Psychology BA(Behavioral Neuroscience concentration)

The psychology department, in conjunction with the biological and allied health sciences and chemistry and geology departments, offers a course of study leading to a BA in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience. This is designed for students wishing to earn a baccalaureate degree with an emphasis on the physiological basis of behavior. The curriculum of 128 credits is structured to maximize the benefits available through the interdisciplinary study of psychology, biology and chemistry. Undergraduate course requirements provide for the integrated understanding of the pharmacology of drug action and brain function as they relate to the discipline of behavioral neuroscience.
Course study culminates with an advanced experimental psychology seminar providing “hands-on laboratory experience” using current neuroscience methods.
Graduates would be prepared for graduate study in psychology, biology or neuroscience. This program also may be viewed as leading to premedical, pre-dental or pre-nursing school training. Career openings exist in pharmaceutical research, pharmaceutical sales and marketing, hospital laboratory technology and animal care.
Degree Plan
Required Laboratory Sciences (8 Credits)
- CHEM1201 General Chemistry I
- CHEM1203 General Chemistry Laboratory I
- PHYS1001 General Physics I
- PHYS1011 LAB: General Physics I
Required Major Courses (44 credits)
- PSYC1201 General Psychology
- PSYC2210 Psychological Statistics
- PSYC2211 Experimental Psychology
- PSYC3005 Abnormal Psychology
- PSYC3032 Physiological Psychology
- PSYC3334 Psychopharmacology
- PSYC4130 Behavioral Neuroscience Methods
- BIOL1205 Anatomy and Physiology I
- BIOL1207 Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I
- BIOL1206 Anatomy and Physiology II
- BIOL1208 Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II
- BIOL2003 Cell Biology
- CHEM1202 General Chemistry II
- CHEM1204 General Chemistry Laboratory II
- CHEM2261 Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM2263 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
Major Elective Courses (5–7 credits)
Select courses from these areas:
Course Descriptions
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BIOL1205 Integrated structural and functional systemic study of the human body; cells, tissues and organ systems, including homeostasis and disorders with health and clinical applications. Prerequisites: permission of the allied health administrative officer or course instructor and department chairperson.
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BIOL1206 Integrated structural and functional systemic study of the human body; cells, tissues and organ systems, including homeostasis and disorders, with health and clinical applications. Prerequisites: permission of the allied health administrative officer or course instructor and department chairperson.
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BIOL1207 Dissection of the cat and selected other animal systems, integrated with exercises, emphasizing human structure and function. Human cells, tis- sues, skeleton, muscles, brain, eye, circulation, respiration, digestion and the urogenital system. Clinical applications. Prerequisites; permission of the allied health administrative officer or course instructor and department chairperson.
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BIOL1208 Dissection of the cat and selected other animal systems, integrated with exercises, emphasizing human structure and function. Human cells, tis- sues, skeleton, muscles, brain, eye, circulation, respiration, digestion and the urogenital system. Clinical applications. Prerequisites: permission of the allied health administrative officer or course instructor and department chairperson.
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BIOL2003 Structure and function of cells as the basic unit of life. of life. Required in the biology and marine biol- ogy curricula.
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BIOL3256 A study of the laws of heredity and transmission of genes. The genetic material is analyzed in regard to structure, change, function and expression in development of the individual organism, and its distribution and course in populations.
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BIOL3339 Exploration of ethical issues in today's medical practice, biological research and technology: informed consent, patient confidentiality, the right to know and the right to die, drug development and testing care delivery services, death and dying, euthanasia and behavior control. Work assignments involve Delphi projections, cross matrix impact analysis and policy determinations to solve specific ethical cases. Open to science and nonscience majors without restrictions.
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CHEM1201 The fundamental laws, theories and principles of chemistry, with emphasis on atomic structure, chemical bonding, periodic classification of the elements, solutions, equilibrium, reaction kinetics and the theory and practice of the qualitative chemistry of the common ions.
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CHEM1202 Fundamental principles of chemistry, with emphasis on atomic and molecular structure, physical, chemical and periodic properties, stoichiometry, energetics, kinetics and equilibria of reactions, and descriptive chemistry of elements, including theory of qualitative analysis of common ions.
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CHEM1203 Practical applications of the fundamental laws, theories and principles of chemistry through problem solving and laboratory experiments.
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CHEM1204 Laboratory experiments emphasizing representative physical and chemical properties, synthetic and analytical techniques, and including an introduction to the qualitative analysis of the common ions.
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CHEM2261 Structure and chemical properties of aliphatic and aromatic compounds of carbon, with emphasis on electronic theory, mechanisms of reaction and principles of synthesis.
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CHEM2263 A laboratory course taken concurrently with CHEM 2261- Organic Chemistry I, which illustrates important principles of structure and reactivity, synthesis and analysis and structure determination of organic compounds.
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PHYS1001 This course is for students in the biological sciences and premedical curricula and for nonscience majors desiring two semesters of physics. Contemporary topics such as relativity, nuclear, atomic and molecular structure follow classical topics such as mechanics, waves, heat, electricity, magnetism and light. The treatment is generally quantitative but without calculus. Fall, Spring
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PHYS1011 Lab: associated with PHYS 1001 - General Physics I
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PSYC1201 An introduction to basic and essential principles and practices of contemporary psychology. Topics included are psychological methods, motivation, emotion, perception, learning, thinking, problem-solving, intelligence, personality development. Fall, Spring
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PSYC2210 An introduction to the basic descriptive and inferential statistic procedures that are useful to the psychologist in the design and analysis of research. Included are t test, analysis of variance, correlational and nonparametric methods. A two-hour weekly laboratory provides practical experience with these procedures. Fall
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PSYC2211 An introduction to the methods of scientific experimentation in psychology by means of laboratory experiments, studies of problems in design and control of experiments and analysis of the experimental literature. A two-hour weekly laboratory will provide experience in designing, running and reporting experiments in various areas of psychology. Spring
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PSYC3005 A study of the long-standing and serious forms of mental disturbance, including character disorders, brain damage, retardation and psychotic processes; central focus on classification, dynamics, symptoms and treatment, with practical experience as a companion to mental patients. Fall
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PSYC3032 Topics include the study of the relationship between aspects of behavior and physiology, basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and the effects upon behavior by drugs, cortical lesions and internal secretions.
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PSYC3331 Basic theories and principles of learning such as conditioning, retention, transfer and problem solving will be studied. Laboratory experiments will be carried out.
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PSYC3333 Theories and issues in the areas of sensation and perception, with emphasis on factors affecting stimulus selection and organization; the processes of detection, discrimination and recognition; and major areas of research such as the effects of learning and motivation on perception, and the perception of time, space and motion.
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PSYC3334 Study in the relationship between drugs and behavior, especially maladaptive behavior and research in human biochemical changes.
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PSYC4130 This blended seminar focuses upon cutting edge developments in understanding brain functions. By definition neuroscience is interdisciplanary and internationalists scope. Topics including the biological basis of pain, intelligence, drug action, addiction, mental illnesses and genetics influences on behavior.
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PSYC4447 The course intends to further the understanding of brain function and dysfunction. The course will indicate the need for proper diagnosis and therapy including counseling for various situations