Psyc 122
Orientation to the Psychology Major

1. Catlog Entry

Psyc 122. Orientation to the Psychology Major
Credit Hours (1).

Prerequisites: Psychology Major; Psych 201 as prerequisite or corequisite; recommended for majors with less than 18 hours of Psychology courses

Orientation to the psychology major will introduce the student to the academic and professional field of psychology in order to assist students in understanding the possibilities of psychology as a career field, and also to assist students to better understand the requirements of the major at RU.

2. Detailed Description of Content of the Course

Major topics to be covered in the course may include:

Section 1: Psychology at RU

1. What makes Psychology different from other fields?
2. Requirements for the Psychology major
3. Study skills for Psychology majors
4. Documenting your skills in Psychology

Section 2: Psychology as a Career

5. Career possibilities with an undergraduate degree
6. Career possibilities with a graduate degree
7. Preparing for graduate study

Section 3: Beyond the major

8. Basic vs. applied psychology
9. Ethical obligations of psychologists

3. Detailed Description of the Conduct of the Course

Psyc 122 will be taught in a lecture-discussion format, with time explicitly set aside for student discussion of course material and professional practice in psychology. Group projects, films, slides, videos, computer software, and other audiovisual aids will be used to help students develop their knowledge of how Psychology is practiced at RU and the various career possibilities in Psychology

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

Having successfully completed the course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify the requirements for the psychology major
2. Explain the difference between the psychology major and other majors in the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities
3. Demonstrate knowledge of effective study skills
4. Know how to present a portfolio of documents which demonstrate the student’s achievement and experience in psychology
5. Understand the differences in career possibilities with an undergraduate versus a graduate degree in psychology.
6. Demonstrate a knowledge of what will be required to successfully apply for graduate study in psychology
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between psychology as a science and psychology as an applied field.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles which govern psychological research and practice.

5. Assessment Measures

Student progress will be assessed with a variety of measures which may include any/all of the following:

• in-class examinations composed of objective and/or essay questions
• a final examination
• in-class quizzes
• case study analyses
• critiques of popular and professional writings
• other writing assignments.

6. Other Course Information

Speakers from the University as well as the medical community who have expertise in topics relevant to the course may be brought in as guest lecturers.

7. Review and Approval

DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
February 2004