Department of Psychology

Contact Information:
Campus Location: 1009 Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB)
(312) 996–2836
psch.uic.edu

Administration:
Head, Jamie D Roitman

Introduction

Students interested in an education that emphasizes an understanding of human behavior should consider a major in psychology. Psychology as a major/minor can lead to a broad range of career possibilities. An education that focuses on behavior principles is valuable for anyone whose future involves interacting with others.

Psychologists pursue careers in such areas as clinical services, health services, business, industry, testing, education, and behavioral research. There are plenty of career opportunities for students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, particularly in the areas of social work, healthcare, business, and human resources. Career opportunities in some specializations may require a master’s degree, while career opportunities in others require a doctorate. Therefore, students should take time to examine their own interests, values, and goals in addition to job requirements and career options in their area of interest before embarking on an educational journey in psychology.

The Department of Psychology offers two undergraduate degrees

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Major in Psychology is appropriate for students who wish to gain a strong base of knowledge for understanding the theories and scientific method of psychology. Students considering graduate study in a research-oriented psychology program or who plan to pursue an advanced degree in another discipline where a degree in a scientific discipline is required or preferred (e.g., medicine, occupational therapy) may choose this major.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Major in Applied Psychology is appropriate for students who not only want a strong base in the core curriculum in psychology, but also an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field. The BA path is suited to students who plan to attend professional school in psychology or plan on entering the workforce upon graduation. Students in the Major in Applied Psychology take an additional 8 hours as described in the Major in Applied Psychology catalog page.

Students may graduate with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction in either the Psychology or Applied Psychology majors. Students who are considering attending graduate school should consider following the program for majoring with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction. See below for details.

Students may declare a major in Psychology or Applied Psychology at any time. The first courses students should complete for either degree path are the following preparatory courses, which are prerequisites for enrollment in many upper-level psychology courses. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the four prepatory courses.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Courses
PSCH 100	Introduction to Psychology ^a	4
PSCH 242	Introduction to Research in Psychology	3
ENGL 161	Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research	3
One of the following courses:
MATH 090	Intermediate Algebra ^b
MATH 105	Mathematical Reasoning (or the equivalent or higher)

a: This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
b: A grade of Satisfactory in MATH 090 or appropriate placement on the UIC Math Placement exam will satisfy the preparatory course requirement.

Distinction

Departmental Distinction

In addition to completing the degree requirements for either the BS, Major in Psychology or BA, Major in Applied Psychology, a candidate for Departmental Distinction must earn a 3.50/4.00 cumulative GPA in psychology courses and a 3.40/4.00 cumulative overall GPA. The GPA will be calculated using all of the credits that are being applied to the degree—from UIC and from any transfer institution. The actual awarding of distinction is made when credentials are evaluated for graduation.

High Departmental Distinction

In addition to completing the degree requirements for either the BS, Major in Psychology or BA, Major in Applied Psychology, the candidate for High Departmental Distinction must meet the requirements for Departmental Distinction. The candidate must also complete PSCH 443 and either one additional laboratory course in psychology (PSCH 313, PSCH 321, PSCH 331, PSCH 333, PSCH 351, PSCH 353, PSCH 361, PSCH 363, PSCH 367) or 3 hours of PSCH 396. The actual awarding of distinction is made when credentials are evaluated for graduation.

Highest Departmental Distinction

In addition to completing the degree requirements for either the BS, Major in Psychology or BA, Major in Applied Psychology, the candidate for Highest Departmental Distinction must meet the requirements for Departmental Distinction. The candidate must also complete PSCH 443 and an independent research project in PSCH 399 (3 credits), under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

The proposal for a Highest Distinction independent research project should be submitted to the Psychology Department Advising Office after approval by the faculty advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The student’s final report of the independent research project must be reviewed by the Departmental Reading Committee. The form for proposing this project is available in the Psychology Department Advising Office and online. The actual awarding of distinction is made when credentials are evaluated for graduation.

Degree Programs

Minor

Minor in Psychology

PSCH 100. Introduction to Psychology. 4 hours.

Survey of basic concepts of contemporary psychology. Introduction to the nervous system, perception, motivation, learning and memory, social behavior, personality, developmental and clinical psychology. Course Information: Students under 18 years of age need parental consent to participate in research experiments that are part of the course. Instructions for obtaining parental consent will be provided during class early in the semester. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.

PSCH 184. The Basics of Neuroscience. 1 hour.

Introduction to the scientific study of the brain and behavior. Overview of neuroscience as an integrative discipline. Course Information: Same as PHIL 184 and BIOS 184. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only.

PSCH 210. Theories of Personality. 3 hours.

Survey of major theoretical approaches to the study of personality and the evidential basis underlying each approach. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100. Individual and Society course.

PSCH 231. Community Psychology. 3 hours.

Psychological principles, research and interventions concerning community settings; community human services, primary prevention, consultation, advocacy, social ecology, organizational change, and citizen participation. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100. Individual and Society course.

PSCH 242. Introduction to Research in Psychology. 3 hours.

Techniques and problems associated with the study of behavior. Emphasis on measurement, descriptive statistics, and the principles of experimental design. Exercises involving data collection. Participation in research. Course Information: Consult the class schedule for details on method of instruction for this course. Course taught in an online or hybrid format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 100. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.

PSCH 262. Behavioral Neuroscience. 3 hours.

Research and theories concerning the physiological bases of behavior. Understanding of basic brain organization with emphasis on neural substrates of learning, motivation and perception. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100.

PSCH 270. Introduction to Psychological and Behavioral Disorders. 3 hours.

A survey course covering the assessment, description, causes, and treatments of many psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, sexual dysfunction, and personality disorders. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100. Individual and Society course.

PSCH 271. Resilience: The Psychology of Positive Adaptation. 3 hours.

An overview of resilience research, definitions, correlates, and causes of successful adaptation in response to stress and adversity. Application on scientifically-validated strategies for improving coping skills and mental health. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100. Individual and Society course.

PSCH 303. Writing in Psychology. 3 hours.

Teaches students the fundamentals of scientific writing including literature reviews, research reports and book reviews. Students will write a minimum of three papers dealing with psychological topics. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 242 and ENGL 161 with a minimum grade of C; MATH 118 (or the equivalent) with a minimum grade of C or MATH 090; or consent of the instructor. For psychology majors only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.

PSCH 312. Social Psychology. 3 hours.

Survey of theory and research in social psychology, emphasizing experimental investigations of attitudes and social cognition, and interpersonal relations and group processes. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 313. Laboratory in Social Psychology. 3 hours.

Conduct laboratory and field experiments in social psychology on problems in attitudes and social cognition, and interpersonal relations and group processes. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 312. For Psychology majors only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must be enrolled in one Lecture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 315. Psychology of Women and Gender. 3 hours.

Critical examination of research on women and gender across the life span, including psychological aspects of reproduction, and the way that gender shapes cognition, sexuality, family, friendship, and work experiences. Course Information: Same as GWS 315. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242 or consent of the instructor.

PSCH 320. Developmental Psychology. 3 hours.

Analysis of research and theory concerning social, cognitive, and biopsychological aspects of human development. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 321. Laboratory in Developmental Psychology. 3 hours.

Survey of dominant research strategies in contemporary developmental psychology. Laboratory experience in developmental research. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 320. For Psychology majors only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 324. Cultural Psychology. 3 hours.

A survey of theory, methods, and research in culture and psychology. Examination of how culture is defined and studied and how it affects development, socialization, personality, interpersonal relations, and mental health. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 100 and Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 331. Laboratory in Community and Prevention Research. 3 hours.

Examines how researchers conceptualize, design, implement, and evaluate school and community programs to enhance competence, promote empowerment, and prevent behavioral problems. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 231. For Psychology majors only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 333. Laboratory in Clinical Psychology. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum in self-change processes, empirically validated treatments, experimental psychopathology, and clinical assessment development. Course Information: Extensive computer use required. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 210 or PSCH 270. For Psychology majors only. Class Schedule: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture-Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 340. Psychological Testing. 3 hours.

Introduction to principles of psychological assessment, with an overview of representative techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on objective tests. Course Information: Consult the class schedule for details on method of instruction for this course. Course taught in an online or hybrid format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 343. Statistical Methods in Behavioral Science. 4 hours.

Introduction to statistical inference, probability distributions, sampling, hypothesis testing, correlation and analysis of variance. Course Information: Credit is not given for PSCH 343 if the student has credit for IDS 371. Consult the class schedule for details on method of instruction for this course. Course taught in an online or hybrid format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 242 and ENGL 161 with a minimum grade of C; MATH 105 (or the equivalent) with a minimum grade of C or satisfactory completion of MATH 090. For psychology majors or students in the Neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.

PSCH 350. Sensation and Perception. 3 hours.

Survey of theories and empirical findings in the study of sensation and perception. Emphasis on human vision and audition as information processing systems. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 351. Laboratory in Perception. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum in sensation and perception. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 350. For psychology majors or students in the neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture-Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 352. Cognition and Memory. 3 hours.

Survey of experimental findings in human learning, memory, attention, knowledge representation, problem solving, conceptual behavior, and psycholinguistics. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 353. Laboratory in Cognition and Memory. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum in memory, psycholinguistics, problem solving, and reasoning. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 352. For psychology majors or students in the neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 354. Knowledge Acquisition. 3 hours.

Introduction to belief formation, conceptual change, cognitive development, discovery and invention, schema abstraction, skill acquisition and other cognitive change processes. Research and practical applications. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 360. Learning and Conditioning. 3 hours.

Principles of learning; emphasis on parameters of acquisition, extinction and retention of classical and instrumental conditioning and stimulus control of reflexive and voluntary behavior. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 361. Laboratory in Learning and Conditioning. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum in conditioning and simple learning using animal subjects. Emphasis on operant conditioning. Course Information: Animals used in instruction. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 360. For psychology majors or students in the neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 363. Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum and demonstrations of research techniques used to study the physiological bases of behavior. Course Information: Animals used in instruction. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 262 or BIOS 286. For psychology majors or students in the neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lacture/Discussion and one Laboratory.

PSCH 366. Cognitive Neuroscience. 3 hours.

Survey of neural basis of cognitive processes; perceptual and motor systems, attention, memory, symbolic representation, executive control of behavior. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 367. Laboratory in Cognitive Neuroscience. 3 hours.

Laboratory practicum in attention, memory, decision-making and symbolic cognitive processes. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and credit or concurrent registration in PSCH 350 or PSCH 366. For psychology majors or students in the neuroscience degree program only. Class Schedule: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Laboratory.

PSCH 381. Psychology of Interviewing. 3 hours.

The goals of the course are to teach theory, research and practice of interviewing. Students will develop skills for interviewing individuals. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 210 or PSCH 231 or PSCH 270 or PSCH 271 or PSCH 312; and Grade of C or better in PSCH 242. For psychology majors only.

PSCH 382. Psychological Interventions. 3 hours.

Application of psychological theories and principles used in psychotherapy and behavior change. Emphasis will be on models for assessment of change, the evaluation of psychotherapy, and selecting appropriate interventions. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 210 or PSCH 231 or PSCH 312; and PSCH 270 and a grade of C or better in PSCH 242. For Psychology majors only.

PSCH 384. Psychology of Groups. 3 hours.

Application of psychological theory and research to group functioning and change. Survey of intervention methods emphasizing the development of competence in group participation and leadership. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 210 or PSCH 231 or PSCH 312; and Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 385. Field Work in Applied Psychology. 6 hours.

Supervised practicum as a paraprofessional worker for a minimum equivalent of one day (8 hours) per week in a mental health, developmental disabilities, or industrial organizational setting. Course Information: 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 340 and PSCH 343; and PSCH 381 or PSCH 382 or PSCH 386. For applied psychology majors only. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Practice.

PSCH 386. Crisis Counseling Techniques I. 3 hours.

Application of psychological theories and principles used for telephone crisis counseling, crisis intervention, and referral. Emphasis will be on models for interviewing and assessment and appropriate intervention in crisis situations. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242; and PSCH 210 or PSCH 231 or PSCH 270; and consent of the instructor.

PSCH 387. Crisis Counseling Techniques II. 1 hour.

Students will apply skills learned in PSCH 386 as they run weekly support groups providing both peer-to-peer counseling per week in a group format as well as individual peer-to-peer crisis counseling with group members. Course Information: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. Field work required. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 386; and consent of the instructor.

PSCH 394. Special Topics in Psychology. 1-3 hours.

Lectures devoted to an announced topic. Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PSCH 242.

PSCH 396. Directed Research. 1-3 hours.

Participation in ongoing research in psychology under the direction of a faculty member. A final report describing the research and its theory is required. Course Information: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. A combined maximum of 8 hours of credit in PSCH 387, PSCH 396, PSCH 397, and PSCH 399 may be applied toward the degree. Either PSCH 396 or an additional laboratory course is required for High Distinction in Psychology. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 242 and consent of the instructor. Must consult intructor for permission to enroll.

PSCH 397. Readings in Psychology. 1-3 hours.

Bibliographic research on a special topic under the direction of a faculty member. Paper is required for course credit. Course Information: May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. A combined maximum of 8 hours of credit in PSCH 387, PSCH 396, PSCH 397, and PSCH 399 may be applied toward the degree. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 and consent of the instructor. Must consult instructor for permission to enroll.

PSCH 399. Independent Research. 1-4 hours.

Individual research on a special topic under the direction of a faculty member. A paper is required for course credit. Course Information: May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. A combined maximum of 8 hours of credit in PSCH 387, PSCH 396, PSCH 397, and PSCH 399 may be applied toward the degree. Required for earning Highest Distinction in Psychology. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343; and consent of the instructor and the director of undergraduate studies.

PSCH 411. The Psychology of Racism. 3 hours.

Within our country’s context of racism, you might ask yourself: What is my role in resisting racism? How might I (as a Person of Color) heal from racism and work in solidarity with other People of Color to dismantle White supremacy? Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 242, graduate standing, or consent of Instructor.

PSCH 415. Social Bases of Health Behavior. 3 hours.

Psychological theory and research concerning the coronary-prone personality, pain management, controlling adherence to medical regimens, biofeedback, smoking, and weight control. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 270 and consent of the instructor, or graduate standing.

PSCH 417. Psychology and Law. 3 hours.

Application of psychological theories to the development, operation and effects of law; evaluation of different and similar approaches of law and psychology. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PSCH 312 or consent of instructor.

PSCH 420. Advanced Social Development of Children in an Urban Context. 3 or 4 hours.

Examines some general principles of children’s (3 -14 years old) social development and socialization and the applicability of these principles for urban-dwelling children. Course Information: Same as EPSY 420. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.

PSCH 422. Advanced Developmental Psychology and Educational Processes. 3 hours.

Focuses on cognitive and social development from birth to early adolescence. Examines relations between development, learning, and educational processes. Course Information: Same as ED 422. Prerequisite(s):PSCH 100 and any one from EPSY 210, PSCH 259, PSCH 320 and consent of the instructor; or graduate standing.

PSCH 423. Characteristics of Early Adolescence. 3 hours.

Physiological, social, emotional and cognitive development of early adolescence. The relationship between these developmental characteristics and success in the middle grades. Course Information: Same as EPSY 446. Prerequisite(s): Admission to a program in psychology or education; or approval of the College of Education or consent of the instructor, EPSY 210 or EPSY 255 or ED 421 or ED 422.

PSCH 424. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy. 3 or 4 hours.

Research, theory, educational practices, and federal/state policies that promote the social, emotional, and academic competence of students who are in preschool, middle school, or high school. Course Information: Same as ED 424. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343 or equivalent; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Experience working with children or adolescents.

PSCH 429. Constructivist Approaches to Development: Piaget and Vygotsky. 3 hours.

Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of development of knowledge. Empirical and logico-mathematical forms of knowledge. Thought and action. Thought and language. Course Information: Same as EPSY 429. Prerequisite(s): EPSY 255 or EPSY 426 or ED 422; and senior standing or above; or consent of the instructor.

PSCH 443. Advanced Statistics. 3 hours.

Design and analysis of experiments: between, within factorial and mixed factorial designs and introduction to multiple regression. For students planning research careers or advanced degrees. Course Information: 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): PSCH 343. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.

PSCH 459. Cognitive Methods. 3 hours.

Hands-on training in the methods of cognitive psychology, especially computational modeling and the analysis of verbal protocols and other types of trace data. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Laboratory and one Lecture-Discussion.

PSCH 483. Neuroanatomy. 4 hours.

Organization of the nervous system, with an emphasis on mammals. Course Information: Same as BIOS 483 and NEUS 483. Animals used in instruction. Prerequisite(s): BIOS 272 or BIOS 286 or BIOS 325 or PSCH 262; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Laboratory and one Lecture.

PSCH 484. Neuroscience I. 3 hours.

Neuroscience as an integrative discipline. Neuroanatomy of vertebrates, neural development, cellular neurobiology, action potential mechanisms, synaptic transmission and neuropharmacology. Course Information: Same as BIOS 484 and PHIL 484. Prerequisite(s): BIOS 286 or PSCH 262.

PSCH 485. Neuroscience II. 3 hours.

Integrative neuroscience, including sensory and motor systems; learning, memory, and language; pathology of nervous systems; philosophical perspectives, and modeling. Course Information: Same as BIOS 485 and PHIL 485. Prerequisite(s): BIOS 286 or PSCH 262.

PSCH 494. Special Topics in Psychology. 1-4 hours.

Advanced treatment of an announced topic. Course Information: May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing or consent of the instructor.

Academic Catalog

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog