Psychology

Contact Information

Website: www.uis.edu/psychology/
Email: psy@uis.edu
Office Phone: (217) 206-6696
Office Location: UHB 3144

Concentrations (5)
Minor

Career Development

The Psychology Department emphasizes career development activities designed to enhance students’ graduate school and employment opportunities. Students are encouraged to participate in internships that develop important skills through practical field experience. Internship placements have included mental health centers, community service organizations, schools, child development centers, and research positions at a local medical school. Psychology Department faculty are active scholars who are committed to engaging students in research. Students are encouraged to be research assistants on faculty projects and also conduct their own studies. Our students routinely present their work at regional and national conferences such as the Midwestern Psychological Association and American Psychological Association. The department also offers career development opportunities like mock interviews and workshops for getting into graduate school to support students’ career goals and aspirations.

Departmental Goals and Objectives

The Psychology Department’s curriculum is designed to provide students with an understanding of the complexity of human behavior based on scientific theories and research. Students will be exposed to a variety of specialty areas in psychology that will develop knowledge and skills appropriate for graduate study in psychology and pre-professional programs (e.g., pre-law, pre-medicine) as well as many entry-level positions in business, health and mental health care, state government, and education. The curriculum includes five concentrations that help students focus relevant course work on specific educational and career goals. UIS graduates have been accepted into a variety of graduate programs that include clinical/counseling psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, and medical and law school. Graduates are also employed in social service positions as mental health technicians and family case managers, in managerial positions in business and human resources, at Memorial Health System, and the State of Illinois.

The Bachelor's Degree

The Psychology Department offers five concentrations.

Advising

All psychology majors and minors should consult with the department academic advisor before registering for courses. The academic advisor helps students with course scheduling, petitions, and appeals. Psychology faculty members can help with graduate school advising, career counseling, and internship and research opportunities.

Assessment of Learning within the Discipline

All psychology majors are required to complete, at program entry and exit, an assessment exam designed to evaluate scientific critical thinking skills, as well as a broad range of content knowledge and skill application within the discipline. PSY 301 is a non-credit course used to provide students with information about the Psychology Department and major at UIS and track assessment exam completion at entry. Students must register for PSY 301 during their first semester of enrollment as psychology majors. Students who do not complete the entrance assessment will not be allowed to register for PSY 471 until the assessment exam has been completed. Students will complete the assessment exam a second time as part of the required, credit-bearing, capstone course PSY 471. Exit assessment exam scores are used for Psychology Department curriculum review and planning, and do not impact progress toward graduation.

Degree Requirements

All psychology majors and minors must successfully complete PSY 101 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C or better (grades of C- or lower will not be accepted). This course should be completed prior to taking other psychology courses. Students who achieve scores of 4 and above on the Advanced Placement Psychology Examination will receive advanced placement credit for PSY 101. Students who achieve a score of 50 or higher on the Introductory Psychology CLEP test will receive CLEP credit for PSY 101.

In addition to PSY 101, all psychology majors are required to take a minimum of 36 hours in psychology. Eight of these hours must be PSY 302 (or its equivalent) and PSY 471. It is strongly recommended that PSY 302 be taken during the first semester and that PSY 471 be taken during the final semester. The additional 28 hours will vary depending on the concentration students select. All psychology majors must declare their concentration by completing a Change of Curriculum form and submitting it to Records and Registration. Only two courses taken to complete the major can be cross-listed with other departments.

Ethical Conduct

The Psychology Department adheres to the UIS Academic Integrity Policy.

Grading Policy

Psychology majors and minors must earn a grade of C or better in all psychology courses to use them for completion of degree requirements (grades of C- or lower will not be accepted).

Program Learning Outcomes

The UIS Psychology Department follows the American Psychological Association's guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major suggested learning goals and outcomes.

Goal 1 – Knowledge Base in Psychology.

Goal 2 – Scientific Inquiry & Critical Thinking.

Goal 3 – Ethical & Social Responsibility in a Diverse World.

Goal 4 – Communication.

Goal 5 – Professional Development.

Transfer Policy

Students must take at least 16 hours of psychology credit from UIS. Courses taken from another institution may be transferred if a student has earned a grade of C or better (grades of C- or lower will not be accepted) and the courses have been completed within the past six years. This applies to any upper division (300-400 level) psychology courses. The following lower division (100-200 level) courses that are equivalent to Abnormal Psychology, Lifespan Development, or Psychology of Addiction may also be transferred to reduce the total number of credit hours required for the psychology major. An introductory psychology course may be transferred to fulfill the foundation course requirement for the major, but this course will not reduce the 36 hours required for the major.

EHS HDC Admissions
Degree Program	Program Type	Dept Application Materials and Admission Criteria	Prerequisite Course Requirements	Department ADM Review	Dept Conditional Admits	Dept Appeal Process
Psychology	BA	No additional admission requirements beyond the general UIS criteria for students with a 2.50 transfer or UIS GPA at 30 hours. Students with a 2.0 to 2.49 cumulative transfer GPA or UIS GPA at 30 hours, refer to the department conditional admission policy	N/A	N/A	*A cumulative transfer GPA of 2.0 to 2.49 or UIS GPA at 30 hours allows for department conditional admission and permits enrollment in up to 12 semester hours of psychology courses during the first semester. These psychology courses must be completed within two semesters of the conditional admission and result in a 2.50 psychology GPA.	N/A

Courses

PSY 101. Principles of Psychology. 3 Hours.

A survey of significant theory, issues, methods of inquiry, and applications in all areas of psychology. This is a foundation course for the psychology major and should be completed prior to taking upper division (300-400 level) psychology courses. Course Information: This course fulfills a general education requirement at UIS in the area of Social and Behavioral Sciences (IAI Code: S6 900).

PSY 221. Lifespan Developmental Psychology. 3 Hours.

Physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development across the life span; determinants of individual differences and principles of mental and physical health throughout life.

PSY 251. Abnormal Psychology. 3 Hours.

Theories, research, and classification systems relevant to abnormal behavior. Emphasis on current diagnostic and descriptive systems. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 101 or equivalent. (IAI Major Code: PSY905).

PSY 253. Psychology of Addiction. 3 Hours.

This course will provide students with an overview of major conceptions of addiction, therapeutic approaches to addiction, and cultural and public health issues surrounding addiction.

PSY 301. Orientation and Entrance Assessment. 0 Hours.

Brief orientation to the major and pre-curriculum evaluation of undergraduate-level knowledge and skills within the discipline of psychology. Required for all psychology majors during their first semester of upper-division enrollment. Course Information: Credit/No Credit grading only.

PSY 302. Research Methods in Psychology. 4 Hours.

An introduction to the experimental method in psychology that includes research strategies, designs, ethics and descriptive statistics.

PSY 303. Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. 4 Hours.

Overview of basic descriptive and inferential statistics with special emphasis on hypothesis testing and alternatives. (Strongly recommended for students planning to pursue graduate study.) Course Information: Prerequisites: Complete MAT Gen Ed.

PSY 305. Careers in the Helping Professions. 2 Hours.

This course is designed to introduce students to various careers in the helping professions. The course involves a comprehensive approach to career planning that incorporates self-assessment, career exploration, and self-marketing techniques. Students will identify, evaluate, and prepare for their future academic and career paths.

PSY 310. Special Topics in Psychology. 4 Hours.

Selected topics of special interest in the area of psychology at a 300 level that may vary from semester to semester. Course Information: May be repeated if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term.

PSY 311. Cognitive Psychology. 4 Hours.

Overview of selected topics in memory, information processing, perception, problem solving, and artificial intelligence.

PSY 314. Sensation and Perception. 4 Hours.

This course studies how the brain makes sense of sensory inputs. Students will learn how the anatomy and physiology of the eye, ear, and related parts of the brain allow people to understand speech, perceive color, see motion and depth and recognize faces.

PSY 315. Psychoactive Drugs. 4 Hours.

Major classes of drugs that affect psychological processes and behavior; issues of drug use in treatment of mental disorders; drugs as a social problem. Course Information: Designated Writing Course.

PSY 322. Child Development. 4 Hours.

Development of intelligence, language, and cognition; physical growth and social and personal development in newborns, infants, and toddlers and in early and middle childhood. Course Information: Designated Writing Course.

PSY 323. Adolescence. 4 Hours.

Important changes in adolescents' physical, cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics will be examined. This includes understanding the contexts in which adolescents develop, such as family, peer groups, and school. How scientists study adolescent development and the theories they use to guide their research will also be covered.

PSY 324. Exceptional Child. 4 Hours.

This course addresses exceptionalities as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It includes an introduction to the categories of eligibility which include: learning disabilities, attentions deficit hyperactivity disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, cognitive disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, and speech, hearing, visual and physical impairments.

PSY 325. Adult Development and Aging. 4 Hours.

A population is growing older, which profoundly impacts every one of us. Development is lifelong and this course provides an overview of development into adulthood, covering the years from middle to late adulthood. Biological, cognitive, psychological and social factors will be examined across several contexts. Myths and stereotypes of aging will be separated from factual knowledge, emphasizing struggles and successes that accompany the aging process.

PSY 326. Family Psychology. 4 Hours.

Covers the five primary aspects of family psychology: family as a system; developmental family behavior; family of origin concepts and how they affect the family; relationships, dating, courtships, and marriage; and family dysfunctions. Course Information: Designated Writing Course.

PSY 327. Educational Psychology. 4 Hours.

Topics in psychology relevant to teaching: educational objectives, student characteristics and development, the learning process, and evaluation of learning. Course Information: Designated Writing Course.

PSY 331. Social Psychology. 4 Hours.

Survey of major theories and selected areas of research in social psychology. Course Information: (IAI Major Code: PSY908).

PSY 333. Positive Psychology. 4 Hours.

This course will explore concepts and research related to positive psychology. Well-being will be examined in the context of motivation, flow, love, creativity, and spirituality. While such study will include the major theoretical approaches to positive psychology, an equally significant focus will be on the application of this information to everyday life experiences.

PSY 335. Health Psychology. 4 Hours.

This course will assist students in developing knowledge of the field of health psychology. It examines the relationship between biological, psychological, and social factors as they interact with and affect health.

PSY 336. Psychology of Eating. 4 Hours.

This course will examine attitudes, physiological, nutritional, behavioral, and sociocultural factors surrounding food choices and eating behaviors. Topics covered in the course include sensory systems and eating experience, biological mechanisms of hunger and satiety, social influence over food consumption, eating and health, and maladaptive eating behaviors.

PSY 337. Psychology of Music. 4 Hours.

This course explores multidimensional aspects of human behavior from both psychological and musical perspectives. It covers theories on the evolutionary origins of music, musical development, music and the brain, music and emotion, the role of music in our everyday lives, social influences on musical tastes, composers with psychological disorders, and a brief introduction to music therapy.

PSY 339. Psychology of Gender. 4 Hours.

Gender issues cut across many areas of psychology. This course provides an overview of how biological and cultural factors influence the development of gender roles, identities, and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity and how these affect out lives at the personal, social, and institutional levels.

PSY 352. Multicultural Counseling. 4 Hours.

This course will examine the various multicultural issues relevant to counseling and clinical psychology, and the importance of providing culturally-competent psychological services to diverse populations.

PSY 410. Advanced Topics in Psychology. 4 Hours.

Selected topics of special interest in the area of psychology, at the 400 level, that may vary from semester to semester. Course Information: May be repeated if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 412. Introduction to Biopsychology. 4 Hours.

Introduction to the biological bases of behavior. Topics include structure and function of the nervous system, sensory processing, sleep, reproductive behavior, language, and mental disorders. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 413. Psychology of Learning and Memory. 4 Hours.

Explores the question of how humans and animals learn, store and recall information. Major theories of memory will be covered with an emphasis on cognitive models of memory systems, biological underpinnings, and disorders of memory. Designated Writing Course. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 416. Psychology of Motivation. 4 Hours.

Explores four constructs that define human, rather than nonhuman, motivation including needs, cognitions, emotions, and external events that arise from genetic, physiological, psychological, interpersonal, and cultural sources. The emphasis is on theoretical as well as practical issues that overlap among varying psychological fields. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 433. Political Psychology. 3,4 Hours.

Both political science and psychology study how individuals interact with their environment, other individuals and groups. We will use theories and findings from both disciplines to gain deeper insights into political processes and decisions. Likely topics include stereotyping, trust, schemas, heuristics, media effects, social identity, and political tolerance. Course Information: Same as PSC 412. Undergraduates are restricted to 3 credit hour sections; graduates are restricted to 4 credit hour sections.

PSY 441. Theories of Personality. 4 Hours.

Major theories of personality and determinants of individual differences. Course Information: Designated Writing Course. Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 452. Introduction to Clinical Psychology. 4 Hours.

Systematic examination of major perspectives, techniques, skills, and career options related to the field of clinical psychology. Course Information: Designated Writing Course. Prerequisites: PSY 302 and PSY 251 or equivalent.

PSY 453. Psychological Foundations for Helping. 4 Hours.

Preprofessional introduction to therapeutic processes for students considering counseling or clinical psychology careers. Includes systematic training in fundamental helping attitudes and skills. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302.

PSY 454. Theories of Psychotherapy. 4 Hours.

Systematic examination of the principles and concepts, procedures, and clinical applications of the most common traditional and contemporary theories of psychotherapy. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 and PSY 251 or equivalents. Excludes Freshmen.

PSY 457. Applied Behavior Analysis. 4 Hours.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) involves the application of basic learning principles to enact meaningful change in socially significant behavior. This course will introduce students to important learning principles, assessment techniques, behavior change strategies, and research methods used in ABA. Students will learn about the wide variety of populations, settings, and target behaviors addressed by the field. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302.

PSY 458. Psychological Testing. 4 Hours.

Basic theories of psychological tests and of test construction and interpretation. Includes representative tests and examines contemporary issues in testing. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent.

PSY 471. Senior Seminar. 4 Hours.

An integrative capstone experience for psychology majors involving the development of individual portfolios reflecting student learning within the discipline. Students will prepare evidence of learning within five dimensions of psychology and will complete the psychology exit exam. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302, all required concentration courses, and senior status. Advisor approval to register.

PSY 480. Senior Research Project. 1-4 Hours.

Selected (empirical) research project researched, developed, designed, and written by the student with faculty supervision. Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 4 hours with approval. Prerequisites: PSY 302 and PSY 303.

PSY 481. Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Advocacy. 3,4 Hours.

Covers the history, comparative perspectives, legal framework, responses to child maltreatment, the skills necessary to do the work, and other pertinent issues pertaining to child maltreatment and child advocacy. The approach of the course will be from a variety of diverse, professional perspectives. The course is designed for students majoring in public administration, criminal justice, psychology, social work, sociology, legal studies or other areas where knowledge of child maltreatment and advocating for children might be necessary or beneficial. Course Information: Same as CCJ 481, PAD 481, TEP 481, and SWK 481.

PSY 484. Childhood Trauma: Risk and Resiliency. 3,4 Hours.

This course examines the psychological effects of trauma on children. Specifically, the impact of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect, war, terrorism, and natural disasters are explored. The concepts of resilience and post traumatic growth are discussed to discover why many affected children successfully traverse their trauma. Additionally, interventions and treatment for trauma in childhood are considered. Course Information: Prerequisites: PSY 302 and 321 or 322. Same as PAD 484.

PSY 490. Independent Study in Psychology. 4 Hours.

Selected topics by agreement with a member of the psychology faculty; topics, methods of study, and means of evaluation to be negotiated between student and faculty member. Course Information: May be repeated if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent. Restricted to Psychology. A maximum of 4 hours may be used for psychology electives.

PSY 499. Tutorial. 1-12 Hours.

Intended to supplement, not supplant, regular course offerings. Students interested in a tutorial must secure the consent of the faculty member concerned before registration and submit any required documentation to him or her. Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisites: PSY 302 or equivalent. Restricted to Psychology. A maximum of 4 hours may be used for psychology electives.