Graduate Course Descriptions

The Psychology Department at Radford University offers a diverse array of graduate courses. Listed below is some basic information about each course that is offered, including: the name of the course, its prerequisites, the number of credit hours the course fulfills, and a brief description of the course. This is a comprehensive list of all graduate courses offered by Department. Students should consult individual program information to determine which courses are required for each program.

PSYC 505. Forensic Psychology. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Conveys information relating to forensic psychology, including the insanity defense, aggression, courtroom psychology, mental health aspects of criminology and psychological forces toward crime and delinquency.

PSYC 610. Analysis of Behavioral Data. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Two courses in statistics or equivalent.
Inferential procedures in the treatment of psychological research data. Emphasis on practical and behavioral applications of techniques of data analysis. Implications for the collection and organization of data discussed.

PSYC 611. Methodology and Program Evaluation in Psychology. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Discussion of and practice in the design and evaluation of psychological research, including measurement and experimental design, their limitations and sources of confounding and the interpretation of data. Techniques for performing cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis in mental health and other human services will also be covered.

PSYC 612. Psychometric Theory, Assessment, Appraisal and Application. (3)

Three hours lecture, demonstration and discussion.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in psychology
A comprehensive survey of measurement theory and practice in psychology. Topics covered may include scaling models, validity, reliability, measurement error and correlation analysis, multivariate correlational analysis, areas of assessment (vocational, personality, intellectual), the evaluation process, and the report-writing process.

PSYC 622. Historical Foundations of a Scientific Psychology

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Discussion of the role of psychologists as scientists, from the inception of the field to the present. Issues to be discussed include the advantages and disadvantages of the scientific method as a mode of inquiry, the concept of scientific progress, and the status of psychology as a science. The course will trace the historical development of the various schools of psychology and describe the factors that have led to psychology’s current position as both a basic and an applied science.

PSYC 623. Advanced Social Psychology. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Focused coverage of the scientific literature relating to psychological aspects of human social behavior. Topics covered will vary as a function of the needs and interests of the students, but will usually include one or more of the following: attribution and social perception, attitude formation and change, prosocial behavior, aggression, social influence and applications of social psychology.

PSYC 626. Advanced Comparative Learning and Motivation. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Focused coverage of the scientific literature relating to associative learning, comparative cognition, and motivation. Original research involving non-human and human subjects will be covered and critically evaluated. Topics will vary as a function of the needs and interests of the students, but will usually include one or more of the following: classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, observational learning, evolution of behavior, motivational processes, aversive motivation, comparative cognition, memory and concept formation.

PSYC 627. Advanced Sensation and Perception. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Focused coverage of the scientific literature relating to acquisition and processing of sensory information. Original research involving non-human and human subjects will be covered and critically evaluated. Topics will vary as a function of the needs and interests of the students, but will usually include one or more of the following: acquisition and processing of sensory information, use of sensory information to guide action, perception of space and form, color perception, different sensory systems, and the conscious experience of objects and object relations.

PSYC 628 Biological Foundations of Behavior. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Examines the biological underpinnings of behavior and the role of the nervous system in mediating behavior and psychological processes in humans and other animals. Students will learn about biological approaches to the study of behavior, structure and function of the nervous system, neural bases of perception, action, cognition, and motivation, and biological contributions to disorders of behavioral and psychological functioning.

PSYC 630. Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Behavior (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
Focused coverage of the scientific literature relating to contemporary human information processing. Original research involving non-human and human subjects will be covered and critically evaluated. Topics will vary as a function of the needs and interests of the students, but will usually include one or more of the following: perception, attention, memory, language expression and comprehension, decision-making, and problem-solving.

PSYC 631. Cognitive and Intellectual Assessment Techniques. (3)

Three hours lecture; two hours laboratory.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
This course will examine how and why people think and behave as they do. Current theoretical and empirical evidence from mainstream cognitive and affective perspectives, evolutionary psychology, and neuroscience will be examined and integrated. Applications to a variety of contexts will be explored.

PSYC 632. Child Behavioral Assessment and Intervention. (2)

Two hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or permission of the instructor.
This course will emphasize the application of behavioral theories and the principles to administration and interpretation of child behavioral assessment instruments and techniques, with the goal of linking assessment to intervention. Associated multicultural, legal, and ethical issues will be examined

PSYC 636. Child Personality Assessment. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology; a B or better in a course of individual intelligence testing, and a graduate course in psychopathology (may be taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor.
Intended for clinical and school psychology graduate students. The course includes supervised administration, scoring and interpretation of individual projective and objective personality tests, and supervised interviewing experience with children and parents. Student administer, score and interpret several personality tests and are expected to achieve proficiency in writing comprehensive psychological reports.

PSYC 637. Personality Assessment. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Completion of PSYC 631 with a B or better, PSYC 663 or 685 (these may be taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor.
Students will gain experience in assessment interviews, and administration and interpretation of several of the widely-used methods of personality assessment, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Rorschach.

PSYC 640. Professional Orientation and Function in Mental Health Counseling. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in Counseling Program.
An orientation to professional counseling with an emphasis on mental health counseling. The course traces the historical development, and trends in counseling as a discipline, and assesses current identity and functions. The roles of professional organizations and associations are analyzed. The laws and ethics regarding the practice of professional counseling are studied. Issues related to mental health practice are included. Collaborative consultation and issues of outreach and treatment/prevention strategies will also be discussed.

PSYC 641. Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisite: Graduate status in counseling psychology or permission of the instructor.
Course provides students with an overview of current theories of counseling and psychotherapy. The course will include a critical evaluation and comparative study of major theories with emphasis on philosophical assumptions and implications for application.

PSYC 642. Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisite: Graduate status in counseling psychology or permission of the instructor.
Course provides students with an introduction to applied techniques. Simulated counseling experiences provide opportunities to use basic counseling, communication, and helping relationship skills while increasing student's comfort with the therapeutic role.

PSYC 643. Mental Health Counseling Practicum I. (3)

Prerequisites: Graduate status in counseling psychology.
A supervised practicum in the field of mental health counseling involving a minimum of 50 hours of which 20 must be direct client contact. Work experience includes intake procedures, assessments, social histories, and crisis intervention. The student will meet with the program faculty member one and one-half hours per week.

PSYC 644. Mental Health Counseling Practicum II. (3)

Prerequisites: Graduate status in counseling and permission of the counseling committee.
A supervised practicum in treatment techniques with emphasis on substance abuse interventions. Course requires a minimum of 50 clock hours of which 20 must be direct client contact. A program faculty member meets with the students for one and one-half hours of group supervision. and one hour of individual supervision per week.

PSYC 646. Psychology of Death and Dying. (3)

Three hours lecture and discussion.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Course provides students with a broad introduction to the field of thanatology, while considering the influence of death and its associated psychological effects on human behavior. Death-related variables such as sociocultural forces, life-threatening illnesses, medical ethics, grief and bereavement, funerals, etc. will be evaluated as to their contributions to the development of individual differences across the lifespan.

PSYC 650. Organizational Psychology I. (3)

Three hours lecture.
An introduction to the study of behavior in organizations. Focuses on the individual, the organization and their interaction. Provides students with ways of looking at and thinking about behavior in organizations. Provides a framework for analyzing organizational behavior and considers both empirical and case study research on organizational issues. focuses on organizational socialization, attitudes, motivation, decision-making, absenteeism, turnover, stress, work groups and teams.

PSYC 651. Foundations in I/O Psychology. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Covers the fundamental concepts and techniques used to apply I/O psychology to work behavior. Includes job analysis methods, techniques, and applications; employment law related to personnel selection, performance appraisal, and the work environment; and other current issues in I/O. Introduces the concepts of validity and reliability used in I/O practices.

PSYC 652. Training and Development. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Presents and evaluates the techniques used in industry for the training and motivation of personnel; examines psychological theories behind the techniques and issues involved in applications of these techniques. Focuses on effects of training and motivation techniques on both job morale and job performance.

PSYC 654. Performance Appraisal. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Covers major methods of appraising employee performance and utilizing these appraisals to improve employee productivity.

PSYC 655. Organizational Psychology II. (3)

Three hours lecture and discussion.
Prerequisites: PSYC 650 or permission of instructor; graduate enrollment at Radford University.
A continuation in the study of behavior in organizations. Focuses on current organizational psychology issues in such areas as leadership, power, organizational effectiveness and organizational theory. Provides the student with additional ways of looking at and thinking about behavior in organizations. Provides a framework for integrating research in organizational psychology with popular organizational effectiveness trends.

PSYC 656. Employee Selection. (3)

Three hours lecture and discussion.
Prerequisites: PSYC 651 or permission of instructor.
Familiarizes students with selection methods such as structured interviews, cognitive ability, biodata, assessment centers, work samples, personality inventories and integrity tests. Covers techniques of combining predictors including multiple regression, multiple cutoffs, and multiple hurdles. Also focuses on methods of evaluating the validity, reliability, utility, and adverse impact of selection methods.

PSYC 660. Human Growth and Lifespan Development. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology or related field.
Course provides a comprehensive overview of human growth. Areas covered include the developmental areas of physical, cognitive, intellectual, perceptual, information processing, language, personality, social, and moral development across the lifespan.

PSYC 663. Child Psychopathology. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Utilizes an eclectic approach to the study of causes and diagnoses of childhood psychopathology. Definitions, concepts and theories of childhood psychopathology are covered. Emphasis will be on the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

PSYC 665. School Psychology Services. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Provides an understanding of the role of the school psychologist in education settings. Covers historical antecedents of contemporary school psychology, the types of methods, skills and knowledge that the school psychologist applies in his or her job and legal and ethical issues involved in providing school psychological services. Students are encouraged to do volunteer work in a school setting in order to gain familiarity with problems school psychologists encounter.

PSYC 670. Child and Adolescent Drug Abuse: Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
The course introduces students the areas of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of drug abuse in children and adolescents. The DSM and other diagnostic systems are presented. Approaches to therapy that have proven effective with children and adolescents are covered. Ethical/legal and prevention strategies are considered. The student is required to do assessment, a diagnosis, develop a treatment plan, design a treatment center, and develop a prevention plan.

PSYC 671. Theories of Personality. (3)

Three hours lecture.
A thorough, critical evaluation of major personality theories with emphasis on philosophical assumptions and applied implications of each theory for therapeutic interventions.

PSYC 672. Learning Theory Approaches to Behavior Modification. (3)

The course focuses on application of learning theory, emphasizing reinforcement principles, in a variety of settings to modify behavior of children and adults in order to facilitate desirable adaptation to their environments.

PSYC 673. Legal and Ethical Issues. (1)

One hour lecture.
Exposes students to the legal and ethical issues in professional practice and research. Ethical guidelines of professional organizations; legal rulings which influence practice; and the course of professional development will be discussed.

PSYC 685. Psychopathology & Diagnosis. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Abnormal psychology or permission of the instructor.
This course will provide students with an overview of the most common types of psychopathology encountered in mental health settings. The course emphasizes knowledge of, and ability to use, the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to facilitate accurate differential diagnosis of clients. Social, cultural, and ethical issues regarding psychopathology and diagnosis relevant to mental health counseling will be addressed.

PSYC 688. Consultation and Collaboration in the Schools, Home, & Community.

Two hours lecture/discussion.
Prerequisite: Enrollment in the School Psychology graduate program; concurrent registration in School Psychology Practicum (PSYC 781 ).
Provides the School Psychology graduate student with a practical and theoretical exposure to consultation, to provide them with supervised practice in techniques for establishing and maintaining consultative relationships and to help students become familiar with problem-solving techniques appropriate for consultative activities. Role playing, case simulations and discussion and analysis of cases in practicum will be used to facilitate learning.

PSYC 690. Seminar in Psychology. (1–3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Presentation and discussion of current issues in various areas of psychology which are not considered in other courses. Content varies from semester to semester. A single topic or area selected by the instructor for discussion during the semester based on current student interest and developments in psychology. Previous topics have included: Cortical Bases of Behavior, Human Sexuality, Divorce Counseling, Rorschach, Computers in Personnel and Appraisal in Industry.

PSYC 698. Directed Study. (1–4)

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor, adviser, department chair and dean of the Graduate College.
Provides graduate students opportunity to work individually with faculty members on topics of mutual interest. See "Directed Study" in the Academic Policies section of the graduate catalog.

PSYC 699. Research and Thesis. (1–6)

Hours and credit to be arranged with the approval of the dean of the Graduate College.
See "Thesis" in the Academic Policies section of the graduate catalog.

PSYC 771. Group Dynamics in Processing and Counseling. (3)

Two hours lecture, two hours laboratory.
Prerequisites: PSYC 641 and permission of instructor.
Course will consider theories and techniques of group counseling, including focus on content, process, and leadership issues. Groups with special populations will also be considered. The course will also include an experiential component in which the student will be required to participate in a group.

PSYC 772. Couples and Family Systems Therapy. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in psychology and PSYC 641  or equivalent, or admission into the Psy.D. program, or permission of instructor.
An analysis of couples and families as social systems and the identification of issues affecting these systems are included. A number of theoretical approaches and counseling techniques for therapy with couples and families are presented and evaluated.

PSYC 773. Diagnosis and Treatment of Addictive Behavior. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisite: PSYC 641 or permission of the instructor.
Considers the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of addictive behaviors, including substance abuse. Seeks understanding of the dynamics of the many types of addictions and considers professional strategies for change.

PSYC 774. Introduction to Psychopharmacological Medications. (1)

Three hour lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Course provides students with rudimentary information regarding commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications including basic classifications, indications, and contraindications. Issues of making appropriate referrals and the identification of effects and side effects will also be addressed.

PSYC 775. Special Topics in Counseling Psychology. (1)

One hour lecture.
Prerequisite: Either PSYC 610 or PSYC 611, the latter of which may be taken simultaneously.
Course is designed to engage the student in current research areas in counseling psychology. Counseling research will be reviewed, analyzed and critiqued. Individuals will conduct a review of the literature in a selected area of research.
Pass/Fail

PSYC 776. Human Sexuality Counseling. (3)

Three hours lecture.
Prerequisite: PSYC 641.
Provides foundation of knowledge concerning basic human sexual functioning, knowledge of sexual diseases, awareness and acceptance of sexual variance, knowledge of sexual dysfunction and an understanding of basic treatment and sex therapy techniques. Legal and ethical issues and concerns pertaining to sex counseling/therapy will be considered. A seminar format utilized.

PSYC 781, 782. School Psychology Practicum I and II. (4,4)

Two-hour seminar, 8-hour practicum in the schools.
Prerequisites: PSYC 631, 636, 665 and acceptance by the School Psychology Committee into the Educational Specialist degree program.
A pre-internship experience for second-year school psychology students offering supervised field work. Includes intellectual, behavioral and curriculum-based assessment techniques with emphasis on educational interpretation and remedial implications of assessment data. Supervised field interventions include pre-referral interventions, consultation, individual and group counseling, behavior management, in-service education, parent training and counseling and program evaluation. Students work under the dual supervision of practicum instructor and on-site field supervisor (certified, experienced school psychologist). Students spend a minimum of eight hours per week in the schools plus a two-hour weekly seminar.

PSYC 789. Consultation Practicum. (2)

One hour seminar per week; four hours practicum experience per week.
Prerequisites: PSYC 688 with a grade of "B" or better. Concurrent registration for PSYC 681.
Practical experience in the public schools consulting with regular education teachers, special education teachers, school administrators and parents. On-site supervision provided by an approved, experienced school psychologist; weekly seminars provide the student with small group supervision.

PSYC 795:796. School Psychology Internship. (6:6)

Forty hours per week.
Prerequisites: Completion of all course work, other than directed study, including practica, in the School Psychology Program, a Pass in both pratica, and permission of the School Psychology Committee at least four weeks prior to registration. Applications are available in the department office.
A full-time paid professional experience under the dual supervision of a member of the School Psychology Committee and an approved on-site field supervisor. Intern functions as a staff member in professional settings to gain experience in the use and application of psychological techniques and procedures used in performing the services of a professional school psychologist. Internship grades recorded as Pass or Fail. Courses must be taken in sequence and may not be taken concurrently. Interns are required to attend our on-campus seminars each semester.

PSYC 798. Professional Internship. (3–6)

Hours may vary from 10 to 25 per week.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor; enrollment in a graduate program in Psychology at Radford University.
Note: This course may be repeated for a total of 12 credits; students should consult with their faculty advisers for specific requirements within their area of concentration.
A part-time professional experience under the supervision of the Psychology Graduate Faculty. The student will function as a staff member in professional settings to gain experience in the use and application of psychological techniques and procedures. Common emphases of all sections will be on developing professional identity through an experiential component. Ethical practice and responsibilities will also be an emphasis for all sections of the course. Internship grades will be recorded as Pass or Fail. Each internship section will have a specific and detailed course description of the content of the course as related to the specific graduate concentration of the student.

PSYC 799. Continuous Enrollment. (1)

All graduate students are required to be registered during the semester they receive their degree from Radford University. Registration is required of all graduate students when using University facilities and/or faculty time. The minimum number of hours for registration is one. Registration allows use of services such as library checkout, laboratories, and recreation facilities not open to the public.
Students who are not currently registered for any course work, and who have completed all course work but have other outstanding degree requirements (e.g., comprehensive examination, thesis, removal of an I or IP grade), are required to register for a continuous enrollment course each semester, excluding summer, until they have met the outstanding requirement(s).
This course carries no credit hour production and does not count toward graduation requirements. This course option is also available to those admitted students who are not enrolled in a given semester but who wish to use University facilities and services during that time.