Section
Eastern University Psychology

Course mapping for BA Track
Course mapping for BS Track

Majors and Minors

  • B.A. in Psychology, emphasizing psychology as a social science
  • B.S. in Psychology, emphasizing psychology as a natural science

Our students have the opportunity to:

  • attend and present research at psychology conferences throughout their college career
  • select an internship program in the senior year, providing opportunities from around the corner to around the world.

Courses required for all psychology majors:

PSY 100  General Psychology
PSY 205  Child Psychology or
PSY 207  Lifespan Development
PSY 220  Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences
PSY 221  Statistics Lab
PSY 307  Biopsychology
PSY 301  Psychopathology
PSY 308  Psychology of Personality
PSY 341  Research Methods I
PSY 342  Research Methods II
PSY 415  History and Systems of Psychology

Subtotal Credit Hours:  28

The B.A. Track

Required courses:
PSY 495  Internship or
PSY 443  Senior Thesis
One elective from the B.S. track
Choose FOUR of the following:
PSY 300  Psych Testing
PSY 206  Adolescent Psychology
PSY 304  Social Psychology
PSY 320  Techniques of Individual Counseling
PSY 322  Psychology of Gender
PSY 324  Cross-Cultural Psychology
PSY 395  Field Experience

Subtotal Credit Hours: 18-19
Total Credit Hours:  46-49

The B.S. Track

Required courses:

BIO 233  Human Physiology and Anatomy I (lab course)
PSY 443  Senior Thesis
One elective from the B.A. track
Choose THREE of the following:
PSY 250  Psychopharmacology
PSY 302  Experimental Psychology
(lab course)
PSY 318  Cognitive Psych
PSY 417  Physiological Psychology
(lab course)

Subtotal Credit Hours:  20
Total Credit Hours:  46-49

The Minor in Psychology

Eighteen hours in Psychology must include PSY 100. PSY 395 and 495 may not be included in the minor.
Internships can be 1-6 credits towards your major. Students have the option of an internship or a senior thesis (by invitation only). Possible internships include, but are not limited to:

  • Residential Treatment centers
  • Psychiatric hospitals 
  • Preschool and Daycare centers 
  • After school tutoring and recreational programs 
  • Individual behavioral modification programs 
  • Crisis intervention agencies 
  • Human Resources 
  • Social welfare and community counseling programs 
  • Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation facilities

Course Descriptions

PSY 100  General Psychology
A summary and overview of the field of psychology as the scientific study of human behavior including research issues, theoretical approaches, and selected areas of study. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 205  Child Psychology
Study of individual development from the prenatal period through late childhood, including details of physical, cognitive and psychosocial development. Includes opportunity to observe and record child behavior. Students may not receive credit for this course if credit has been earned for a lifespan development course (e.g., PSY 207). Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 206  Adolescent Psychology
Human development from late childhood to the early twenties. Course covers the interrelatedness of the biological, intellectual, emotional, social and religious dimensions of development as well as major conflicts that adolescents encounter. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 207  Lifespan Development
A survey of the theories, issues, and empirical data relevant to the process of human development from conception to death. Focus is on the physical, intellectual and psychosocial development of the individual person. Students may not receive credit for this course if credit has been earned for a child psychology course (e.g., PSY 205). Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100. Offered in fall.

PSY 220 Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Course covers meaning, purposes and processes of statistical methods; selection of representative, parallel or equivalent groups; graphic representation; measures of central tendency and variability; normal distribution; probability; random sampling; confidence levels; inference; t-test; analysis of variance; chi square; correlation. Factors influencing statistical power (effect size, sample size, etc.) are emphasized for each procedure. This course stresses practical application of theory within the field of psychology. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100 or permission of instructor. Offered in fall and spring. Should be taken before the junior year.

PSY 221  Statistics Lab
Using SPSS software, students will define and enter data, add and delete cases, retrieve and merge files, transform data by recoding it or by computing new variables, run appropriate analyses for various research questions, and interpret statistical output. Students must register for this course concurrently with PSY 220, and with the same instructor with whom they are taking PSY 220. This course may be taken as a stand-alone course only by students who have been granted transfer credit for a statistics course that did not include SPSS instruction. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100 or permission of instructor. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 250 Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of psychoactive substances on behavior and experience, including the direct and indirect effects that motivate substance use. The course will include introductory surveys of 1) the history of the use of psychoactive substances for medical, recreational, and religious reasons; 2) the evolution of substance classification schemes; 3) the history of legislation enacted to control the production and sale of psychoactive substances; and 4) the principles of pharmacology (e.g., pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics) and psychopharmacology (e.g., tolerance, personality, psychological set, and the physical and social environment) that contribute to the use, abuse and dependence associated with major classes of psychoactive substances.

PSY 300  Psychological Testing
Study of basic criteria which an authentic psychological test should meet: standardization, validity, reliability. Course also includes overview of many prominently known tests of achievement, intelligence, aptitude, interests and personality. Students take several psychological tests and create a comprehensive assessment portfolio. Prerequisites: C or higher in PSY 301 and PSY 308. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 301  Psychopathology
Etiology, dynamics, symptoms and treatment of the more common types of psychological disorders, both functional and organic. Concepts of mental health and prevention are also considered. Prerequisites: C or higher in PSY 100 and one of the following: PSY 205, PSY 206, or PSY 207.  Offered in fall and spring. Not recommended for first year students.

PSY 302  Experimental Psychology and Laboratory
An introductory course in behavioral research based on single-N, one-way, and factorial designs.  An introduction to single-N designs emphasizes the procedures of classical and operant conditioning using virtual and live animals in individually scheduled laboratories that meet 2 hours each week.  Research with human participants includes laboratory and field work. Lectures will address principles of classical and operant conditioning as well as topics in experimental design, including data analysis procedures in SPSS. Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C in PSY 100 and PSY 220.  Students not majoring in psychology may substitute MATH 220 for PSY 220. Satisfies lab science core. Offered in spring.

PSY 304  Social Psychology
A general survey of social psychology with emphasis on current research findings. Topics include social influence, attitudes, interpersonal interactions and group behavior. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100. Offered in spring.

PSY 307 Biopsychology
Biological Psychology is the study of behavior from evolutionary, genetic, and physiological perspectives. Specific topics include evolutionary and genetic approaches to the study of behavior, intra and interneuronal signaling, neuroanatomy, sensation and perception, motor systems, sleeping and dreaming, motivated behavior (eating, drinking, temperature regulation), reproductive behavior, and emotion.  Prerequisite: C or higher in PSY 100.

PSY 308  Psychology of Personality    
A study of selected theories of personality development representing the major approaches to understanding personality and behavior in modern psychology. Prerequisite: Minimum grades of C in PSY 100 and one course from PSY 205, 206 or 207. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 318  Cognitive Psychology
Survey and critical review of existing theories of learning and cognition to include the behaviorist perspective, an overview of cognitivism and how it evolved from behaviorism, and a study of perception and attention processes and their relationship to the memory system. In addition, social learning theory, theories of memory, and problem solving are reviewed. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100. Prerequisite or co-requisite: PSY 341. Offered in fall.

PSY 320  Techniques of Individual Counseling
The course involves academic study of the counseling process and extensive practice of problem assessment and counseling skills. Focus is on counseling techniques, with less emphasis on theory. Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C in PSY 100, 301 and 308. May not be taken if credit has been earned for PSY 240. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 322  Psychology of Gender
This course focuses on the development of gender identity and gender roles from a psychological perspective. Topics include stereotypes, comparisons of male and female cognitive, physical, social and sexual functioning, an historical perspective on gender roles, socialization theories and agents, family relationships, love and marital relationships, communication styles, mental health issues and issues of power. The course will use materials from both a male and female perspective and will discuss gender roles from a Christian worldview. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 100 or permission of the instructor. Offered in fall.

PSY 324 Cross-Cultural Psychology
This course explores the extent to which western-based theories and methods hold up in cross-cultural, cross-sub-cultural, and cross-national settings. Cross-cultural research in perception, cognition, developmental, social, and clinical psychology is examined within the framework of a Christian worldview. Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C in PSY100, or permission of the instructor.

PSY 341 Research Methods I
A course required of all psychology majors usually taken during their junior year. The course covers basic research design, both quasi-experimental and experimental. Topics include the case study, naturalistic observation, correlational studies, survey techniques, and controlled experiments in the field and in the laboratory. Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C in PSY 100 and 220.

PSY 342 Research Methods II
Students are required to develop a prospectus which requires skilled research techniques such as the development of a hypothesis, a thorough review of relevant articles from professional journals, and creation of a research design including proposed method of data collection and appropriate statistical analysis of results. A thorough application of APA guidelines is emphasized. Open to Psychology majors in the junior year.
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 341.

PSY 415  History and Systems of Psychology
This course presents an historical study of the development of psychology as a natural and social science, from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the present. Topics include the philosophical and natural science roots of psychology, the interrelated development of the various theories of psychology and progress in the major areas of psychological research. Prerequisite: Senior status as a psychology major or permission of instructor. Offered in fall and spring.

PSY 417  Physiological Psychology
This course is an introduction to the biological bases of behavior.  Specific topics include philosophical and scientific perspectives on mind or consciousness, intra- and inter-neuronal signaling, basic neuroanatomy, behavioral neuroscience methods, psychopharmacology and drug abuse, motor systems, biological rhythms of sleep and waking, emotion, and the biological substrates of selected psychological disorders.  Three lectures per week with laboratory exercises in synaptic transmission, neuroanatomy, behavioral pharmacology, behavioral toxicology, and motor systems. Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C in PSY 100, 220 and BIO 233. Offered in spring 2009, 2011.

PSY 443  Senior Thesis
Recommended for all psychology majors with an interest in pursuing graduate studies, the focus of this course is the empirical investigation of a research topic selected by the student and described in a manuscript prepared in the editorial style of the American Psychological Association. The manuscript includes (a) a brief review of the scholarly (i.e., peer-reviewed) literature addressing the selected topic; (b) the formulation of an original research hypothesis; (c) a description of the method of participant selection, instruments, research procedures, and data collection and analysis appropriate to the hypothesis; and (d) a discussion of the results of the investigation, with emphasis on theoretical as well as practical application.  Students are encouraged to present their findings at a regional undergraduate research conference that meets each spring.  Required of psychology majors enrolled in the BS track.  Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in PSY 341.  Offered in fall.

PSY 495  Internship
An off-campus supervised work experience in psychological or related services offered at institutions providing treatment and rehabilitation for children, adolescents or adults. Specific placements depend on the needs of the institutions and the students’ interests and experience. Each hour of academic credit requires 40 hours of work for the agency. Interns are evaluated by their clinical and faculty supervisors. Prerequisite: Senior status as a psychology major or permission of instructor. Internships may be arranged for fall, spring or summer. Consult with instructor prior to registration.