Psychology

Bachelor of Science

Psychology majors are well-educated in the liberal arts tradition, exhibit enthusiasm for learning, and are responsive to community needs. Students develop an awareness of ways of viewing, analyzing, measuring, and changing human behavior. Within this context, students learn to design, analyze, and interpret research; sharpen oral and written communication skills; think critically; solve problems; and enhance interpersonal skills. These skills help prepare the Psychology major for careers in human services, teaching, business, and personnel. The Psychology major also provides preparation for successful pursuit of graduate studies leading to careers in professional psychology.

Learning Outcomes for Psychology
The following are learning outcomes for successful completion of the psychology major:

  • Students will demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts within psychology.
  • Students will demonstrate scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods.
  • Students will demonstrate ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings.
  • Students will demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills.

Want to be a therapist, counselor, or research mental illness? With AIC’s Psychology major, you can learn to view, analyze, measure, and change human behavior. These skills help prepare the psychology major for careers in human services, teaching,
and business.

—Dr. Susanne Swanker, PhD Dean of the School of Business, Arts & Sciences

In the classroom. In the workforce.

What You’ll Learn

The course prepares you to design and interpret research, think critically, and solve problems both empirically and ethically while addressing a range of personal and social issues.

Future Studies

Working closely with professors, you gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in any field that requires human understanding, clear communication, and insight into sociocultural issues, as well as graduate studies.

Career Opportunities

The program provides you with the skills needed in a variety of health- and business-related settings, including counseling and human services, public relations and advertising, mental-health facilities, and marketing research firms.

Major Requirements

  • PHIXXXX: Any Philosophy course (may also meet a General Education requirement)
  • PSY1401: General Psychology I
  • PSY1501: General Psychology II
  • PSY2302: Statistics
  • PSY2600: Foundations in Psychology
  • PSY2617: Cognitive Psychology
  • PSY2820: Advanced Statistics
  • PSY2821: Advanced Statistics Lab
  • PSY3422: Physiological Psychology
  • PSY3615: Experimental Psychology
  • PSY4830: History and Systems in Psychology
  • PSY4899: Psychology Practicum *

Plus two additional psychology courses (six credits) selected with the advisor.

* A practicum completed in another department, which has an acceptable psychological component, may be used to fulfill this requirement. Students completing a double major only need to complete one Practicum experience.

Minor:

To minor in psychology, a student must complete 18 credits of psychology. Neither PSY1401 General Psychology I nor PSY2302 Statistics will count towards the minor. A student must take PSY1501 General Psychology II, one course from each of the following three areas, and two additional courses, chosen in consultation with the advisor.

Applied

  • PSY2414: Human Sexuality
  • PSY2620: Educational Psychology
  • PSY3600: Abnormal Psychology
  • PSY3612: Personality

Theoretical

  • PSY2617: Cognitive Psychology
  • PSY2820: Advanced Statistics
  • PSY2821: Advanced Stats Lab
  • PSY3422: Physiological Psychology
  • PSY3607: Social Psychology

Developmental

  • PSY2408: Adolescent Psychology
  • PSY2410: Psychology of Aging
  • PSY2420: Psychology of Death & Dying
  • PSY2450: Developmental Psychology

Major Requirements

This course covers the basic principles of behavior, that make up the foundation of psychology. Emphasis is placed on the biological basis of behavior, sensation, perception, learning, language, memory, thinking, infancy, and childhood. The methods of inquiry used in psychology are also emphasized.

continuation of PSY1401, with an emphasis on the application of psychology to contemporary life. Topics include: motivation and emotion; social behavior; adolescence and adulthood; personality; abnormal behavior and psychotherapy; stress, health, and psychology of the workplace.

This course is an introduction to statistical methods as they are used in the social sciences. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are covered, including sampling, probability, and hypothesis testing. Specific parametric and non-parametric analyses include analysis of variance, the t-test, Chi-square, and correlation.

This meets the requirement as a writing intensive course in the major. This course provides an overview of the fundamental skills to the study of psychology. Students should develop a better understanding of how to succeed in the major and psychology-related professions. Recommended for sophomores.

An introductory examination of the field of human cognition. Topics include perception, attention, short and long-term memory, problem solving, and decision making. Emphasis will be on understanding the scientific nature of the discipline.

This course is a continuation of PSY2302, including a brief review of the material previously covered, such as probability, sampling, and hypothesis testing for both parametric and non-parametric analysis. Presented for the first time are such topics as Factor Analysis of Variance, the within-subjects Analysis of Variance, the paired t-test, and Chi-Square.

An experiential lab to accompany PSY2820, this course emphasizes the entry, calculation, and interpretation of statistical analyses using SPSS. Students will also learn and practice writing up statistical analyses in APA format. Exercises follow the statistical tests presented in PSY328.

This course is an introduction to the physiological basis of psychology. It focuses on the human brain and nervous system as they relate to topics such as learning, memory, motivation, sensation, sleep, drugs, and mental disorders.

This is a laboratory course dealing with the nature of science and scientific research methods. Although the emphasis is on experimentation, quasi-experimental designs and other research methods are covered in detail. Students carry out research projects, analyze the results, and write APA-style research reports describing the research project.

This meets the requirement as a writing intensive course in the major. This course addresses the roots of modern psychological thought and methodology, from their origins in philosophy and the natural sciences through the refinement of psychology in its current form. The major theories, schools of thought, and the people who have influenced the field of psychology will be examined. This course also serves as preparation for students who will be taking Graduate Record Examinations and for graduate study in psychology.

Students are placed in off-campus settings such as detention centers, hospitals, senior citizen centers, alternative schools, and halfway houses. Journals are maintained reflecting the student’s activities and reflections while at the practicum site. An academic paper with citations from psychological literature is required, covering some aspect of the practicum experience (i. e. client population, treatment approach, strategy for change, etc. ). Detailed plans for the practicum are made in consultation with the instructor. A practicum completed in another department, which has an acceptable psychological component, may be used to fulfill this requirement.

Other Electives

This course is a study of adolescent behavior, including current theories concerning the nature of adolescence. Emphasis is placed on physical, emotional, and cognitive forces, and how they interact to shape the adolescent personality.

Life cycle studies have recently focused upon the middle and older years of the life span. These studies have revealed that the declines in aging aren’t as universal, precipitous, nor inevitable as previously thought; indeed, each decade in middle years has its theme and task. It has also been found that many of the changes we associate with old age actually began during earlier periods of life. The focus in this course is on the origin and nature of these individual changes and phases.

Human sexuality is examined from biological, cultural, and psychological perspectives. Topics include sexual anatomy, childbirth, contraception, abortion, sexual development, sexual attitudes, adult sexual behavior, and alternative sexual lifestyles.

This course will focus on the many different aspects of death and dying. Some of the topics include: grief and bereavement, the hospice philosophy, children and death and dying, and AIDS. This course is appropriate for psychology and sociology majors, nurses and nursing students, gerontology students, and anyone interested in exploring this most fascinating subject.

The purpose of this course is to examine the concepts of human development, from conception to old age. Specifically, the course looks at how physical, cognitive, and socioemotional factors interact to influence learning, intelligence, language development, and the growth of personality. Major theories and the research that supports or refutes them are examined.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the field of health psychology. It is an extremely useful course for those planning to enter the healthcare field. The focus will be on adults; however, pediatric issues will also be covered. This course will examine the history of health psychology, mind-body connections, the effects of stress, and behavioral factors in illness. More specifically, this course will examine coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, psychoneuroimmunology, chronic pain, obesity, and smoking cessation. General issues such as compliance with medical regimens and psychological disorders that may affect proper compliance with medical regimens will also be covered.

An introductory examination of the field of human cognition. Topics include perception, attention, short and long-term memory, problem solving, and decision making. Emphasis will be on understanding the scientific nature of the discipline.

This course examines aspects of psychology related to human learning and the educational process. The course surveys topics such as learning, thinking, memory, intelligence, creativity, testing, motivation, and mental development that are vital to teachers and valuable to anyone engaged in learning.

This course is a continuation of PSY2302, including a brief review of the material previously covered, such as probability, sampling, and hypothesis testing for both parametric and non-parametric analysis. Presented for the first time are such topics as Factor Analysis of Variance, the within-subjects Analysis of Variance, the paired t-test, and Chi-Square.

An experiential lab to accompany PSY2820, this course emphasizes the entry, calculation, and interpretation of statistical analyses using SPSS. Students will also learn and practice writing up statistical analyses in APA format. Exercises follow the statistical tests presented in PSY328.

This course surveys industrial and organizational applications of psychology. Principles of individual differences are discussed that relate to career choice, career advancement, management, and the workplace environment.

This course is an introduction to the physiological basis of psychology. It focuses on the human brain and nervous system as they relate to topics such as learning, memory, motivation, sensation, sleep, drugs, and mental disorders.

This course examines the historical perspectives of abnormal behavior, and the nature, classification, etiology, and treatment of a variety of psychopathologies. Intended for majors in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education, and human services.

This course examines human behavior as it is affected by various social situations. Topics include the study of attitudes, social attribution, altruism, aggression, group behavior, and interpersonal attraction, among others.

In this course, theories and research directed toward understanding individual differences in thought, feeling and behavior are considered. Major focus will be on psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, and trait perspectives. Psychotherapies will be examined as implementations of personality theory.

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