Department Website: http://psychology.sewanee.edu/
Professor Peyser
peyser.sewanee.edu
Professor Barenbaum
Associate Professor Yu
Associate Professor Bardi
Research Associate Professor Hamby
Associate Professor Bateman, Chair
Assistant Professor Siegel
Visiting Assistant Professor Craft
Visiting Assistant Professor Benice
Visiting Assistant Professor West
Psychology is a diverse discipline that borders on the biological and social sciences. It is at once a science and a means of promoting human welfare. Reflecting its historical roots in philosophy, physiology, and clinical practice, it embraces a variety of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and areas of study. The Department of Psychology at Sewanee provides majors and non-majors with the basic principles of psychology within the context of a liberal arts education. Our curriculum emphasizes scientific thinking and equips majors with multiple perspectives and research methods with which to understand behavior and mental processes. Graduates of our program pursue advanced study and careers in a variety of areas, including psychology (e.g., industrial, developmental, clinical, school), other helping professions (e.g., social work, physical therapy), and other fields (e.g., law, medicine, education, business).
The psychology major combines a broad grounding in psychology with opportunities for depth in selected areas. Majors in psychology begin with one introductory course: an introduction to empirical psychology, organized topically. This course has a full laboratory component focused on the process of scientific inquiry, giving students experience with a variety of research approaches and methodological issues. A course in research methodology prepares students to design and carry out research. Students also choose survey, seminar, and upper-level laboratory courses in areas such as abnormal, animal behavior, behavior modification, cognitive, developmental, gender, industrial, personality, physiological, and social psychology. Within the major, students choose upper-level courses according to individual interests.
Advanced students may study independently or conduct research under faculty supervision, work as laboratory assistants, or aid faculty members with research. Students have presented their research at Scientific Sewanee and at professional psychology conferences. Summer internships are available through the Tonya program for those who are interested in gaining experience in business or public service. For those students planning to do graduate work in psychology, Stat 204 is highly recommended.
Natural Science Core Requirement: Students fulfilling the natural science core requirement in psychology are advised that 100, 357, 358, and 359 are full laboratory science courses. All 200-level courses except 202, 206, 213, and 280 are non-laboratory science courses. No 400-level course may be used to fulfill core requirements.
Requirements for a B.A. with a major in Psychology
Both:
100: Introduction to Psychology
251: Research Methods
Two from (one must be from the courses marked with an ⇒):
⇒201: Psychology of Personality
⇒202: Abnormal Behavior
⇒203: Social Psychology
206: Industrial Psychology
219: Infancy and Childhood*
221: Adolescence
222: Adult Development and Aging
280: Psychology of Human Diversity
357: Child Development*
402: Community Psychology
403: Psychology and Popular Culture in the U.S.
406: Case Studies in Personality
408: Seminar in Abnormal Behavior
409: Seminar in Behavior Modification
412: Psychology of Gender
*Students may not receive credit for both 219 and 357
Two from (one must be from the courses marked with an ⇒):
⇒208: Cognitive Psychology*
⇒254: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
⇒358: Cognitive Psychology with laboratory*
213: Comparative Sexual Behavior
276: Pseudopsychology
349: Drugs and Behavior
359: Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience
410: Cognitive Illusions
411: Judgment and Decision-Making
420: Consciousness and Unconsciousness
*Students may not receive credit for both 208 and 358
Among the above
one must be an advanced lab (357, 358, 359) and
one must be a seminar (402, 403, 406, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 420)
A major consists of ten full courses in Psychology at minimum.
Two related courses from outside of Psychology
All majors must complete two courses in related areas outside of psychology. As requirements for the major, these courses must be taken for grades (not P/F). The courses used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the psychology department. Any of the following qualify; others may be proposed by the student.
Anthropology: cultural or physical (not archaeology)
Biology: zoology (not botany)
Computer Science 101 and 157
Data analysis (e.g., Stat 204)
Philosophy
The Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination consists of a paper that integrates material from three areas in psychology. Ordinarily several possible questions are distributed in January with a mandatory outline submitted in February. The paper is due during the second comprehensive examination period for Easter semester.
Requirements for a B.S. with a major in Psychology
100: Introduction to Psychology
251: Research Methods
254: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
One from:
201: Psychology of Personality
202: Abnormal Behavior
203: Social Psychology
Two from:
357: Child Development
358: Cognitive Psychology with laboratory*
359: Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience
*Students may not receive credit for both 208 and 358
One from:
402: Community Psychology
403: Psychology and Popular Culture in the U.S.
406: Case Studies in Personality
408: Seminar in Abnormal Behavior
409: Seminar in Behavior Modification
410: Cognitive Illusions
411: Judgment and Decision-Making
412: Psychology of Gender
420: Consciousness and Unconsciousness
A major consists of ten full courses in Psychology at minimum.
Related courses from outside of Psychology
Stat 204 or CSci 101 or CSci 157
One course in Biology (zoology, not botany)
Also see the Degree Requirements of the College, Additional Requirements for a Bachelor of Science
Honors
Departmental honors are awarded based on distinguished work in psychology during the undergraduate career. Individuals with a cumulative psychology GPA below 3.6 are considered only under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike the college-wide honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude), the decision involves consideration of other factors besides GPA, particularly the quality of any additional intellectual accomplishments in psychology such as independent research, conference presentations, and internships.
Requirements for a minor in psychology: A minor in psychology requires six courses in the department; 444 may not be counted as one of the six. A student must take one specific course: Psychology 100. In addition a student must take one course numbered 300 or above. All courses for the psychology minor must be taken for grades (not P/F). No comprehensive examination.
