Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Academic Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


Course Numbering System

The following lists include all courses normally offered at Albion College. However, not all courses are offered every year. When possible, courses offered in alternate years are designated. For details, students should consult the Class Schedule for each semester, available online at: www.albion.edu/registrar. The College reserves the right to add or withdraw courses without prior announcement, as conditions may require.

Unless otherwise stated, 100 level courses are intended for freshmen, 200 level for sophomores, 300 and 400 level for juniors and seniors.

A list of courses which meet the core and category requirements, organized by departments, is available online at www.albion.edu/registrar.

Further information may be obtained at the Registrar’s Office in the Ferguson Student, Technology, and Administrative Services Building.

 

Political Science: American Politics and Policy

  
  • PLSC 312: American Political Development


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 101 .
    Considers rotating topics: war, race, and organizational and institutional changes in historical context. Seminar themes include: the periodization of American history, national state formation, the political economy of industrialization and urbanization, and the social dynamics of continuity and change in the American political system. Grossman.
  
  • PLSC 315: Presidential Campaigns and Elections


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 101  .
    The continuing evolution of both the presidential nominating process and the fall general election campaign. A look at the role played by political parties, candidate-centered organizations, money, issues, images and the mass media in the presidential selection process. Offered in those years when the presidential election campaign is at its peak! Dabney, Staff.
  
  • PLSC 317: Political Parties in the United States


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 101 .
    Examines the evolution of the party system in the U.S. and roles political parties play in contemporary American politics. Looks at party realignments, third party movements and advancements, party infighting and bipartisan cooperation. Addresses the question of party decline and the rise of alternative institutions of interest articulation. Dabney.

Political Science: International Relations and Comparative Politics

  
  • PLSC 102: Introduction to Comparative Politics


    (1 Unit)
    Examines the political institutions and processes of countries around the world. Emphasizes how to make meaningful comparisons between systems in different countries. Covers conditions for and functions of democracy, with an emphasis on how different kinds of democracies work. Provides a framework for comparison and considers the United States in comparative perspective. Topics include the vibrancy of democracy, the centrality of political and electoral institutions, the possibility of revolution, and the power of ethnicity. Dabney.
  
  • PLSC 103: Introduction to International Politics


    (1 Unit)
    Examines and evaluates competing theoretical approaches (“paradigms”) which seek to explain inter-state war, international institutions and the global economy. Explores scholarly debates about the implications of international anarchy and national sovereignty. Focuses on the causes of violent conflict, the emergence of human rights norms and international courts, the dilemmas of humanitarian intervention, and the implications of global inequality. Part I examines competing theoretical perspectives in the discipline; Part II,approaches to studying war, violence and conflict; Part III, international institutions; Part IV, issues related to the global economy and international development. Grossman, Walling.
  
  • PLSC 206: Democratic Transitions


    (1 Unit)
    This course explores democratic transitions - why, how and when they occur - and the political, cultural, social and economic conditions that foster or impede deomcratic governance.  Students will identify the key attributes of democracy in both theory and practice and learn how political scientists measure democracy.  Student will exmine case studies of democritization from various regions of the world in order to better understand the causes of democratic transition and democracy’s consolidation.  The course explores the idea of democracy, the practice of democracy and the imaginings and struggles of those who seek to achieve it in multiple regions of the world. Staff
  
  • PLSC 207: Transitional Justice


    (1 Unit)
    How does a government build a secure, democratic society built on the rule of law and principles of human rights in the aftermath of mass atrocity? How do people live together peacefully in the aftermath of mass atrocity? Explores the set of practices, mechanisms and concerns that arise when a new government attempts to come to terms with a legacy of past human rights violations following a period of conflict, civil strife or government repression, e.g., amnesties, reparations, truth commissions, and criminal prosecutions in order to ensure accountability, serve justice, discover truth and achieve societal reconciliation. Walling.
  
  • PLSC 235: American Foreign Policy


    (1 Unit)
    Exploration of the history of American foreign policy, covering leading theories that explain its shifting style, goals, and outcomes. Grossman.
  
  • PLSC 237: Controversies in Global Politics


    (1 Unit)
    How do we achieve justice beyond borders in an increasingly complex and interdependent world? By examining different traditions of political, ethical, and legal thought, students acquire the tools necessary to make reasoned judgments about urgent political problems in international politics. These problems include but are not limited to: global poverty, human rights, immigration, global climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and sea-level rise. Walling.
  
  • PLSC 256: Human Rights


    (1 Unit)
    Introduces the key concepts and theoretical tools for understanding human rights and human rights policy in the context of the modern world. Examines human rights in a global comparative context with emphases on all the major world regions. Draws on the central theories and concepts of comparative politics and international relations to explain how and why governments protect (or fail to) human rights and to examine the intersection among citizens, governments, and non-governmental organizations that work to investigate and protect against human rights abuses. Walling.
  
  • PLSC 301: International Organizations


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  ; PLSC 102   or PLSC 103  

     
    This course examines why states create international organizations and considers whether or not they are significant and effective actors in international politics.  Students will expolore the processes of global governance across a wide range of issues and become acquainted with the institutional and legal structures of inter-state cooperation in multiple regions of the world.  This course will emphasize security cooperation wnd global governmental organizations liek the United Nations, NATO and the International Criminal Court as well as non-governmental organizations like the International Committee for the Red Cross and Amnesty International.

      Lecture

  
  • PLSC 305: Government and Politics of Japan


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    An examination of Japan’s postwar political system: the decision-making institutions, political players and public policy processes. Also surveys political parties, political economy, political participation, culture and society in Japan. Dabney.
  
  • PLSC 336: International Relations


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    A study of the behavior of nations, including topics such as: national power, balance of power, deterrence, diplomacy, collective security, international law, international organization and disarmament. Grossman, Walling.
  
  • PLSC 338: International Political Economy


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    An introduction to the study of political economy, i.e., the reciprocal relationship between political and economic activities and institutions, through an examination of the pursuit of wealth and power in the international system. Considers the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical, analytical and ideological approaches to understanding the international political economy in both historical and contemporary settings. Specific issues include trade, international finance, foreign investment, economic development, structural adjustments and globalization. Grossman.
  
  • PLSC 352: The Comparative Politics of Developing Nations


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    A survey of the principal arguments about global inequality and the developmental paths of countries outside the industrialized West. Includes an examination of the roles major powers and international and non-governmental organizations have played in the political and economic histories of developing countries. Dabney.
  
  • PLSC 372: Gender, Sex and International Politics


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    Explores how gendered norms and assumptions shape international politics. Introduces feminist approaches to international politics in order to answer questions like “where are the women?” and “how do women experience international politics differently than men because of their biological sex?” Also evaluates the ‘gendered hierarchies’ of international relations—gendered expectations of individuals, state and other actors. Walling.
  
  • PLSC 404: Causes of War


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    Student must be a political science major or minor with junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor. Explores the central issues regarding the use of military force in international politics. Why do states turn to military force and for what purposes? What are the causes of war? What renders the threat to use force credible? Can intervention into intra-state wars stall bloodshed and bring stability? How can states cope with new challenges posed by asymmetrical warfare and the threats of would-be terrorists? What are the rules and laws of war? How do states diminish the threat of war? Part I examines the causes of inter-state war and the strategies states employ to diminish the threat of war and handle its effects; Part II, the growing trend of intra-state conflict; Part III, the global governance of war, specifically the institutions, rules and norms associated with war-fighting and conflict prevention; Part IV, other forms of political violence including asymmetrical warfare, rebel insurgencies and terrorism. Grossman, Walling.
  
  • PLSC 405: National Security Policy


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and one of either PLSC 102  or PLSC 103 .
    Student must be a political science major or minor with junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor. Explores the new security challenges facing the United States and other nations in the post-Cold War period. Introduces security studies, looking at the issue of nuclear weapons and its integration into strategic policy planning. Considers alternative ways to comprehend the concept of security and security studies in light of economic globalization, asymmetrical warfare, terrorism, democratization, the changing character of sovereignty, and the problem of weapons (conventional and non-conventional) proliferation. Grossman, Walling.

Political Science: Law, Jurisprudence and Political Thought

  
  • PLSC 105: Introduction to Political Thought


    (1 Unit)
    Offers an introduction to political theory. Explores major debates within the field, both in contemporary and canonical work. Proceeds both thematically, examining such themes as liberty, justice, democracy, political resistance, and power, and historically, situating theorists’ writings within the historical context in which they were written and read. Also considers the relationship between political theory, political practice and the other subfields of political science. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 205: Theories of Democracy and Difference


    (1 Unit)
    Draws on the work of contemporary political theorists to explore how democracies simultaneously uphold their commitment to equality and liberty while allowing for the inclusion of people with sometimes very different values and beliefs. To what extent should the state accommodate citizens’ differences? What should states’ responses be to cultural minorities whose customs may run counter to the majority’s democratic values? What modes of communication best facilitate political participation by diverse community members? Is there room for accommodation of difference in the context of the legal system? Rose.
  
  • PLSC 224: Constitutional Law and Politics


    (1 Unit)
    Explores the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in political struggles over the distribution and uses of power in the American constitutional system. Covers issues including the division of powers between state and national governments, and the branches of the federal government; economic powers of private actors and governmental regulators; the authority of governments to enforce or transform racial and gender hierarchies; and the powers of individuals to make basic choices, such as a woman’s power to have an abortion. Emphasizes how the tasks of justifying the Supreme Court’s own power, and constitutionalism more broadly understood, contribute to logically debatable, but politically powerful constitutional arguments. Also examines the politics of constitutional interpretation. Readings include Supreme Court decisions and background materials on their theoretical, historical and political context. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 322: Crime, Politics and Punishment


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Whom a society punishes and how it punishes are key political questions as well as indicators of the character of the people in whose name it acts. This course examines connections between punishment and politics with particular reference to the contemporary American situation. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 324: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Examines the American Constitution and some of the rights protected by it. Topics to be covered include: the role of the judiciary in protecting individual rights in a democratic context, methods of constitutional interpretation, incorporation, the right to bear arms, economic liberty, abortion and privacy rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, the death penalty, and equal protection before the law. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 351: Modern Political Thought


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Critical examination of the work of modern writers on enduring themes of political life. Covers such thinkers as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel and Marx, through careful reading of the texts. Explores topics such as equality, democracy, women’s rights and contending definitions of freedom. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 357: International Law and Politics


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Examines international law using a broad range of analytical tools to enable students to think critically about the origins and impact of international law. How do we explain where particular laws and norms come from? How do they affect the shape of global politics and the outcomes of particular events? How often do states obey international law, and why? Also examines substantive areas of international law such as the law of armed conflict, international humanitarian law, human rights, international criminal law and environmental law. Walling.
  
  • PLSC 367: American Political Thought


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Explores the history of American political ideas, and how those ideas continue to inform contemporary political thinking. Focuses on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with principal attention given to the Transcendental Movement and the emergence and development of pragmatism. Examines this dominant thread of American thought against the backdrop of liberalism and within the context of four related themes: individualism, equality, community and democracy. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 368: Liberals and Conservatives


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100 , PLSC 105 .
    Examines the development of American political thought from the early twentieth century to the present. Special areas of emphasis include transformations in the American understanding of liberalism and the emergence of modern American conservatism in the post-World War II context. Explores the constitutive connections and interplay between political ideas and the concrete world of political action. Rose.
  
  • PLSC 406: Privacy and the Surveillance Society


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PLSC 100  and PLSC 105 .
    Student must be a political science major or minor with junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor. Surveillance has become a topic of central importance for citizens and governments alike. As new technologies are developed and deployed, both by government and private entities, once conventional understandings of privacy and personhood have been permanently altered. How should relations between citizen and state, citizen and corporate entities, and among citizens themselves be understood? In what ways might human rights principles be threatened by global flows and exchanges of data? How are concepts like personhood, identity, trust and privacy being transformed and shaped through surveillance practices? How might such developments be challenged and struggled over? What implications does national security policy have for individually situated notions of human security? Topics considered will include: whether or not the state has become more authoritarian via its data collection practices and activities; what issues are raised by surveillance cultures embedding themselves into the everyday fabric of social life and social organization; and, whether there are constitutional tools available to citizens to challenge surveillance protocols and processes. Rose.

Political Science: Political Research

  
  • PLSC 100: Introduction to Political Inquiry


    (1 Unit)
    Examines the history of the discipline, and surveys principal approaches to describing and explaining political phenomena, including qualitative and quantitative analysis and moving from the behavioralism of the late 1940s, to critical theories, interpretive approaches, and rational choice models of later generations, and on to postmodern critiques challenging the idea that political science can be a science. Dabney, Grossman, Rose, Walling.

Political Science: Special Studies

  
  • PLSC 187: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 188: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 189: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 287: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 288: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 289: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 387: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 388: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 389: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 391: Internship


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of department.
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 392: Internship


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of department.
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 401: Seminar


    (1/2 Unit)
    Individual research within context of small group discussion and analysis of a common topic of politics. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 402: Seminar


    (1 Unit)
    Individual research within context of small group discussion and analysis of a common topic of politics. Staff.
  
  • PLSC 411: Directed Study


    (1/2 Unit)
    Individual research on a senior thesis under tutorial direction of the faculty. (Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 to take a Directed Study in political science.) Staff.
  
  • PLSC 412: Directed Study


    (1 Unit)
    Individual research on a senior thesis under tutorial direction of the faculty. (Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 to take a Directed Study in political science.) Staff.

Psychological Science

  
  • PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Covers the principal areas of psychology. Participation in faculty-supervised experiments required of students age 18 and over. Psychology 101 is a prerequisite for all other psychology courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 187: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 188: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 189: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 204: Research Design and Statistics 1


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  with a grade of 2.0 or higher and a 200-level lecture-based course, or permission of instructor.
    An introduction to the theory and practice of research methods in psychology with an emphasis on descriptive designs. Focuses on naturalistic, archival, and survey methodology with discussion of descriptive statistics, probability, Chi-square, z-scores, correlation, and multiple regression. Lecture and laboratory. Course normally taken during second year. Christopher, Elischberger, Francis, Hill, Jechura, Wieth, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 210: Educational Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101  or Education 101.
    Educational psychologists develop and apply theories of teaching, learning, and human development to determine the most effective ways for educators to teach students. Ideas about human learning and development impact many teaching activities, including lesson planning, structuring exercises, and diagnosing learning difficulties. Students will discuss how educational psychologists have studied and contributed to educational approaches worldwide including instructional design, educational technology, curriculum development for different content areas, classroom organizational learning, special education and classroom management. This course advances students’ understanding of what constitutes typical learning and development, and the mechanisms that influence learning in educational settings across the globe. Francis.
  
  • PSYC 230: Health Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  and PSYC 204 , or permission of instructor.
    The role of behavior in the prevention of disease and in the enhancement of health. Looks at behavior in relation to stress, pain, cardiovascular disease, cancer, alcohol abuse, weight control, psychoneuroimmunology. Contrasts biomedical and biopsychosocial approaches to health and disease. Jechura.
  
  • PSYC 236: Social Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    The scientific study of the ways people think, feel and behave in social situations. Topics include self-perception and self-presentation, person perception, stereo-typing and prejudice, interpersonal attraction and close relationships, altruism, aggression, attitudes and persuasion, conformity, and group processes. Also examines theory and research in several applied areas of social psychology, including law and health. Hill, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 241: Neuroscience I: Brain Structure and Function


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 , or BIOL 195 , or permission of instructor.
    An introduction to brain structure and function. Emphasis on the way the nervous system is organized to process information, construct representations of the world and generate adaptive behavior. Lecture, discussion, dissection. Same as NEUR 241 . Jechura, Keyes, Schmitter, Wieth, Wilson.
  
  • PSYC 243: Psychology of Perception


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    Operation of sensory systems and major principles of perception. Addresses the classical question, “Why do things look as they do?” Not offered every year. Wieth.
  
  • PSYC 245: Psychology of Learning


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    A survey of major concepts and issues in conditioning, learning and memory processes. Emphasizes research dealing with the ways learning and memory interact with other variables such as development and species-typical behavior. Lecture and laboratory. Not offered every year. Wilson.
  
  • PSYC 247: Drugs, Brain, and Behavior


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    This course is intended as an introduction to the study of drug use, abuse, and addiction, with a focus on recreationally-used drugs. Basic principles of pharmacology and neural transmission will be examined to better understand how drugs influence our brain and behavior. The impact of drug use on society, as well as intervention approaches, will be considered throughout the course. Wieth, Wilson
  
  • PSYC 251: Child and Adolescent Development


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    Focuses on physical, cognitive, social and emotional development with emphasis on the periods of infancy, childhood and adolescence. Reviews methods for studying the developing person and major theoretical approaches. Elischberger, Francis, Keyes, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 254: Lifespan Development


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101  
    Focuses on physical, cognitive, social and emotional development across the lifespan. Adopts an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to understanding the human experience from birth to death. Elischberger, Keyes, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 260: Psychology of Language


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    Examines the relationship between the uniquely human cognitive capacity of language and other cognitive processes. Acquisition, comprehension, production, and utilization are studied with particular reference to structure and meaning. Not offered every year. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 265: Abnormal Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    Reviews major theories of abnormal behavior as well as related techniques of diagnosis and therapy; considers various emotional/behavior problems (e.g., schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and depressions). Keyes, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 267: Psychology of Personality


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    Examines the major theories of personality. Attention is given to the relevance of each personality theory to the students’ own personality development. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 287: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 288: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 289: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101 .
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 304: Psychological Assessment


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 204 .
    The principles of psychological assessment and the general process of clinical diagnosis. Deals with the construction, evaluation, administration and interpretation of widely-used measuring instruments. Offered in alternate years. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 306: Research Design and Statistics 2


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 204  with a grade of 2.0 or higher, or permission of instructor.
    Further exploration of the theory and practice of research methods in psychology with an emphasis on experimental designs. Focuses on both simple and complex designs with discussion of z-test, t-test, ANOVA (one-way, repeated measures and factorial), and MANOVA. Lecture and laboratory. Course normally taken during second year. Christopher, Elischberger, Hill, Jechura, Wieth, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 336: Research in Social Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 306  with a grade of 2.0 or higher, or permission of instructor.
    Focuses on either social cognitive processes or interpersonal relations. Guides the upper-division student through an intensive review of social psychological theory in either social cognition or interpersonal relations. Emphasizes how to assess and employ methodologies that affect explanations, interpretations, and applications of human social cognition and behavior. Laboratory work stresses the inextricable link between theory, methodology, and statistical analyses. Projects relating to one of these two areas closely parallel the process of professional research in social psychology. Christopher, Hill, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 346: Industrial and Organizational Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 101  or E&M 101  and PSYC 204  or E&M 200 , or permission of instructor.
    Focuses on personnel selection, evaluation and employee training and development. Emphasizes criterion development, motivation, job satisfaction, leadership and conflict resolution in industrial and organizational settings. Christopher, Staff.
  
  • PSYC 348: Research in Behavioral Neuroscience


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 306  with a grade of 2.0 or higher and PSYC 241 /NEUR 241 , or permission of instructor.
    Examines the methodology of behavioral neuroscience research. Focuses on a review of the major means by which brain/behavior relations can be determined (i.e., lesion, stimulation, and recording studies) as well as an examination of much that has been learned using these procedures. Laboratory work covers at least two of these procedures in detail: human electrophysiology and a lesion, stimulation, or drug experiment in animals. Jechura, Wilson.
  
  • PSYC 378: Research in Cognitive Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 306  with a grade of 2.0 or higher or permission of instructor.
    A review of recent studies of attention, memory, concept formation, problem solving and related areas. Focuses on the ability of humans to select, code, store, organize and retrieve information. Lecture and laboratory. Wieth.
  
  • PSYC 380: Introduction to Counseling


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 101 , PSYC 204 , PSYC 267 .
    A study of the major theories and current approaches to counseling and psychotherapy. Emphasizes important communication skills necessary in providing a helping relationship to another person. Opportunity is provided through videotape for students to learn and practice some of these basic skills. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 387: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101  or permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. May be taken more than once for credit. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 388: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101  or permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. May be taken more than once for credit. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 389: Selected Topics


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: PSYC 101  or permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. May be taken more than once for credit. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 395: Forensic Psychology


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: PSYC 204 , PSYC 251  and PSYC 265 , or permission of instructor.
    Explores the psychology of criminal behavior, from causes through prevention or intervention and ending with punishment and rehabilitation. Provides an understanding of the criminal mind, based on knowledge of developmental and abnormal psychology. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 398: Practicum


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and declared psychology major, human services concentration, or neuroscience concentration, junior or senior standing.
    Supervised experience in an applied setting and the opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate this experience in a weekly group meeting. May be repeated once. Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Keyes.
  
  • PSYC 399: Practicum


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and declared psychology major, human services concentration, or neuroscience concentration, junior or senior standing.
    Supervised experience in an applied setting and the opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate this experience in a weekly group meeting. May be repeated once. Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Keyes.
  
  • PSYC 401: Seminar


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.
    The study of a specific problem area in the discipline. Examples of topics include Psychology of Women and Men, History of Psychology, Psychology and Law, and Culture and Cognition. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 402: Seminar


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing.
    The study of a specific problem area in the discipline. Examples of topics include Psychology of Women and Men, History of Psychology, Psychology and Law, and Culture and Cognition. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 411: Directed Study


    (1/2 Unit)
    Highly recommended for majors. Admission is by permission of instructor. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 411: Directed Study


    (1 Unit)
    Highly recommended for majors. Admission is by permission of instructor. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 412: Directed Study


    (1 Unit)
    Highly recommended for majors. Admission is by permission of instructor. Staff.
  
  • PSYC 416: Senior Research Seminar


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    Guides students completing a senior thesis through all aspects of the research process. Focuses on data analysis, interpretation and reporting on the results of student research projects. Considers both theoretical and practical research issues. Staff.

Public Policy and Service

  
  • PBSV 101: Introduction to Public Service


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Membership in the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service.
    Introduces new Ford Institute students to public policy and public service issues. Examines a broad range of themes including ethics, civic engagement, the history of public service in the United States and contemporary public policy concerns. Offered in the fall. McLean.
  
  • PBSV 331: Urban Leadership


    (.25 Unit)
    Prerequisites: sophomore status and must be nominated by a member of the faculty
    This course introduces students to leadership in an urban setting primarily through a week spent in a major city. Students learn from leaders in the areas of business, government, the nonprofit sector, journalism and academia and work in teams to address challenges faced by cities. Students should have sophomore status and be nominated by a faculty member.
  
  • PBSV 391: Internship


    (1/2 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. McLean.
  
  • PBSV 392: Internship


    (1 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. McLean.
  
  • PBSV 397: Senior Colloquium


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    Analysis of selected public policy issues. Colloquium includes discussion of the economics, politics, social and ethical factors that go into the making of public policy. Offered in the spring. McLean.
  
  • PBSV 401: Seminar


    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.
    McLean.
  
  • PBSV 402: Seminar


    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.
    McLean.
  
  • PBSV 411: Directed Study


    (1/2 Unit)
    McLean.
  
  • PBSV 412: Directed Study


    (1 Unit)
    McLean.

Religious Studies

Note: Courses in religious studies carry no prerequisites unless specified under the course listing. The 101 and 102 courses do, however, provide useful background for other courses in the department and thus are recommended for students who may elect more than one course in the department.

  
  • RS 101: Introduction to Western Religions


    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to major Western religions as represented by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Topics include the nature of religion and religious experience in the West; origins and development of each major religion; sacred literature, formative myths, symbols and fundamental tenets; forms of religious expression, spirituality and worship; and the relationship to the world as seen in ethical orientations and institutions. McWhirter, Mourad.
  
  • RS 102: Introduction to Eastern Religions


    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to major Eastern religions as represented by Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto. Topics include the nature of religion and religious experience in the East; origins and development of each major religion; sacred literature, formative myths, symbols and fundamental tenets; forms of religious expression, spirituality and worship; and the relationship to the world as seen in ethical orientations and institutions. Valdina.
  
  • RS 104: Introduction to Islam


    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to the beliefs and practices of Islam in its various manifestations, with additional emphasis on the history, politics and gender issues that have both influenced and been influenced by Islam. Analyzes the information, and misinformation, on Islam as presented in the news media and on the Internet. Valdina.
  
  • RS 121: History, Literature and Religion of the Old Testament


    (1 Unit)
    A developmental study of the major events, individuals and central religious and ethical ideas of ancient Israel, based on the literature of the Hebrew Bible and relevant data from the archaeology and history of the ancient Near East. McWhirter.
  
  • RS 122: History, Literature and Religion of the New Testament


    (1 Unit)
    The New Testament and other writings of the early Christian period studied as literary, historical and ethical-religious sources for an understanding of Jesus, Paul and the emerging Christian movement. McWhirter.
  
  • RS 131: Introduction to Christian Thought


    (1 Unit)
    Classical themes and modern variations: emotion and reason, world and God, death and self-transcendence, guilt and forgiveness, meaninglessness and the sense of the holy. Mourad.
  
  • RS 187: Selected Topics


    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  
  • RS 188: Selected Topics


    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
 

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