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Graduate Courses in Psychology (PSY)

All Graduate Psychology Course Syllabi.

5381 Special Topics (3-0). Selected topics in psychology. (May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.) Course meets concurrently with Psychology 4381 but requires additional readings, papers, discussions, and/or presentations for graduate students.
Prerequisite: Permission of graduate advisor and dean.

6302 Core Concepts in Psychological Science (3-0). A survey of the major areas of psychological science. Core topics include human social behavior, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, learning, memory, human development, biological influences, and research methods. Related topics may include sensation, perception, states of consciousness, thinking, intelligence, decision-making, language, motivation, emotion, stress and health, cross-cultural psychology, animal behavior, and applied psychology.

6303 Social Psychology (3-0). A study of the development and modification of human interaction, including topics such as social motives, social influence, aggression, attraction, attitudes, and group processes.

6304 Applied Child and Adolescent Development (3-0). This course will cover child and adolescent development with a focus on applying developmental theories and research to practical issues relating to children and adolescents in various settings.

6306 Advanced Abnormal Psychology (3-0). An advanced study of normal versus abnormal behavior and examining the principles of dysfunction and distress in human behavior. In addition, the course will survey biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors associated with behavioral pathologies across the life-span.

6307 Psychopathology (3-0). This course examines social, psychological, and biological factors that contribute to psychological disorders across the life-span. Emphasis will be placed on integrating scientific literature, theories, and current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in applications of identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological disorders. In addition, the course will present basic knowledge of psychopharmacological medications.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6306.

6308 Applications of Psychopathology (3-0). This course provides an exploration of the nature and application of psychopathology, or mental illness, across a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. Current conceptualization of psychopathology as well as theory and research on best practices in working with a variety of psychological disorders will be examined. Applications in education and social service fields, as well as private settings involving caretakers and parents will also be addressed.

6309 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (3-0). A study of clinical application of cognitive-behavioral therapies, techniques and interventions to a wide range of mental and emotional problems. The course will also examine some brief therapy approaches and techniques.

6310 Cognition and Emotion (3-0). This course will examine the science of affective and cognitive bases of human behavior and their interaction in areas of attention, memory, language, emotion, emotion regulation, decision making, problem solving, and social cognition.

6311 Theories of Personality (3-0). An in-depth review of the major contemporary theories of human personality and the empirical research related to each. Applications are made about the role of personality in a variety of contexts.

6313 Introduction to Statistical Analysis (3-0). This course is an introduction to graduate statistics. The focus of this course includes instruction on t-tests, univariate analyses, and correlational analyses.

6314 Research Methods (3-0). An in-depth treatment of non-experimental, quasi-experimental, and true experimental (or randomized) designs focusing on advantages and disadvantages of each. Special emphasis is placed on how the various research designs are related to generalized causal inference and the common misinterpretations connected with these inferences and associated statistical analyses.

6315 Marriage and Family Psychotherapy (3-0). Examination of current issues, theories, and therapeutic techniques in the field of marriage and family counseling.

6316 Comparative Psychology (3-0). The course is an introduction to comparative behavior between human and non-human animals with a consideration for the conservation of behavior across species. The focus will be on comparative psychological behaviors, biological behaviors, and the techniques used to study them.

6317 Evolutionary Psychology (3-0). This course is a preliminary study of the principles of evolutionary psychology. Focus will be given to natural and sexual selection, the role of adaptation, and other evolutionary specific psychological mechanisms.

6319 History and Systems of Psychology (3-0). A comparative and critical study of the major philosophical theories and historical origins of psychology. This course will include a review of the history of psychology from various perspectives of psychology and philosophical systems.

6321 Assessment of Intelligence and Achievement (3-0). A study of standardized individual measures of intelligence and achievement. While primary emphasis is placed on the administration, scoring and interpretation of the Wechsler scales of intelligence and achievement, students will be exposed to several other measures of intelligence and achievement for adults, adolescents and children. Clinical interviewing and report writing are also emphasized.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6322.

6322 Psychological Assessment (3-0). This course provides an overview of psychometric theory including test construction, reliability, and validity. Students will learn how to select widely-used norm-referenced and culturally appropriate psychological tests. Students will gain experience in test construction, conducting interviews, behavioral observations, writing reports, and assessing adaptive functioning.

6323 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy (3-0). Exploration of the major theories of individual and group counseling and psychotherapy. The empirical support for common therapeutic factors will also be examined. The focus will be on gaining an understanding of the principles of each theory and evaluating empirical support for each perspective.

6324 Group Psychotherapy (3-0). Review of the major theories and techniques of group counseling. Pre-practicum application of selected group counseling methods.

6325 Counseling and Psychotherapy Methods and Techniques (3-0). Knowledge and application of conceptual and practical skills needed for individual and group counseling. Emphasis is placed on working within an evidence-based treatment model of selecting and applying interventions. Designed to prepare students for practicum.

6326 Multicultural Counseling and Psychology (3-0). A descriptive and comparative analysis of classical counseling theories as they apply to ethnic and cultural diversity. An exploration of nontraditional counseling techniques for individuals of different racial, cultural, or socioeconomic status.

6327 Therapy With Children and Adolescents (3-0). A study of clinical interventions which integrates multicultural and relational approaches in therapy with children and adolescents. Emphasis is placed on translating conceptualizations of client’s problems into specific treatment plans and interventions. The course examines various disorders including depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity, eating disorders, and conduct disorders.

6328 Ethics and Law in the Counseling Psychology (3-0). This course will examine ethics and the law for the licensed professional counselor. Particular areas of focus will include current board rule, records management, business and family law, criminal law, competency, adult and child protective services, expert testimony, and courtroom decorum. In addition, legal aspects of evaluation, consultation, professional recommendations, fiduciary relationships, and liability will be examined.

6329 Professional Orientation to Counseling Psychology (3-0). An introduction to the counseling psychology profession including specialty areas. This course introduces students to the role and function of psychologists, counselors, and related professions in various areas of practice. The history of counseling psychology, professional goals and objectives, ethical standards, legal issues, professional trends, professional associations, credentialing, and the academic preparation of counselors are covered.

6330 Applied Economic Psychology (3-0). A study of how psychological principles, knowledge, and research methods are used to address a wide range of economic behavior, solve practical economic problems and inform public policy.

6332 Social Perception (3-0). Using the social psychological perspective, this course is a study of how people perceive, relate, and interact with others in their social environment.

6333 Applications of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3-0). Industrial/Organizational psychology applies psychological principles to organizations and work. This course, designed for non-Industrial/Organizational psychology students, has an applied focus, intended to describe what I/O psychology is and how it applies to people in a variety of different fields of work. Many topics important to I/O psychology will be covered, including personnel selection, legal issues in employment, employee motivation, job satisfaction, and leadership.

6334 Environmental Psychology (3-0). A review of research and theory on transactions between people and physical environments emphasizing adaptation, opportunities for goal-directed action, and sociocultural processes. Topics include human territoriality, personal space, crowding, environmental stressors, and person-environment perspectives of social interaction and group processes.

6335 Health and Wellness Psychology (3-0). The application of psychology to the prevention and treatment of illness using a biopsychosocial perspective. Topics include stress and its management, pain and its management, epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and cancer, alternative methods of healing, exercise and applied clinical nutrition.

6336 Psychopharmacology (3-0). A study of substances of abuse and common intervention strategies for substance dependency. Emphasis will be placed on understanding biological and psychological underpinnings.

6337 Forensic Psychology (3-0). A study of the interface between psychology and the legal system, including the contribution of psychology to legal topics and legal standards. Selected topics include psychological assessment, psychopathology, competency to stand trial, insanity, civil commitment, and the impact of legal standards and ethical considerations on psychological practice.

6338 Educational Psychology (3-0). An overview of the field of educational psychology, focusing on cognitive, social, and motivational aspects of efficient learning in a variety of settings, such as the workplace and the classroom. Special emphasis is given to interventions that enhance cognitions, effortful task engagement, and the environmental contexts in which learning takes place.

6339 Applications of Psychological Research (3-0). This course is designed to be an examination and application of current literature related to selected topics in applied psychology. Each topic will include an applied component that may include a practical or social issue which could be addressed by psychologists using empirical methods, proposing innovative problem solving techniques, or by using some application of social science research.

6340 Sport Psychology (3-0). A study of the psychological factors that influence athletes in individual and team sports, with an applied focus and an emphasis on achieving optimal levels of performance. Topics are divided into three sections: techniques for enhancing individual performance, interventions that reduce the athletes’ inhibitions, and strategies for improving the performance of teams.

6341 Advanced Learning (3-0). A detailed study of current perspectives of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, social learning, and biological constraints on learning. Emphasis is on theoretical approaches to these types of learning.

6342 Neuroscience I (3-0). This course is a preliminary exploration of the principles of neuroscience and how they relate to behavior. Emphasis will be placed on the cellular and chemical basis of neural activity and how this activity is reflected in normal and abnormal behavior.

6343 Employee Assistance Counseling (3-0). A study of counseling techniques within the context of Employee Assistance (EA) programs. Topics include EA careers and professional affiliations, the range of EA services in the workplace, intervention techniques, and ethics and codes of conduct. Issues in mental health counseling include substance abuse, emotional distress, health care concerns, financial and legal concerns, interpersonal conflict resolution, workplace safety concerns, and adjustment to major life events such as births, accidents, and deaths.

6344 Addictions Counseling (3-0). A study of the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors related to etiology and course of substancerelated and addictive disorders, including substances, gambling, eating, and sexual addictions. The course will also focus on theoretical and evidencedbased practices for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of substancerelated and addictive disorders.

6345 Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology (3-0). Involves the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the most widely used objective assessment measures of personality, with emphasis on the MMPI-2.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6322.

6346 Psychology of Creativity (3-0). Creativity involves the generation of an idea that is both novel and valued, and it is critical to aspects of our lives, ranging from mundane (e.g., solving personal and interpersonal problems) to profound (creating works of art, making scientific discoveries). As the world changes in complexity, creativity becomes increasingly one of the most important personal and business strategies for survival and success. This class will examine psychological theories and research focusing on creative thinking and accomplishment. Students will also develop techniques and skills for innovation and effective problem-solving applied to real life issues.

6347 Developmental Psychology (3-0). A course that will study the various levels of life span in human beings. An integrated approach involving genetics and environmental factors will be used to assess each stage of development.

6349 Occupational Health Psychology (3-0). The purpose of this course is to review the research literature in occupational health psychology (OHP). Topics covered in the course include examinations of the history and theoretical underpinnings of OPH as an emergent field, examinations of research and methodological issues in the study of OPH. This includes examinations of stress in the workplace and various outcomes in terms of employee health, wellness, and chronic illness. The course will conclude with an examination of violence, aggression, and mistreatment in the workplace as well as an examination of evaluation of wellness interventions and efficacious OHP practices in the workplace.

6350 Organizational Psychology (3-0). The study of human behavior in organizations, primarily at the group level. Topics include values and attitudes such as job satisfaction, personality at work, group behavior, teams, leadership, organizational structure and theory, organizational culture and climate, and conflict.

6351 A Survey of Vocational Psychology (3-0). A course designed to analyze vocational theory and career development and explore principles related to vocational decision making. Selected vocational assessment batteries will be used to help students gain familiarity with vocational tests.

6352 Personnel Selection (3-0). A review of techniques and strategies for effectively matching individuals with organizations. Topics include job analysis, the measurement of individual differences, strategies for making selection decisions, legal issues related to selection, and an evaluation of common selection tools such as interviews and ability tests.

6353 Theory and Techniques of Consultation (3-0). An examination of the consultation process, including the role of the consultant, stages in consultation, the development of consulting skills, and political/ethical issues.

6356 Performance Evaluation (3-0). A focused exploration of performance evaluation in organizations. Emphasis will be placed on performance evaluation theory and techniques.

6357 Motivation, Emotion, and Stress (3-0). A detailed analysis of current theory in motivation, emotion, and stress as they relate to the modern workplace. Emphasis will be placed on theoretical knowledge, measurement, and applications of these topics using current literature in the field.

6360 Leadership (3-0). This course will familiarize the student with the content domain of leadership including theories, research, problems, and controversies. Fundamental issues of description, identification, conceptualization, and measurement will be addressed. Both historical and contemporary views of leadership in organizations will be investigated.

6361 Teaching of Psychology (3-0). A course designed for students who have a strong interest in pursuing careers involving the teaching of psychology. Emphasis will be placed on the preparation and presentation of course content across multiple formats, empirically supported pedagogy, and evaluation of student achievement.

6362 Basic Experimental Methodology (3-0). This course will involve a focused treatment of basic methodological skills and knowledge pertaining to I-O psychology, including internal/external validity, sampling theory, scale construction and validation, and basic consultation skills regarding these issues.

6365 Experimental Research Development (3-0). A course designed to develop students’ research ideas and methodology. Research topics to be explored will be former research proposals, former literature reviews, or new research hypotheses generated by the students.

6366 Multivariate Design and Analysis (3-0). This course examines the design and analysis of research involving more than one dependent variable. Topics will include Multiple Regression, MANOVA (Multiple Analysis of Variance) and Factor Analysis.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6364.

6367 Psychology Lab (2-2-0). A course designed to develop student research agendas in a laboratory setting. Students will be expected to spend several hours developing and conducting research in a laboratory each week.

6368 Neuroscience II (3-0). This course is an in-depth exploration of the cellular and chemical basis of behavior. Emphasis will be placed on neuro-development, ionotropic, and metabotropic communication and the relationship of these processes to normal and abnormal behavior.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6342.

6370 Cognitive Psychology (3-0). A course designed to introduce students to advanced cognitive psychology. Emphasis will be on cognitive neuropsychology, decision making, memory, and bicultural studies.

6371, 6671 Practicum in Counseling Psychology. Students may complete up to nine credit hours of supervised practical experience in applying the techniques of psychological appraisal and counseling. Each three credit hours requires 150 clock hours in a supervised practicum setting. (Psychology 6371 may be repeated twice, but the total practicum credits may not exceed nine.)
Prerequisites 6371: Students must have completed 24 credits of graduate level psychology courses, 21 hours of which must include Psychology 6306, 6307, 6309, 6323, 6324, 6325, and 6329.
Prerequisite 6671: Psychology 6371.

6372, 6672 Practicum in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Six semester hours of supervised practice in applying psychological skills in organized settings. (Psychology 6372 may be repeated once).

6373 Ethics in Research (3-0). This course will cover several different aspects of ethics in research. Topics include an exploration of issues relating to the scientific process, and a discussion of responsible conduct in difficult ethical dilemmas.

6374 Psychological Trauma (3-0). This course is designed to introduce students to the psychology of trauma. Students will study research that examines the effects of trauma from a physiological and psychological standpoint, learn diagnostic and assessment procedures, and analyze empirically based therapeutic approaches to working with trauma survivors. The course will also address issues of multicultural competence when working with specific trauma populations.

6375 Science of Brain Health (3-0). This course aims to explore the impact that lifestyle factors have on our brain and on humans as a whole (in both diseased and non-diseased persons). With this in mind, the course begins through exploring Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and then considers how various factors (diet, exercise, stress, sleep) can impact neurological functioning and behavior.

6376 Psychology of Gender (3-0). The course will explore how gender differences manifest themselves in all aspects of people’s lives, including lifespan development, relationships, media, violence, work, and mental health, emphasizing psychological concepts rather then biological sex. Students will learn to think critically about gender issues as they are discussed and portrayed in academic and popular media.

6377 Training and Development (3-0). A focused exploration of training in organizations. Emphasis will be placed on needs assessments, training theory, training planning and design, and training evaluation.

6380 Qualitative Research Methods (3-0). The course focuses on introducing five qualitative research perspectives through readings, analysis, class discussions, and application as a valid means of conducting research. The goal of the course is to provide students with basic understandings about qualitative research (what it is, why it is used, limitations and benefits), its philosophical underpinnings and associated assumptions, and different types of research methods and analytic techniques that fall under the qualitative umbrella.

6381 Special Topics (3-0). A course dealing with selected topics in psychology. (May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.)

6391 Research. A specialized course of individual research or directed reading. (May be repeated once for credit.)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

6399 Thesis. A total of six semester hours are required for thesis credit. Students have the option of enrolling in either PSY 6399 (twice) or PSY 6699 once to fulfill the six semester hour thesis requirement. (This course may be repeated once for credit.)
Prerequisite: Psychology 6313 or 6314.

6699 Thesis. A total of six semester hours are required for thesis credit. Students have the option of enrolling in either PSY 6399 (twice) or PSY 6699 once to fulfill the six semester hour thesis requirement.
Prerequisite: Psychology 6313 or 6314.

7104 Internship in Professional Psychology. A one-year, full-time supervised clinical internship in professional psychology. Need to enroll each semester. A total of three semester hours are required. Grading will be either pass or fail.
Prerequisite: Completion of comprehensive exams.

7301 Supervision, Consultation, and Interprofessional Communication in Psychology (3-0). This course is designed to develop knowledge and skills required for professional and ethical supervision, consultation, and interprofessional communication for professionals in psychology.

7302 Supervised Practicum in Counseling Psychology (3-0). Supervised practicum in a clinical setting. Grading will be either pass or fail.
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 24 credits of graduate level psychology courses, 21 hours of which must include Psychology 6306, 6307, 6309, 6323, 6324, 6325, and 6329.

7303 Dissertation. Identify and select a relevant topic that seeks to advance the practice and science of the counseling psychology profession and is based on the program’s practitioner-scientist model. Students will enroll in dissertation each semester for four semesters, totaling twelve semester credit hours. Grading will be either pass or fail.
Prerequisites: Completion of all comprehensive exams and no more than 18 hours of required coursework remains.