When taking courses towards the Psychology degree, each student has many options in relation to the areas of study to pursue. However, within the degree requirements there are some elements that are consistent regardless of the degree program chosen. Below is some key information related to psychology courses that students should be aware of as they develop their long term plan schedule.
Psych 490 SPRING 2026- Descriptions by Section
Section 001
Christina Ford
Think Before You Link: Navigating Online Psychology for a
Healthier, Happier Life
The internet has become a major source of psychological information for the public—ranging from mental health advice on social media to
articles about trauma, personality, and parenting. But how reliable is this information? How can we tell what’s credible, helpful or potentially harmful?
This course will help us cut through the noise, identify scientifically grounded practices, and live happier, more meaningful lives. Specific topics covered, and psychological disciplines discussed, will be based on student interest. We will evaluate the accuracy of popular online content, identify evidence-based strategies, and practice implementing relevant recommendations to help us manage stress, improve relationships, and strengthen resilience in our daily lives. This course prepares students to be informed consumers—and responsible sharers—of psychological content in the digital age.
Section 002
Baylor Graham
The Psychology of Stress: Intersections of Money, Work, and Health
Each year, the American Psychological Association documents the major sources of stress in the United States, with money, work, and health consistently topping the list. This course will examine each of these stressorsin depth as well as the interplay between them. We will explore what stress is, how it is understood in psychology, and why it matters. Students will be introduced to contemporary stress theories, explore how stress unfolds across the life course, and how coping, resilience, and adaptation shape outcomes. Through discussion, readings, podcasts, and applied activities students will learn to critically evaluate stress research and its relevance to everyday life.
Section 003
Suzy Schref
Debunking Myths of the Brain
these myths, debunk them, and think about the socio-cultural factors that lead people to endorse the myths. To do so we will read popular press materials and watch movies that feature or defend these myths. We will use empirical evidence to debunk the myths. Your final project will be to create a public service
announcement debunking a myth about the brain based on the science we discuss.
Section 004
Daryl Cameron
Empathy, Morality, and Artificial Intelligence
The rise of artificial intelligence, such as with robots and chatbots, has accelerated many questions about the nature of human empathy and morality.
Are we capable of feeling empathy and concern for robots? What does it mean when we receive a seemingly empathetic message from a chatbot? Can large language models predict human moral judgments better than we can? Will changes in human-technology interaction help or hinder development of our moral capacities and skills? Could human-AI interactions fragment understanding of ourselves and the social world? The aim
of this class is to engage in a broad survey on empathy and moral psychology in human-AI interactions, with a focus on how psychologists, philosophers, and engineers are collaboratively examining how AI advances, challenges, and complicates our understanding. Although the class will focus on psychology, we will incorporate readings from these adjacent fields (e.g., philosophy,engineering) given the interdisciplinary nature of this topic.
Maria Vinca
The art and science of psychotherapy
Section 006
Jenae Neiderhiser
Gene-Environment
Interplay Through the Lifespan
This senior seminar will focus on understanding the interplay of genes and environment in influencing behavior and development throughout the lifespan.
The didactic portion of the course provides a general overview of genetics, including coverage of the function of genes and genotyping methods with an
emphasis on how our understanding of genes can be integrated with other fields.
Emotions in Everyday Life
This seminar will examine how people’s feelings shape everyday life. The course is designed for students who are
interested in how emotions influence topics relevant to social psychology, such as attitudes, motivation, the self, culture, creativity, decision-making, and
interpersonal relationships. We will discuss a range of emotions, including, but not limited to, happiness, sadness, disgust, awe, love, gratitude, and
boredom. The course is discussion-based and will involve reading primary source materials, critically evaluating those materials, and using those ideas to
develop your own ideas. Key course objectives are (a) to understand some of the mechanisms by which emotions shape thoughts, motivations, and action (b) to
learn how to read and critically evaluate primary source materials and (c) to become more comfortable reading, discussing, and critiquing articles.
Section 009
Jonathan Cook
Social Identity & Identity Threat
After World War II, social psychologists sought to understand the psychological factors that can lead to conflict between groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious persecution and genocide. One influential theory that emerged was social identity theory, which argues that humans form social groups quickly and easily, likely because of an evolutionarily derived need to belong. Social identity theory suggests that we favor our ingroups and derogate outgroups, leading to intergroup conflict. In this class, we will read, discuss, and critique classic and contemporary social psychological research on social identity theory and its
extension to current topics like collective action, social media, and political polarization. We will focus also on the concept of social identity threat
and its consequences, as well as strategies that may reduce group polarization and identity threat. The primary goals of this course are to introduce social
identity theory and its implications for social issues and help students develop critical thinking and communication skills using a seminar format that
requires active engagement and discussion. We will read original research, view media materials, engage in scientific critiques, and develop research proposals
to address questions of interest.
Section 010
Beth Gerace
Mindfulness and Meaning
This course is divided into two main topics: Mindfulness and Meaning. The first half of the course will explore the metacognitive process of mindfulness and the applications of this process in psychology. We will explore how mindfulness can be used to process negative emotions, enhance social relationships, and treat various psychological disorders. Topics will include mindfulness-based therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The second half of the course will explore
theories of meaning such as Terror Management Theory and Mindfulness to Meaning Theory and how meaning in life changes across the lifespan. You will be asked to read, critique, and engage in discussion around scholarly work in all of these topic areas. You will also be asked to reflect on how these topics can be applied to your life and enhance your own personal growth.
Section 011
Janet Swim
Psychology of Climate Change
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time—and psychology has a crucial role to play in understanding and addressing
it. This capstone course explores how psychological science both explains and responds to the global climate crisis, recognizing that its impacts vary across communities, regions, and populations.
Drawing on themes from across your psychology training, we will examine how core areas of the field—such as emotions, moral reasoning, behavior change, social support, and social influence—inform our understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change, as well as potential
responses. Together, we will connect the theories and methods you have studied in earlier courses to urgent real-world problems.
Section 012
Louis Castonguay
PRINCIPLES OF
CHANGE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
Psychotherapy has been demonstrated to be an effective form of treatment for a variety of clinical problems. This course is aimed at a deep examination of specific factors that might explain, at least in part, how psychotherapy works. These factors, called principles of change, refer to general strategies of interventions that cut across different theoretical approaches. In particular, the course will focus on two principles: Insight (or the acquisition of a new perspective of self) and corrective experiences (or the unexpected and positive outcome to previously difficult situations). Students will learn how three major approaches (cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic) define and foster these two principles of change.
Table of Contents
Subject Pool Information (for PSYCH 100 and PSYCH 105 Students)
The Subject Pool is an Experiment Management System. As part of the requirements for PSYCH 100 and PSYCH 105, you will be required to participate in research being conducted within the Psychology Department. For those who object or are minors, you will have assignments to complete to meet the required number of experiment hours. Below you will find links to the Subject Pool and relevant information as you get started.
Psych 105 - Psychology as a Science and Profession
PSYCH 105 explores the development of modern psychology, the role of science in that development, and career paths related to scientific psychology. The course will help you explore career options and help you decided if Psychology is right for you. You can find a brief description of PSYCH 105 in the University Bulletin or review the course syllabus. Remember PSYCH 100 is a prerequisite to PSYCH 105, and this prerequisite is strictly enforced..
PSYCH 105 is NOT available at very many other campus locations. It is strictly a University Park Degree requirement. This course should be completed by the end of the 4th semester if you are a University Park student, and by the end of the 5th semester if you are a Change of Location student or a Transfer student. This course is controlled to 3rd and 4th semester standing students. If you are a Change of Location or Transfer student and are looking to enroll into PSYCH 105 for your first semester at UP, please make an appointment with an academic adviser.
Reminder: Currently there are NO substitutions for PSYCH 490 or PSYCH 105
Psych 490 - Senior Seminar in Psychology
PSYCH 490 can be viewed as your final destination within the Psychology degree program. It is an all encompassing course that integrates your years of gained knowledge from your coursework and allows you to apply your knowledge in a small more intimate classroom setting. You can find a brief course description for PSYCH 490 in the University Bulletin. In this class you will review research literature around a specific topic of study. Each semester the topics available will change. Although it may be tempting to choose a section based on time, be sure to choose a topic most interesting to you.
Some example titles of previously held sections of PSYCH 490 include but are not limited to:
- “Creativity and Innovation”
- “Neuroethology: How Animal Brains Make Animal Behavior”
- “Psychological Science in the Media”
- ” Developmental Psychopathology”
- “Assessment Centers: Research and Practice”
- “Art, Language, and Creativity in Children”
- “RJP in Managing Work-life Interfaces”
To view current topic descriptions of PSYCH 490 see above or look in the section notes on LionPath.
When the time has come for scheduling PSYCH 490 keep in mind you must have successfully completed PSYCH 301W and it is recommended that you have had 6.0 credits of PSYCH at the 400 level. Psych 301W is a strict prerequisite to which no exceptions will be made (ie. You CANNOT take the prerequisites concurrently, they must be completed prior to 490).
Course Sequencing
Many students are not aware that there is a course sequence within the major degree requirements. This can tend to cause students problems when they had not planned for it when studying abroad or taking a semester off for an internship. It is vital for students to understand prerequisites to courses and to plan for them in their long term plan schedule. Lack of planning can delay graduation especially since such courses as PSYCH 105 and PSYCH 490 are only offered during the fall and spring semesters.
Examples
Prerequisite(s) | Course(s) |
|---|---|
PSYCH 100 | PSYCH 105 |
PSYCH 100 | PSYCH 200-level courses |
PSYCH/STAT 200 AND PSYCH 100 | PSYCH 301W |
PSYCH 301W | PSYCH 490 |
Enrollment Controls
Most of our 400 level PSYCH courses are initially controlled for majors only, controls are lifted for select classes once lowerclassmen start scheduling. See the notes section in the course offering for details. Once controls are lifted minors and other non-majors can schedule these classes.
NOTE: Controls are never released for PSYCH 301 or PSYCH 490.
To inquire about course controls email ugpsychupwc@psu.edu.
Psychology Course Scheduling and Descriptions
- Psychology Course Descriptions in the University Bulletin
- New Psychology Course Designations as of Spring 2007 (New to Old OR Old to New)
- Schedule of Courses (search “PSYCH” for undergraduate courses)