CCNY Psychology Courses
Recent Course Syllabi
10101: Psychology for Freshman Honors Students
Designed to provide for greater student participation. In addition to attendance at special Psychology 10101 lectures, students will participate in a 2 hour seminar during which student papers will serve as the basis for class discussion. (W, QR).
10200: Psychology in the Modern World
This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of each of the different fields that collectively make up the exciting science of psychology. One field is concerned with how the brain is organized (neuroscience); another with how children mature (developmental psychology); still another with why people become anxious or depressed and how to help them (clinical psychology). Psychology is concerned with each of these areas, and much more. In psychology we are interested in why people think and feel and act the way that they do. By the end of this course, students should have a good understanding of what psychologists study, and some of their most important research findings. The course may not be taken for credit by students who have already passed Psych 10101 or 10299. Required for Psychology majors. (W, QR).
10299: Psychology in the Modern World
For SEEK students. 6hr/wk; 3 cr. (W, QR).
10300: Psychology as the Science of Behavior
Introduction to basic research methods in psychology. Students will gain first-hand experience in using a range of scientific methods to study basic psychological questions and will critically examine reports of social science findings. Prereq: Psych 10200 or 10299. May not be taken for credit by students who have passed Psych 10101.
21100-3000: Seminars in Special Topics in Psychology
Specially selected topics for intensive examination in several different areas. The topics and the courses offered each semester will be listed by the Psychology Department. No prerequisites.
21500: Applied Statistics
Summation notation, frequency distributions, graphs, percentiles, measures of central tendency and variability, standard score, the normal curve, statistical inference, one-sample tests of significance, confidence intervals, 2-sample tests of significance, linear correlation and regression, chi-square. All procedures are examined in the context of their application to psychological research. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and 10300 or 20300. Credit will be given for only one of the following courses: Econ 29000, Math 17300, Psych 21500, 21800, Soc 23100. Required for Psychology majors.
22600: Introduction to Life-Span Development
Introduces theories, concepts, and research which enrich our understanding of human development throughout the life cycle. Students may wish to take this course as a general introduction to human development before enrolling in courses which focus on particular developmental periods (Psych 24600, 25600, 26600). Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299).
23300-23600: Laboratory and Field Work
For students who wish to supplement classroom work by supervised experience in the field. It is expected that a student will work on the average of 3 hr/wk per credit. Approval is required. Pre or co-req: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299. Only one credit of fieldwork can be applied toward the elective credits required for the Psychology major.
23800: Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Causes and Treatment
Discusses theory and research on personality, developmental, and genetic factors in the lives of drug and alcohol abusers, diagnostic techniques for the assessment of substance abuse and addiction, and the various techniques used in the treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
24600: Introduction to Human Development: Infancy and Childhood
Topics include genetic considerations, prenatal development, the characteristics of the neonate, cognitive processes, language development, personality changes, early socialization, moral development. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
24700: Social Psychology
Fundamental concepts and methods used in the investigation of attitude and attitude change, prejudice, socialization, communication, groups, conformity and other topics. Issues will be studied in the light of theory, research, and relevant social problems. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
24800: Abnormal Psychology
The description of various psychological disorders. Through the study of these disturbances the course gives insight into the general nature of personality functioning. Case material is presented. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
24900: Psychology of Personality
An analysis of the basic dimensions that comprise the structure and dynamics of personality. The course will focus on the impact of personality on behavior, on its biological roots, and on the interaction of persons, environments, and cultural influences in contributing to one's sense of self. Prereq 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
25300: Cognitive Psychology: Thinking, Knowing, and Remembering
How do we come to understand the world we live in and the people with whom we interact? How is self-knowledge acquired? This course will consider the ways in which people acquire and process information. Why do we forget some things and remember others? How do we solve problems, learn to read and write, find the right words to express our ideas? What is “thinking?” How do we transform our ideas into action? Other topics include how computers process information, brain damage, and learning disabilities. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
25400: Cognitive Neuroscience: Mind, Brain, and Behavior
How does activity in the nervous system give rise to perception, memory, and attention? Is everything psychological simultaneously biological? This course is an introduction to neuroscience, exploring the neural basis of the human mind. Topics include neural communication, sensory systems, working memory, attention, and consciousness. Case studies will be presented of patients with various forms of brain damage, including aphasia, blindsight, and prosopagnosia. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
30100-0400: Honors I-IV
Prior application to and approval by Honors Office and permission of Psychology Department Honors Supervisor required before December 10 for Spring term or May 1 for Fall term. Prereq: Psych 21500 and 32100.
3100(1),(2),(3),(4): Independent Study
For students who wish to pursue advanced study or research in selected topics. Students must obtain written permission of faculty mentor and Dr. Fishbein, Director of Student Affairs, before registration. The mentor must approve both the number of credits and the student’s plan of study (31001 – 1 cr; 31002 – 2cr; etc.). This could involve intensive reading on a selected topic and does not necessarily involve experimental research.
31100-2000: Seminars in Special Topics in Psychology
Specially selected topics for intensive examination in several different areas. The topics and the courses offered each semester will be listed by the Psychology Department. Prerequisites stated with course descriptions.
32100: Experimental Psychology
The application of research methods to psychological problems. Techniques of formulating and investigating a problem and use of laboratory equipment are stressed. Experiments are performed in representative areas of psychology. Prereq: Psych 10200 and 21500 . Required for Psychology majors.
33100: Evolution of Modern Psychology
The theoretical and conceptual problems involved in the development of psychology as a science and its relationship to other disciplines. An examination of selected theories, such as behaviorism, gestalt psychology and Freud, which have attempted to deal systematically with such persistent problems of psychology as perception, motivation, learning and personality. Recommended for juniors and seniors. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299.
33300: Enculturation, Immigration, and Acculturation
Migration disrupts familiar rules of living and leads to conflicts of culture. This course will review developmental psychology theory and discuss psychological disruptions experienced by immigrants in relation to their individual developmental stages. We also will examine disruptions specific to particular ethnic groups. The course will discuss the psychological vulnerabilities as well as resiliencies that result from the process of immigrant acculturation. Throughout the course we will seek to discern preventive measures that could lessen negative outcomes and promote positive outcomes through effective decision-making in response to the disruptions of migration. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24600.
33800: The Psychology of Women
This course explores the social constructions, theories and research that have resulted in a psychology of women. It includes the biological, developmental, social and cultural aspects of femaleness in an historical and contemporary context. Students will be expected to consider and contribute from their own gender-establishing experiences. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24800.
33900: Psychology Applied to Work
Problem solving in the work environment using principles derived from psychological research, selection and placement of employees, psychological testing, job analysis, job evaluation, employment interviewing, performance appraisal and feedback, employee and management training and development, workplace design and human engineering. Emphasis will be placed upon social issues such as affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, substance abuse, and health and safety in the workplace. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24800.
34300: Basic Processes of Perception
The psychology of sensation and perception is the study of how we humans see, hear, taste, smell, and touch the world around us. One subfield is concerned with how people see colors; another with how people appreciate works of art; still another with how people listen to music. By the end of this course, you should have a good grasp of what perception psychologists study, and some of their most important research findings. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 25300.
34400: Psychology and the Black Experience
This course examines the psychological aspects of historical and contemporary experiences of people of African ancestry. The work of noted black psychologists in the United States and abroad is utilized to address issues of well-being and abnormality as they pertain to black people’s past and current realities. Topics will include cross-cultural perspectives in black psychology, the black family, ethnic identity, education and the black child, mental health concerns of black people, research issues and the black community. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24900.
34500: Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior
Sexual behavior, attitudes, developments, and the consequences of the behavior are examined from a psychological perspective. Topics include historical and cross-cultural viewpoints, theories of human sexuality, gender roles, sexual dysfunction, sexual preference, psychological development of adult sexuality and aging sexuality. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24900.
35200: Sleep and Dreams
This course is an introduction to the biological and psychological processes involved in sleep. Topics will include circadian rhythms, polysomnography, the functions of sleep, sleep deprivation, neuroimaging studies of the sleeping brain, sleep disorders, dreams in humans and other animals, functions of dreaming, dream interpretation, nightmares, and analysis of the content of dreams.
Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 25300.
35300: Seminar in Memory
Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 25300.
35600: Introduction to Human Development: Adolescence and Youth
From puberty through early adulthood. Topics include the physical and psychological changes associated with puberty and the assumption of adult sex roles, cognitive and personality changes associated with developing autonomy, the varying social and cultural contexts within which adolescents and young adults develop, and the relationships of these age groups to social institutions. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24600.
35700: Community Psychology
The use of psychology in the solution of community problems, and the impact of social and psychological stressors is examined from a community-wide perspective. How can communities and neighborhoods be measured for mental health strengths and dangers? What kinds of preventive actions and strategies and what kinds of treatment and programs can be taken on a community-wide basis to promote mental health? Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24900.
36500: Family Psychology
Family structure and process in terms of historical, cultural and psychosocial factors. Emphasis on viewing family interactions in terms of a psychodynamic system and subsystems. The complex relationships within the family and between the family and society serve as a setting for theorizing, researching and developing models of constructive intervention. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24900.
36600: Introduction to Human Development: Adulthood and Aging
From early adulthood (marriage, parenthood, first job) up to the end of the life cycle. Topics include the developmental approach to adulthood, considering the psychological, sociological, and biological changes in adult life, sex differences, the family, work, leisure, and retirement, death and bereavement. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24600.
36700: Small Group Processes
The course is divided into two parts: self-study groups and lectures. The self-study group examines its own behavior in order to help the student develop an ability to observe, analyze and understand the small group as a social system. The lectures present concepts, case materials, and empirical findings on group phenomena. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24900.
36900: Behavior in Organizations
Interaction between individual behavior and organizational factors such as structure, technology, environment, climate, and their impact upon worker productivity, satisfaction and motivation, leadership and supervision, group dynamics, strategies for organizational change, organizational development approaches, and quality of worklife issues. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 or 10300 and Psych 24700 or 24800.
37100: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience I
The course will emphasize the neurobiology underying learning and memory, neural circuits associated with fear and pleasure, brain mechanisms underlying drug addiction,and brain dysfunctions that underlie psychiatric disorders including depression and schizophrenia. The course will examine the ways in which modern neuroscience describes these behavioral and psychological phenomena, from changes in connectivity among individual neurons to changes in the activity of larger neural systems in the brain. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 25400.
37700: Theories of Personality
A critical review of major contemporary theories of human personality, their relation to research findings and to methods of psychotherapy. Case studies interpreted from the perspective of the various theories. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24700 or 24800.
38800: Theories of Psychotherapy
Contrasts and commonalities among psychodynamic, Person-centered, Cognitive-Behavioral and Learning Theory approaches to individual psychotherapy are examined. The ethical and practical issues involved in this work are given prominence along with the importance of ethnicity, culture and gender. Films and case-history material are utilized to illustrate the processes and concepts inherent in psychotherapeutic work. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 and Psych 24600.
38900: Psychological Tests and Measurements
Introduces both theoretical and practical aspects. Methods for assessing intelligence, achievement, aptitude, personality, interests and attitudes. Evaluation of tests and interpretation of test scores, use of tests in educational and clinical prediction, guidance, personnel selection, and research. Prereq: Psych 10101 or 10200 or 10299 or 10300 and Psych 21500 and Psych 24600.
Mentored Learning & Scholarship:
Fieldwork, Independent Study, Honors
Director, Glen Milstein, Ph.D.
Location:NAC – 217 – D
Phone Ext.:5718
Email: gmilstein@ccny.cuny.edu
The Psychology Department offers three categories from which to receive credit for mentored learning and scholarship. Mentored learning and scholarship may be carried out either “on” or “off” campus. The categories vary along a continuum of increasing responsibility: (1) Fieldwork; (2) Independent Study; (3) Honors.
For example, a student could receive Fieldwork credit working as a research assistant for a professor. Under this professor’s mentorship, the student could subsequently develop a focus of study with a review of research literature for Independent Study credit. The student could then use this literature review to plan and carry out an Honors research project. Alternatively, students could receive credit for only one mentored area. The maximum number of credits counted toward graduation in fieldwork and independent study, for all departments at the college, may not exceed twelve. Please see details below:
Course #'s: Psychology 233, 234, 235, and 236
This Pass / Fail course is usually taken for one (1) credit. Under special circumstances students may receive up to three (3) credits. Fieldwork courses allow students to receive credit for the practical experience they gain applying psychology to their work with agencies, organizations, or research projects, either “on” or “off” campus. For most students a Fieldwork course involves volunteering at an agency or for a research or applied project. A student must work 45 hours (approximately 3 hours a week across the 15 week semester) for each credit of Fieldwork. A maximum of four credits of fieldwork is allowed during the student’s time at CCNY and only one credit is allowed toward the 19 elective credits for the psychology major.
Students who know what fieldwork site they wish to work for should find a supervisor in that fieldwork site and then see Dr. Milstein, R 7/217-D. Students who wish to do field work but do not know what fieldwork site to work with can consult with Dr. Milstein. See Section II F for further information.
Registration & Requirements For Field Work (PSY 233, 234, 235, 236)
Prerequisites:
1. Student has earned a G.P.A. of 2.5 for all courses taken at the college-level.
2. Student has completed three Psychology courses and has an official grade for these courses on your computerized transcript.
3. Before the semester in which you want to register for fieldwork, meet with the Dr. Milstein, the Director of Mentored Learning & Scholarship (gmilstein@ccny.cuny.edu) to discuss your interests in fieldwork and how many hours or credits you should register for in the following semester.
4. Identify a fieldwork setting, with the Dr. Milstein’s assistance.
5. Try to contact the fieldwork setting to arrange for volunteering before you plan to register for fieldwork.
Registration:
1. Students must obtain a Fieldwork Volunteer Registration form from Dr. Milstein (NAC-7/217-D).
2. The form must be signed by their Fieldwork supervisor.
3. The student returns the form to Dr. Milstein who will review the form, determine a paper topic with the student, and fill out the Guidelines for Fieldwork form before granting permission to register for the course by signing the Authorization for Fieldwork form.
4. The student takes the Authorization for Fieldwork form to the Social Science Division Office (NAC-6/141) in order to register. The student will only be registered by persons in the Social Science Division Office.
Requirements:
1. The student’s supervisor must complete the Fieldwork Volunteer Registration form.
2. A student must work 45 hours (approximately 3 hours a week across the 15 week semester) for each credit of Fieldwork.
3. The student must write two papers — The student and Dr. Milstein will sign the Guidelines for Fieldwork form describing the student’s assignments for Paper A and Paper B.
Paper A:
This first paper responds to ten questions about the location, working conditions and support at the fieldwork site.
Paper B:
a. For the second paper, the student will write about an aspect of the work that illustrates a psychological theory. The paper must be in APA format and will have three parts:
i. A description of the psychological theory to be used;
ii. The issue or problem to be discussed;
iii. The way the theory helps us understand the problem.
b. The topic will be determined in consultation with Dr. Milstein. The student and Dr. Milstein will sign the Guidelines for Fieldwork form
c. The paper will increase in size and complexity, in proportion to the number of credits of Fieldwork the student is registered for:
i. One Credit: A minimum of a five-page, descriptive paper, in APA format.
ii. Two Credits: A minimum of a ten-page paper, in APA format, which reviews and cites original research on the topic. Clear citations and reference section.
iii. Three Credits: A minimum of a twenty-page paper, in APA format, which reviews and cites original research on the topic, and also provides recommendations for how to respond to the issue discussed based on the target theory and recent literature. Clear citations and reference section.
4. The student’s supervisor must complete the Supervisor’s Evaluation form.
5. Keep the Fieldwork Advisor, Dr. Milstein, informed about your progress as well as any problems you may encounter at your fieldwork site. Your work and your assignments must be completed one week before the last day of classes in the semester in which you are enrolled.
6. In addition to the two papers, a total of four forms must be completed:
> Fieldwork Volunteer Registration
> Guidelines for Fieldwork
> Authorization for Fieldwork
> Supervisor’s Evaluation
