The online bachelor’s in psychology from UofL is a 121 credit hour program. The program is 100% online. Courses are delivered asynchronously in standard term length. See below for curriculum components
PSYC 201 Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to the methods and major content areas of psychology: sensation, perception, learning, cognition, human development, abnormal and social psychology. Note: Students are required to participate in one or more standard experiments or to submit abstracts of published studies as part of PSYC 201.
PSYC 301 Statistics for Psychology
Prerequisite: PSYC 201; Completion of QR requirement with grade of C or higher. Elementary statistical methods as applied in the social sciences: probability; distribution (theoretical and empirical), statistics and parameters; sampling; tests of hypotheses including ANOVA; regression and correlation; contingency.
PSYC 302 Research Methods for Psychology
Prerequisite: PSYC 201; Completion of QR requirement with grade of C or higher; PSYC 301 with grade of C or above. Introduction to scientific methods in psychology: formulation of hypotheses, design of experiments, execution of experiments, analysis of data, communication of results.
PSYC 305 Brain and Behavior
Prerequisite: PSYC 201. The course will focus on relationships between brain function and human behavior. It will introduce the structures, systems, and methods by which human behavior is reflected in neural activity. It will examine how nerve cells function individually and work together; the structure of the nervous system; how our sense organs provide the nervous system with information about the outside world; how the brain controls movement; and how sleep, eating, sex, stress, and social interaction are represented in the brain. We will also investigate how the nervous system is influenced by bioactive substances including natural hormones (e.g., during a response to stress), pharmacological therapeutics, and recreational drugs. Note: Students who have previous credit for PSYC 344 cannot earn credit for this course.
PSYC 306 Life Span Developmental Psychology
Prerequisite: PSYC 201. A review of human growth and development across the lifespan. This course examines physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development from conception through old age. This course is relevant for students in psychology, neuroscience, communicative disorders, education, nursing, and public health. Notes: Students cannot receive credit for this course and also PSYC 363 or PSYC 365. Note: Previously taught as PSYC 363.
PSYC 307 Cognitive Processes
Prerequisite: PSYC 201. Survey of theory and research on cognition, i.e., thinking, concept attainment, memory, language, creativity, problem solving, and decision-making. Note: Previously taught as PSYC 322.
PSYC 308 Abnormal Psychology
Prerequisite: An introduction to taxonomy, nature, causes, and treatments of maladjusted behavior. Note: Previously taught as PSYC 385.
PSYC 400 Psychology Research and Public Communication
This course will focus on issues surrounding the interpretation and dissemination of psychological concepts and findings. Topics will include the critical analysis of "psychological myths" and how to write and speak about psychology for general audiences. Case studies and in-class activities will be used to illustrate the benefits and challenges of accurately portraying psychological research to the public. The content of the seminar projects will come from each student's research experience in PSYC 491.
PSYC 407 Community Internships in Psychology
On-site formal training and community-based research and/or service with select non-profit agencies. Sites are chosen based on special topics/social issues and programs in applied developmental psychology.
PSYC 408 International Service Learning and Research
Off-campus international travel and field research/service-learning project, which serves as a culminating undergraduate experience, while infusing critical thinking skills and fostering a meaningful community engagement experience. This course is intended to expose students to psychological theories and empirical research while working directly with a faculty member's research project. Application and program fee required.
PSYC 410 Giving Psychology Away: Critical Thinking and Public Communication
Discussion of issues surrounding the dissemination of psychological concepts and findings.
PSYC 412 Modifying Behavior
This course will require mastery of behavior modification theory and techniques, and their application to real-world problems. Because behavior modification requires the systemic application of learning principles and basic research methodology skills, the course will require students to synthesize and apply information/concepts from previous psychology courses.
PSYC 415 Family Risk, Resilience and Mindfulness
The three units of the semester are as follows: 1) Risk Factors, 2) Resilience, and 3) Mindfulness, and each major topic will be addressed for parents, children and the family unit. We will discuss the current scientific literature on such risk factors as poverty, divorce and single parenting, homelessness, mental and physical health issues, nutrition, family and neighborhood violence, and trauma (to include trauma-informed care). The current evidence base on the science of resilience (what is it, how it's demonstrated and how to promote it), and the practice and benefits of mindfulness for parents/children will complete the semester.
PSYC 417 Child Psychopathology
Review of common childhood/adolescent psychological disorders, with discussion of theory and developmental issues in child psychopathology and assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Topics may include attention deficit disorder, autism, mood disorders and family dysfunction. This course is relevant for students in social sciences, neuroscience, communicative disorder, nursing, counseling, social work, premed and public health.
PSYC 420 History of Psychology: A Socio-Cultural Perspective
This course is designed as an overview and synthesis of the history of psychology and how this historical background has led to the development of the systems and issues of contemporary psychology. We will explore how the major historical roots and theoretical contributions led to the development of psychology as a scientific discipline. Emphasis will be on how current psychological perspectives have evolved to be more inclusive to women and minorities and the sociocultural context of this evolution.
PSYC 425 Human Expertise and Achievement
This course explores human expertise, achievement, and success as they are discussed in the field of psychology. Social, environmental, cognitive, and behavioral influences will be explored. Topics will include recent theories of expertise, Dweck's theory of growth mindset, Sternberg's Theory of successful intelligence, Mischel's work on self-control, Gladwell's exploration of mentoring environments, recent studies of cultural effects on intelligence (the Flynn effect), and Duckworth's theory of "grit", among several others. The course will aim at a discussion format and is intended for relatively small groups in which discussion can be especially productive. Attendance is required.
PSYC 430 Psychology of Peace and Ethnic Relations
This course is intended to expose students to the theories, research and psychosocial elements of peacebuilding as they relate to interethnic relations around the world. Empirical readings and discussion will focus on race, ethnicity, identity formation, intergroup contact, spectrum of intergroup relations (e.g., expulsion, genocide, segregation, fusion, assimilation and pluralism), restorative practices and peacebuilding in a multicultural world.
PSYC 433 Music Perception and Cognition
This course provides an overview of the perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and neural bases of listening to music. Why does music have such strong ties to emotion? What are the parallels between music and language? What are the neuroscientific underpinnings of music perception and cognition? What does musical training do to your brain, and what other talents or skills do you acquire through musical training? This course is designed for majors in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and does not require any coursework or other background in music.
PSYC 440 Aging: Science and Stories
The purpose of this course is to help students understand aging through scientific research and the lived experiences of individuals and to better understand how these perspectives might differ from one another. Students will become familiar with current aging issues (e.g., cognitive aging, social and emotional aging, mental health, and Alzheimer's disease), research methods, theories and perspectives on aging and its diversity. Students will learn how to conduct life reviews with older people and integrate these stories with a scientific perspective on aging. The course requires student reflection and critical thinking about how scientific evidence fits with and differs from the subjective experiences of older people and how this relates to their personal aging and life story.
PSYC 442 Psych of Trauma
Introduction to traumatic stress research. Topics will include psychological theories of stress and trauma, the biology of stress and trauma, and risk factors for developing psychological problems subsequent to experiencing trauma.
PSYC 444 Exploration of Self: Theory and Research
We are all subject to distortions in our understanding of ourselves due to cognitive biases and conscious and unconscious processes. This class will draw knowledge gained in prior psychology courses to study theories of self focusing on how we collect information about conscious and unconscious selves, hands-on generation of personality data, and the use of these self-generated data to compare competing theories of self. The course will require understanding and using the empirical tools of psychological science and the ability to defend and critique multiple points of view.
PSYC 492 Undergraduate Psychology Research
An independent study class involving research on a focused topic in Psychology. Students register for individual sections of PSYC 492 after contacting a faculty mentor and arriving at an agreed-upon course of work for the semester. Each psychology research experience is unique to the particular student and faculty research lab in which it occurs.
PSYC 496 Honors Psychology Thesis
Data collection, statistical analysis, and report writing in support of the honors thesis, including presentation of the thesis in written and oral formats