The Bachelor of Psychology curriculum makes this one of the most versatile undergraduate degrees out there. With a better understanding of core concepts, principles, and applications of general psychology—as well as specialty courses in Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, the Psychology of Personality, and more—you’ll graduate well equipped to progress to an advanced degree in a number of different fields, or enter the workforce.
OR110 - Achieving Academic Excellence
Achieve your true potential! This course will help you sharpen existing skills, build on your strengths, and discover the best ways to learn. You'll identify your learning styles, learn new behaviors to ensure college success, and maximize your learning as you complete your program of study.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Identify personal strengths and traits used to succeed in motivating and setting goals to complete higher education.
Describe the requirements for successful online learning.
Discuss the value of goal setting and time management.
Explain methods to achieve effective reading comprehension and note-taking.
Recognize effective academic writing and types of plagiarism.
Describe strategies for online testing.
Explain the role of critical thinking in problem solving.
Identify the necessary skills for successful online research.
Credit Hours: 3
C10 - Introduction to Computers
Introduction to Computers provides you with foundational skills and knowledge needed for today's technology-based careers. You'll learn the components of systems—from the CPU and memory to input devices and peripherals—and how these components interact with an operating system to perform critical tasks. Keeping current with fast-changing computer technologies, this course will discuss the computer technologies today that are allowing the creation of a virtualized mobile workforce. It will explore how computers connect to the internet, what services can be found online, and what dangers exist in the form of viruses, Trojans, and other malware. The course will also familiarize you with the basics of today's office productivity applications and help to establish a foundation for working with these different types of applications, including spreadsheets and presentation-creation tools.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Identify all of the major types of computing devices and their internal and external components.
Compile a list of the various computer operating systems that are utilized today and identify characteristics about each one.
Relate the various cloud-based technologies to the virtual and remote abilities that are utilized in a professional environment.
Describe modern office productivity suite applications.
Illustrate basic office software tasks using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Characterize the role computer networking plays in society and identify current networking technologies.
List the hardware components, software applications, and IT protocols that make the internet possible today.
Apply basic maintenance tasks on your computer to combat viruses, malware, and computing inefficiencies.
Credit Hours: 3
EN120 - English Composition I
This course offers an introduction to basic writing skills that are especially relevant to academic assignments. The course focuses on APA paragraph development and organization in conjunction with a review of basic grammar and mechanics. The course also covers basic techniques for critically editing and revising one's work.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Use appropriate style, grammar, and mechanics in writing assignments.
Compose a strong paragraph with attention to the following: topic sentences; and effective use of transitions.
Identify and use a variety of essay structures, including expository, descriptive, narrative, comparison and contrast, and persuasion/argumentative.
Organize, develop, and produce a fully developed five-paragraph essay.
Differentiate and apply correct techniques for prewriting, writing, and proofreading using a variety of styles.
Correctly apply the rules of APA for use in direct or indirect quotations and reference citations.
Credit Hours: 3
SO245 - Social Impact of Technology
This course provides an overview of technological advances over the span of human history. Topics include the interrelationship of technology and culture; ethics and morals as they relate to technological progress; energy; ecology; demography; war and politics; and the unintended consequences of globalization, including social inequality, climate change, and global warming.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Explain how technology and culture are interrelated, and outline technological advances from ancient times to the present.
Discuss different perspectives on ethics and morals as they relate to technological applications.
Explain basic concepts related to energy, including the pros and cons of nonrenewable and renewable sources of energy.
Discuss basic concepts of ecology, including the environmental challenges of global warming and climate change.
Explain basic concepts of demography, especially as they apply to population growth.
Describe how war and politics have affected nations as they adapted to advances in technologies.
Explain the origins of global inequality, including colonialism and capitalism.
Discuss different approaches to measuring the evolution of technologies, the unintended consequences of globalization, and the prospects of a paradigm shift.
Credit Hours: 3
R04 - Human Relations
In this course, you'll learn concepts and theories about communication. You'll begin by studying intrapersonal communication, or how you view and talk to yourself. You'll learn how personality and self-concept influence how you work with others. You'll also look at interpersonal communication, including concepts such as conflict and criticism, and learn how these concepts influence not only relationships but also productivity at work. Finally, you'll study leadership: what makes a "good" leader; how leadership is "good" under differing circumstances; and how a leader can create trust in group members. You'll learn about the value of networking and how to network. In addition, you'll learn about cultural differences and diversity in the workplace.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Explain strategies to improve intrapersonal and interpersonal skills
Describe how diversity and cultural differences impact the workplace
Explain the communication process as it relates to personal and digital interactions
Describe team interactions in terms of roles, communications, and problem-solving
Explain the skills, behaviors, and techniques used to lead and motivate others
Explain the role of political skills, customer satisfaction, and ethics in business organizations
Explain the contributing factors and methods for managing stress
Describe effective methods for finding a job and managing your career
Credit Hours: 3
EN130 - English Composition II
The ability to communicate well is essential to success in any professional environment. English Composition II is organized to provide you with a broad understanding of multiple types of written communication. Far from being just academic exercises, formal writing skills allow you to relate to the world in ever-increasing ways. Simply put, good writing is good thinking. As you master various techniques of effective writing, you'll note a change in the way you process information, and those around you (including your employer) will also note the transformation.
English Composition II begins with the assumption that you've attained basic writing skills through completion of English Composition I. So, in fact, English Composition II is a continuation of English Composition I. In that light, you'll be expected to access and review basic concepts covered in English Composition I and, in particular, the sections on grammar and mechanics.
English Composition II begins by offering you tips on college writing, active reading, and study strategies at the college level. Next, you'll explore the framework for drafting a college essay, including elaborate explorations for finding a topic, assessing your audience, and determining the purpose of your essay as you identify its thesis and craft a thesis statement.
Next, because college essays often require research, you'll be introduced to strategies for finding and using sources. Based on this preparatory foundation, you'll be challenged to analyze essays in all of the various rhetorical modes, which, in turn, will prepare you to write college-level essays for these different patterns of development.
The balance of this online text is devoted to the specifics of reading, analyzing, and writing college-level essays, including description, narration, illustration, process analysis, comparison and Contrast, classification and Division, definition, cause and Effect, argument, and business applications.
By the end of EN130, you'll be able to do the following:
Describe the nature of academic writing at the college level.
Understand and apply the principles of active reading.
Comprehend and apply the structure of a college essay.
Develop an essay thesis that's supported by facts, authorities, and examples.
Apply the principles of revision and editing.
Write an academic essay supported by relevant and credible sources.
Critically evaluate essays in all of these patterns of development:
Narrative, Descriptive, Illustration, Process, Comparison and contrast, Definition, Classification and division, Cause and effect, Argument.
Create effective, engaging, and informative essays in all of these patterns of discourse through the following:
A deep understanding of the writing process; Organizing an essay in terms of space order, time order, or order of importance; Creating attention-getting introductions and memorable conclusions; Using facts, logical reasoning, examples, and authorities to support your thesis; Identifying and avoiding logical fallacies; Effectively applying the techniques of persuasion; Blending two or more patterns of development in a single essay.
Credit Hours: 3
General Education Elective (Science 100-200 Level)
S01 - Introduction to Psychology I
This course explores introductory concepts in psychology. This course helps students to think like psychologists and understand why scientific and critical thinking is so important to the decisions they make in their own lives. This course provides an overview of psychology that emphasizes critical thinking, gender, and culture.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Define the science of psychology.
Distinguish between a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Explain the relationship among genes, chromosomes, DNA, and genomes, and describe their importance to psychology.
Identify and describe the major structures of the central nervous system and their primary functions.
Define circadian rhythms and explain how the body's "biological clock" works and what happens when this clock goes awry.
Distinguish between sensation and perception, explain how the doctrine of specific nerve energies applies to perception, and discuss how synesthesia contributes to our understanding of sensory modalities.
Describe the basic principles of classical conditioning, including the extinction and recovery of a classically conditioned response, how higher-order conditioning takes place, and the process of stimulus generalization and discrimination.
Compare social norms and social roles, and note how each contributes to the social rules that govern a culture.
Credit Hours: 3
S02 - Introduction to Psychology II
This course builds on what you've learned in Introduction to Psychology I. That foundation included topics such as defining psychology, exploring the brain and nervous system, becoming familiar with sensation and perception, learning and conditioning, and the ways by which behavior is shaped by social and cultural influences. In this course, Introduction to Psychology II, we'll press onward to gain insights into an array of topics that include the basics of psychological research, genetics and evolution, sensation and perception, different types of consciousness, learning theories, thinking and intelligence, memory, motivation, theories of personality, emotions and stress management, development over the lifespan, an overview of psychological disorders and, finally, an exploration of treatments and therapies for addressing the various kinds of psychological disorders.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Explain the rational and irrational processes involved in thinking and describe approaches to the measurement of intelligence.
Discuss and explain the nature of memory, including the ways we reconstruct the past, the three-box model, and techniques for enhancing memory.
Describe the nature of emotions and the various influences of emotion on our health and well-being, including guidelines for managing stress.
Discuss and explain variables related to motivation, including weight management, love vs. infatuation, the biological root of sexuality, the cultural influences of gender bias, and our drive to achieve personal goals.
Outline and discuss human development over the lifespan, including infancy, early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, and an understanding of the stages of cognitive and moral development.
Discuss and explain theories of personality, including psychodynamic models originating with the work of Sigmund Freud and modern personality theories based on identifying personality traits, while appraising genetic, peer, family, and cultural influences on personality development.
Outline and discuss the various forms of mental disorders.
Outline and discuss the various approaches to treating or alleviating the different kinds of mental disorders.
Credit Hours: 3
S06 - Social Psychology
In this course, you're introduced to concepts related to the behavior of individuals as members of the larger society as expressed in varying beliefs, norms, attitudes and attitude changes, along with basic ideas and concepts related to group influence and persuasion. Proceeding from this basic foundation, you'll explore the nature of group dynamics, cultural influences, conformity, attraction and intimacy, aggression and its sources, prejudice and its effects and sources, as well as the opposition of altruism and conflict in social life.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Describe the field of social psychology, including the methods that social psychologists typically use in research.
Explain how the self-concept is developed across time.
Discuss human behavior in terms of social cognition, social perception, and attitudes.
Describe how social roles affect conformity and compliance.
Illustrate how other individuals and groups influence an individual's behavior.
Express how stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and aggression are formed, and how they influence human behavior.
Describe the factors that influence attraction and the nature of relationships.
Discuss the concept of prosocial behavior.
Credit Hours: 3
General Education Elective (Behavioral/Social Science 100-200 Level)
General Education Elective (Humanities/Fine Arts 100-200 Level)
S03 - Human Growth and Development I
This course provides an exciting and comprehensive overview of human development. It highlights lifespan development and its fascinating theories and applications. This course enriches your understanding of lifespan development and demonstrates how this can be applied to your life. Finally, this course highlights how you can develop a sense of awareness of the similarities of growth and developmental changes everyone shares.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Summarize the relationship of lifespan development, heredity, and genetic influences along with their prenatal impact.
Describe the labor and birth processes, potential birth complications, and the competent newborn.
Explain the infant's growth and development in relation to motor, sensory, cognitive, information processing, and language development.
Discuss the infant's cognitive growth as it relates to information processing and language development.
Compare the evolution of the infant's social and personality formation and a child's physical and intellectual changes in beginning childhood.
Describe the intricacies of a preschooler's psychosocial, social, and moral development.
List the physical, intellectual, and educational developments of a child in middle school.
Explain the adolescent's physical and cognitive development and potential threats to this population.
Credit Hours: 3
S04 - Human Growth and Development II
This course offers fascinating insight into human growth and development from middle childhood to late adulthood. You'll build on the knowledge they attained in the first part of this course, which looked at lifespan from infancy to middle childhood. New discoveries that continue to draw scientific and personal attention about the ongoing nature-nurture debate and its impact on human development will be discussed. You'll also delve into the interesting topic of the human condition and reflect on how people's lives will evolve.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Compare social and personality development of middle childhood with early adulthood.
Describe relationships in the life of the adolescent.
Explain the intellectual and physical development of adults and how experiences impact this group.
Summarize the various changes that occur during middle adulthood.
Discuss social, personality, and work-life balance changes that affect middle adulthood.
State the physical, cognitive, and health changes in late adulthood.
Explain the intrinsic and extrinsic variables that affect late adulthood.
Describe the effects of death and dying, along with grief and bereavement, on late adulthood.
Credit Hours: 3
S07 - Abnormal Psychology
Upon completing this course, you'll have a pretty good understanding of the role of clinicians as they assess, diagnose, and attempt to treat a wide variety of psychological disorders. You'll also gain insight into how researchers conduct scientific studies to try to shed light on the mysteries of the human mind. Among other topics, you'll become familiar with the distinctions between normal and abnormal behavior. From that starting point, you'll be able to outline the history of the discipline from the ancient philosophers to today's cutting-edge diagnostic tools that scan the brain. You'll discuss obsessive-compulsive disorders, specific anxiety disorders, including PTSD, and somatic dissociative disorders. You'll also study bipolar and depressive disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders, feeding and eating disorders, and gender dysphoria, sexual dysfunctions, and paraphilic disorders. Near the end of this course, you'll learn about the schizophrenia spectrum and its relationship to other psychotic disorders.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
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Describe differences between normal and abnormal behavior, the history of treatments, research methods, and various perspectives.
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Discuss the goals of assessing, diagnosing, and treating abnormal psychological disorders.
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Describe the nature and symptoms of impulse control disorders, somatic disorders, and dissociative disorders.
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Discuss bipolar disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders, and the epidemiological factors that may affect them.
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Discuss the characteristics of and treatments for sexual dysfunctions and substance-related disorders.
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Describe psychotic disorders and personality disorder clusters and the etiological factors related to them.
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Describe the etiology of intellectual deficiency, learning disorders, and disorders related to aging.
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Explain the relationship between law, ethics, and treatment issues in abnormal psychology.
Credit Hours: 3
MA240 - College Algebra
This course is a graphical and numerical approach to algebra that incorporates the use of technology. Emphasis is placed on solving algebraic application problems, and results are solutions-oriented. The concept of a function as a tool to model real-world data will play a central role. Emphasis will also be placed on the study of equations and inequalities, graphs, matrices and determinants, quadratics, sequences, inductive reasoning, and probability.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Solve equations using the addition principle.
Solve equations using the multiplication principle.
Solve problems using applications of percentages.
Solve inequalities.
Identify functions.
Graph linear functions.
Find the domain & range of a graph or equation.
Find equations of lines.
Use and simplify integers as exponents.
Evaluate exponents and scientific notation.
Add and subtract polynomials.
Multiply polynomials.
Factor and expand differences of squares.
Evaluate and simplify exponential functions.
Recognize, create, and simplify composite functions.
Create and simplify inverse functions.
Evaluate and simplify logarithmic functions.
Apply properties of logarithms to expand or simplify logarithmic expressions.
Recognize mathematical modeling.
Complete matrix arithmetic operations.
Solve systems of equations with Cramer's Rule.
Solve systems of equations with inverses.
Identify and apply sequence notation.
Identify and apply formulas to arithmetic sequences and series.
Identify and apply formulas to geometric sequences and series.
Use the counting principle to determine the number of possible outcomes.
Calculate and interpret probability.
Solve quadratic equations using the quadratic formula or factoring.
Graph quadratics.
Solve mathematic modeling problems using quadratics.
Credit Hours: 3
SP180 - Principles of Public Speaking
This course is designed to provide you with basic theories and skills that are essential to effective public speaking. Topics include audience analysis, organization, persuasion, credibility, and delivery. Ideally, you should be able to apply these skills in a variety of public speaking situations, whether in future college courses or in nonacademic settings. As a member of the class, you'll also become an active listener and learn to analyze, critique, and evaluate the speaking of others.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Demonstrate and apply knowledge of public speaking principles and concepts.
Relate knowledge and skills needed for effective listening and doing speech criticism.
Recognize the process of selecting and narrowing a speech topic and audience analysis.
Identify and state purposes and central ideas for a speech.
Specify sources and uses of supporting materials and presentation aids in speech preparation.
Construct speech outlines applying organizational methods.
Prepare a formal speech demonstrating skills in speech composition.
Demonstrate knowledge of speech delivery techniques.
Credit Hours: 3
S08 - Psychology of Personality
This course enables you to understand the basics of personality psychology. You'll differentiate among several theoretical perspectives of personality psychology, such as psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral, and motivation theories. Emphasis is placed on the importance of learners recognizing principle systems and underlying beliefs innate in various personality paradigms that accurately reflect their own personal perspectives. Additionally, you'll learn to recognize strategies and approaches in psychology that reflect identified personality theories as a foundation and how to apply concepts to events in day-to-day life.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Explain foundational concepts of personality psychology.
Explain personality traits and how concept relates to identifying an individual's personality.
Discuss physiological approaches used in personality research, including how physiological measurements are made.
Explain and discuss intrapsychic of personality, including psychoanalysis and psychodynamic theory.
Describe cognitive foundations of personality psychology.
Discuss how influence plays a role in personality and how individuals are able to influence the behavior of others.
Explain the concept of resilience and how this concept directly relates to an individual's ability to adjust to various situations.
Apply psychological principles relating to personality psychology theories to understanding special topics.
Credit Hours: 3
Electives (100-200 Level)
Electives (100-200 Level)
*If students expect to complete a bachelor's degree, MA240 is required.
MA260 - Statistical Analysis I
This course is an introduction to basic statistics, including descriptive and inferential statistics. This course will place emphasis on understanding statistical calculations as well as interpreting statistics to understand the meaning behind the number. This course will use Excel to aid in statistical calculations. Topics include principles of experimental design; graphical and numerical methods for summarizing data; describing, exploring, and analyzing data; probability; confidence intervals; and hypothesis testing.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Apply statistical terminology and relevant statistical measurements.
Utilize various visual data displays to understand simple and complex statistical relationships.
Develop an understanding of basic statistical functions, distribution patterns, and variation measurements.
Identify normal distribution patterns and apply the central limit theorem.
Calculate statistical probability and apply its significance.
Relate differences of correlation and causality and their strengths and limitations on projecting results from sample to population with varying confidence levels.
Construct hypothesis testing for means and proportions and interpret results applicability.
Develop hypothesis testing further with the use of t-test, tables, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Credit Hours: 3
S05 - Social Problems
This course provides you with a conceptual framework for understanding the broad spectrum of global and domestic issues identified as social problems. Topic areas include physical and mental health and healthcare, economic inequality, race and ethnic discrimination, gender inequality, population growth, environmental problems, impacts of technological revolution, and the grievous impacts of regional conflicts and seemingly endless wars on humanity's future prospects.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Describe the nature of social problems, including the role of social structure and culture, the value of the sociological imagination with respect to identifying social problems, the three main theories of social problems, and four basic steps in conducting social problems research.
Describe social problems related to physical and mental health, alcoholism, and drug abuse, including a global overview of each of these problem areas, as well as action strategies that may alleviate damage to social environments.
Discuss domestic and global issues related to the sources and types of crime and family problems, including applicable sociological theories, related social costs, the relevance of cultural norms, and effective strategies for positive action.
Describe economic inequality, wealth, poverty, and work and unemployment, including applicable sociological theories related to these issues.
Describe sociological theories of education and racial and ethnic diversity, taking into account variable access to education as well as discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities.
Discuss the societal impact of gender inequality and sexual orientation, including in that discussion sociological theories of gender inequality and sexual orientation inequality.
Describe population growth and aging from a global perspective in the broader context of globalization with its wide array of environmental problems characterized by negative impacts related to global warming and climate change.
Describe sociological theories of science and technology in tandem with sociological theories of conflict and war, appraising action strategies in respect to societal consequences of science and technology on the one hand and strategies for establishing global peace on the other hand.
Credit Hours: 3
PS350 - Biological Psychology
This course explores the fascinating interactions between the human anatomy and behavior. The course begins with the history of biological psychology and ends with a discussion on addiction. Along the way, the course will explore some very interesting case studies related to many of the topics, such as genetic studies, emotions, and brain lesions. Learning and memory will be assessed to determine how these two mechanisms interact with each other. The course will also examine specific biological and psychological disorders.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Discuss the structure and function of the cells of the nervous system.
Describe the nervous system and the effects of psychopharmacology on the human body.
Summarize the body's visual system and research methods used in behavioral neuroscience.
Discuss the muscular system and the senses, including the auditory system.
Describe the biology behind sleep, biological rhythms, and reproductive behavior.
Explain the cause and effect of emotional responses and ingestive behaviors.
Discuss the concepts of learning, memory, and communication and how they relate to each other.
Describe affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and addiction and their treatment methods.
Credit Hours: 3
General Education Elective (300-400 Level)
Electives (100-200 Level)
PS320 - History and Systems of Psychology
This course provides a comparative overview of the major fields within psychology. In that context, you'll be introduced to the theories and approaches to understanding both the nature of mind-consciousness and the biological motivations that impel human behavior. Thus, you'll be exploring the historical roots of the discipline, as well as major current perspectives. Among the latter, you'll become conversant with key ideas and concepts of Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner, Carl Jung, Carl Rogers, and Albert Ellis, to name a few major contributors to modern psychology.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Describe the modes of scientific explanation, the rise of scientific worldview, and the influence of ancient Greece on the development of Western civilization.
Describe the Hellenistic and Roman worlds as preface to the Dark Ages followed by the Renaissance.
Explain why the scientific revolution occurred in Europe and, in that context, the influence of Rene Descartes on philosophy and psychology.
Explain movements and transitions that led to the ascent of science between 1815 and 1914 and, in that context, the advent of the science of psychology under the influence of Wilhelm Wundt.
Synthesize an overview of the rise and decline of Freudian psychoanalysis, the impact of the Darwinian revolution, and the drift toward biologically based functional psychology in America.
Summarize the advent of behaviorism under the influence of Thorndike, Pavlov, Watson, and B.F. Skinner, and the subsequent era of cognitive psychology marked by the quest for artificial intelligence.
Discuss ongoing progress in applied psychology, including psychological assessment, clinical psychology training, and theories of psychotherapy.
Describe the impacts of World War II on applied psychology, post-war trends that gave rise to humanistic psychology, and the expanding role of psychology in American life.
Credit Hours: 3
PS400 - Cognitive Psychology
In this Cognitive Psychology course, you'll learn the fundamentals of cognitive psychology, including its five core concepts. You'll also learn about the nature of perception and attention, the various models of memory systems, and the ways in which we perceive or misperceive remembered events. You'll also gain an understanding of the dynamics of memory distortions. Further along in the course, you'll learn about the mental processes as they relate to visual imagery and knowledge representation, and you'll explore the possible origins and the observable dynamics of language acquisition and development. This course also provides a guide to the processes of problem solving and focuses on reasoning and decision making.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Describe and discuss the fundamentals of cognitive psychology, including the history and development of the discipline and its five core concepts.
Describe and explain the nature of visual consciousness, the concept of modularity, and the differences between filter and capacity theories, including the central bottleneck concept.
Explain and discuss the basic cognitive processes of memory systems and remembering events.
Discuss and describe the various memory distortions, including the fallibility of eyewitness recall.
Explain and discuss the ways in which visualized imagery and knowledge representation information processing interact.
Discuss the origins, development, and components of language, including the central role of symbols in the context of differentiating animal and human communication.
Explain and discuss effective information processing, including A.I. simulations, differentiating algorithms and heuristics, and describing the stages of creativity.
Explain and discuss valid and invalid syllogistic and conditional reasoning, the nature of risk aversion, and the heuristics of representativeness and availability under uncertainty.
Credit Hours: 3
PS370 - Research Methods in Psychology
This course explores research methods used in psychological research. The underlying concepts, as well as specific strategies, are presented to introduce you to the empirical processes of the scientific method that are utilized in psychological studies. Topics covered include measurement, statistical analysis, correlation, hypothesis testing, field research using APA style, and research design. Examples from a wide variety of psychology subdisciplines are provided to illustrate the concepts presented throughout the course.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Explain the science of psychology and its theories and models.
Examine various measurements used in psychology research.
Differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics.
Differentiate between descriptive and correlational research, including strengths and limitations of each.
Analyze hypothesis testing and validity in regard to research.
Relate experimental and nonexperimental designs and the concept of variance.
Distinguish various research designs, analyzing when they are used in research.
Summarize the uses and the logic of factorial design and field research.
Credit Hours: 3
General Education Elective (300-400 Level)
Electives (100-200 Level)
PS380 - Multicultural Psychology
You'll examine academic viewpoints regarding cross-cultural psychology and review key theories, approaches, and research methods. Principles of critical thinking will be introduced and applied to cross-cultural psychology by identifying common errors and providing useful anecdotes. The course will also focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and explanation of psychological disorders from cross-cultural perspectives and address the advantages, challenges, and opportunities presented by a diverse workplace and society.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Analyze concepts and research methodology of cross-cultural psychology.
Explain variations in cognitive processes and cultural differences of intelligence and emotion.
Examine cultural factors that impact motivation, behavior, human development, socialization, and psychological disorders.
Explain social perception, social cognition, and social interaction and personality of the self.
Create your own idea for a cross-cultural research study.
Credit Hours: 3
PS420 - Learning Theories
This course, Learning Theories, introduces you to the most common learning theories recognized today, along with a deep look into a specific branch of psychology that deals with how people and animals learn, as well as how their behaviors are later changed as a result of learning. Throughout this course, you'll be exposed to some of the most important theories, controversies, and experiments that have arisen from learning psychology. At the completion of this course, you should take with you an understanding of basic psychological learning concepts and demonstrate the ability to integrate these concepts into real-world scenarios.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Define the major learning theories, how they came to be and by whom, and the concepts of memory and intelligence.
Identify which learning theories are represented through real-life scenarios via vignettes, case studies, and examples of learned responses.
Evaluate scientific research studies and use them to prompt critical thinking of learning objectives.
Identify overlaps in learning theories and the relationships between them.
Demonstrate knowledge of behaviorism through the ability to relate the concepts to real-life scenarios.
Demonstrate observational skills by observing a chosen learning theory in the real world.
Evaluate each learning theory for strengths and weaknesses in an effort to form one's own thoughts surrounding each theory.
Apply a learning theory to a real-life situation in an effort to help improve the learning capability of an individual; achieve a desired result; and explain how you or others have developed certain habits, behaviors, and responses.
Credit Hours: 3
PS390 - Statistical Reasoning in Psychology
This is an introductory course that covers the statistical methods commonly used in the study of psychology. Topics presented in this course include frequency tables and histograms, mean, standard deviation, Z scores, the normal curve, the t-test, the basics of one-way analysis of variance, correlation, and chi-square. This course provides explanations regarding how to perform these basic statistical methods, when and why these statistical methods are performed in psychological studies, and how to interpret statistical results in your own studies, as well as those you encounter in scholarly journals.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Examine the role of statistical analysis in the study of psychology.
Identify the limitations of statistical results in psychological studies.
Explain the statistical analyses in reports of psychological research.
Outline the appropriate statistical procedure for many basic research situations.
Calculate basic statistical computations.
Analyze ANOVA implementation.
Differentiate the uses and strengths of correlation and regression analysis.
Relate the correct strategies when working with populations that are not distributed normally.
Credit Hours: 3
Elective (300-400 Level)
Elective (300-400 Level)
PS450 - Industrial Organizational Psychology
This course introduces industrial/organization psychology, or the study of human behavior in work settings. The theoretical underpinnings of the field are explored while providing a clear link to how they are applied to real-world workplace situations. The topics covered in the course include job analysis, employee screening and selection, employee training, the performance appraisal process, worker motivation, job satisfaction, worker stress, communication in the workplace, group processes in the workplace, leadership and power, and organizational structure and development.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Summarize each of the research methods used in the study of industrial/organizational psychology.
Examine human and organizational factors that influence behavior in industrial/organizational settings.
Describe the application of theory to practice in various work settings.
Distinguish various issues in personnel selection, training, and assessment.
Analyze communication patterns within organizational settings.
Compare and contrast major leadership styles within the context of group communication.
Explain the ethical and legal dimensions of human relations in the workplace.
Credit Hours: 3
PS460 - Psychological Tests and Measurements
This course, Psychological Tests and Measurements, introduces you to the nature and practical applications of psychological testing and measurement. The course will present topics such as measurement and assessment, the different types of tests used and interpretation procedures involved, and assessment strengths and limitations.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Demonstrate a sound understanding of psychological testing and measurement, including patterns of test usage in clinical assessment, evaluation of test instruments, validity of testing in clinical practice, and other aspects of clinical judgment and phases of clinical assessment.
Describe the various contexts of clinical assessment, including types of referral settings, ethics involved in assessment, the assessment of diverse groups, and issues related to the selection of psychological tests.
Identify and explain the factors involved in the assessment interview, including the client's history and development; issues related to reliability and validity; mental status evaluation; and the interpretation of interview responses. With respect to behavioral assessment, discuss issues related to reliability, validity, and strategies of behavioral assessment.
Recognize the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, including the pros and cons of intelligence testing, the history and development of IQ tests, reliability issues, and use with diverse groups. Outline the WAIS-IV/WAIS-V successive-level interpretation procedure, describe the Wechsler indexes and subtests, and explain the assessment of brain damage.
Describe the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, including history and development, reliability and validity issues, and administrative issues. Additionally, describe the MMPI-2 interpretation procedures, the nature of the MMPI-2-2-point codes, the MMPI-2 Harris-Lingoes and SI subscales, the MMPI critical items, the MMPI-2-RF interpretation procedure, the MMPU-2-RF validity scales, and the MMPI-2-RF specific problems scales.
Classify and conceptualize the Personality Assessment Inventory, including its history and development, reliability and validity, use with diverse groups, interpretation procedures, validity scales, clinical scales, treatment scales, interpersonal scales, and additional scale clusters.
Examine the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, including its history and development, reliability and validity, use with diverse groups, interpretation procedures, validity scales, clinical personality pattern scales and subscales, and severe personality pathology and clinical syndromes.
Explore the NEO Personality Inventory, including its history and development, reliability and validity issues, use with diverse groups, as well as interpretation procedures for the test's Big Five scales, facet scales, and behavioral styles.
Credit Hours: 3
PS490 - Psychology Capstone: Research Study
The capstone course requires you to synthesize the knowledge gained throughout the program and demonstrate mastery of the concepts, theories, and practices through a comprehensive research paper. You'll acquire research skills in design, methodology, and writing. The research paper must not only describe current trends within the chosen topic area but also should demonstrate how the topic relates to the broad field of psychology. You'll meet the requirement for the course through the submission of written assignments and a scholarly research report.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:
Examine ideas worth exploring for in-depth study and show evidence of proficiency in online research.
Apply high-level critical thinking and analytical skills to a specific topic in psychology.
Apply knowledge and skills in research design, methods, and processes.
Describe current trends within a specific topic in psychology and demonstrate how the topic relates to the broad field of psychology.
Develop an academic research paper while applying advanced skills in the mechanics of scholarly report writing.
Synthesize and analyze other scholarly research studies, while contributing new ideas and insights.
Integrate elements of learning from the core courses within the psychology program to demonstrate mastery of concepts and understanding of their applications.
Apply knowledge gained in the psychology program of study to explore current issues and trends within the field.
Credit Hours: 3
Elective (300-400 Level)
Elective (300-400 Level)
The Bachelor of Science in Psychology program is designed to provide you with strong expertise in the concepts, principles, and applications of general psychology. The program lays the foundation for a broad base of knowledge with general education courses in a variety of subject areas. In addition, specialty courses such as Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Learning Theories, Psychology of Personality, Abnormal Psychology, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology focus on providing you with the enhanced communication, collaboration, and reasoning skills that result from a deeper knowledge and understanding of the field of psychology.
