Psychology major

PSY101 Psychology of Human Relations  (Course offered online)

Credits 3Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W; each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.

Psychology of Human Relations is the study of psychology from a living or personal point of view with emphasis on practical application. Attention is given to individual and group dynamics with focus on feelings and attitudes in relation to family, work and day-to-day experiences. The course includes an overview of topics including self-concept, perception, self-awareness, personality, values and communications in resolving interpersonal conflicts.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Apply basic terminology and concepts of human relations to everyday life and social situations
2. Communicate effectively with diverse others in their personal and professional lives
3. Demonstrate an enhanced awareness of self and others
4. Recognize and evaluate how variables such as gender and culture affect the communication process
5. Share personal ideas, attitudes and values regarding human relations, the world of work, family and self

PSY151 Introduction to the Social Sciences

Credits 3Summer/Winter

Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W; and MTH020; each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.

This course offers an overview of the social sciences and specific examination of the key points, issues and concepts of each. It will include an historical development of the modern social sciences, as well as, a current, state-of the art perspective. A general functional description of the modern social scientific method as it is applied to the social sciences will be explored. The social science disciplines included in this course are anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Describe the scientific methods and list the steps to the scientific process
2. Discuss how the key interweaving feature of the social science, human behavior, is examined, observed and manipulated.
3. Discuss the application of the scientific method to the general area of social sciences. Be able to differentiate between the social sciences and the natural sciences.
4. Explain how the various social sciences are related, differentiate each social science’s domain and discuss in general how this social science conducts it scientific enterprise.
5. List the various areas of study within the social sciences and define and discuss each of these specific areas.

PSY201 General Psychology  (Course offered online)

Credits 4Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W; each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.

This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of information pertaining to the following topics: the history of psychology, the scientific methods, the physiological and biological basis of behavior, sensory processes, perception, consciousness, human development, learning, memory, language and cognition and related topics. Current trends are discussed and an emphasis is placed on practical application of the information for understanding behavior.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Describe and explain the basic method of the scientific study of psychology including observation clinicalmethodology and experimentation
2. Describe and explain the definition of psychology, the general history of psychology and distinguish betweenpsychologists and psychiatrists
3. Describe several aspects of memory and factors that affect how it works
4. Describe various theories and concepts associated with language and cognitive development
5. Explain how to correlate perceptual phenomena to sensory processes and to place these into the context of how weorganize our experiences of the perceptual world
6. Identify and explain the basic principles and assumptions of the scientific approach
7. Identify and explain the basic theories of development and basic genetic principles including the work of Piaget,Freud and Erikson
8. Identify the phenomena of altered states of consciousness (e.g., characteristics of drug states, sleep and dreaming) and to apply this understanding to related problems in these areas
9. Identify the primary structures of the nervous system to explain how they are related to specific behaviors
10. Identify, describe and explain the various aspects of classical and operant conditioning and evaluate some of theapplications of each

PSY202 General Psychology  (Course offered online)

Credits 4Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of information pertaining to the following topics: emotions, motivation, intelligence, personality theory and assessment, health and stress, abnormal psychology, therapy and social psychology. Current trends are discussed and an emphasis is placed on practical application of the information for understanding behavior.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Apply principles of social psychological issues involved in attitude change, attribution theory, conformityand interpersonal attraction to everyday life experiences
2. Describe basic terminology and concepts associated with the major theories of intelligence
3. Describe basic terminology and concepts of each of the major personality theories
4. Describe different types of stressors and how these factors affect coping and health
5. Describe how personality is assessed
6. Describe the major forces that shape human personality
7. Explain and describe several psychological disorders and treatments used to help those with disorders
8. Explain how different personality theories might account for a specific personality
9. Identify and explain different theories of emotion
10. Identify and explain factors related to human motivation

PSY214 Introduction to Personality  (Cultural Literacy course)

Credits 4Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201; or equivalent.

This course consists of an overview of basic personality theories within the framework of the four dominant philosophies of human behavior, i.e., psychoanalysis, humanism and cognitive psychology. Attention is given to the origin and development of personality, particularly as it pertains to healthy adjustment.

This course fulfills: Cultural Literacy; Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Apply basic terminology and concepts of each of the major personality theories
2. Describe the major forces that shape human personality
3. Evaluate the influences of societal, cultural and historical contexts upon the formation of personality theories
4. Explain how different personality theories might account for specific personality

PSY216 Social Psychology

Credits 3Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

Social Psychology involves the scientific study of the behavior of the individual within the context of a social setting. The course explores the significant variables that influence the social responses of the individual. Topics include attitude formation and change, social perception, persuasion and social influence, pro-social behavior and group decision-making and other relevant topics.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Define and describe the core topical areas of traditional study in social psychology
2. Explain the major theories involved in social psychology
3. Explain the scientific method as applied to the study of social behavior
4. Identify and evaluate the significant variables that influence behavior within a variety of social contexts

PSY231 Human Sexuality

Credits 3Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

The focus of this course is on the psychological and physiological aspects of human sexuality. Study includes male and female sexual physiology and functioning, sexual behavior patterns, sexual dysfunctions and therapy, sexual development, atypical behavior, relational enhancement and a variety of other topics. Information and discussion aims for an open and nonjudgmental level of understanding.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Describe human sexual development
2. Describe the human sexual response and the various theoretical explanations of this behavior
3. Evaluate and describe the processes of gender identification, sexual differentiation and sexual object choice determination
4. Identify and describe the various sexual dysfunctions, paraphilias and atypical sexual behavior and describe the current treatment of each
5. Identify and evaluate the various aspects of sexual relationships
6. Identify the sexual anatomy of both males and females
7. Identify the various sexual diseases and the current treatment of each

PSY232 Sexuality and Society  (Course offered online)  (Cultural Literacy course)

Credits 3Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

The primary emphasis of Sexuality and Society is on the psychosocial interactions involved in our sexual behavior. The formation of social behavior culturally and cross culturally, is examined as they pertain to the psychology of sexuality. Various issues having both a sexual and social basis are examined.

This course fulfills: Cultural Literacy; Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Describe and evaluate attitudes formation, attributation and cognitive balance theories
2. Describe and evaluate Freudian theory, Erickson's developmental theory and other contemporary theories of sexualdevelopment
3. Describe and evaluate the social issue of abortion, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography and child sexual abuse
4. Describe the development of gender identity and gender roles and discuss the variations from the normaldevelopment
5. Describe the psychological and sociological aspects of sexual behavior with emphasis on cultural and cross-culturalbehavior
6. Identify and describe the legal variations of sexual and moral laws from a historical and current perspective (focusingprimarily on the U.S. society)
7. Identify the variety of contemporary sexual attitudes and behavioral practices from a historical and current perspective within U.S. society

PSY235 Human Development I: Prenatal - Late Childhood

Credits 3Fall

This course identifies major theories of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional human development from conception through late childhood. Characteristics of each developmental stage are emphasized. Major research issues relating to developmental stages are discussed.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate the value of various theories as they related to appropriate educational and/or human service outcomes
2. Demonstrate familiarity with individual physical, cognitive and socio-emotional developmental abilities
3. Describe characteristic behaviors of each major developmental stage and their relevance for human service work
4. Describe the developmental stages from conception through late childhood in biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains
5. Identify major contemporary theories which related to developmental stages in prenatal, early childhood and late childhood growth
6. Identify major research issues which relate to infant, early childhood and late childhood issues

PSY236 Human Development II: Adolescence - Death

Credits 3Winter

Second term of a two-term sequence, this course identifies major theories of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional human development from adolescence through death. Characteristics of each developmental stage are emphasized. Major research issues relating to developmental stages are discussed.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate the value of various theories as they relate to appropriate educational and/or human service outcomes
2. Demonstrate familiarity with individual physical, cognitive and socio-emotional developmental abilities
3. Describe characteristic behaviors of each major developmental stage and their relevance for human service work
4. Describe the developmental stages from adolescence through late adulthood in biological, cognitive and socio-emotional
5. Identify major contemporary theories which relate to developmental stages in adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood
6. Identify major research issues which relate to developmental stages in adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood

PSY237 Human Development  (Course offered online)

Credits 4Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

This course is a descriptive and theoretical examination of the developmental process of human life from conception to death. Emphasis is placed on integrating the variables of influence that contribute and direct the sequential aspects of development. Classic to contemporary developmental approaches are presented and studied. It is required upon beginning this class that the student have a thorough understanding of the concepts and theories presented in PSY201 General Psychology.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Describe and evaluate the nature and procedures of developmental research, with an appreciation of the ethicalstandards
2. Describe and explain the classic processes of the observation method, the clinical method and the experimentalmethod
3. Describe the biological foundations of development including the genetic concepts, environmental influences andresultant interaction of these two major classes of variables
4. Describe the major aspects of development from conception to death with a comprehension of the significantnegative and positive influences and outcomes
5. Explain and describe the classic theoretical approaches to development, including behavioral, humanistic, cognitive,ethnological and psychoanalytic. Apply the interactive perspective to the various key issues in development.

PSY239 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology  (Course offered online)

Credits 4Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring

Registration Requirement: PSY201.

This is an introduction to mental disorders and diagnosis with an overview of major treatment strategies. Subjects covered include a historical overview of mental disturbance, community psychology, the current Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM) and the social impact of mental disorder on modern society. Specific disorders include anxiety disorders, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, affective disorders, substance use disorders, suicide, schizophrenia and organic brain disorder.

This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science

View Course Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic terminology and concepts of each of the major theories of the cause of mentaldisorders
2. Describe the main features of the prominent therapies and treatments for various disorders
3. Discuss the controversies surrounding medication, institutionalization, community services, diagnosis and legalissues to the field
4. Identify and recognize the primary symptoms of the major mental disorders