clinical Processes: (3 credits)
Social Issues/Group Dynamics: (6 credits)
|
| | | cr. |
PYC 2600 | Social Psychology (formerly PYC 360 + 361) | | 3 |
and, one of the following:
Capstone: Integrative Experience (3 credits)
One of the following: |
| | | cr. |
PYC 4120 | History and Systems | | 3 |
PYC 4200 | Testing and Measurement | | 3 |
PYC 4910 | Research in Developmental Psychology | | 3 |
PYC 4950 | Special Projects | | 3 |
PYC 4990 | Advanced Issues in Psychology | | 3 |
MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY
The Psychology Minor program is a minimum 18 credit hour (6 course) program designed to give students broad exposure to psychology as a scientific and professional discipline. This program is relevant to students pursuing academic majors which involve working with people, ideas, and/or social and communications systems including (but not limited to) Nursing, Biology, Business, Communication Studies, Law, Philosophy, Political Science, Social Work, Counseling, Education, English, Engineering, and Religious Studies.
Beginning with introductory psychology, students in the Minor program are required to take courses from at least three of four content areas- Basic Processes, Development/Family Processes, Clinical Processes, and Social Issues/Group Dynamics.
At the end the completion of the Minor Program in psychology, students are expected to be able to: discuss the role of psychology in interdisciplinary collaborations; demonstrate appropriate breadth of knowledge in selected psychology content areas; apply their broad knowledge of psychology to formulating career choices, and; appreciate the importance of lifelong learning for professional and personal development.
Minimum Academic Standards
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1. A student must declare a Major before declaring a Psychology Minor.
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2. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in Psychology Minor courses in order to successfully complete the program.
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3. At most, six (6) credit hours within the Psychology Minor program may be counted toward degree requirements for a student's Major.
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4. Independent study courses and Capstone courses from the Psychology Major curriculum will not count toward the Minor completion.
Psychology Minor Curriculum
For the degree of “Minor in Psychology,” a student must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of Psychology courses as listed below. All students in the Psychology Minor must first take Psychology 1000.
Minimum requirements
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(i) PYC 1000-Introductory Psychology (3 cr)
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(ii) Three (3) courses, such that there is one course each from three of the four course distribution areas in the Minor curriculum. At least one of these three courses should be a junior or senior (300+) level course. (9 cr.)
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(iii) Two junior or senior (i.e. 3000+) level courses from any course distribution area in the Minor curriculum. (6 cr)
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Total number of credits: 18
Psychology Minor Course Distribution:
1. Basic Processes |
| | | cr. |
PYC 2010 | Research Methods I ((Co-req STA 225, or MTH 214 for Engineering and Science students) | | 3 |
PYC 2020 | Research Methods II (Pre-req: PYC 201) | | 3 |
PYC 4070 | Psychobiology (Pre-req. PYC 201) | | 3 |
PYC 4090 | Perceptual & Cognitive processes (Pre-requ. PYC 201) | | 3 |
PYC 4140 | Learning & Memory (Pre-req. PYC 201) | | 3 |
2. Developmental Psychology/Family Life |
| | | cr. |
PYC 2500 | Lifespan Development | | 3 |
PYC 2330 | Parent/Child Relationships | | 3 |
PYC 2340 | Infancy/Early Childhood Development | | 3 |
PYC 2360 | Middle Childhood/Adolescent Development | | 3 |
PYC 2560 | Adult Development and Aging | | 3 |
PYC 2750 | Human Sexuality | | 3 |
PYC 3510 | Family Development | | 3 |
PYC 4510 | Death and Dying | | 3 |
4. Social Issues/Group Dynamics |
| | | cr. |
PYC 2600 | Social Psychology (formerly PYC 360/361) | | 3 |
PYC 3500 | Religion & Psychology | | 3 |
PYC 3540 | Sex Differences/Sex Roles | | 3 |
PYC 3650 | Exploring Leadership | | 3 |
PYC 4400 | Cross Cultural Socialization | | 3 |
PYC 3700 | Industrial/Organizational Psychology | | 3 |
PYC 4890 | Group Dynamics | | 3 |
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