BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY 2011-2013 Requirements for a Major in Psychology* PROGRAM Our department serves a diverse student population on campus. Most of our students (approximately 70 percent) seek employment immediately after graduation, and they are successful in a wide variety of settings: social services, business and industry, and government. The remaining students enter graduate or professional programs in psychology (clinical, industrial/organizational, experimental, school), social work, law, medicine, etc. To meet the needs of students, our program is designed to provide students majoring in psychology with a broad liberal arts education, an understanding of how psychologists study behavior, and what we have learned from these studies of behavior. The specific course requirements for a major in psychology are small enough that a number of students complete the requirements of a second major in our college or a second degree in another college. The psychology program at Briar Cliff is a versatile program that contains a common set of core courses for all students. Beyond this common core, however, students may choose among several paths depending upon their specific interests and goals. The psychology curriculum is arranged with several functions in mind: To give the student, as a part of a general education, some familiarity with the principles, methods, and findings of psychology. This will provide valuable background for students preparing to work in a variety of professions or positions in medicine, law, theology, business, teaching, engineering, and other areas; To provide knowledge and skills requisite for advanced study in psychology at the graduate level; To provide academic work that will prepare the student to pursue a career as a bachelor s level psychological technician in either the social services or personnel fields. The psychology program at Briar Cliff is a versatile program that contains a common set of core courses for all students. Beyond this common core, however, students may choose among several paths depending upon their specific interests and goals. The psychology curriculum is arranged with several functions in mind:
Curriculum for a Psychology Major In order to graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Briar Cliff University, a student must have 15 term courses* including the following required courses: PSYC 110 Introductory Psychology PSYC 295 Experimental Psychology (must earn a grade of C or higher) PSYC 460 History and Systems PSYC 465 Senior Seminar As well as two courses from each of the following three categories: 1. PSYC 352 (Psychopharmacology), PSYC 365 (Motivation and Emotion), PSYC 400 (Learning and Memory), and PSYC 415 (Cognitive Psychology) 2. PSYC 320 (Psychological Assessment), PSYC 325 (Introduction to Interviewing and Counseling), PSYC 360 (Abnormal Psychology), 380 (Theories of Personality), PSYC 405 (Criminal Forensics), and PSYC 455 (Applied Behavior Analysis) 3. PSYC 280 (Developmental Psychology), PSYC 350 (Child Psychology), PSYC 351 (Adolescent Psychology), and PSYC 355 (Adulthood & Aging) And one course from the following category: 1. PSYC 102 (Drugs and Society), PSYC 205 (Introduction to Forensic Psychology), and PSYC 310 (Social Psychology) Finally, majors are allowed to choose 4 psychology electives from all remaining psychology courses. An internship (PSYC 390/490) is strongly recommended as one of the electives. The following course is also required: MATH 200 Statistics (must earn a grade of C or higher) *Students may not count more than one D/D+ in their major course work. **Students may not count more than 5 psychology courses from another institution toward the major. Transfer courses are subject to departmental approval.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS The number in parenthesis following the course title indicates the units of credit given for the course. Each credit unit usually represents one 50-minute period of lecture or recitation each week of the term. The I, J, II, and/or S following the course title indicate the term(s) each course is usually offered; I stands for fall term, J stands for J-term, II for spring term, and S for summer school. PSYC 110 Introductory Psychology. (3) I, II, S. This course is an introduction of fundamental psychological concepts which are derived from applying the scientific method to the study of behavior. Examples of selected topics include: personality development, abnormal behavior and therapy, physiology, motivation and emotion, human development, learning and memory and social behavior. PSYC 102 Drugs and Society. (3) J. This course provides an introduction to the basic physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of the major drugs of use and abuse: stimulants, depressants, inhalants, psychoactive medications, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, over-the-counter drugs, opioids, hallucinogens, marijuana, and performance-enhancing drugs. The course will also explore the following issues related to drugs and society: addiction and factors that affect it, prevention of drug abuse, treatment of drug abuse, and policy related to drug use and availability. PSYC 205 Introduction to Forensic Psychology. (3) II. This course will provide students with an overview of the interface between psychology and the legal system. Students will learn about how legal issues and psychological issues weigh in the process of the criminal justice system. Topics under discussion will include the death penalty and the insanity defense, criminal investigation and eyewitness testimony, and how to ensure the most accurate police line-ups. Other topics will include areas such as suspect interrogations and false confessions, the validity of polygraphs, the veracity of child eyewitness accounts, and how to accurately interview young children. PSYC 280 Developmental Psychology. (3) I, II, S. This course focuses on the development of an individual from conception to death. Psychological/physiological growth is studied in terms of cognitive, psychosocial, moral, and psychosexual and thantological developmental stage theories. A minimum of one behavioral observation and a journal research report written in APA style will be required. PSYC 295 Experimental Psychology. (4) I. Emphasizes the study of experimental methodology, research design, and analysis of research data using SPSS. The laboratory sessions provide practical experience in conducting research and learning to communicate research results., MATH 200, Instructor Permission PSYC 310 Social Psychology. (3) II. A comprehensive overview of the field of social psychology which examines the impact of other individuals, groups, or social stimuli on individual thinking and behavior. The social influence process is studied through topics such as self-theory, attribution, social cognition, attitudes, aggression, pro-social behavior, attraction and groups. PSYC 320 Psychological Assessment. (3) I. The study of development, application and interpretation of various methods of psychological assessment. Techniques for determining aptitudes, abilities, personality, interest and performance are examined. Criteria for evaluating assessment techniques including reliability, validity and ethical issues are considered., MATH 200
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS continued PSYC 325 Introduction to Interviewing and Counseling. (3) I. The course focuses on the development of skills essential to effective professional counseling. Emphasis is on conducting the overall clinical interview, as well as conducting intake interviews, mental status evaluations, a bio-psychosocial history, a mental health history, and a psychological assessment for treatment planning. Finally, students will learn a variety of counseling theories and how techniques from these theories will help guide case formulation and treatment. As part of this course, students will have the opportunity to take part in two mock therapy session that will enable them to put their skills to use. PSYC 350 Child Psychology. (3) I. A study of the intellectual, socioemotional, educational, and physiological development of the child from conception to adolescence including the impact of environmental/hereditary factors. Emphasis is placed on theory and research with primary focus on the developmental theories of Piaget (Cognitive), Erickson (Psychosocial), Kohlberg (Moral), and Freud (Psychoanalytic). A formal classroom presentation and an APA-style paper on current research in child psychology are required. PSYC 351 Psychology of Adolescence. (3) II. Study of physiological, psychosocial, cognitive and social/moral development of adolescents. Middle school education, guidance and implications for multicultural diversity will be emphasized. A formal classroom presentation and an APA-style paper on current research in adolescence are required. PSYC 352 Psychopharmacology (3) I. An introduction to psychoactive therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse. The biochemical, physiological, and behavioral effects of each will be considered. PSYC 355 Adulthood & Aging. (3) I. This course provides a foundation for understanding psychological development of older people with focus on geriatric assessment and psychological disorders in the aging population. PSYC 360 Abnormal Psychology. (3) I, II. A study of the classification of variant behavior and hypotheses used to explain such behavior. The symptoms, dynamics, treatments and prognosis of various behavior syndromes will also be considered. PSYC 380 Theories of Personality. (3) II. An advanced level course designed to present in detail, several theoretical perspectives on the nature of human personality. Included are the Freudian, neo- Freudian, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic-existential models. PSYC 400 Learning and Memory. (3) I. The study of the principles of conditioning, learning, and memory in animals and humans. Special emphasis on theoretical foundations and practical applications. Traditional and theoretical perspectives are evaluated in the light of empirical research evidence.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS continued PSYC 405 Criminal Forensics. (3) II. This course provides an introduction to psychological issues related to understanding, assessing, and managing both sexual and violent behaviors. An overview of mental health disorders and their relationship to both types of criminality will be provided. Topics included, but will not be limited to, sanity, psychopathy, serial killing, stalking, women who kill and sexually offend, and treatment strategies aimed at reducing both sexual and physical violence. Finally, the course will focus on methods of assessment currently used to help predict the risk of both sexual and violent re-offending., PSYC 205, PSYC 360 PSYC 415 Cognitive Psychology. (3) I. This course covers the advent of the cognitive revolution, the components of the human information processing system (i.e., detection, attention, pattern recognition, and memory) and higher cognitive processes like language and problem solving. Historical and current theories examined in light of empirical evidence and the usefulness of this perspective will be illustrated in pragmatic areas. PSYC 460 History and Systems. (3) II. This course studies the historical contributions to modern psychology. The focus is on the philosophical and biological roots of current theoretical and empirical systems. Consideration is given to the major schools of thought in psychology and their influence on contemporary work in the field. Special emphasis is given to key influential persons who contributed to the early development of the field of psychology., Instructor Permission Required PSYC 465 Senior Seminar. (3) I, II. A capstone research experience where the student will select a research idea, conduct a literature review on the topic, propose a study, conduct the study, and then present data in both oral and written form., PSYC 295 PSYC 275, 375, 475 Individualized Special Topics Study. (3) Varies. Guided reading or research on special topics for individualized or group study. Examples could include Clinical, Industrial/ Organizational, School Psychology, Art Therapy, Sports Psychology, Psychometrics, Child/Family Counseling, Giftedness/Special Needs, Applied Behavioral Analysis, Sensation/Perception. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission Required PSYC 390, 490 Psychology Internship. (3) Varies. Field internships are available at community agencies, medical and mental health facilities, special or early childhood education settings, business/ industry or national placements such as Washington or Chicago and international such as Greece, England, and Sweden. For a more detailed description visit Internships. http://www.briarcliff.edu/ departments/psych/internships.asp Prerequisite: Permission of the Psychology Chairperson is Required Psychology Faculty Dr. Stephanie Bell (712-279-5468; stephanie.bell@briarcliff.edu) Dr. Todd Knealing (712-279-5470; todd.knealing@briarcliff.edu) Dr. Regan Murray (712-279-1619; regan.murray@briarcliff.edu)