Undergraduate classes
PSYC102: Introduction to Psychology
Basic pscho-physiological principles of human behavior, including the roles of heredity, maturation, environment, behavioral development, sensory processes, motivation, and emotions.
PSYC300: Brain and Behavior
This course will explore the biological basis of behavior. The student will first learn about the fundamental elements of the nervous system and their function. Subsequent lectures and readings will integrate these elements into the systems responsible for basic behaviors.
PSYC306: Advanced research methods
Advanced Research Methods will further develop your skills to conduct and communicate scientific research in the field of psychology. This course will focus on communicating research findings in psychology. This includes coming up with a research question, conducting a search of existing literature, writing in APA style, selecting appropriate research designs, ethics/professionalism in collecting and managing data, and communicating conclusions to broad audiences.
Advanced Research Methods will further develop your skills to conduct and communicate scientific research in the field of psychology. This course will focus on communicating research findings in psychology. This includes coming up with a research question, conducting a search of existing literature, writing in APA style, selecting appropriate research designs, ethics/professionalism in collecting and managing data, and communicating conclusions to broad audiences.
PSYC411: Animal cognition Lab
This course examines the techniques and theories used to investigate processes related to learning and memory. The first section of the class will provide a historical context for subsequent discussions. Next, both classical and instrumental conditioning will be discussed in terms of the representations and neural systems mediating performance. Subsequent class sessions will demonstrate how these conditioning techniques have been used to investigate topics central to comparative cognition.
PSYC431: Neuropsychology Lab
This course examines the relationship between the brain and behavior under normal and pathological conditions. The first portion of the course discusses historical approaches and current methodologies to study the brain-behavior relationship. The second portion will focuses on neural basis of higher level cognitive functioning. The final section of the course presents clinical cases and neural pathologies to demonstrate principles of the brain-behavior relationship.
Graduate classes
PSYC601: Fundamentals of Learning
This class provides an exposure to empirical observations and contemporary theories in the field of animal behavior. The first section of the class discuses basic learning phenomena in the context of evaluating theories of the learning. The second section of the class reviews topics relevant to animal cognition.
PSYC627: Neuroanatomical Bases of Behavior
This class will explore the structure and function of the central nervous system. Early in the semester class sessions will follow a lecture format focusing on the evolution and development of the central nervous system. Subsequent lectures will progress from caudal (spinal cord) to rostral (telencephalon) brain structures. These lectures will focus on afferent-efferent projections, cytoarchitecture, and function of brain structures. The final section of the class involves student presentation on topics that focus on specific neural circuits within the central nervous system.
This class will explore the structure and function of the central nervous system. Early in the semester class sessions will follow a lecture format focusing on the evolution and development of the central nervous system. Subsequent lectures will progress from caudal (spinal cord) to rostral (telencephalon) brain structures. These lectures will focus on afferent-efferent projections, cytoarchitecture, and function of brain structures. The final section of the class involves student presentation on topics that focus on specific neural circuits within the central nervous system.
PSYC670: Spatial Cognition
This class will investigate the behavioral and neurobiological basis of spatial orientation. First, early in the semester the class will focus on the processes and representations that mediate navigational strategies. This foundation will be used to evaluate results from traditional maze studies and characterize the role of specific neural systems in maintaining spatial orientation. Next, the impact of electrophysiological recording techniques on investigating neural basis of spatial orientation will be considered. Subsequent lectures will examine sexual dimorphism in spatial orientation and changes in spatial orientation across the lifespan. The semester will conclude with a discussion of the impact of neurological disorders on spatial orientation.
PSYC670: Neurobiology of Leaning and Memory
This class will examine learning and memory phenomena from molecular, systems, and behavioral levels of analysis. Class sessions will vary in format relative to content. Approximately half of the class sessions will follow a lecture format and will focus on developing a foundation for the molecular basis of memory. The other class sessions will involve a student guided discussion format that will focus on systems and behavioral aspects of learning and memory.