Degree Requirements, Curriculum, and Course Description

 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

1. General Core (18 hrs)

• PSY 710 Theories of Personality (3 hrs): consideration of the major theoretical orientations concerning personality and the evidential basis for each.
• PSY 711 Learning and Cognition (3 hrs): Research and theory in human and animal learning, memory, and cognition.
• PSY 712 Advanced Developmental Psychology (3 hrs): A study of the biological, social, and cultural factors affecting human development.  Cross‑cultural perspectives will be emphasized.
• PSY 713 Biological Psychology (3 hrs): Physiological bases of learning and motivation; nervous system structure, function, and disorder in relation to behavior. 
• PSY 714 Social and Cognitive Bases of Behavior (3 hrs): Theory and research on attitude formation and change, attributional styles, prejudice, interpersonal perception, group dynamics, self‑regulation, and cognitive styles.
• PSY 715 History and Systems (3 hrs): Historical evolution of psychology from philosophical antecedents to the development of major systems and theories.

 

2. Research Core (17 hrs)

• PSY 731 Advanced Statistics I (3 hrs): Elements of probability theory, discrete and continuous random variables and their distributions, principles of estimation, hypothesis testing, introduction to regression and analysis of variance, computer applications.
• PSY 732 Advanced Statistics II (3 hrs): Advance topics in regression and analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, non‑parametric procedures, and computer applications.
• PSY 730 Research Methods (3 hrs): An in-depth study of research methodology with emphasis on scientific thinking.  The course covers basic within- and between- group experimental designs, mixed designs, single subject experiments, non‑experimental research (correlational methods, case studies, meta-analysis) and program evaluation.  Research ethics are stressed. Further, students are required to begin developing a topic for their second year paper.
• PSY 734 Psychometrics (3 hrs): Theories of measurement; evaluation of psychological assessment processes; test construction, validation, uses, problems, and social implications.
• PSY 700-01 Research Seminar (1 hr): Review and discussion of ongoing departmental research project; literature review of research topics of interest.  The seminar is intended to assist the student in developing research ideas for implementation.
• PSY 700-02 APA Research Writing (1 hr): designed to enhance students’ ability to write technical documents (e.g., 2^nd Year Paper, dissertation, manuscripts) and prepare manuscripts for submission to nationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals.
• PSY 733 Multivariate Methods I (3 hrs): Multivariate analysis of variance and covariance, canonical correlation, factor analysis, discriminant analysis, selected advanced topics.

 

3. Clinical Core (21 hrs)

• PSY 750 Ethics in Psychology (3 hrs): Professional and ethical issues affecting the practice of psychology.  Focus will be on the development of sound ethical and professional standards in psychology practice, teaching, and research.
• PSY 740 Psychopathology (3 hrs): Etiology, epidemiology, and dynamics of behavior and personality disorders, theory, research, diagnosis and treatment. Introduction to DSM IV-TR as a diagnostic tool.
• PSY 751 Psychotherapy (3 hrs): Critical examination of principles, techniques, research, and theoretical models in psychotherapy.
• PSY 742 Cognitive Assessment (3 hrs): Administration and interpretation of major intelligence tests and other cognitive instruments.  Interpretation and report writing are emphasized.
• PSY 743 Personality Assessment (3 hrs): Theoretical, conceptual and methodological aspects of objectives and projective personality assessment, integration of results into the written psychological test report.
• PSY 752 Behavior Therapy (3 hrs): Principles of behavior modification and their application in psychotherapy.
• PSY 753 Group Therapy (3 hrs): Therapeutic procedures for small clinical groups, dynamics of clinical groups.

 

4. Multicultural/Diversity Core (9 hrs)

• PSY 720 Cross‑Cultural Psychology (3 hrs): An examination of research and practice regarding assessment and treatment of culturally diverse populations with particular emphasis on the cultural context of symptoms and causes of psychological disorders.
• PSY 722 Psychology in the Urban Environment (3 hrs): The city as an environment, personal space and territoriality, crowding, noise, crime, drugs, and other urban hazards.  Special problems of minorities in urban setting.
• PSY 723 Psychology of Gender (3 hrs): Research and theory regarding gender differences and similarities.
• PSY 721 Psychology of African-Americans (3 hrs): A study of the psychological literature pertaining to the cultural, social, and political realities of African-Americans; a critical analysis of the development of Black Psychology and its contributions to clinical psychology.

 

5. Practica and Externships (20 hrs)

• PSY 760 Clinical Practicum I (3 hrs): Supervised training experience in interviewing and cognitive assessment.
• PSY 761 Clinical Practicum II (3 hrs): Supervised training and experience in personality assessment and psychotherapeutic procedures. 
• PSY 762 Clinical Practicum III (3 hrs): Supervised training and experience in psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy.  This course requires a minimum of ten clock hours per week.  The student is expected to become competent in interviewing, assessment, therapy, and case conceptualization.
• PSY 735 Research Practicum I (variable credits 1 – 6 hrs): Supervised experience conducting a psychological research project.  The student will review literature, conceptualize a research problem, formulate a research hypothesis and design a study to test it, execute the study, analyze the data, and write the second year paper.
• PSY 761 Research Practicum II
• PSY 764 Externship I (3 hrs): Fifteen hours per week of supervised clinical experience in approved community, institutional, or hospital settings.
• PSY 765 Externship II (3 hrs)
• PSY 766 Externship III (3 hrs)

 

6. Electives (minimum of  9 hrs) The student must take at least 3 of the following 12 courses:

• PSY 771 Human Sexuality (3 hrs): Biological, psychological, social, and cultural bases of human sexuality.  Diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunctions and disorders.
• PSY 774 Group Processes (3 hrs): Large- and small-group dynamics, theory and research concerning minority/majority group relations.
• PSY 772 Health Psychology (3 hrs): Psychological, social, and cultural factors related to physical and mental disorders; impact of life‑style on health; significance of cultural values in diagnosis and treatment; clinical psychology in community health settings.
• PSY 741 Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 hrs): Patterns of maladjustment in childhood and adolescence with attention to the emotional, motivational, and intellectual consequence of cultural deprivation.
• PSY 775 Marital and Family Therapy (3 hrs): A study of psychotherapeutic practice and theory applied in the treatment of families and couples.
• PSY 773 Theory and Treatment of Addictive Disorders (3 hrs): Psychology of addiction: techniques and procedures for intervention and treatment.
• PSY 744 Neuropsychological Assessment (3 hrs): Administration and interpretation of selected neuropsychological tests and batteries.
• PSY 745 Forensic Psychology (3 hrs): Competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, expert witnesses, jury dynamics, and other applications of psychology within the legal system.
• PSY 776 Neuro-Behavioral Science (3 hrs): The brain in relation to cognition, perception, and judgment; analysis and comparison of normal and brain-damaged modes of functioning.
• PSY 775 Psychopharmacology (3 hrs): Physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs with attention to those prescribed for psychiatric disorders. Role of the clinical psychologist in approaches combining drugs and psychotherapy.
• PSY 777 Multivariate Methods II (3 hrs): Structural-equation models, log-linear models, and selected advanced topics based on student needs and interests.
• PSY 770 Advanced Seminar (3 hrs): Evidenced-based information regarding entry into professional practice; theories of clinical supervision and supervisory roles; internship application and interview process; dissertation completion; clinical competency development.

7. Dissertation Research (9 hrs): PSY 790 Dissertation Research (variable credits 1 – 9 hrs).

 

8. Internship (2 hrs): PSY 799 Internship (variable credits 1 – 6 hrs): Internship in an APPIC-approved mental health setting.  Prerequisite: All coursework, second year paper, clinical-competency examination, and dissertation proposal.