The following list includes graduate-level (500-level) PSY courses. Courses at the 400 level (see the University Bulletin for a list) may sometimes be used for graduate credit, with permission of the student’s program. In general, graduate students in Psychology should plan to take 500-level courses. See the Course Requirements page for details.
Note that the frequency of offering these courses varies, and that enrollment in many courses is controlled such that only Ph.D. students in Psychology may register.
Areas of Emphasis
General Courses
Seminar in General Psychology (PSY 501, 1) Orientation course for first-year graduate students in Psychology. Prerequisite: graduate standing in the Psychology Department
Analysis of Psychological Data I (PSY 507, 3) Overview of analysis techniques for psychological data. Prerequisite: graduate standing in psychology
Analysis of Psychological Data II (PSY 508, 3) Overview of advanced analytic techniques for psychological data. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Psychology; PSY 507
Seminar in Contemporary Psychology (PSY 511, 1 – 9 per semester; effective FA2006: 1-3 per semester, maximum of 12) Critical review of readings on a topic of current interest, either in content or methodology, within psychology. Prerequisite: 9 credits in psychology
Individual Studies (PSY 596, 1 – 9) Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.
Grant-writing (PSY 597D) Course addresses writing grants to support research and research training, including an overview of grant mechanisms and the funding process (with a focus on NIH and NSF), and the detailed process of planning and writing a grant application.
Special Topics (PSY 597, 1 – 9)
Clinical and Child Clinical Psychology
Seminar in Clinical Problems (PSY 540, 1-9 credits): Contemporary psychological theory, research, and methodology in relation to clinical psychology. Prerequisites: PSY 542, PSY 560.
Psychopathology (PSY 542, 3-4 credits): Theories of pathological behavior with reference to clinical and experimental data. Prerequisite: PSY 412.
Research Design in Clinical Psychology (PSY 543, 3:3:0): Experimental and quasi-experimental designs, methodological problems, and techniques of experimental control in clinical psychology research. Prerequisite: 3 credits of statistics.
Clinical Assessment (PSY 554, 3): Development of psychological measures; evaluation of reliability and validity. Predictive utility of tests in clinical settings emphasized. Prerequisite: PSY 541 or PSY 542; a course in measurement
Theory and Practicum in Clinical Assessment (PSY 555, 3-9 credits): Theoretical issues and research in clinical assessment with special reference to administration and interpretation of testing procedures and clinical interviewing. Prerequisites:PSY 541 or PSY 542, and a course in measurement.
Neuropsychological Assessment (PSY 556, 4): Survey of human neuroanatomy, neuropathology, behavioral correlates of cerebral dysfunction, and the assessment of neurological disorders. Prerequisite: PSY 484, PSY 554
Practicum in Clinical Methods (Adult Team; PSY 560, 1 – 6): Supervised practice in the Psychology Clinic, including assessment, therapy, report writing, and staff participation. Prerequisite: PSY 555
Clinical Practicum with Children (Child Team; PSY 561, 1 – 6): Diagnosis and counseling of child-parent problems of learning and adjustment. Prerequisite: PSY 425, PSY 426, PSY 555
Behavior Modification I (PSY 563, 3:3:0): Conceptual foundations of principles, assessment methods, and research strategies.
Cultural Psychology (PSY 566, 3:3:0): Experimental and descriptive research on culture and behavior in both Western and non-Western settings. Prerequisites: PSY 417, PSY 438, and 6 credits in statistics.
Advanced Theory and Practicum in Counseling and Psychotherapy (PSY 569, 3-9 credits): Theoretical issues, research, and practicum experience in psychotherapy.
Clinical Child Psychopathology (PSY 575, 3:3:0): Overview of developmental clinical child psychopathology; emphasis on social-emotional development, with review of abnormal development and social-emotional maladjustment. Prerequisite:Graduate standing in clinical psychology or 18 credits of graduate course work in psychology, HD FS, or a related field.
Clinical Child Interventions (PSY 576, 3:3:0): Clinical-child therapeutic techniques from a developmental-clinical perspective with emphasis on theoretical basis and empirical evaluation of various techniques. Prerequisite: PSY 575.
Clinical Child Assessment (PSY 577, 3:3:0): Overview of major methods used in clinical assessment of infants, preschool children, and grade-school children with emphasis on social-emotional functioning. Prerequisite: PSY 559, PSY 575,or background in psychological assessment.
Cognitive Psychology
Seminar in Psycholinguistics (PSY 520, LING, 3 credits/semester up to 9 credits): Consideration of theoretical and research issues relevant to psychological aspects of language sounds, syntax and semantics, and other cognitive support.
Cognitive Studies (PSY 521, 3:3:0): Survey of theories, methods, and issues in cognitive science. Prerequisite: PSY 421.
Proseminar in Cognitive Psychology (PSY 524, 3): An historical introduction to theories and critical findings in the field of cognitive psychology. Prerequisite: graduate standing in the Psychology Department
Seminar in Cognitive Psychology (PSY 525, 3 per semester, maximum of 12): An advanced seminar in a topical or research area in the field of cognitive psychology. Prerequisite: graduate standing in the psychology department. Regularly taught topics include Cognitive Control of Neuroscience, and MATLAB programming for Psychology.
Developmental
Gender Development (PSY 529, 3 credits): Contemporary theories and findings on gender development, with emphasis on childhood and early adolescence.
Brain and Cognitive Development (PSY 529, 3 credits): This course discusses theoretical and empirical literature related to the development of the brain and how brain development influences perception, action, and cognition.
Developmental Behavior Genetics (PSY 529, 3 credits): This seminar focuses on understanding the basics of quantitative genetics theory with a focus on the interplay of genes and environment. Both behavioral and molecular genetic research is covered.
Fundamentals of Cognitive Development (3 credits): The course provides students with a broad background in cognitive development in infancy, childhood, and adolescence, including contrasting theoretical frameworks.
*Measurement in Human Development (PSY/HDFS 526, 3 credits): Principles and methods for assessment of human developmental processes across the life span. Prerequisite: EDPSY 450 or PSY 450 ; HD FS 519
*Observational Methodologies for Development (PSY/HDFS 528, 3 credits): Design and application of observational methods in developmental research. Prerequisite: graduate student standing in HD FS or psychology
Seminar in Child Development (PSY/HDFS 529, 1-6 credits): Readings and reports on recent findings in child development. Prerequisites: 6 graduate credits in child development, child psychology, or educational psychology, plus 3 in statistics.
*Research Methods in Developmental Processes (PSY/HDFS 536, 3 credits): Methodological issues in research on varying stages of development across the individual life span. Prerequisites: 6 credits in individual development or psychology, and a course in statistics.
Fundamentals of Social Development (PSY 547, 3): An introduction to theories, current issues, and critical psychological research findings relating to social and emotional development.
Developmental Theory (PSY/HDFS 549, 3 credits): Conceptual frameworks and major contributions to the study of individual development across the life span. Prerequisites: 6credits at the 400 level in individual development or psychology.
*Course commonly taught in HDFS
Industrial/Organizational
Personnel Testing and Selection (PSY522A, 3 credits): Analysis of research, practices and issues specific to personnel selection in business, including interviews, assessment centers, personality and ability testing.
Performance Evaluation and Appraisal (PSY 522B, 3 credits): Evaluation of research, practices and issues specific to performance appraisal in business, including analysis of instruments, biases, motives, and evaluation context.
Micro-Organizational Psychology (PSY523A, 3 credits): Analysis of individual-level processes, theories and research within the organizational context, including work behaviors, attitudes, and emotions.
Macro-Organizational Psychology (PSY523B, 3 credits): Analysis of group, organizational, and contextual processes as they affect performance and attitudes, including teamwork, organizational climate and culture.
Practicum in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 534, 1-3 credits/semester): Supervised application of psychological principles in industrial and governmental settings.
Personnel Training and Development (PSY 538, 3 credits): Analysis of theory, research and practices on training new employees and developing existing employees.
Special Topics in I-O Psychology (PSY597, 3 credits): Variable special topics taught by I-O professors on a rotating basis, including creativity, leadership, emotions, decision-making, work deviance, and diversity.
Social
Advanced Social Psychology (PSY 517, 3:3:0): Problems of theory and of research methods with emphasis on persisting issues relevant to contemporary developments in social psychology. Prerequisites: PSY 417; PSY 015 or STAT 200.
Seminar in Social Psychology (PSY 571, 3-9 credits): Historical development of theory and methods; determinants and principles of complex social or interactional behavior; contemporary problems and research. [This course number is used for topical seminars, so instructor and theme vary from semester to semester. Recent offerings include: The Social Psychology of Power; Sexism; Psychology of Emotion]
Psychology of Gender (PSY 572 (WMNST) 3): Theory and research on the psychology of gender, emphasizing gender in social interaction, and in individual identity. Prerequisite: graduate standing in psychology, women’s studies, or allied field
Designing Research in Social Psychology (PSY 583, 3:3:0): Designs and procedures useful in social psychology and cognate disciplines; quasi-experimental designs and analysis, field experimentation, validity of inferences. Prerequisite: 3credits of 500-level statistics.
Attitude Formation and Change (PSY 584, SOC, 3:3:0): Theory and method in research on attitude formation and change with emphasis on critical analysis. Prerequisites: PSY 417 or SOC 403, 3 credits in statistics.
Social Cognition and Social Perception (PSY 589, 3): Overview of how social behavior and social perception (e.g., impression formation, attitudes, the self, stereotyping) are influenced by cognitive processes.
Specialization in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Seminar in Contemporary Psychology (PSY 511, 1 – 9 per semester; maximum of 12): Critical review of readings on a topic of current interest, either in content or methodology, within psychology. Prerequisite: 9 credits in psychology. Two sections of this course are offered for SCAN students each year: Foundations of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (fall) and Methods in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (Spring).
Seminar in Cognitive Psychology (PSY 525, 3 per semester, maximum of 12): An advanced seminar in a topical or research area in the field of cognitive psychology. Prerequisite: graduate standing in the psychology department. Sections covering topics in Cognitive Neuroscience are regularly offered for SCAN students.
Seminar in Child Development (PSY 529, HDFS, 1-6 credits): Readings and reports on recent findings in child development. Prerequisites: 6 graduate credits in child development, child psychology, or educational psychology, plus 3 in statistics. Sections covering topics in Developmental Neuroscience are regularly offered for SCAN students.
Seminar in Social Psychology (PSY 571, 3-9 credits): Historical development of theory and methods; determinants and principles of complex social or interactional behavior; contemporary problems and research. Sections covering topics in Social and Affective Neuroscience are regularly offered for SCAN students.