Spring Semester Courses

All syllabi are subject to minor revisions prior to the beginning of class




GERN 6000: Integrated Studies in Gerontology - Graduate Course

Course Description:

This course is designed to allow the student to synthesize and integrate the learning experiences acquired in gerontology and to evaluate the research and current topics relative to this area of concentration.

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GERN 5630: Psychology and Aging - Graduate Course

Course Description:

Since the turn of the last century, the life expectancy of people born in the United States has increased by approximately 25 years and the proportion of persons 65 years or older has increased from 4% to over 13%. By the year 2030, one in five individuals in the U.S. is expected to be 65 years or olde and people age 85 and older make up the fastest growing segment of the population. As such it is imperative that we all learn more about the impact of this "age wave" for our own personal lives as well as on our professional commitments. The acquisition of knowledge regarding the impact of aging on individuals and cultures is fundamental for those with clients, consumers, or colleagues who are in later life.

In this course, we will examine late-life development from a psychological perspective. Many individuals know very little about the diversity of experience of older adults both in the United States and around the globe. Therefore, we will explore the myths and stereotypes relative to aging and examine current and potentially new paradigms for healthy, productive, and effective aging. We will become more knowledgable concerning the various conceptualizations and strategies needed to prepare for an aging, and increasingly diverse majority of elders within the United States and around the world. Issues related to personality and cognitive development, family, retirement, and widowhood as well as psychopathology will be discussed.

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ANSO/PSYC 4600: Advanced Seminar - Peace and Conflict - Undergraduate Course

Course Description:

This seminar on peace and conflict employs an interdisciplinary perspective to examine the causes of conflict and violence and the ways to resolve, manage, and control both violent and nonviolent conflicts at all levels:

This course is intended to provide students with information integrating theory and research on international, intergroup, and interpersonal conflict and direct approaches to conflict resolution such as negotiation, mediation, and facilitation.

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PSYC 4200: Personality Theory - Undergraduate Course

Course Description:

This course focuses on the major models of personality including Psychoanalytic, neoanalytic, Learning, Cognitive, Trait, and Humanistic-Existential. During the term we will examine these models, the major theories representative of each model, each theories methods and research, and will explore the assumptions about human nature which underlie each perspective. In each case we will work through the ideas of some major representative of the theory and see how people like Freud, Jung, and Maslow reached their conclusions about personality. In addition, we will apply each theorist's ideas in an analysis of the main character in Camus' The Stranger.

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PSYC 4600: History and Sytems of Psychology - Undergraduate Course

Course Description:

The roots of modern psychological thought and methodology are explored in this course. We will trace these roots from their origins in philosophy and the natural sciences through the early schools of psychology to its current form. In addition to learning about the major schools and systems of psychology (e. g., Functionalism, Structuralism, Gestalt, etc.), we will explore how cultural and political forces shapde psychological theories. We will also examine the lives and works of the men and women whose work created psychology's foundation.

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PSYC 2750: Introduction to Measurement and Statistics - Undergraduate Course

Course Description:

Introduction to Measurement and Statistics (PSYC 2750) is for the university student who wishes to gain an understanding of basic statistical concepts. Knowledge of these concepts is essential for the reading of technical journals in one's field and basic research design. In other words, no matter whether you are sitting by the fireplace catching up on your reading about depression or working on a new treatment method, knowing when and how to use measurements and statistics is fundamental. The basic concepts to be covered are:

  1. the contrast between descriptive and causal research
  2. types of measurement
  3. the use of descriptive statistics to summarize research results
  4. the use of inferential statistics to draw conclusions based on a sample(s) drawn from a population.

No prior statistical knowledge is required for this class. Classroom techniques that will be used to achieve the course objectives will include lecture, active problem solving sessions, homework, and examinations.

This course is coded for the Scientific Understanding goal in the General Education program. Scientific Understanding is defined as the analysis of the concepts of a scientific discipline and its methods, limitations, and impact in the modern world.

This course is also coded for the Mathematics goal in the General Education program. Mathematics is defined as the recognition of the value and beauty of mathematics as well as the ability to appraise and use quantitative data.

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