Courses

Most psychology departments have requirements to help prepare their undergraduate majors for graduate school or employment upon graduation. Courses in statistics and research methods are essential! Our current degree program allows students maximum flexibility to tailor their program to specific interests. However, it is also wise to select undergraduate courses to give you breadth in the overall field of psychology, so that you are knowledgeable about several of the fundamental areas of psychology (cognitive, developmental, personality, physiological, and social).

Students who are aiming for more practical experience should plan to become involved in research early in their undergraduate career, ideally during the sophomore or no later than the start of the junior year. This is essential skill building for graduate study in psychology and can add a practical skill set for students seeking to enter the workforce. Students may also gain course credit through PSY 4000: Individual Problems. Working with our faculty on research will helps students gain more knowledge about research design and statistics. Further, this demonstrates a motivation and interest in research in psychology, which looks amazing on a graduate application or resume. Taking advantage of these opportunities early gives maximum exposure and experience. For more information regarding undergraduate research opportunities please visit our faculty labs page.

Psychology course descriptions in the TTU College Catalog

Major Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology (2020 forward)

Core Classes (11 credit hours):

PSY 1300: General Psychology
PSY 2400CL: Statistical Methods
PSY 3401CL: Research Methods

Group 1 (select 2 courses; 6 credit hours):

PSY 4324: Cognition
PSY 3327: Introduction to Physiological Psychology
PSY 4323: Perception: Theories and Applications
PSY 4327: Cognitive Neuroscience

Group 2 (select 2 courses; 6 credit hours):

PSY 2304: Introduction to Social Psychology
PSY 3306CL: Personality
PSY 4301: Developmental Psychology
PSY 4305CL: Abnormal Psychology

Special Topics in Psychology (select 4 courses – can include courses from the above lists; 12 credit hours):

PSY 2306: Child and Adolescent Psychology
PSY 2307: Psychology of Gender
PSY 3301: An Introduction to Psychology of the Arts
PSY 3310: Psychology and Religion
PSY 3317: Learning and Memory
PSY 3334: Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology
PSY 3335: I/O Psychology
PSY 3341: Close Relationships
PSY 3345: Sport Psychology
PSY 3390: Positive Psychology
PSY 3398: Ethnic Minority Psychology
PSY 3318: Development of Children's Thinking
PSY 4000: Individual Problems
PSY 4300: Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior
PSY 4302: Undergraduate Internship
PSY 4306 Constructivist and Narrative Psychology
PSY 4325: Drugs, Alcohol, and Behavior
PSY 4326: Human Factors
PSY 4328: Neuroscience of Vision
PSY 4310CL: Abnormal Child Psychology
PSY 4331 Social Psychology of Groups
PSY 4332: Health Psychology
PSY 4334CL: Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy
PSY 4380: Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists
PSY 4384: Forensic Psychology

Total: 35 hours required

NOTE: These are requirements for the 2017 and later catalog. If you are on an earlier catalog, refer to the 2014-2016, or -2013 Catalog.

Group 1: Learning and Cognition

3317. Principles of Learning and Memory (3). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. A survey of contemporary theory and research in the fields of learning and memory.

4323. Perception: Theories and Applications (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of methods and findings in perception. Emphasis on demonstrations of perceptual phenomena; theories of visual perception (cognitive and ecological); applications. Topics include illusions, depth, motion.

4324. Cognition (3). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. This course represents an emergent synthesis of the traditional areas of perception, learning, and human performance. This new area concerns itself with higher level human cognition. Data and theory for the topics of creativity, concept learning, cognitive skills, and attention will be covered.

4327. Cognitive Neuroscience (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to functional neuroanatomy, cognitive neuroscience methods, and cognitive neuroscience theory in broad cognitive areas such as attention, perception, memory, language, and decision-making.

Group 2: Individual Differences, Personality, and Social Processes

3304. Introduction to Social Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Study of individual experience and behavior in relation to social stimulus situations. Survey of experimental work and reports on current problems.

3306. Personality (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Principles of normal personality structure. (Communication Literacy)

3398. Ethnic Minority Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and Junior Standing. Focus is on the psychosocial aspects that impact the four predominant ethnic minority populations in the United States. Fulfills the multicultural requirement.

Group 3: Biological Bases of Behavior

3327. Introduction to Physiological Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to neuroanatomy, electrophysiological measuring techniques, and the mechanisms of receptor and effector systems. A study of the relationships between behavior and the physiological substrate.

4325. Drugs, Alcohol, and Behavior (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of psychological factors involved in drug use and an introduction to pharmacotherapy used in treatment of mental illness.

4328. Neuroscience of Vision (3). Covers how the human brain accomplishes vision from detection of very basic image features to face processing, visual attention, and consciousness.

4332. Health Psychology (3). Introduces students to the contributions of psychology as a discipline to the understanding of health and illness.

Group 4: Development Bases in Behavior

2301. Child Psychology (3). A study of the developmental processes and environmental factors which shape the personality and affect the achievement of the child.

2306. Child and Adolescent Psychology (3). A general review of approaches to the understanding of the social behavior and development of the adolescent. Physical, mental, and emotional growth and adjustment are covered.

3318. Development of Children's Thinking and Emotion (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Considers cognitive development from infancy to adulthood with attention to spatial cognition, concepts, problem solving, language, and emotion.

4301. Developmental Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. An advanced study of the process of development through consideration of data, theories, and contemporary research issues.

Group 5: Applied Professional Psychology in Community and Practice Setting

3334. Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to current practices of clinical and counseling psychologists, including clinical, diagnostic, and intervention strategies. Survey of career opportunities, professional issues, and ethical problems.

4302. Undergraduate Internship in Psychology (3). Prerequisites: Senior standing and instructor consent. Provides undergraduate psychology majors with an opportunity to earn credit doing a supervised internship in the community. May be repeated one time toward overall degree requirements.

4326. Human Factors Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. Introduction to methods and findings in human factors psychology: Applications of psychological research to designs of machines, environments, and tasks.

4334. Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of current practice and theory in counseling and psychotherapy. Consideration of the research support for counseling and psychotherapy as an agent of change of behavior. (Communication Literacy)

4335. Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3). The study of human behavior as it is related to work, including personnel issues, worker issues, and organizational issues.

4384. Forensic Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 3401, 4305. Introduces students to the interface of psychology and law with a focus on forensic psychology (e.g., forensic psychological assessment, expert testimony).

Group 6: Additional Courses in Psychology

3301. An Introduction to the Psychology of the Arts (3). An introduction to various psychological perspectives on artistic production and appreciation.

3310. Psychology and Religion (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Examines historical perspectives on the psychology of religion, the experience of religion and spirituality from a psychological perspective, and the relations between psychology and religion.

3341. Close Relationships (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Social psychology theory and research on topics in close relationship literature including attitudes toward love and sexuality, friendship, intimacy, power, conflict, and divorce.

4000. Individual Problems Course (V1-6). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and consent of instructor. Independent work under the individual guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated for up to 12 hours credit, only 6 of which may count toward fulfillment of the major in psychology.

4300. Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior (3). Study of human sexual behavior from a psychosocial viewpoint with emphasis on contemporary research methods and findings. (WS 4302)

4305. Abnormal Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Personality deviations and maladjustments; emphasis on clinical descriptions of abnormal behavior, etiological factors, manifestations, interpretations, and treatments. (Communication Literacy)

4310. Abnormal Child Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 4305 or instructor consent; junior standing. Description, classification, assessment, treatment, and research methods pertaining to behavioral and emotional disorders of childhood and adolescence. (Communication Literacy)

4336. Research in Personality and Social Psychology (3). Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. In-depth study of selected research areas in personality and social psychology, with special emphasis on scientific writing.

4380. Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists (3). Prerequisite: PSY 2400 or MATH 2300. Second course in psychological statistics recommended for students planning to attend graduate school. Includes probability, correlation and regression, basic parametric and nonparametric inferential statistics.

4390. Positive Psychology (3). Provides an introduction to positive psychology constructs, topics, theories, contexts, and applications.

NOTE: These are courses for the 2014 and later catalog. If you are on an earlier catalog, refer to the -2013 Catalog. If you are on a later catalog, refer to the 2017+ Catalog.

Group 1: Learning and Cognition

3317. Principles of Learning and Memory (3). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. A survey of contemporary theory and research in the fields of learning and memory.

Group 2: Individual Differences, Personality, and Social Processes

3306. Personality (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Principles of normal personality structure. [PSYC 2316]

Group 3: Biological Bases of Behavior

4325. Drugs, Alcohol, and Behavior (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of psychological factors involved in drug use and an introduction to pharmacotherapy used in treatment of mental illness.

4328. Neuroscience of Vision (3). Covers how the human brain accomplishes vision from detection of very basic image features to face processing, visual attention, and consciousness.

4332. Health Psychology (3). Introduces students to the contributions of psychology as a discipline to the understanding of health and illness.

Group 4: Development Bases in Behavior

2301. Child Psychology (3). A study of the developmental processes and environmental factors which shape the personality and affect the achievement of the child. [PSYC 2308, 2309, 2310]

2305. Adolescent Psychology (3). A general review of approaches to the understanding of the social behavior and development of the adolescent. Physical, mental, and emotional growth and adjustment are covered. [PSYC 2307, 2313]

4301. Developmental Psychology (3). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. An advanced study of the process of development through consideration of data, theories, and contemporary research issues.

Group 5: Applied Professional Psychology in Community and Practice Setting

4335. Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3). The study of human behavior as it is related to work, including personnel issues, worker issues, and organizational issues.

Group 6: Additional Courses in Psychology

3301. An Introduction to the Psychology of the Arts (3). An introduction to various psychological perspectives on artistic production and appreciation. (Writing Intensive – Specific Sections Only)

4300. Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior (3). Study of human sexual behavior from a psychosocial viewpoint with emphasis on contemporary research methods and findings. (WS 4302) (Writing Intensive – Specific Sections Only)

4390. Positive Psychology (3). Provides an introduction to positive psychology constructs, topics, theories, contexts, and applications.

NOTE: These are courses for the 2013 and earlier catalog. If you are on a later catalog, refer to the 2014-2016, or 2017+ Catalog.

Cognitive and Physiological Bases of Behavior

3317. The Psychology of Learning (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. A critical survey of methods, results, and interpretations of human and animal studies of learning processes. The laboratory paradigms will highlight principles discussed in lecture.

3327. Introduction to Physiological Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to neuroanatomy, electrophysiological measuring techniques, and the mechanisms of receptor and effector systems. A study of the relationships between behavior and the physiological substrate.

4323. Perception: Theories and Applications (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of methods and findings in perception. Emphasis on demonstrations of perceptual phenomena; theories of visual perception (cognitive and ecological); applications. Topics include illusions, depth, motion.

4324. Cognition (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. This course represents an emergent synthesis of the traditional areas of perception, learning, and human performance. This new area concerns itself with higher level human cognition. Data and theory for the topics of creativity, concept learning, cognitive skills, and attention will be covered.

4327. Cognitive Neuroscience (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to functional neuroanatomy, cognitive neuroscience methods, and cognitive neuroscience theory in broad cognitive areas such as attention, perception, memory, language, and decision-making.

Personality, Social, and Abnormal Bases of Behavior

3304. Introduction to Social Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Study of individual experience and behavior in relation to social stimulus situations. Survey of experimental work and reports on current problems. [PSYC 2319]

3306. Personality (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Principles of normal personality structure. [PSYC 2316]

3341. Close Relationships (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Social psychology theory and research on topics in close relationship literature including attitudes toward love and sexuality, friendship, intimacy, power, conflict, and divorce.

4305. Abnormal Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and junior standing. Personality deviations and maladjustments; emphasis on clinical descriptions of abnormal behavior, etiological factors, manifestations, interpretations, and treatments.

Developmental Bases of Behavior

3318. The Development of Children's Thinking (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Considers cognitive development from infancy to adulthood in the areas of spatial cognition, concepts and categories, language, and physics, using symbol-processing and neural models.

4301. Developmental Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. An advanced study of the process of development through consideration of data, theories, and contemporary research issues.

4310. Abnormal Child Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and junior standing. Description, classification, assessment, treatment, and research methods pertaining to behavioral and emotional disorder of childhood and adolescence.

4330. Psychology of Lifespan Development and Aging (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Designed to give an overview of the physiological, cognitive, social-role, and motivation changes that occur with age from a psychological development viewpoint. [PSYC 2314]

Applications of Psychology

3334. Introduction to Professional Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to current practices of clinical and counseling psychologists including clinical diagnostic and intervention strategies. Survey of career opportunities, professional issues, and ethical problems.

4302. Service Learning in Psychology (3:1:8). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Provides undergraduate Psychology majors with an opportunity to earn credit doing supervised service work in the community. May be repeated one time for credit toward overall degree requirements.

4320. Psychoanalytic Theory and Research (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and junior standing. From readings in psychoanalytic theory, a hypothesis will be chosen and tested by the group. The results will be discussed with psychoanalysts. Topics will vary.

4321. Interviewing Principles and Practices (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Review of interviewing principles. Emphasis on skills which will apply directly to interview situations, such as industrial, clinical, and vocational counseling. Demonstration, recordings and discussion.

4326. Human Factors Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 2400. Introduction to methods and findings in human factors psychology: Applications of psychological research to designs of machines, environments, and tasks.

4334. Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of current practice and theory in counseling and psychotherapy. Consideration of the research support for counseling and psychotherapy as an agent of change of behavior.

4343. Language and Literacy Research and Applications (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSY 3318 or 4324. Integration of the study of language, reading, and comprehension with research and tutoring experiences.

4380. Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 3400 or MATH 2300. Second course in psychological statistics recommended for students planning to attend graduate school. Includes probability, correlation and regression, basic parametric and nonparametric inferential statistics.

Additional Topics in Psychology

2301. Child Psychology (3:3:0). A study of the developmental processes and environmental factors which shape the personality and affect the achievement of the child. [PSYC 2308, 2309, 2310]

2305. Adolescent Psychology (3:3:0). A general review of approaches to the understanding of the social behavior and development of the adolescent. Physical, mental, and emotional growth and adjustment are covered. [PSYC 2307, 2313]

3301. An Introduction to the Psychology of the Arts (3:3:0). An introduction to various psychological perspectives on artistic production and appreciation.

3310. Psychology and Religion (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Examines historical perspectives on the psychology of religion, the experience of religion and spirituality from a psychological perspective, and the relations between psychology and religion.

3398. Ethnic Minority Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and Junior Standing. Focus is on the psychosocial aspects that impact the four predominant ethnic minority populations in the United States.

4000. Individual Problems Course (V1-6). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Independent work under the individual guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated for up to 12 hours credit, only 6 of which may count toward fulfillment of the major in psychology.

4300. Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Junior standing. Study of human sexual behavior from a psychosocial viewpoint with emphasis on contemporary research methods and findings. (W S 4302)

4316. History of Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300 and junior standing. A survey of the historical development of modern psychology.

4322. Physiological Bases of Perception and Performance (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 2400. Surveys sensation and perception with attention given to underlying physiological mechanisms such as energy transduction, visual and auditory channels to the cortex, and intersensory cooperation.

4325. Drugs, Alcohol, and Behavior (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Survey of psychological factors involved in drug use and an introduction to chemotherapy used in treatment of mental illness.

4331. Social Psychology of Groups (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 3304. Social psychology theory and research on topics in group dynamics including group structure, influence, conflict, performance, decision making, and leadership.

4332. Health Psychology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 3401. Introduces students to the contributions of psychology as a discipline to the understanding of health and illness.

4336. Research in Personality and Social Psychology (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSY 2400, 3400 or MATH 2300, and junior standing. An in-depth examination of selected substantive research areas in experimental personality and social psychology. Surveys of current research literature and design and execution of empirical studies.

4344. Cognitive Science. (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 1300. Introduction to the topics, research methods, and applications in the cognitive sciences, including human and machine intelligence, the representation of knowledge, memory, and consciousness.

4384. Forensic Psychology(3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSY 3401, 4305. Course introduces students to the interface of psychology and law with a focus on forensic psychology (e.g., forensic psychological assessment, expert testimony).

Psychological Sciences

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Texas Tech University, Department of Psychological Sciences, Box 42051 Lubbock, TX 79409-2051
Email
kay.hill@ttu.edu

Psychological Sciences

Courses

Major Requirements for the B.A. in Psychology (2020 forward)

Core Classes (11 credit hours):

Group 1 (select 2 courses; 6 credit hours):

Group 2 (select 2 courses; 6 credit hours):

Special Topics in Psychology (select 4 courses – can include courses from the above lists; 12 credit hours):

Group 1: Learning and Cognition

Group 2: Individual Differences, Personality, and Social Processes

Group 3: Biological Bases of Behavior

Group 4: Development Bases in Behavior

Group 5: Applied Professional Psychology in Community and Practice Setting

Group 6: Additional Courses in Psychology

Group 1: Learning and Cognition

Group 2: Individual Differences, Personality, and Social Processes

Group 3: Biological Bases of Behavior

Group 4: Development Bases in Behavior

Group 5: Applied Professional Psychology in Community and Practice Setting

Group 6: Additional Courses in Psychology

Cognitive and Physiological Bases of Behavior

Personality, Social, and Abnormal Bases of Behavior

Developmental Bases of Behavior

Applications of Psychology

Additional Topics in Psychology

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