PSY 1001-3 Introductory Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: minimum performance standard scores on the reading, writing, and mathematics preassessment placement tests

This course presents basic concepts, principles and methods involved in the scientific study and understanding of human behavior. Attention is given to organic bases of human and other animal behavior with emphasis on perception, learning, motivation, maturation, physical and social adaptation, experimental techniques, individuality and personality, conflict and stress, adjustment and mental health, social behavior and developmental processes. Required course for all psychology majors and minors. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

PSY 1800-4 Developmental Educational Psychology (3 + 2)

Prerequisite: minimum performance standard scores on the reading, writing and mathematics preassessment placement tests

Restrictions: Course restricted to teacher certification students in early childhood and elementary education only. Students may not substitute PSY 2110 for PSY 1800. Students may not receive credit for both PSY 1800 and PSY 2110.

This course focuses on how developmental and educational psychology can be used to better understand and teach children. Emphasis is placed on milestones of child development, birth to adolescence and the influence of the family, peers and school on development during the preschool and primary years. Students will study a variety of theories about the learning and teaching process. Research-based approaches to effective teaching and how to set developmentally appropriate expectations for children are the primary focus. Observation of children and the learning/teaching process is a required part of the class. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences) 

PSY 2110-3 Educational Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001 or permission of the instructor

This course involves application and examination of various principles of psychology to learning and teaching. There is an examination of effective modes as they apply to classroom management and application of new communications as they may affect the classroom. There is an emphasis on development, birth to adulthood.

PSY 2150-3 Cross-Cultural Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, satisfaction of English 1020 and Level I Communication course requirement

This course will critically examine major concepts, theories, models and research in psychology across cultures. New directions and foci across cultures will be explored and applied to personal development.

PSY 2160-3 Personality and Adjustment (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, satisfaction of the Level I Mathematics course requirement, and either ENG 1010 or the Level I Communication course requirement

The course presents application of principles of psychology to assist individuals in understanding factors that influence personality development and provides knowledge useful for personal improvements and adjustments as well as for social and professional relationships. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

PSY 2210-3 Psychology of Human Development (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, satisfaction of the Level I Mathematics course requirement, and either ENG 1010 or the Level I Communication requirement

This course presents the development of behavior from conception through maturity and death and is intended to help the student understand the developmental characteristics of different age groups and the determinants of their individual and collective behaviors. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

PSY 2240-3 Parenting Techniques (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course is designed to provide students with practical information related to child-rearing techniques. Students will gain an understanding of the role of parents, developmentally appropriate expectations and how cultural variations influence parenting. Students will learn specific parenting techniques from a variety of approaches including how to implement them in the family. The emphasis is on research-based information.

PSY 2270-3 Death and Dying (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course will study the individual as he/she copes with own or another's death from infancy through aging. Emphasis will be placed on common causes of death, the stages in the death process, psychotherapy with the dying patient and family members and psychological interpretations of burial rituals.

PSY 2310-3 Introduction to Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 + 0)

This course applies basic statistics to measurement, analysis and interpretation in psychology as well as other social and behavioral sciences covering distributions, probability, central tendency, variability, sampling distributions and hypothesis testing.

PSY 2320-3 Inferential Statistics (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 2310

This course is a continuation of PSY 2310. It covers sampling, experimental design, hypothesis-testing, t distribution, analysis of variance, nonparametric statistics, and correlation and regression in the context of behavioral research.

PSY 2410-3 Social Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course is an introduction to the content and methods of social psychology. Topics include social perception and cognition, social identity, attitudes, love and attraction, prejudice and discrimination, aggression, altruism, person perception, group dynamics and leadership, environmental effects on behavior and consumer behavior.

PSY 2850-3 Psychology of Sexuality (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001 or permission of instructor

Restriction: Students must be age 18 or over in order to register for and take this course.

This course is a survey of human sexual functioning, with the emphasis on psychological components even though an overview of anatomy and physiology is included. A sampling of topics covered: sexual variation and deviation, sexual dysfunction, social-psychological views of liking and loving, sexual identity, legal aspects of sexuality, and erotica and pornography.

PSY 2950-3 Contemporary Issues: Variable Topics (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

Courses included under this umbrella deal with issues of personal importance to students, with an emphasis on applying psychological principles and knowledge to contemporary questions, rather than a mastery of an academic content area in psychology. Course content will vary, and the course may be repeated for credit for different issues. Issues considered may include psychology of management; dynamics of depression; stress management; and others.

PSY 3000-3 Theories of Personality (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

Students will learn the major contemporary theories of personality. The course will emphasize neurobiological, behavioral, psychodynamic, cognitive and humanistic perspectives on human behavior and mental processes. The underlying philosophies and research support for these theories will be examined.

PSY 3050-3

(WMS 3050) Psychology of Gender (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001 or WMS 1001

This course presents a survey of major contemporary approaches to gender, including a range of scientific and theoretical work. A constructionist approach is utilized to synthesize the views. The course then reviews several major areas of application, including relationships, health, violence, workplace and achievements. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: PSY or WMS.

PSY 3070-3

(WMS 3070) Psychology of Sexual Orientation (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001 and 6 additional hours of PSY or permission of instructor

This course explores psychological theory and research dealing with sexual orientation, with an emphasis on lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) identity. Topics include historical and theoretical frameworks, homophobia and

heterosexism, origins of sexual orientation, LGB identity development and coming out, diversity, relationships and parenting, the role of community and others. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: PSY or WMS.

PSY 3100-3 Psychology of Counseling (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course is intended to provide students with a first course in psychological foundations of counseling. It also will provide opportunities for students to investigate and become familiar with a variety of counseling and therapy models.

PSY 3170-3 Multicultural Service Learning (2 + 2)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and six additional semester hours in psychology

This course is designed to combine psychological theory and practice around multicultural issues (including not only traditional classifications based on race and ethnicity but also others such as age, gender, socioeconomic level, health status and sexual orientation). Lectures, readings and discussions are integrated with a required service learning placement involving 45 hours of volunteer work in a psychological setting with supervision and training as necessary. (Multicultural)

PSY 3250-3 Child Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and satisfaction of all General Studies Level I course requirements

This course covers the major theories of child development and research related to child behavior. A social science emphasis is placed on prenatal, physical, social, cognitive, emotional, language and psychological development of normal children. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

PSY 3260-3 Psychology of Adolescence (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and satisfaction of all General Studies Level I course requirements

This course covers the major theories of adolescence and research related to adolescent behavior, including emphasis on the physical, social, cognitive and emotional developments of this period. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

PSY 3270-3 Adulthood and Aging (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course is a developmental study of the adult from young adulthood throughout the remainder of life.

PSY 3310-3 Psychological Research Methods I (2 + 2)

Prerequisite: PSY 2310 and PSY 2320

This course will introduce the student to basic methodology concerned with the collection or interpretation of data. Experimental techniques will be emphasized.

PSY 3320-3 Psychological Research Methods II (2 + 2)

Prerequisites: PSY 2320 and PSY 3310

This course is a continuation of PSY 3310 with emphasis on experimental and field techniques for both laboratory and field research, conducting experiments, and writing research reports.

PSY 3400-3 Psychology of Exceptional Children (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 2210 or PSY 3250

This course examines the psychology of atypical children: learning disabled, gifted, mentally retarded, physically handicapped, chronically ill, emotionally disturbed and neurologically impaired. Historical context, research findings, etiology, assessment, intervention options and prognosis are examined for each exceptionality. 

PSY 3420-3 Issues in Social-Personality Psychology: Variable Topics (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001; PSY 2160 or PSY 2410

This course entails an in-depth consideration of specific areas and issues in contemporary social psychology and personality theory. Emphasis will be on exploration of current theory, research and applications. Course content will vary and the course may be repeated for credit for different topics. Topics considered may include: transpersonal psychology, social learning theory, attitude change and others.

PSY 3440-3 Cravings and Addictions (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course offers a multidisciplinary analysis of a broad range of addictive disorders including alcohol or other drugs and a spectrum of behavioral disturbances including excessive eating, exercising, gambling and risk taking. Emphasis is placed on contemporary strategies for prevention, early intervention and treatment.

PSY 3450-3 Industrial Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001

This course provides a comprehensive survey of industrial and organizational psychology for students preparing for careers in science, social sciences, the humanities, education, and business, as well as psychology. Applications of industrial psychology to work situations, personnel selection and training, consumer psychology, advertising and sales are considered.

PSY 3470-3 Psychology of Violence and Aggression (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and three additional hours of psychology coursework

This course provides an overview of the major theoretical perspectives in violence and aggression, as well as application in the following research areas: family violence, criminal violence, gang/cult violence, wartime violence and more. It concentrates on psychological mechanisms of aggression, the prevailing social norms and cognitive factors that facilitate the expression of aggression. Remedies are suggested on both the individual and global level.

PSY 3480-3

(WMS 3480) Psychology of Women (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: PSY 1001 or WMS 1001

This course presents the history and development of theories, research and concepts in the psychology of women, including a focus on mental health and illness, the pathology of women's social roles, biological bases of women's behavior and feminist psychological theories and research. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: PSY or WMS.

PSY 3500-3 Research Issues: Variable Topics (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and PSY 2310 or permission of instructor

This course presents an in-depth consideration of current areas and issues in experimental psychology, focusing on the scientific investigation of various aspects of human functioning. Course content will vary and may be repeated for credit as the course title changes. Topics may include information processing, stimulus control of behaviors, health psychology and others.

PSY 3550-3 Environmental Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and PSY 2310

This course surveys empirical and theoretical work on the influence of the physical environment on human behavior and experience and the psychological factors in environmental problems and solutions.

PSY 3570-3 Cognitive Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: fifteen hours of psychology or permission of instructor

This course examines current research and theory in the areas of attention, memory, perception, pattern recognition, language, decision making, problem solving and creativity. Information processing and other perspectives are explored.

PSY 3590-3 Theories of Motivation (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, nine hours of upper-division psychology, and BIO 1000 or equivalent

This course surveys psychological theories of motivation and supporting research. Topics include: needs, drives, homeostasis, escape, avoidance, anger, aggression, cognitive consistency, achievement, power and altruism. Primarily for psychology majors and minors.

PSY 3620-3 Abnormal Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, and any one of the following: PSY 2210, PSY 3000, PSY 3570, or PSY 3590

Students examine the major theories of abnormal behavior: neurobiological, behavioral, psychodynamic, cognitive and humanistic. The course provides a description of the behavior patterns defined as abnormal, an explanation about the causes of abnormal behavior, and a realization of how management and treatment strategies stem from notions of causation. 

PSY 3700-3

(AAS 3700) Psychology of Racism and Group Prejudice (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, AAS 1010, and three hours of coursework at the 2000-level or above in AAS, CHS, ICS, NAS, PSY, or WMS, or permission of instructor

This course examines the origins, nature and transmission of prejudice from a psychological perspective. Specific areas examined include racism, sexism, classism and homophobia. Theoretical orientations, research and perspectives on change are addressed. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: PSY or AAS.

PSY 3980-3 Cooperative Education: Psychology (0 + 9)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, major or minor in psychology, upper-division standing, permission of instructor

This course provides an advanced internship experience in a private company or governmental agency related to psychology, supervised by professionals on-the-job in conjunction with an MSCD psychology professor. May be repeated once for credit with a different internship.

PSY 4150-3 Introduction to Psychological Testing (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001, PSY 2310, and either PSY 3000 or PSY 3620

This course studies the underlying assumptions of reliability and validity and use of tests in achievement, aptitude and diagnostic situations. The course surveys selected instruments of each type stressing utility and limitations.

PSY 4300-3 Sensation and Perception (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: BIO 1000 or equivalent, PSY 1001, PSY 2310, and nine additional hours of psychology coursework

This course examines how information about the outside world is sensed and how that information is organized

and interpreted to form perceptions. Anatomy and physiology of the sensory systems will be studied, as will perceptual theories, models, controversies, and applications.

PSY 4310-3 Physiological Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: BIO 1000 or equivalent, PSY 1001, and nine hours of upper-division psychology courses, or permission of instructor

This course studies the physiological bases of normal and abnormal behavior with emphasis on neurology and hormones.

PSY 4390-3 Psychology of Learning (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 2310 and nine hours of upper-division psychology courses, or permission of instructor

This course provides a general study of the psychology of learning including leading theories and principal empirical findings, both historical and contemporary. This course includes both animal and human learning.

PSY 4410-3 Human Factors Engineering (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 1001 and PSY 2310, or permission of instructor

This course surveys the field of human engineering dealing with the problems and processes involved in designing equipment and environments to optimally serve their intended functions. Emphasis is on the industrial applications of psychological research data to the design of equipment and environments.

PSY 4450-3 Advanced Statistics: SPSS (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 2320 or its equivalent, and permission of instructor before enrolling

This course offers study of multivariate statistics such as multiple regression, factor analysis, discriminate analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. Students will learn how to use the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to perform the necessary statistical tests. Emphasis will be on understanding, application and interpretation of the multivariate statistics.

PSY 4510-3 History and Systems of Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: fifteen semester hours of psychology, satisfaction of all Level I and Level II General Studies course requirements, and senior standing

This course presents a critical survey of major theoretical systems in psychology in the context of an historical perspective. (Senior Experience)

PSY 4630-3 Introduction to Clinical Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: PSY 3000 and PSY 3620

This course is a survey of behavior disorders with an emphasis on diagnostic and therapy theories, procedures and techniques. There is a focus on Colorado law covering the practice of psychology as well as ethical issues in the practice of therapy.

PSY 4950-3 Pro-seminar in Psychology: Variable Topics (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and psychology major or minor

This course is an intensive teaching seminar, intended for advanced students majoring or minoring in psychology, organized around a selected theme. Course content will vary, and the course may be repeated for credit for different topics. Topics considered may include advanced seminar in sexuality, forensic psychology, psycholinguistics, honors seminar and others.

PSY 4970-3 Teaching of Psychology (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: fifteen semester hours of psychology, junior or senior standing, psychology major or minor

This course provides intensive experience as an undergraduate teaching assistant under close faculty supervision. The experience includes lecture/seminar meetings and additional hours of application each week. Students prepare presentations, critiques and discussions of emerging issues.