Course Descriptions

This course introduces students to psychological principles, theories, and research. Students learn about how the field evolved and how the scientific method applies to the study of mind, brain, and behavior. This course includes an overview of relationships between environmental, biological, and developmental factors in how humans think, feel, and behave. Topics include cognition, personality, emotion, psychological disorders and treatment, brain and behavior, and social psychology. Course activities include lectures, reading assignments, class discussions, writing, and other activities that promote learning either in the classroom or online. 

Students examine the basic facts and principles of psychology. As a course in the Honors Program, this is a writing-intensive course. Students will read from several classic research reports and consider the influence of trauma and other environmental influences on development, personality and behavior. Enrollment is restricted to Honors Program students, or instructor’s permission.

This course provides a fundamental understanding of how biological processes relate to human behavior. 

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This course examines the scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.  

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This course examines historical and contemporary theories of personality, drawing links to biographical and societal influences on the theories, discussing current research, and highlighting applications to adult life.  

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

Students examine common behavioral science statistical techniques such as frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, variability, correlation and tests of significance including t-tests and ANOVA. Additional topics may include regression, multifactorial statistics and effect sizes. In addition, students will practice analyzing datasets using statistical software and interpreting the output in context of research.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 or SOCI 1311; MATH 1304 or MATH 2303 or permission of instructor.

This course introduces research concepts relevant to the scientific evaluation of claims and emphasizes how to think and write scientifically within the behavioral and social sciences. The course provides students with an overview of sampling and the major methods in behavioral and social science research, including descriptive, correlational, and experimental. Scientific thinking skills, the ethical context of research and American Psychological Association publication style will be emphasized. This is a writing intensive course.

Cross-listed with SOCI 3384. 

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 or SOCI 1311

Students examine the historical antecedents of psychology, including the origins of the various perspectives and schools of thought offered in psychology. 

Prerequisites: PSYC 1301, 9 credit hours of PSYC, and senior status.

This course examines the physiological, cognitive, and social factors relevant to human development across the lifespan, from prenatal development through death. At the end of this course, students should have general knowledge of general developmental theories and developmental milestones as related to pregnancy and prenatal development, infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, elderhood, death, dying and bereavement.  

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 

This course examines the continuity of human development from conception through adolescence. The interrelationship among the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains of development is explored at the various stages of child development: Prenatal, Infancy and Toddlerhood, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Adolescence. Upon successful completion of the course the student will have an understanding of the basic concepts, theories, and research methodology that contribute to the understanding of Child and Adolescent Development.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This course examines the biological, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of human behavior and abilities that occur from young adulthood through late adulthood.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

In this course, students will be introduced to principles of community psychology, systems theory, various types of prevention, resiliency and environmental interventions used in community psychology. Problems like teen pregnancy, homelessness and drug abuse/dependence are examined through a service learning assignment and considered within an ecological perspective and social justice framework. This course meets the Texas Certification Board of Addition Professionals' prerequisites for certification as a 'Certified Prevention Specialist' by providing the student with half of the 100 hours of prevention training.  

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 3351 or PSYC 3385, or permission of the instructor.

This course examines individual behavior and attitudes as influenced by other individuals and groups. It considers issues such as conformity, attitude formation and change, attraction, aggression, prejudice, and altruism.

Cross-referenced as PSYC/SOCI 3351

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 or SOCI 1311

Students survey how psychological theory applies in multicultural contexts and they examine professional and social issues of psychology, including ethics and public policy. This is a writing-intensive course. May be taken as a CLST elective.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This course examines cultural influences on psychological constructs including social behavior, human development, emotional expressiveness, and mental health across at least two cultures. The course requires faculty-led study abroad to allow students to experience firsthand interactions and cultural practices in another country. The class can be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This course provides an understanding of how perception relates to behavior and daily life, including a focus on research concerning sensory and perceptual capabilities. Major topics include physiology, methodology, audition, vision, perceptual dimensions, space, motion, and topics in applied perception.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 2380

Students examine interventions for youth at-risk. Teenage pregnancy, violence, dropping out of school, depression, and substance abuse are presented in terms of understanding, and strategies for helping at home, school and residential settings. Anxiety, child abuse, fears, and anger solutions also are presented. Strategies of problem-solving and self-worth building are among the skills that will be learned.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301, PSYC 2370 and PSYC 3331

Students survey the various psychological techniques used to facilitate positive changes in an individual's personality, behavior, or adjustment. Students also explore group therapies.

This course examines basic learning theory that allows humans and non-humans to acquire new information and adapt to environmental demands. This course will examine the various theoretical models including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social/observational learning that contribute to relatively permanent changes in behavior.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 3384

This course focuses on the sensory systems and potential responses by the neurological and endocrine systems to incoming sensation. Biological bases of behavior will be examined (e.g., emotional responses, general arousal, anxiety, sexual behaviors, memory, states of consciousness, mental illness, and neurological disorders).

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 2380

This course examines theories and research involving social development from infancy to adolescence. Students will explore temperament, identity, gender, attachment, family, and social interactions. Topics will include cultural influences and biological underpinnings when appropriate. As a senior level advanced seminar, students will participate in group discussion and complete either a presentation or paper on research and social policy.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and (PSYC 2356 or PSYC 2370)

Students explore the theories and concepts of social cognition, a subspecialty of social psychology. Topics may include social categorization and stereotyping, attribution theory, social memory, social judgment, implicit attitudes, and the interplay of affect and cognition.

This course in an educationally directed program under the supervision of faculty and agency professionals, offering an opportunity to acquire skills through experience, and to apply skills acquired in the classroom. It requires a minimum of 100 field hours. May be repeated once, for a total of 6 semester hours.

Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and either PSYC 3331 or PSYC 3385.

Students gain an understanding of the process of thinking, knowing, problem-solving, and mentally processing information. Students examine the mental system for receiving, storing, organizing, altering, and recovering information.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 3384

This course will discuss the methodological and statistical procedures involved in the construction of tests. Students will examine the theoretical approaches, ethical issues and procedures of testing, including reliability, validity, standardization, intelligence, educational assessment, personality assessment, neuropsychological assessment and clinical approaches. 

Prerequisite: PSYC 3381/SOCI 3381or PSYC 3384/SOCI 3384 and PSYC 3387

This course provides students advanced training in statistics, combining statistical theory with the practical application of statistical analysis in using statistical software. The focus will be on application of statistics, including choosing the appropriate analysis technique to address a research question, managing and manipulating data in spreadsheet format, running the analysis using statistical software, interpreting the results of the statistical analysis in terms of the original research question, and reporting those results and interpretations using appropriate statistical language. Topics to be covered include regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), factorial designs, general linear model (GLM) and an introduction to multivariate statistics. Additional topics may include other forms of ANOVA (e.g., repeated measures) and regression (e.g., logistic). 

Prerequisite: PSYC 3381/SOCI 3381or PSYC 3384/SOCI 3384 and PSYC 3387

This course offers students an opportunity to conduct research under a professor’s supervision. Instructor permission required.

This internship course requires 120 clock hours of internship in a substance use disorders treatment program and a criminal justice program. The course includes a comprehensive exploration of substance use prevention and treatment, criminal justice, and psychology ethics. At least 50 hours of the internship are allotted to: Planning and Evaluation (at least 10 hours), Education and Skill Development (at least 10 hours), Community Organization (at least 10 hours), Public and Organizational Policy (at least 10 hours), and Professional Growth and Responsibility (at least 10 hours). This course also requires completion of research that meets a need at the internship site. This course is an elective and also an Advanced Course in Psychology. This course is a required course for Psychology majors completing the Addiction Prevention concentration, and must be taken twice for 8 credit hours total. This course meets the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals' prerequisites for certification as a 'Certified Prevention Specialist' by providing the student with 120 clock hours of internship in substance use prevention. This course is an elective course for the Criminal Justice major. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors. Instructor's permission/signature is required for registration. Students from allied health professions may email the instructor to request permission to enroll.

Cross Listed Courses: CRJU 4490

Students build the foundation for understanding substance use and substance use disorders (SU/SUD), the risks and consequences of SU/SUD, and the effects that SU/SUD have on the individual and society. Students explore the biological aspects of SU/SUD including the psychopharmacological aspects of various chemical compounds that make up both legal and illegal substance use. Students also focus on national patterns of use and how these influence society. Special attention is given to criminalization (e.g. drug identification and laws and dealing with offenders) and decriminalization of controlled substances (e.g. community treatment, prevention, and other interventions).  

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301. Students from allied health professions may email the instructor to request permission to enroll. 

In this course, students will be introduced to principles of community psychology, systems theory, various types of prevention, resiliency, and environmental interventions used in community psychology. Problems like teen pregnancy, homelessness, and drug abuse/dependence are examined through a service learning assignment, and considered within an ecological perspective and social justice framework. This course meets the Texas Certification Board of Addition Professionals' prerequisites for certification as a 'Certified Prevention Specialist' by providing the student with half of the 100 hours of prevention training.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

In this four-credit course, students explore prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Students learn how interventions include collaboration with policy makers and community change strategies as well as medical and psychological treatments targeting the person, and how these are all integrated into a comprehensive community approach to reduce drug addiction. Substantial service learning is a required part of this course (approximately 20 hours). This course can be taken as a PSYC elective. This course is a required course for Psychology majors completing the Addiction Prevention concentration, and meets the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals' prerequisites for certification as a 'Certified Prevention Specialist’ by providing the student with half of the 100 required hours in substance use prevention training. Students from allied health professions may email the instructor to request permission to enroll. 

Prerequisite: PSYC 1301

This internship course requires 120 clock hours of internship in a substance use disorders treatment program and a criminal justice program. The course includes a comprehensive exploration of substance use prevention and treatment, criminal justice, and psychology ethics. At least 50 hours of the internship are allotted to: Planning and Evaluation (at least 10 hours), Education and Skill Development (at least 10 hours), Community Organization (at least 10 hours), Public and Organizational Policy (at least 10 hours), and Professional Growth and Responsibility (at least 10 hours). This course also requires completion of research that meets a need at the internship site. This course is an elective and also an Advanced Course in Psychology. This course is a required course for Psychology majors completing the Addiction Prevention concentration, and must be taken twice for 8 credit hours total. This course meets the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals' prerequisites for certification as a 'Certified Prevention Specialist' by providing the student with 120 clock hours of internship in substance use prevention. This course is an elective course for the Criminal Justice major. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors. Instructor's permission/signature is required for registration. Students from allied health professions may email the instructor to request permission to enroll.

Cross Listed Courses: CRJU 4490

Prerequisites: PSYC 1301 and PSYC 3340.

This course will discuss the methodological and statistical procedures involved in the construction of tests. Students will examine the theoretical approaches, ethical issues and procedures of testing, including reliability, validity, standardization, intelligence, educational assessment, personality assessment, neuropsychological assessment and clinical approaches.

Prerequisite: PSYC 3381/SOCI 3381 or PSYC 3384/SOCI 3384 and PSYC 3387

This course provides students advanced training in statistics, combining statistical theory with the practical application of statistical analysis in using statistical software. The focus will be on application of statistics to including choosing the appropriate analysis technique to address a research question, managing and manipulating data in spreadsheet format, running the analysis using statistical software, interpreting the results of the statistical analysis in terms of the original research question, and reporting those results and interpretations using appropriate statistical language. Topics to be covered include regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), factorial designs, general linear model (GLM) and an introduction to multivariate statistics. Additional topics may include other forms of ANOVA (e.g., repeated measures) and regression (e.g., logistic).

Prerequisite: PSYC 3381/SOCI 3381 or PSYC 3384/SOCI 3384 and PSYC 3387