Below is a list of the courses offered by UMW’s Department of Psychological Science.
Psychology Course Offerings (PSYC)
100 – General Psychology (3)
Fundamental principles of human behavior; history of psychology; research methods; the nervous system; learning; memory; personality; psychological disorders; therapy; social behavior; careers in psychology.
120 – Lifespan Developmental Psychology (3)
Psychological development from conception through end of life. Consideration of developmental processes, theories, issues, and relevant research. This course cannot be used to fulfill any requirements in the Psychology major.
201 – Social Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Individual behavior in a social context; attitudes; social influence; attribution; prejudice and discrimination; prosocial behavior and aggression.
211 – Psychopathology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Various models of psychopathology; history of abnormal psychology; psychological disorders: their causes and therapies.
231 – Infant and Child Development (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Psychological development from conception through childhood. Consideration of developmental processes, theories, issues, and relevant research.
232 – Adolescent and Emerging Adult Developmental (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Theories of, and research on, personality, social, physical, and intellectual characteristics from adolescence to young adulthood.
233 – Adult Development (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Theories and research in aging, changes in personality, intellectual abilities, cognitive capacities, and physical capabilities from adulthood to death.
242 – Psychology of Personality (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Personality structure, dynamics, development, and methods of research.
253 – Fundamentals of Learning and Motivation (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Survey of empirical findings and theoretical issues in the analysis of learning and motivation and their interaction in the determination of behavior.
261 – Introductory Statistics for Psychology with Lab (4)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including basic ANOVA and simple regression. Experience includes problem solving, technical writing, and use of computer statistical packages (SPSS).
273 – Cognitive Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. The study of human information processing, including pattern recognition, attention, memory, language, problem solving, and decision making.
274 – Biological Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Exploration of biological bases of behavior and neurological correlates of psychological events.
305 – Cognitive Neuroscience (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Introduction to the neural basis of cognitive processes emphasizing changing models of cognitive functioning.
315 – Foundations of Clinical Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100 and PSYC 211. Professional issues in clinical psychology, assessment of intelligence and personality, theories and practices of the major schools of psychotherapy, effectiveness of psychotherapy, community psychology, and primary prevention.
320 – Psychology of Exceptional Children and Youth (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100 and either 231 or 232. Cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical exceptionalities from infancy through adolescence. Consideration of theories and relevant empirical research.
339 – Health Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Exploration of psychological issues surrounding health, illness, and medical care. Social psychological perspectives are applied to such topics as stress-related diseases, exercise adherence, and doctor-patient interactions.
346 – Forensic Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100 and PSYC 201 or PSYC 211 or PSYC 242. Examination of criminal behavior from a psychological perspective, including causes of criminal behavior, the criminal personality, the relationship between psychology and law, how psychology is applied to legal situations, rehabilitation, and the prediction of dangerousness.
349 – Psychology of Human Sexuality (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Introduction to major areas of investigation concerning human sexuality, including anatomy, physiology, culture, behavior, sexual health, sexual violence, dysfunctions, and therapy.
350 – Psychology of Women (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Impact of sex and gender on the individual, interpersonal, and institutional female experience. Includes work, physical and mental health, physical and cognitive ability, social status and empowerment, ethnicity, and sexuality.
351 – Positive Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Introduction to the field of positive psychology theory and research. Topics will include positive emotions, character strengths, and research-based techniques to enhance well-being that allow individuals and communities to thrive.
352 – Cultural Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100 and one of the following courses: PSYC 201, PSYC 211, or PSYC 242. An exploration of the role that culture plays in the experiences of both individuals and social groups grounded in psychological theory and research. Identity in the context of societal power, privilege, and marginalization will be explored as will applications to a variety of contexts beyond the classroom.
360A – Advanced Statistics for Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 261A with a minimum grade of C-. Introduction to advanced statistical methods, including ANOVA models, a priori and post hoc tests, and multiple regression. Particular emphasis on quasi-experimental and correlational methods, as well as data entry, analysis using SPSS, and presentation.
362 – Research Methods for Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 261 with a minimum grade of C-. An introduction to diverse methods commonly used in psychological research including experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, and correlational methods. The class will emphasize the ethics of research, and students will explore both research design and research ethics through exploration and evaluation of research published in peer-reviewed journals.
372 – Sensation and Perception (3)
Prerequisite: PSYC 100. Study of the processing of environmental energy by the sensory systems (visual, auditory, somatosensory, olfactory, and gustatory), as well as the higher-order processing of activity in those systems, from psychophysical, physiological, and behavioral perspectives.
385 – Organizational Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: MGMT 301. Behavioral aspects of organizations, presenting concepts, theories, research, and research techniques applicable to people in organizations. Topics include personnel selection and placement, job and work environments, worker motivation, job satisfaction, and the organizational and social context of human work. Cross-listed as MGMT 345.
386 – Human Resources Management (3)
Prerequisite: MGMT 301. Philosophy, principles, policies, and programs for effective personnel management and industrial relations in business, governmental, and not-for-profit organizations. Cross-listed as MGMT 346.
387 – Organizational Development and Change (3)
Prerequisites: MGMT 301. System-wide application of behavioral science methods, theories, and accumulated knowledge to the development, change, and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving organizational effectiveness. Cross-listed as MGMT 347.
394 – Psychopharmacology (3)
Prerequisites: PSYC 100 and one of the following courses: PSYC 305, PSYC 372, or PSYC 274. Principles of drug action in the body, drug effects on behavior, and the social psychology of drug use.
401 – Behavior Assessment (3)
Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in Psychology, either PSYC 320 or 253, and acceptance into the UMW-NECC program. This course will provide an introduction to key concepts, methods, and ethical considerations associated with behavioral assessment. Course objectives will include teaching students to distinguish between idiographic and norm-referenced assessment approaches, to conduct pertinent behavioral assessments (preference assessments, functional assessments, and skills assessments), and to incorporate assessment outcomes with treatment selection and design in accordance with contemporary best practices in the field of applied behavior analysis. This course is only available to UMW students enrolled in the UMW-NECC cooperative program at the New England Center for
Children (NECC).
402 – Principles of Behavior Analysis (3)
Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in Psychology, either PSYC 320 or 253, and acceptance into the UMW-NECC program. This course will orient students to the concepts, processes, and scientific principles of behavior on which the field of applied behavior analysis was founded. Topics of study will include the history and defining features of applied behavior analysis as well as the role of basic principles in producing socially meaningful behavior change (positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, discriminative control of behavior, and motivating operations). This course is only available to UMW students enrolled in the UMW-NECC cooperative program at the New England Center for
Children (NECC).
403 – Behavioral Interventions (3)
Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in Psychology, either PSYC 320 or 253, and acceptance into the UMW-NECC program. This course will prepare students to identify, implement, and maintain effective behavioral interventions in applied settings. Specific objectives will include teaching students to select and implement function-based interventions for the reduction of problem behaviors, skills-based prevention strategies, and a variety of behavioral teaching tactics. Tactics for promoting, procedural integrity, and facilitating the generalization and maintenance of treatment effects will also be reviewed. This course is only available to UMW students enrolled in the UMW-NECC cooperative program at the New England Center for Children (NECC).
404 – Methods of Evaluation (3)
Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in Psychology, either PSYC 320 or 253, and acceptance into the UMW-NECC program. This course will equip students with skills needed to confirm the clinical efficacy of interventions by subjecting them to experimental evaluation using single-subject designs. Students will learn to develop valid and reliable systems for measuring behavior, to display data using popular and accessible graphing software, and to assess for orderly changes in behavior through visual inspection and interpretation of graphic data. This course is only available to UMW students enrolled in the UMW-NECC cooperative program at the New England Center for Children (NECC).
405 – Evidence-based Teaching (3)
Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in Psychology, either PSYC 320 or 253, and acceptance into the UMW-NECC program. This course will provide students with a comprehensive review of empirically-supported behavioral teaching procedures for individuals with autism and related disabilities. Topics will focus on teaching skills in a variety of content areas such as language, social, and self-help. Procedures for teaching these include match-to-sample discrimination training, task analysis, and prompting procedures such as prompt fading and video modeling. This course is only available to UMW students enrolled in the UMW-NECC cooperative program at the New England Center for Children (NECC).
411 – Research Seminar in Psychopathology, Personality, or Social Psychology with Lab (4)
Prerequisites: PSYC 360, 362, and one from the following: 301, 211, or 242. Exploration of current theory and research in abnormal, personality, or social psychology with a focus on designing, conducting, and reporting research in these areas.
412 – Research Seminar in Biological Psychology with Lab (4)
Prerequisites: PSYC 360, 362, and one from the following: 305, 372, 274, or 394. Exploration of current theory and research in the biological influences on and correlates of behavior with a focus on designing, conducting, and reporting research in this area.
413 – Research Seminar in Cognition or Learning with Lab (4)
Prerequisites: PSYC 360, 362, and one from the following: 305, 372, 273 or 253. Exploration of current theory and research in cognition and human learning with a focus on designing, conducting and reporting research in this area.
414 – Research Seminar in Developmental Psychology with Lab (4)
Prerequisites: PSYC 360, 362, and one from the following: 231, 232, or 233. Exploration of current theory and research in human development with a focus on designing, conducting and reporting research in this area.
470 – Seminar in Psychology (3)
Prerequisites: PSYC 100 and any courses specified by the instructor. Seminar on enduring and/or contemporary issues in psychology. Different topics in different semesters. May be repeated with different topics.
480 – Selected Topics in Psychology (3)
Prerequisites: PSYC 100 and any courses specified by the instructor. Enduring and/or contemporary issues in psychology. Different topics in different semesters. May be repeated with different topics.
490 – Guided Readings in Psychology (1-3)
Prerequisites: Junior standing and 12 credits in psychology beyond PSYC 100. Readings in a specialty area of psychology. A maximum of three credits in this course may count toward the major. A maximum of six credits in PSYC 490, 491, and 492 combined may count toward the major.
491 – Individual Research (3)
Prerequisites: PSYC 360, 362, and permission of instructor. Empirical investigation and/or theoretical research. A maximum of six credits in PSYC 490, 491, and 492 combined may count toward the major.
492 – Individual Research (3)
Prerequisites: PSYC 491 and permission of instructor. Empirical investigation and/or theoretical research with emphasis on research writing and oral presentation of results. A maximum of six credits in PSYC 490, 491, and 492 combined may count toward the major.
499 – Internship (1 – 6)
Prerequisites: Junior standing and 12 hours in psychology beyond PSYC 100. Supervised off-campus experience. Prerequisites for specific internships differ. A maximum of three credits may count toward the major program.