College Catalog: 2015-2016
School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS): Psychology (B.A.)
Website: School of Social Science and Human Services
Convener:
Faculty:
Faculty:
- Shaziela Ishak
- James Morley
- Maya Poran
- Christian Reich
- Nicholas Salter
- Tilahun Sineshaw
- Mary Starke
- Leah Warner
- Current as of September 2015
Psychology seeks to understand human cognition, emotion, experience, and behavior. The Psychology Program at Ramapo College educates students in both the science and profession of psychology. It teaches psychology in a liberal arts context that makes clear the interconnections between psychology and other disciplines and promotes critical reasoning skills.
The program nurtures learning by immersing students in a variety of theoretical orientations, research methodologies, and human diversity issues. Students also gain hands-on experience in the practice of psychology through fieldwork or through an independent research project. Students are trained to appropriately apply their psychological knowledge to issues in the world and to become discriminating readers of social and behavioral research. Students who are interested in graduate school are encouraged to participate in independent research under the guidance of a faculty member.
To attain these goals, the program requires that students complete three basic courses: Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, and Data Analysis in Psychology. The remaining requirements are structured around a number of courses that are grouped into eight categories. Students are required to take at least one course from each of these categories. This structure allows some flexibility and choice, yet insures that each student will be exposed to content in the areas of social, developmental, cognitive/neuroscience, and personality/abnormal and socio-cultural psychology. Majors also take an elective course in psychology.
Students gain hands-on, applied experience in psychology through a fieldwork course or an independent research course. In fieldwork courses students generally work in a mental health or educational agency in the community such as a school for special children. In the fieldwork setting, students are required to act in a professional manner and abide by ethical guidelines, while in the classroom, they are guided in the development of their abilities to apply psychological concepts, research and theory to their field experiences; in the independent research course students design and implement a piece of original research under the close guidance of a faculty member in psychology. The final psychology requirement is a 400-level seminar in the senior year: Advanced Topics in Psychology. Examples of these include “Black Issues in Psychology,” “Eye Witness Memory,” “Child Abuse,” and “Cults”.
Psychology is an appropriate major for a student seeking a career in any one of the human-service professions and for a student planning graduate work in psychology. Graduates may find opportunities for employment in a variety of settings such as community mental health centers, counseling services, substance-abuse programs, geriatric facilities, hospitals, probation services, and schools. Other opportunities lie in the fields of advertising, consulting, consumer research, criminal justice, education, environmental policy, evaluation research, human factors engineering, marketing, personnel, and product planning.
The psychology major is offered by the School of Social Science and Human Services leading to a B.A. degree. A psychology minor is available.
Goal 1: Students should demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems. Students completing Foundation courses should demonstrate breadth of their knowledge and application of psychological ideas to simple problems; students completing a baccalaureate degree should show depth in their knowledge and application of psychological concepts and frameworks to problems of greater complexity.
Outcome 1: Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.
Outcome 2: Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.
Outcome 3: Demonstrate the ability to effectively apply psychological concepts & theories.
Goal 2: The skills in this domain involve the development of scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods. Students completing Foundation courses should learn basic skills and concepts in interpreting behavior, studying research, and applying research design principles to drawing conclusions about psychological phenomena; students completing a baccalaureate degree should focus on theory use as well as designing and executing research plans and should demonstrate the ability to think critically about multiple paradigms.
Outcome 1: Demonstrate an understanding of the different research methods used by psychologists.
Outcome 2: Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.
Outcome 3: Demonstrate psychology information literacy.
Outcome 4: Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research.
Outcome 5: Exhibit quantitative literacy.
Outcome 6: Demonstrate a basic understanding of the limitations of research methodology.
Goal 3: The skills in this domain involve the development of ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity. Students completing Foundation courses should become familiar with the formal regulations that govern professional ethics in psychology and begin to embrace the values that will contribute to positive outcomes in work settings and in building a society responsive to multicultural and global concerns. Students completing a baccalaureate degree should have more direct opportunities to demonstrate adherence to professional values that will help them optimize their contributions and work effectively, even with those who don’t share their heritage and traditions. This domain also promotes the adoption of personal and professional values that can strengthen community relationships and contributions.
Outcome 1: Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice.
Outcome 2: Demonstrate an understanding of the ways individual differences and sociocultural contexts influence behavior.
Goal 4: Students should demonstrate competence in writing, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. Students completing Foundation courses should write a cogent scientific argument, present information using a scientific approach, engage in discussion of psychological concepts, explain the ideas of others, and express their own ideas with clarity. Students completing a baccalaureate degree should produce a research study or other psychological project, explain scientific results, and present information to a professional audience. They should also develop flexible interpersonal approaches that optimize information exchange and relationship development.
Outcome 1: Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes within psychology.
Outcome 2: Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes within psychology.
- Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below. Waivers only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or Major Requirements.
- Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible. Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
- Writing Intensive Requirement (six courses): three writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: First Year Seminar, Critical Reading and Writing, and Readings in the Humanities; the other three courses are taken in the major.
- Not all courses are offered each semester. Please check the current Schedule of classes for semester course offerings.
PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
- Subject & Course # – Title & Course Description
- GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
- INTD 101 - FIRST YEAR SEMINAR (W)
- CRWT 102 - CRITICAL READING AND WRITING II
- AIID 201 - READINGS IN THE HUMANITIES (W)
- MATH 108 - ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
- SELECT ONE – (W) GE-HISTORY CATEGORY: HIST 101-110
- SELECT ONE – GE-SCIENCE WITH EXPERIENTIAL COMPONENT CATEGORY
- SELECT ONE – GE-INTERCULTURAL NORTH AMERICA CATEGORY
- SELECT ONE – GE-INTERNATIONAL ISSUES CATEGORY
- SELECT ONE – (W) GE-TOPICS ARTS AND HUMANITIES CATEGORY
- SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS
- SOSC 101 - SOCIAL ISSUES
- SOSC 235 - HISTORY OF SOCIAL THOUGHT
- SUSTAINABILITY COURSE: SELECT ONE
- ENSC 325 - BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
- ENSC 327 -
- ENST 207 - PUBLIC POLICY
- ENST 209 - WORLD SUSTAINABILITY
- ENST 215 - ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
- ENST 234 - NATURAL HISTORY AND APPLIED FIELD ECOLOGY
- ENST 312 - ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
- ENST 313 - APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
- ENST 335 - ECOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND THE SACRED
- ENST 338 - SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
- ENST 390 - TOPICS:
- GEOG 303 - WATER RESOURCES
- GEOG 304 - FOREST RESOURCES
- INTD 250 - SUSTAINABILITY SEMINAR
- PSYC 343 - ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
- SOCI 235 - COMPARATIVE DEVELOPMENT
- SOCI 306 - ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY
- SOCI 309 - FOOD AND POPULATION
- PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
- PSYC 101 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 303 - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY *
- PSYC 304 - DATA ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOLOGY *
- * must be taken together with the same instructor in the same semester
- CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE COURSE IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES BELOW: (TOTAL 8 COURSES)
- CATEGORY 1: SOCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
- PSYC 226 - SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 345 - INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
- CATEGORY 2: COGNITION AND PERCEPTION
- PSYC 202 - PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING
- PSYC 209 - PSYCHOLOGY OF PERCEPTION
- PSYC 227 - COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
- CATEGORY 3: DEVELOPMENTAL
- PSYC 212 - PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING
- PSYC 241 - DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 263 - CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 347 - ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
- CATEGORY 4: SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES
- PSYC 231 - MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 239 - CROSS CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 311 - PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER
- PSYC 335 - DEVELOPMENT OF SEXUAL IDENTITIES:LGBT
- PSYC 349 - PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN
- CATEGORY 5: CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES
- PSYC 314 - ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 321 - THEORIES OF PERSONALITY (was PSYC 211)
- PSYC 357 - CHILDHOOD DISORDERS
- CATEGORY 6: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
- PSYC 310 - NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 352 - BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE (was PSYC 245)
- PSYC 353 - COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
- CATEGORY 7: FIELDWORK/INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
- PSYC 319 - ADULT PSYCHOLOGY FIELDWORK
- PSYC 320 - ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY FIELDWORK
- PSYC 339 - FIELDWORK WITH ADOLESCENTS
- PSYC 358 - CHILDHOOD DISORDERS FIELDWORK
- PSYC 367 - FIELDWORK WITH CHILDREN
- PSYC 368 - FIELDWORK IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 472 - ADVANCED RESEARCH
- CATEGORY 8: CAPSTONE SEMINAR
- PSYC 420 - CONTEMPLATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 430 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 431 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY: CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
- PSYC 432 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTS
- PSYC 433 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOPATHY
- PSYC 434 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY: CULTURAL NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT
- ADDITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY COURSE: SELECT ONE
- Note: any PSYC course can count as an elective, including any of the following:
- SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES IN PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 215 - LEARNING, COGNITION, AND TEACHING
- PSYC 218 - FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 220 - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF YOGA
- PSYC 242 - STATISTICS
- PSYC 305 - ETHOLOGY: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
- PSYC 306 - ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES
- PSYC 326 - LOVE AND SEXUALITY
- PSYC 343 - ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 365 - EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 413 - PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY
- PSYC 423 - HISTORY AND SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.
- At least 1/2 of the courses fulfilling a minor must be distinct from the student’s major. That is, three of the five courses required for a minor cannot be used towards fulfillment of major requirements. A school core does not need to be completed for a minor. Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.
PSYCHOLOGY MINOR
- Subject & Course # – Title & Course Description
- REQUIRED: (5 COURSES)
- PSYC 101 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
- Three Psychology courses (each selected from a different category)**
- One additional course selected from psychology categories or psychology electives**
- **Categories and electives are listed under Requirements of the Major
In accordance with College Policy, at least 50% of courses in a major or minor must be completed at Ramapo.
General Education Requirements
Four Year Plan
Graduation Requirements
School of Social Science and Human Services Website
Faculty Profiles