Course Descriptions

 Psyc 501 Research Methods I
Review of descriptive statistics and basic research methodology. Experimental methods and research design including one-way analyses,factorial designs, repeated measures, analysis of covariance, and the analyses of main effects, simple effects and interaction comparisons.

Psyc 502 Research Methods II
Building on the content of PSYC 501, further advanced research methods are presented. These include problems in multivariate regression analysis, multivariate analysis of nominal and ordinal data, structural equation models, and methods for analyzing longitudinal data. In addition, students learn how to choose appropriate methodology for a variety of research problems.

Psyc 504 Testing and Measurement
A review of basics of psychological measurement; all steps of the process of assessment development; different methods of psychological assessment such as observational, self-administered, and interview techniques; and, ways of integrating information from multiple assessment methods are discussed. Students work with applications and discuss greater cultural, ethical, and societal context of psychological measurement.

PSYC 505 Culture and Self
This is a required course for Social, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology doctoral programs. The formation of the self and its interaction with social-psychological-cognitive processes are studied in socio-cultural context and from developmental, cultural, and cross-cultural perspectives.  The main topic of this course is the self, which has its antecedents in the beginnings of American psychology on the one hand, and in social psychological and sociological symbolic interactionism on the other hand. It is emphasized that self is the key to individual-society interface and is important for the theoretical advancement of both universal psychology and also for psychological applications directed at human well-being.

PSYC 510 Emotion and Motivation
The Course provides an overview of theories and research in emotion and motivation. Readings will examine the role of emotions and motivations in verbal & nonverbal communicatio, decision making & reasoning, social functioning, and psychopathology. Whenever possible, students will be exposed to these topics at different levels of analysis including biological, cognitive and social.

PSYC 517 Advanced Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Theories, Methodologies and Practices. The course will focus on state-of-the-art theoretical and methodological approaches in IO Psychology. Most recent research and theories on some of the most important subjects of the field like “criteria definition”, scientific bases of personnel decisions and industrial development will be discussed. Also in order to encourage students to have research experience in these areas, they will be asked to conduct a research project.

PSYC 521 Cognitive Development
This course will review current research and theoretical issues about cognitive development. Major research areas that will be covered are theory of mind, joint attention, language, memory, numerical cognition, social cognition, and implications of atypical cognitive development. Interfaces with socioemotional development will also be emphasized.

PSYC 524 Social Development
This course will examine the social aspects of development. Topics include parenting, peer relationships and friendship, attachment, empathy, aggression, emotional development, gender socialization, and adult social development.

PSYC 525 Applied Developmental Psychology
This course will help develop the students’ understanding of how the science of human development may contribute to address individual, familial, social, political, and economic problems. This course will address how human potential can be realized at an individual level and how societal resources can be created, mobilized, and utilized to facilitate the realization of human potential.

PSYC 542 Advanced Social Psychology
This is in an entry level course that involves discussion of some of the central theories and models and examination of most recent approaches and research in the field of social psychology.  Another goal of this course is to provide the students with an overview of the methods and paradigms used by social psychologists.

PSYC 567 Attitudes and Persuasion
This course will provide an overview of classic and recent research on attitudes and persuasion. Content will include broad coverage of the issues of major importance to attitude theory, but will focus on more recent issues and controversies that have captured the interest of researchers in the field. The class will cover topics such as structure and functions of attitudes, measurement, the role of memory, models of attitude chaneg and persuasion, resistance, message design and evaluation. Students who take this course will become familiar with research methods and major issues in attitudes research and will have a better understanding of how individuals form, use, and maintain their evaluations. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to critique existing research and formulate new research ideas. Applications in the context of health, consumption, politics, and advertising will be covered throughout.

PSYC 561 / PSYC 461: Physiological Psychology  
Introduction to physiological psychology; overview of the physiological mechanisms that underlie psychological processes of sensation, motivation, learning, memory, and emotion. Other topics include neurological disorders, schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychopharmacology.

PSYC 515 / PSYC 415 Neural Bases of Memory
An overview of the neural basis of memory. Covers topics in cutting edge research related to the cognitive neuroscience of human memory, including neural correlates of working memory, cognitive control of memory, long-term memory encoding, long-term memory retrieval, and the impact of aging on various memory processes.

PSYC 511 / PSYC 411 Cognitive Neuroscience 
An overview of the neural bases of cognition. Covers basic neuroanatomy, a description of the neuroscience methods, and a survey of fundamental topics such as neural basis of vision, executive function, learning and memory, attention, emotion, thinking and problem solving, and social cognition.

Psyc 590 Seminar in Psychology
Discussion of recent research by faculty and other invited speakers, and cross-fertilization of, research ideas topics as well as methodological approaches are emphasized.

ENGL 500 Graduate Writing
Builds a solid background in written and spoken academic discourse; improves critical reading and writing skillls ; fosters critical and creative thinking. Provides instruction in proper academic citation models.