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Printable checklist of Psychology major requirements
Careers in Psychology Resources
Graduate Studies Resources
Other Psychology Resources
Psi Chi Honor Society |
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 The Department of Psychology endorses a view of psychology as the
use of scientific methods to study a broad range of factors that
often interact to produce human behavior, including cognitive,
developmental, personality, physiological, and social variables.
Therefore, students who major in psychology are expected to:
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Learn to apply empirical methods to
understand human and animal behavior. Students should be able to
use and critique a variety of research methods, ranging from
controlled laboratory experiments to naturalistic observations.
Specific skills to be acquired include the ability to
operationally define concepts for empirical study; to collect,
analyze, and interpret empirical data; and to clearly communicate
findings to larger audiences through oral and written
presentations (for example, APA style research papers, posters,
and presentations).
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Learn major theoretical and empirical
advances in a variety of disciplines within the field of
psychology (for example, clinical, cognitive, developmental,
motivational, organizational, personality, physiological, social).
This objective should include the ability to compare and contrast
explanations offered by different schools of thought within each
discipline (for example, behavioral, biological, cognitive,
dispositional, psychoanalytic, social learning). It also should
include an understanding of both current and historically
prominent developments in the various disciplines.
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Learn ways in which psychological concepts
can be applied for the benefit of oneself and society. Students
will learn about clinical, educational and organizational
applications of psychological research and will consider ways in
which psychological principles may be relevant to personal life
and civic participation. In addition, students are expected to
become more precise and tolerant observers of human behavior and
individual differences.
The Department of Psychology at Oglethorpe
University has a strong tradition of student achievement in research
and internships. Many students collaborate with faculty on research
projects or develop and complete their own research projects with
the help of faculty mentors. Each year, Oglethorpe is represented at
regional and national psychology conferences by psychology students
presenting their original work. Psychology students have completed
internships in a variety of settings including: private clinical
practices, adoption agencies, law enforcement agencies, law firms,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Partnership Against
Domestic Violence, Georgia State University Language Research
Center, Zoo Atlanta, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, and
the Georgia Psychological Association.
Major
To complete a major in psychology, the student must complete nine
psychology courses (36 semester hours) beyond Psychological Inquiry.
These nine courses must include Statistics, Research Methods,
Advanced Experimental Psychology, and History and Systems of
Psychology. Psychology majors also are required to complete General
Biology I and II as directed electives and at least one semester of
a foreign language at the second semester elementary-level or
higher. The degree awarded is the Bachelor of Arts. Transfer courses
may satisfy major requirements if approved by psychology faculty, if
shown on an official transcript and if the work was completed with a
grade of "C" or higher. Any course taken outside of the
undergraduate day program to satisfy degree requirements must be
approved by the psychology department.
Minor
A minor in psychology consists of any four psychology courses (20
semester hours) beyond Psychological Inquiry. No course can be used
to satisfy both major and minor requirements.
The following courses are offered in Psychology:
| PSY 101. Psychological Inquiry |
4 hours |
| This course presents a unique way
of understanding ourselves: the use of the empirical method to
obtain information about human and animal behavior.
Psychological experimentation will be shown to contribute to
human self-understanding through its production of interesting,
reliable, and often counter-intuitive results. Topics to be
considered may include obedience to authority, memory,
alcoholism, persuasion, intelligence, and dreaming. These topics
will be examined from a variety of potentially conflicting
perspectives: behavioral, cognitive, developmental, biological,
and psychoanalytic.
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| PSY 201. Developmental Psychology |
4 hours |
The ways in which individuals
understand the world and each other change dramatically from
birth to adolescence. This course will trace these developments,
particularly those of cognition, social behavior, and
self-concept. The factors influencing development, such as
heredity and the social/cultural environment, will be
emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of "C-" or
higher.
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| EDU 201. Educational Psychology |
4 hours |
A study of learning theory and its
application to such problems as classroom management, the
organization of learning activities, understanding individual
differences, and evaluating teaching and learning. Emphasis is
given to factors which facilitate and interfere with learning.
Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of "C" or higher.
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| PSY 202. Organizational Psychology |
4 hours |
Organizations and the individuals
who function within them will be examined from the perspective
of psychological theory and research. Consideration will be
given both to broad topics relevant to all organizations, such
as communications, groups, and leadership, and to topics
specific to the work environment, such as employee selection,
training, and evaluation. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of
"C-" or higher.
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| PSY 203. Learning and Conditioning |
4 hours |
This course examines the empirical
and theoretical issues surrounding learned behavior. Most of the
data discussed come from studies in animal learning but special
emphasis will be placed on how learning principles explain
everyday human behavior and are used in the treatment of
abnormal behavior patterns. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade
of "C-" or higher.
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| PSY 204. Social Psychology |
4 hours |
Social psychology is the study of
human beings in interaction with each other or under the
pressure of forces of social influence. The course will include
a consideration of conformity, persuasion, attraction,
aggression, self-presentation, and other relevant aspects of the
social life. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of "C-" or
higher.
|
| PSY 205. Theories of Personality |
4 hours |
The goal of this course is to
acquaint the student with the major theories of personality and
with approaches to the scientific evaluation of them. Students
will be encouraged to engage in critical analysis and
theoretical comparisons of the ideas presented from diverse, and
often contradictory, perspectives. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a
grade of "C-" or higher.
|
| PSY 301. Research Methods |
4 hours |
Through a combination of class
discussion and hands-on research activity, this course provides
students with exposure to a variety of research approaches. The
course begins with an examination of descriptive methods, such
as naturalistic observation, surveys, and archival research, and
concludes with an analysis of controlled experimental methods.
Quasi-experimental designs and applications of research methods
are also explored. Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of "C-"
or higher and MAT 111.
|
| PSY 302. Advanced Experimental Psychology |
4 hours |
This sequel to the introductory
research methods course provides an in-depth analysis of
controlled experimentation in a laboratory setting. Each student
will design and conduct an individual research project to
fulfill the laboratory component of the course. Prerequisite:
PSY 301.
|
| PSY 303. Psychological Testing |
4 hours |
This course covers the selection,
interpretation, and applications of psychological tests,
including tests of intellectual ability, vocational and academic
aptitudes, and personality. The most common uses of test results
in educational institutions, clinical settings, business,
government, and the military will be considered. The history of
psychological testing and the interpretation of test results
also will be considered from both traditional and critical
perspectives. Although students will have the opportunity to see
many psychological tests, this course is not intended to train
students actually to administer tests. Prerequisites: PSY 101
with a grade of "C-" or higher and MAT 111.
|
| PSY 306. Abnormal Psychology |
4 hours |
There are three main goals in this
course. The first is to enhance the student's understanding of
psychopathology and major treatment approaches. The second is to
help the student learn to evaluate critically the research
evidence regarding therapeutic interventions. The third is to
encourage a self-examination of the student's attitudes and
those of our society regarding mental illness and the full range
of human individual differences. Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a
grade of "C-" or higher.
|
| PSY 307. Cognitive Psychology |
4 hours |
This course explores the nature and
function of human thought processes. Topics to be considered
include perception, attention, remembering and forgetting,
mental imagery, psycholinguistics, problem solving, and
reasoning. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of "C-" or higher.
|
| PSY 308. Sensation and Perception |
4 hours |
This course explores how the brain
and body transduce, organize, and interpret information from the
environment. Topics covered will include psychophysical methods,
signal detection theory, and the neural mechanisms underlying
vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Prerequisites: PSY 101
with a grade of "C-" or higher and BIO 102. (Biology majors only
need BIO 102.)
|
| PSY 309. Behavioral Neuroscience |
4 hours |
| This course focuses on the neural
and hormonal correlates of behavior including sleep, feeding,
sexual behavior, learning and memory, language, movement, and
psychopathology including mood disorders and schizophrenia.
Other topics include methods used in the brain sciences, the
connection between stress and illness, and how the brain
recovers from injury. Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of
"C-" or higher and BIO 102. (Biology majors only need BIO 102.) |
| PSY 401. Special Topics in Psychology |
4 hours |
The seminar will provide
examination and discussion of various topics of contemporary
interest in psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 101 with a grade of
"C-" or higher.
|
| PSY 402. Topics in Clinical Psychology |
4 hours |
The focus of the course is on the
examination and discussion of topics of contemporary interest in
clinical psychology. Prerequisite: PSY 306.
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| PSY 403. Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior |
4 hours |
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This course examines the effects of psychoactive
drugs on the central nervous system and behavior. Both
recreational and illicit drugs (opiods, stimulants, sedatives,
hallucinogens) and those used to treat mental disorders (antianxiety
agents, antidepressants, antipsychotics) will be covered. Drug
action at the synaptic level, dose-response functions, tolerance
and sensitization, and toxicity will be discussed.
Prerequisites: PSY 101 with a grade of "C-" or higher and BIO
102. (Biology majors only need BIO 102.)
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| PSY 405. History and Systems of Psychology |
4 hours |
A study of the historic development
of modern psychology, this course covers its philosophical and
scientific ancestry, the major schools of thought, the
contemporary systems of psychology, and their theoretical and
empirical differences. Recommended for the senior year.
Prerequisites: Two or more psychology courses and senior status
or permission of the instructor.
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| PSY 406. Directed Research in Psychology |
4 hours |
Original investigations and
detailed studies of the literature in selected areas of
psychology will be supervised by a faculty member. Emphasis will
be on original research. Prerequisites: PSY 301 and permission
of the instructor.
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| PSY 407. Internship in Psychology |
1-4 hours |
An internship is designed to
provide a formalized experiential learning opportunity to
qualified students. The internship generally requires the
student to obtain a faculty supervisor in the relevant field of
study, submit a learning agreement, work 30 hours for every hour
of academic credit, keep a written journal of the work
experience, have regularly scheduled meetings with the faculty
supervisor, and write a research paper dealing with some aspect
of the internship. Written work should total five pages of
academic writing for every hour of credit. An extensive list of
internships is maintained by the Career Services Office,
including opportunities mentioned in the major overview. Graded
on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites:
Permission of the faculty supervisor and qualification for the
internship program.
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| PSY 408. Independent Study in Psychology |
1-4 hours |
This course provides the
opportunity for an intense study of diverse topics under the
direct supervision of the instructor. Prerequisite: Submission
of a proposed outline of study that includes a schedule of
meetings and assignments approved by the instructor, the
division chair, and the Provost and Senior Vice President prior
to registration.
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