Psychology

Faculty

James P. Buchanan, Ph.D., Chair
Brad A. Alford, Ph.D.
Bryan R. Burnham, Ph.D.
J. Timothy Cannon, Ph.D.
Thomas P. Hogan, Ph.D.
Christie Pugh Karpiak, Ph.D.
Barry X. Kuhle, Ph.D.
Jessica M. Nolan, Ph.D.
John C. Norcross, Ph.D.
Carole S. Slotterback, Ph.D.

Overview

Psychology provides a unique educational experience of quality, breadth and flexibility. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to give students a balanced education in the discipline and the widest range of career options, from baccalaureate entry-level positions to graduate training in prestigious universities. According to a recent independent study, the number of the University’s graduates who have gone on to receive doctorates in psychology has placed us in the top 10% of comparable institutions nationally.

Psychology majors are required to take PSYC 110, 210, 330 with lab, 390 (fall, junior year), and 490-491 (senior year). Students also take a minimum of five courses from the following list with at least one course in each group: Physiological Processes (230, 231), Learning Processes (234, 235), Social-Developmental Processes (220, 221), and Individual Processes (224, 225). Students are free to choose from any of these or the remaining Psychology courses to fulfill the four additional course requirements in the major. Completion of any combination of two optional laboratory courses and advanced topics seminars will constitute an elective Psychology course. Students are encouraged to take PSYC 493-494: Undergraduate Research in their junior or senior year.

The Psychology Department encourages students to tailor their programs to their own needs and interests. For example, students interested in marketing, personnel, or industrial-organizational psychology may elect a business minor and recommended courses in Psychology. Interdisciplinary programs, such as the Human Development Concentration, and dual majors with a number of other departments are also available. Students should consult their advisor and the Psychology Handbook for recommended courses, both major and cognate, tailored to their interests.

To avoid duplication of course content, Psychology majors may not register for the following courses: HS 242: Counseling Theories, HS 293: Research methods in Human Services, and HS 323:Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Students who wish to declare a minor or a second major in Human Services should consult their advisors and the chair of Human Services with regard to the above course restrictions.

Minor in Psychology

18 credits, consisting of PSYC 110, PSYC 210, PSYC 330 lecture, and one course from three of the following four groups: Physiological Processes (230, 231), Learning Processes (234, 235), Social-Development Processes (220, 221), and Individual Processes (224, 225). An equivalent statistics course and/or an equivalent methods course may be substituted for PSYC 210: Statistics and/or PSYC 330: Research Methods. Contact the Department Chair for a list of these courses. Any substituted course must then be replaced with a 3-credit Psychology course.

Psychology Curriculum
Dept. and No.				Descriptive Title of Course	Credits
				FIRST YEAR	FALL	SPRING
MAJOR		PSYC 110 5- ELECT		Fund. of Psyc. 5 - Psyc. Elective	3.5	3
GE C/IL		C/IL 102		Computing & Information Literacy	3
GE QUAN		MATH 1		Mathematics Elective 1		3
GE S/BH		SOC 110 2		Intro. to Sociology	3
GE WRTG - SPCH		WRTG 107 - COMM 100		Composition - Public Speaking	3	3
GE HUMN		HUMN ELECT		Humanities Elective		3
GE PHIL		PHIL 120-210		Introduction to Philosophy - Ethics	3	3
GE FSEM		INTD 100		Freshman Seminar	1
GE PHED		PHED ELECT		Physical Education		1
					16.5	16
				SECOND YEAR
MAJOR		PSYC 210-330		Statistics - Research Methods	3	5
MAJOR		PSYC ELECT		Psychology Electives	3	3
GE ELECT		FREE ELECT		Free Elective	3
GE NSCI		NSCI ELECT 3		Natural Science Elective 3	3	3
GE S/BH		S/BH ELECT		Social/Behavioral Elective		3
GE HUMN		HUMN ELECT		Humanities Electives	3
GE PHED		PHED ELECT		Physical Education	1	1
					16	15
				THIRD YEAR
MAJOR		PSYC 390		Career Development in Psychology	1
MAJOR		PSYC ELECT		Psychology Electives	6	9
GE ELECT		FREE ELECT		Free Electives	3	3
GE HUMN		HUMN ELECT		Humanities Electives	3	3
GE T/RS		T/RS 121-122		Theology I - Theology II	3	3
					16	18
				FOURTH YEAR
MAJOR		PSYC 490-491		Hist. & Lit. of Psych. I & II	1.5	1.5
MAJOR		PSYC ELECT		Psychology Elective	3
GE PHIL-T/RS		PHIL or T/RS ELECT		Philosophy or T/RS Elective	3
GE ELECT		FREE ELECT		Free Electives	9	15
					16.5	16.5
					Total: 130.5 Credits
1 MATH 103, 106 or 114 2 The department strongly recommends SOC 110: Introduction to Sociology. 3 One 3- or 4-credit NSCI Biology course and one additional 3- or 4-credit NSCI Biology, Chemistry or Physics course. 4 No more than 15 credits of Psychology electives may be placed in the free elective area. 5 Entering fall-semester freshmen enrolled in the majors only PSYC 110 section must also enroll in PSYC 110L. PSYC 110L is required only for entering fall-semester freshmen.