Registration Information > Fall 2013 Information

Fall 2013 Registration Information

Most Psychology courses are reserved for “Admitted Psychology Majors” only; you must be admitted to the psychology major to take Psyc 210.  View more information about declaring the Psychology Major.

Curricular Changes

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Psyc 325 Counseling Psychology.  3 credits.  This new course is similar to Psyc 440; however, it now meets the sociocultural awareness requirement and it is no longer an upper level specialty content course.  Students who have previously completed Psyc 440 should not enroll in Psyc 325. We expect this course to continue to be very popular, but as a 300-level elective course with only Gpsyc 101 as an elective we hope that more students will complete this course earlier in their academic program.  It is recommended, but not required, for students interested in applying for Psyc 495 (Field Placement).  The catalog description of the course is as follows:

A basic counseling theories and skills course designed for students interested in human service and mental health fields.  Course meets sociocultural awareness requirement.  Prerequisites:  GPSYC 101 and Junior status.  Students may not earn credit for both PSYC 325 and 440

Psyc 410 Psychology of the Workplace.  3 credits. The name of this course has changed but the content of this course is similar; previously the course was called Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  Beginning in Fall 2013, this course will meet the sociocultural awareness requirement as well as count as an upper level specialty content core.  Students who have previously completed PSYC 410 should not enroll in it again.  The catalog description of this course is as follows:

This course is a survey of the applications of psychological principles in the workplace.  Emphasis is on topics such as research and methods, personnel decisions, training, attitudes, motivation, leadership, teams, and sociocultural issues in the workplace.  Other topics of current interest will also be covered.  Course will fulfill sociocultural awareness requirement.  Prerequisites:  At least one SS content course and one NS content course.

Psyc 415 Forensic Psychology.  3 credits.  This course is similar to Psyc 312 (Forensic Psychology), but the content is now being taught at a more advanced level, and Psyc 335 (Abnormal Psychology) is a prerequisite.  This course will now count as an upper level specialty content core.  Students who have previously completed Psyc 312 should not enroll in Psyc 415.  The catalog description of this course is as follows:

The application of psychological principles and techniques to the law, the criminal justice system, law enforcement and criminal behavior.  Prerequisite:  PSYC 335.  Students may not earn credit for both PSYC 415 and 312.

Special Topics Classes & Course Notes

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Psyc 200, Section 2.  Sport Psychology.  Sport psychology is the application of the psychological, behavioral, social, humanistic perspective in psychology to sport.  The course includes topics such as optimal performance, motivation, self-actualization, cognitive behavioral techniques, self-efficacy, and the general health benefits of sport participation.  Offered by Dr. Peter De Michele (demichpe@jmu.edu; 568-3819).

Psyc 200, Section 101. Preparing for Graduate School in Psychology. (First Block, 1 credit). This course will guide students through the graduate school application process. Graduate professors from various fields of psychology will discuss the different career opportunities available in various fields of psychology. Topics will include the importance of participating in research and field work experiences, preparing for and taking the GREs, and applying to graduate schools (including letters of recommendation, interviews, and writing curriculum vitae and personal statements. By the end of the 8-week course, students will have the majority of their applications completed. Offered by Dr. Bill Evans (evanswf@jmu.edu; 568-6373; Miller 1173).

Psyc 200, Section 201. Preparing for a Job in Psychology. (Second Block, 1 credit). This course will guide students through the job application process for careers in psychology and related fields. Students will discuss what jobs will be available to them upon graduation with an undergraduate degree in psychology. Topics will include resume-building, how to write a cover letter, interview skills, and information on how to budget finances after college . By the end of this 8-week course, students will have completed several job applications. Offered by Dr. Bill Evans (evanswf@jmu.edu; 568-6373; Miller 1173).

Psyc 250. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. This course is not recommended for Psychology Majors. Psychology students interested in this content should take Psyc 335, Abnormal Psychology. Credit cannot be earned for Psyc 335 by students who have previously taken Psyc 250. Psyc 250 is a course designed for non-psychology students who need a brief exposure to this content for their non-psychology academic program.

View the list of courses that can satisfy BS or BA degree requirements.

View Research and Service Learning Opportunities (Psyc 290 and 402).

Sociocultural Awareness Courses

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Psychology Majors are required to complete at least one “Sociocultural Awareness” course as part of their academic program. The following courses being offered during the Fall 2013 semester fulfill this requirement:

• Psyc 220.  Psychology and Culture
• Psyc 310. Psychology of Women and Gender
• Psyc 320.  Diversity Issues in Psychology
• Psyc 325.  Counseling Psychology
• Psyc 410. Psychology of the Workplace
• Psyc 497. Women and Mental Health

Senior Seminars & Senior Lab Courses

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The prerequisites for all capstone courses are two courses from the Social Science Content core and two courses from the Natural Science Content core. Overrides are routinely given for these courses, if space is available, if a student is completing their final semester of coursework before graduation; submit an override request if you are in that situation.

Psyc 497, Section 1.  Leadership and Service.  Leadership and Service will study the experience of leadership and service from a psychological perspective.  The course will assist students with identifying their personal leadership skills and styles as well as how to adapt these to various situations related to service in the community. The course will enable students to integrate concepts of service learning into leadership development.  Emphasis will also be on developing an effective leadership approach to service learning. 40-hours of service-learning will be required.  This course is offered by Dr. Bill Evans (evanswf@jmu.edu; 568-6373; Miller 1173).

Psyc 497, Section 2.   Women and Mental Health.  This course will address concepts relat­ing to women’s mental health. Special attention will be given to socio-cultural phenomena, and a respect for women’s experiences will be maintained at all times. This course meets the “Sociocultural Awareness” requirement for the psychology major. This course is being offered by Dr. Pam Gibson (Cleveland 202; 568-6195; gibsonpr@jmu.edu).

Psyc 497, Section 3.  Neuroscience of Memory.  Our memories shape how we describe and understand ourselves and they can alter our personality, emotions, and cognition.  In short, memory is central to our everyday experiences.  The purpose of this course is to explore memory, particularly memory dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease, from the perspective of neuroscience.  We will base class discussions around empirical articles and other literature which examine different types of memory, how we quantify memories, and the effect disruptions of memory have on our brain and behavior.  Additional prerequisite:  Psyc 385 (Biopsychology) or Psyc 380 (Cognitive).  This course is offered by Dr. Janna Taft-Young (taftyojx@jmu.edu; Miller 1160; 568-2931).

Psyc 497, Section 4. Biopsychology of Human Sexuality. This course will examine the genetic, evolutionary, neurological, hormonal and pheromonal influences on human sexual development and adult sexual behavior. Topics will include the biological basis of sexual development, gender differences, sexual motivation, mate attraction, mate selection, cheating, jealousy, mate guarding, and related topics selected by the students enrolled in the class. Prerequisites: Psyc 385 (Biopsychology) or Psyc 395 (Comparative Psychology). This course is being offered by Dr. Michael Stoloff (stolofml@jmu.edu; 568-6396; Miller 1223).

Psyc 211 Prerequisite for Content Area Courses

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If space is available, some Psychology Content Area Class instructors may permit selected students to complete Psyc 211 concurrently.  More information about exceptions and overrides.

• Psyc 330 (Personality)
• Psyc 335, Section 1 (Abnormal Psychology; Juniors and Seniors only)
• Psyc 335, Section 2 (Abnormal Psychology)
• Psyc 345 (Social Psychology)
• Psyc 365 (Developmental Psychology)
• Psyc 380 (Cognitive Psychology)
• Psyc 385 (Biopsychology)

Special Opportunities

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MSCI 490, Section 2, Special Studies in Military Science:  The Combat Experience.  The course will explore direct participation in military combat.  It relies primarily on oral history gained from filmed, in person interviews with combat veterans. Participants range from World War II to the current Middle East conflict. The focus will be the uniquely extraordinary physical, psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual challenges encountered. The course also examines the soldier’s reintegration into civilian life.  The factor of political climate is analyzed in regard to adjustment while in service, upon returning to society, and longer-term.  Combat veteran guest speakers, documentary films, and readings will contribute to the learning process.  The instructor will be Dr. Matthew Bowen (bowenmw@jmu.edu). 

MUS 498, Music and Human Services. This two-credit course will concentrate on developing music strategies to complement or initiate therapeutic strategies determined by mental health service providers. The psychological functions of music will therefore be the base for studying music’s effects on varied atypical populations. The course will require a mandatory practicum experience at a local human services agency. Each student will be assigned, either singly or in teams, to work with a specific population being served by one of these agencies in a 6-8 week project. The class has limited openings for non-music majors. For a course override, students must contact Dr. David Stringham.  This class limited to students  with a proficient level of voice, keyboard, guitar, or drums.  It will be taught during the Fall 2013 semester by Dr. Paul Ackerman, Ph.D. For further information, contact Dr. Paul Ackerman (ackermpr@jmu.edu).