This area of our website provides info about our undergraduate program.
Please use the links above to navigate.
If you still have unanswered questions please email:   psych@etsu.edu

Major Requirements

Undergraduate Core Curriculum for the Psychology Major

a.       PSYC 4100 (An Introduction to the Study of Personality), or
b.       PSYC 4817 (Introduction to Psychological Testing)

Course Descriptions

PSYC 1019 & 1020, 2019 & 2020, 3019 & 3020, 4019 & 4020 -- Speaker Series Courses

PSYC 1310 -- Introduction to Psychology

An introduction to the basic concepts, principles, and theories of the science of psychology. Topics included are biological and developmental processes, perception and awareness, learning and thinking, motivation and emotion, personality and individuality, adjustment and mental health, and social behavior.

PSYC 2000 -- Social Psychology

The study of research methodologies, empirical findings, and theoretical concerns in the area of interpersonal behavior.

PSYC 2500 -- Behavior Modification

A study of basic and applied topics in learning, particularly as pertaining to the modification of human behavior. Topics will include conditioning, reinforcement, extinction, generalization, discrimination, verbal learning, and modeling.

PSYC 2900 -- Motivation & Emotion

Beginning with an overview of the historical development of research on motivation and emotion, this course will examine the ethological, physiological, cognitive and social-cultural perspectives on the fundamental question in the field of psychology: Why do individuals behave the way they do?

PSYC 3010 -- Psychology of Learning

A study of basic topics in learning, including conditioning, reinforcement, extinction, motivation, generalization, discrimination, concept formation, verbal learning, and memory.

PSYC 3030, 3031-- Experimental Psychology & Lab

Basic concepts, methodologies, statistical procedures, issues, and elements of scientific writing in psychological research. Four credit credits of lecture and laboratory per week.

PSYC 3100 -- Elementary Statistics

An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics including measurement, frequency distributions, graphing, percentiles, measures of central tendency and dispersion, normal distribution, correlation, probability, sampling, t-test, and analysis of variance.

PSYC 3200 -- Principles of Psychological Research

Basic concepts, methodologies, statistical procedures, issues, and elements of scientific writing in psychological research. Four credits of lecture and laboratory per week.

PSYC 3201 -- Principles of Psychological Research Lab

Basic concepts, methodologies, statistical procedures, issues, and elements of scientific writing in psychological research. Four credits of lecture and laboratory per week.

PSYC 3300 -- Psychology of Women

In this course, we will explore and discuss important issues in the field of psychology as it relates to women and gender, apply our discoveries to real world situations, and critically evaluate the research being done in the psychology of women.

PSYC 3330 -- Applied Psychology

A survey of the contributions of psychology to areas such as mental and physical health, law, education, industry, and consumer affairs.

PSYC 3340 -- Introduction to I/O Psychology

The application of psychological principles to business and industry in areas such as testing, personnel selection, personnel appraisal, leadership, and motivation.

PSYC 3444 -- Computer Methods in Psychology

This course introduces students to microcomputer operating system and a statistics software package, such as SPSS or SAS. It provides them with the skills necessary to select and perform basic statistical calculations and enables them to interpret the statistical outputs generated. In addition, students will demonstrate the ability to communicate by way of e-mail and access and download materials from sites on the Internet.

PSYC 3460 -- The Cognitive Growth of Infants and Children

This is a specialized advanced course focusing on the essential features of cognitive development during the first epochs of human life: babyhood, toddlerhood, preschoolerhood, and childhood. The course is designed to take you on an in-depth journey to the center of the baby's mind, through the vehicle of scientific research, focusing exclusively on the fields of cognitive and language development.

PSYC 3470 -- The Psychosocial Growth of Infants and Children

This is a specialized advanced course focusing on the essential features of psychosocial development during the first epochs of human life. The course is designed to take you on an in-depth journey to the center of the baby's first psychological relationships with others, and to watch the growth of those relationships over time, through the vehicle of scientific research in the field of psychosocial development.

PSYC 3600 -- Cognition

This course is designed to provide an in-depth investigation into the cognitive processes involved in attending, recognizing, remembering, thinking, understanding, and problem-solving. Particular attention is paid to the ingenious techniques created by cognitive psychologists to explore the inner workings of the mind.

PSYC 3700 -- Health Psychology

This course will introduce you to theory and research on the reciprocal relationships between physical health, behavior, and cognitive processes.

PSYC 3707 -- Behavioral Neuroscience

The purpose of this course is to analyze the functions of the primary structures of the human brain as well as their anatomical locations.

PSYC 3989-99 -- Cooperative Education (1-3 credits)

PSYC 4010 -- History and Systems of Psychology

A review of the growth of psychology as a scientific discipline including principal systems, theories, and contemporary development.

PSYC 4100 -- An Introduction to the Study of Personality

A survey of the psychology of personality. Topics examined include: normal and pathological development, personality measurement, current viewpoints of personality theories, and critical issues within the psychology of personality.

PSYC 4317/5317 -- Perception

A survey of research on vision, color perception, hearing, pattern perception, depth perception, smell, taste, and developmental perception accompanied by slide and video presentations. A brief review of theories of perception is also provided.

PSYC 4320 --Abnormal Psychology

A critical review of personality development and disintegration and the concepts underlying diagnosis, therapy, and institutional care.

PSYC 4321 -- Writing in Abnormal Psychology

This course serves as the primary means to promote a writing intensive experience within the topical area of abnormal psychology. Must be taken concurrently by all students enrolled in Abnormal Psychology (4320).

PSYC 4407 -- Psychopharmacology

This course is designed to introduce the student to the field of psychopharmacology, placing particular emphasis on drug abuse, drug treatment, and biochemical actions of drugs in the brain.

PSYC 4607 -- Child Psychopathology

The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with aspects of diagnosis, measurement, and treatment of child psychopathology.

PSYC 4707 -- Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience

This course will be an intensive investigation of the neurophysiological, anatomical, and chemical aspects of the nervous system and their relation to sensory processes, perception, motivation, learning, emotion, and memory, with a particular focus on reviewing the recent professional literature.

PSYC 4807 -- Forensic Psychology

This course is designed to introduce students to issues pertaining to the interface between psychology and law, with an emphasis on issues of current practice and ethical issues in forensic psychology.

PSYC 4817/5817 -- Introduction to Psychological Testing

PSYC 4900 -- Independent Study in Psychology

An independent study of a problem selected in consultation with a member of the psychology faculty.

PSYC 4957/5957. Special Topics in Psychology

PSYC 4989-99. Cooperative Education (1-3 credits).

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Advisement

IMPORTANT! Keep up with your progress and make sure you take classes you need (and that you don't take classes you don't need, if you don't want them). BEFORE scheduling an appointment with a faculty member, you should download the Pre-Advisement Check Sheet by clicking here and the Course Check Sheet for your particular degree type and concentration below (a Microsoft Word document). CURRENTLY, Dr. Dixon, Department Chairperson, is hosting advising sessions on Fridays at 2:00 in 425 of Rogers-Stout. Changes in that schedule are possible, but will be announced via email as soon as possible on Psych Talk, on which all Psychology Majors should be subscribed. You can be added to the list of subscribers at any time simply by emailing your request to the department chair (Wallace Dixon, dixonw@etsu.edu) or to the department executive aide (Jan Brown, brownje@etsu.edu).

Beginning September 22, 2006, Dr. Dixon will host an advising session every Friday at 2:00 pm in Room 425, Rogers-Stout Hall. If you have any questions about your curriculum, or just need advisement in general, this is the time to come!!

Click Here for a

Change of Major Form (may work better in Internet Explorer)

Pre-Advisement Check Sheet

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Honors Program

Honors-in-Psychology Program

Approved Spring, 2003

Current Program Coordinator:  Andrea D. Clements, Ph.D.

             The Department of Psychology at ETSU wishes to enhance the educational opportunities of its psychology majors through the creation of its Honors-in-Psychology program. Honors-in-Psychology students may be eligible for scholarships or out-of-state fee waivers.  Interested students should direct questions to the Honors-in-Psychology Program Coordinator.

 Academic Program of Study

            The Honors-in-Psychology program of study will consist of:

1.      12 hours of honors-enriched coursework: All junior- and senior-level psychology courses, with the exceptions noted below, will be designated and offered regularly as honors enriched courses. 

2.      6 hours of Honor’s Thesis coursework:  All honors students must complete a senior honors thesis under the tutelage and mentorship of a full-time member of the department of psychology, by enrolling in 6 semester hours of PSYC 4018

Honors Thesis Instructions

Psychology Honors Checksheet

 Admission Requirements

                        1.  Entering First Year Students: No students will be permitted to enter the

honors psychology program during their first year,

                        2.  Students entering programs after their first semester at ETSU: To be

admitted into the Honors-in-Psychology program, students must have:

a. completed at least 60 semester hours of undergraduate study

b. maintained at least a 3.35 overall GPA and at least a 3.50 GPA.

in departmental coursework

c. secured the mentorship of a faculty member with teaching duties

in the department of psychology

d. been admitted to the program by the Department of Psychology

Honors Admissions Committee.

3. Transfer students: To be admitted into the Honors-in-Psychology

program, transfer students must have:

a. completed at least 60 semester hours of undergraduate study

b. maintained at least a 3.35 overall GPA. and at least a 3.50 GPA

in psychology coursework in ETSU and non-ETSU coursework

c. secured the mentorship of a faculty member with teaching duties

in the department of psychology

d. been admitted to the program by the Department of Psychology

Honors Admissions Committee.

4. Application & admissions procedures: If you’re interested in applying

for admittance to the Honors-in-Psychology program, you should start by

making an appointment with the Honors-in-Psychology coordinator (clements@etsu.edu) to

discuss programmatic options. 

Honors-in Discipline-Application Form

Retention Requirements

                        To remain in good standing in the Honors-in-Psychology program,

students must maintain an overall grade-point-average of 3.35 and a

psychology grade-point-average of 3.50 during their final three semesters

of matriculation at ETSU.

Students falling below the minimal requirements will be placed on temporary probation from the Honors-in-Psychology program, and will have a one-semester grace period to meet or exceed the grade-point-average requirements.  If students are placed on temporary probation or otherwise fail to demonstrate adequate progress in completing the Honors- in-Psychology program, the Honors-in-Psychology Program Coordinator will notify both the student and the Associate Director of University Honors as soon as possible.

Students failing to maintain the GPA requirements as a result of their final semester of performance will be not be awarded the Honors-in-Psychology designation upon graduation.   

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with the Honors-in-Psychology Designation, students must:

1.      be admitted to the Honors-in-Psychology program,

2.      complete all necessary coursework (honor’s, major, general education, and otherwise),

3.      maintain an overall GPA of 3.35 and a psychology GPA of 3.50,

4.      maintain at least a B average in PSYC 4018 (Honors Thesis) coursework,

5.       and present the results of their honor’s theses publicly and orally.

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PsychTalk

Psychology Establishes New Way to Communicate with Majors/Minors

The Department of Psychology is happy to announce the creation of PsychTalk. PsychTalk is a department based listserver that allows: 1) members of the department to communicate with psychology majors and minors about psychology courses, job opportunities, research opportunities, graduate school opportunities, or anything else that may be deemed important to majors and minors, and 2) psychology majors and minors to communicate with members of the department or other students to ask questions about courses, about the psychology curriculum, about post-graduation options, or whatever is on their mind. All psychology majors and minors are welcome to join.

You can be added to the list of subscribers at any time simply by emailing your request to the department chair (Wallace Dixon, dixonw@etsu.edu) or to the department executive aide (Jan Brown, brownje@etsu.edu).

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