Psychology
Courses | Employment
Majors/Minors
The psychology major offers a broad sampling of the diverse areas of the discipline.
Students may earn a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree. Psychology majors
interested in doctoral study are strongly encouraged to earn a Bachelor of Science degree.
Psychology major: Bachelor of Science degree
In addition to the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in general psychology or
industrial/organizational psychology, the Bachelor of Science requires the completion of the
following:
- six hours in mathematics including 251
- six hours in biology (excluding Biology 120) or chemistry
- Psychology 272, 393 and 440
General Psychology Concentration
The general psychology concentration is for students interested in careers in human-service
settings, research, teaching or clinical services in psychology-related fields are encouraged to
select this area of concentration. This concentration requires students to complete 38 semester
hours of psychology credits, which include: general psychology, statistics and research methods I
& II (the core) and abnormal psychology. Students consult with faculty to choose their courses
based upon their interests and career goals.
Major Requirements: Bachelor of Arts degree
Thirty-eight semester hours in psychology including: Psychology 101 or 102, 214, 290 and 291.
Twelve hours must be taken at the 300 or 400 levels. The remainder of the 38 semester hours may be
chosen according to the student's interests and goals. A minimum of fourteen hours in the major
field must be completed at Dominican.
Industrial Psychology Concentration
Industrial/organizational psychology emphasizes the application of psychological principles
in business settings. This concentration requires students to complete: General Psychology and
Statistics and Research Methods I & II, Psychological Assessment, Industrial/Organizational
Psychology, and 12 semester hours of psychology electives. In addition, students complete nine
hours of business courses.
Major Requirements:
- Psychology 101 or 102, 290, 291, 340, 360
- Twelve semester hours of psychology electives of which six hours must be taken at the 300 or 400 level.
- Nine semester hours are required from the following courses: Economics 190, 191; English 336; Business Administration 240, 245, 345.
Psychology Minor Requirements
A minor in psychology requires 24 semester hours in psychology, including Psychology 101,
102, 214, 290 and 291. A minimum of fourteen hours in the minor field must be completed at
Dominican.
Departmental Comprehensive Examination
All students earning a major in psychology are required to complete the comprehensive
examination in the discipline. The examination is administered by the department to graduating
seniors at the end of their final semester.
Partnership Programs
The psychology department of Dominican University has formed partnerships with other programs
and other institutions that offer opportunities to enter health-care professions at various
educational levels.
In partnership with Triton College, students may earn a certificate in basic addictions
counseling, which would permit them to be employed as Certified Addictions and Drug Counselors
(CADC). Students major either in psychology and complete the addictions courses leading to
certification, or they may choose to major in addictions counseling.
Psychology majors may take two classes in the Dominican University Graduate School of Social
Work during their senior year (SWK 510 and SWK 513). These courses count toward the psychology
major and may be applied to the master's degree in social work (MSW). Students desiring a career in
social work should apply for admission to the Graduate School of Social Work during their senior
year of study.
In partnership with Rush University, students may participate in a program that leads to a
master's degree and certification in occupational therapy (OT). Students spend three years at
Dominican University and two years at Rush University at the end of which they earn both a
Bachelor's degree at Dominican and a master's degree in OT at Rush.
Midwestern University and the psychology department have established a preferred admissions
program for students majoring in psychology. Those students who have met certain minimum
requirements (including grade point average, examination scores and residency) are admitted to the
Midwestern University doctoral program in clinical
Courses
Psychology 101 or 102 is a prerequisite for all other psychology courses at the 200 level and above. Psychology 290 and 291 are prerequisites for many upper level courses.
101. GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR (3)
What is psychology? This course is an introduction to the scientific study of behavior. Its purpose is to develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of behavior that have been discovered through psychological research and to develop an appreciation for the methods of science as applied to the study of behavior.This course will satisfy the social science core area requirement.
102. GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY: HONORS (4)
Have you ever asked yourself “why do people behave like that?” This course will help you answer that question by introducing you to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Students in this course will be required to participate in research experiments and read scholarly articles related to the fundamental principles of behavior.Prerequisite: Honors Program or consent of instructor
This course will satisfy the social science core area requirement.
105. INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE (3)
This course provides an overview of the history, methods, and principles of neuroscience with a special emphasis on the increasing social and political impact of new neuroscience technologies. This is the initial course for neuroscience majors, but it as also available to non-majors. No laboratory work is required, but hands-on activities are incorporated into the coursework.Listed also as Natural Science 105 and Neuroscience 105.
This course will satisfy the Natural Science core area requirement.
160. GENETICS AND SOCIETY (3)
Listed also as Natural Science 160.212. LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
This course will present an overview of human growth and development from conception to death. Physical, cognitive, psychological and social variables will be discussed for each of life's stages. Emphasis will be placed on current developmental theories, the roles of heredity and environment, as well as the influence of individual differences.This course will satisfy the social science core area requirement.
214. ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
What is abnormal behavior? What causes it? How is it diagnosed? This course covers traditional and current theories concerning the nature and causes of mental problems and examines the major diagnostic categories of psychological disorders.215. CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (3)
Are all infants very much the same, or do they exhibit individual differences from birth? How do children respond to different styles of parenting and environmental supports and stresses? This course covers the physical, psychological and social development of the child from conception to puberty. Topics include physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.220. ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY (3)
How long does adolescence last? Is adolescence really a time of “storm and stress?” This course covers human development from the onset of puberty to adulthood. Special emphasis is given to cognitive, social and emotional development.225. ADULT DEVELOPMENT (3)
How do we change and develop as we move into and through adulthood? This course explores the spirited debate among psychologists regarding the stability or changes in development during adulthood and the relationship of aging to physical, cognitive, psychological and social changes during our adult years.245. CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
Are the general facts and principles you learned about in general psychology true for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity and culture? This course will examine cross-cultural similarities and differences in a variety of topics studied by psychology, including emotion, personality and social behavior.This course will satisfy the social science core area and multicultural core requirements.
250. PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW (3)
How and where do the fields of psychology and law converge? Can eyewitness testimony be accepted as fact? How do psychologists serve as experts in court? This course explores these and other questions, and the roles that psychologists provide in the legal system.270. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
How do we understand social behaviors, such as stereotyping, formation of social groups, conformity and altruism? What attracts us to one another, and what causes us to engage in aggressive acts? This course examines psychological theory and research related to psychological, social, cultural, dispositional and situational factors that shape our social behavior and attitudes.272. BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE (4)
This course explores principles of behavioral neuroscience, including brain mechanism of learning and memory, regulation of food intake and body weight, and mechanism of fear and anxiety. The laboratory portion covers basic techniques in electrophysiology and behavioral analysis.Prerequisite: Biology 111
Listed also as Neuroscience 272.
275. INTRODUCTION TO ART THERAPY (3)
Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. This course is designed to offer students a didactic and experiential overview of the field of art therapy. Course material includes history, theory, and practice of art therapy processes, approaches and applications.290. BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND STATISTICS I (4)
This course will introduce students to the use of statistical methods for analyzing data from descriptive and correlational research designs. Students will learn how to evaluate and conduct correlational research studies.Prerequisite: Psychology major or minor or consent of instructor
291. BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND STATISTICS II (4)
This course builds on what students learned in Psychology 290. It will introduce students to the use of inferential statistical methods for analyzing data from experimental and quasi-experimental research design. Students will learn how to evaluate and conduct experimental and quasi-experimental research studies.Prerequisite: Completion of Psychology 290 with a minimum grade of C-
312. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY (3)
How do our emotions and behaviors affect our health? Can I think myself into an illness? This course examines how psychological, social and cultural factors are related to the promotion and maintenance of health and the causation, prevention and treatment of illness.Prerequisite: Psychology 214
315. COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (3)
What happens in a counseling session? How do psychologists help people to change the way they feel and to live happier and more productive lives? This course will cover the principles of the major forms of psychotherapy and counseling.Prerequisite: Psychology 214
320. SURVEY OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS (3)
What are developmental disorders? What are the known or suspected causes and how are developmental delays identified, diagnosed and treated? This course examines the etiology, course, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of developmental disorders, including Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.Prerequisites: Psychology 214, 215
325. PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER (3)
Are there genuine differences between the sexes? If so, what are these differences and how do they develop? Controversial questions regarding gender differences and similarities in development, cognitive abilities, emotions and behavior are explored within the context of genetic, biological, psychological and socio-environmental influences.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
330. PERSONALITY THEORY (3)
What is personality? How are our personality characteristics formed and organized to make us the unique individuals that we become? This course will cover the historical and contemporary theories of personality and their influences upon psychological research and the treatment of personality disorders.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
340. SURVEY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT (3)
What is a psychological test and how is it constructed? What can psychologists learn about people by using psychological tests? This course introduces students to standardized tests, their construction, uses and criticisms. Students have the opportunity to examine a variety of psychological tests.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
360. INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (3)
What contributions does psychology make to the business world? How can psychological principles be used to make better business decisions? This course explores the various ways that psychologists contribute to business and industry. It covers personnel selection, training and organizational behavior.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
Listed also as Communication Arts and
Sciences 361.
370. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY (3)
How does a person's environment affect her or his psychological well being? How can psychology help create healthier communities? This course will introduce students to the field of community psychology, which tries to understand people in their social, cultural and historical contexts. Topics that will be discussed include oppression and social problems as well as individual and community empowerment.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
380. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY (3)
The field of evolutionary psychology attempts to provide clues to the underlying causes of human predispositions based upon the selection pressures existing during our species' evolutionary history. We will study how evolutionary psychology attempts to explain behaviors such as mate selection, parental investment, kinship, jealousy, aggression, cooperation and food selection.Prerequisite: Psychology 290 or consent of instructor
385. BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES AND INTERVENTIONS I (3)
How do you stop an undesirable behavior? How do you develop a desirable behavior that you do not currently possess, but need? These seemingly simple questions launch our exploration of behavioral therapies and interventions that can be used to correct maladaptive behaviors and to develop or increase adaptive behaviors.Prerequisites: Psychology 214, 215 and 290
386. BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES AND INTERVENTIONS II (3)
Now that you know the basic, how do you determine what behavioral principles to apply in a given situation? How do you identify the therapeutic methods most likely to change an individual's behavior? This course teaches you how to analyze behavior in an applied setting, how to design and implement basic behavioral interventions, and how to assess their effectiveness.Prerequisite: Psychology 385
390. SENSATION AND PERCEPTION (4)
How are we able to detect and create meaning from the vast array of stimuli in our environment? This class explores how stimuli are detected, transformed into a language the brain can understand, and ultimately re-woven into a rich and seamless tapestry of colors, flavors, sounds and smells.Prerequisites: Psychology 290 and 291
393. LEARNING AND COGNITION (4)
What are the scientific laws that govern how we learn? How do our cognitive (mental) processes affect our behavior? In addition to studying fundamental learning theories, students will explore a variety of cognitive processes including perception, attention, memory, language and problem solving.Prerequisites: Psychology 290 and 291
440. HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY (3)
Where did psychology come from? What are its roots and evolution? Where is it going? This course will cover the historical development of the major psychological theories and systems. Such areas as psychoanalysis, behaviorism and the cognitive revolution will be covered.Prerequisites: Psychology 290 and 291; 21 hours of psychology credit, and junior or senior standing
450. INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-4)
Do you have a specific area of psychology that you would enjoy learning more about under the supervision of a faculty member? Through independent study, a student brings a research idea to a faculty member and designs a research project to be conducted during the semester under the faculty member's supervision.Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
455. INTERNSHIP (1-8)
An internship can offer you the chance to apply psychological principles in a real world setting. Supervised experiences can be arranged at such locations as mental health centers, hospitals, agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations.Prerequisite: Twenty-one hours of psychology credit, six of which are to be completed at Dominican; a grade point average of 3.00 in psychology; junior or senior standing and departmental approval
460. ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY (3)
A course devoted to the in-depth study of a single topic area. The content will be based upon the research interests of the faculty member teaching the class.Prerequisites: Psychology 290 and 291; 21 semester hours of psychology, and junior or senior standing
470. ADVANCED RESEARCH (4)
This course will require students to conduct research as a collaborative class project. Lectures will include advanced research design, ethics and data analysis. Students interested in graduate level work in psychology are encouraged to take this course.Prerequisites: Psychology 290, 291, and junior or senior standing or consent of instructor
475. PSYCHOLOGY SEMINAR (3)
This course is an opportunity to read professional and popular books and articles, and discuss them at length with members of the faculty and with fellow students.Enrollment is strictly limited in order for students to have the experience of thoughtfully discussing psychological issues in a small-group setting.
Prerequisites: Psychology 290 and 291; 21 hours of psychology, and junior or senior standing
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OR CREATIVE INVESTIGATION (1-3)
Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced, Senior Thesis Independent Research or Creative Investigation is a course in which students collaborate with facultymentors on an ongoing faculty research project or conduct an independent project under the guidance of a faculty member. This directed undergraduate research or creative investigation culminates in a conference presentation, journal article or other creative/scholarly project.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
Courses available to Psychology majors in the Graduate School of Social Work. These courses will count toward the psychology major
SWK 510. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES (3)
Provides students with the framework for generalist social work practice, including the problem-solving process and various social work roles with different sized systems. Key theories and concepts include interviewing and relationship building with individuals, families, groups and communities. Issues of race, class, gender, disabilities and sexual orientation will be examined.Prerequisites: Psychology major and senior standing
SWK 513. HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT (3)
Provides students with information on the bio-psychosocial life span development and the influence of various social systems (families, groups, organizations and communities) in relation to the social, cultural, spiritual, ethnic, economic and political environments.Prerequisites: Psychology major and senior standing
Employment
Explore the complexity and diversity of the human mind and behavior. Learn about memory, cognition, motivation, interpersonal relationships, personality, psychological disturbance and psychotherapy, and the factors that influence mind and behavior. You can also earn a certificate in basic additions counseling in addition to your degree, in our partnership program with Triton College. Link to Addiction Counseling
Choose from concentrations in:
- General Psychology
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Psychotherapy
- Counseling
- Mental health services
- Art therapy
- Music therapy
- Administration
- Program development
- Community relations
- Management
- Development
- Grant writing
- Teaching
- Research
- Recruitment
- Training
- Business management
- Sales
- Customer service
- Public relations
- Health-care facilities
- Corporations
- Not-for-profits
- Social service agencies
- Colleges and universities
- Government agencies
- Market research firms
- Service organizations
- Private practice