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Academic Catalog

Psychology Graduate Programs

Website: https://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/arts-sciences/departments/psychology/index.html

Faculty

Professor Cynthia Turk, PhD, Chair
Professor Jericho Hockett, PhD
Professor Michael McGuire, PhD
Associate Professor Julie Boydston, PhD
Associate Professor Linzi Gibson, PhD
Assistant Professor Angela Duncan, PhD
Assistant Professor Tucker Jones, PhD
Lecturer Daniel Garlock, PsyD

Programs

Course Offerings

Prerequisite for admission to all professional courses is graduate standing in the Psychology Department. Only those courses with prerequisites listed as consent are open to senior psychology majors and students with special student status. Consent may be obtained by contacting the Psychology Department prior to registration.

PY 602  Advanced Physiological Psychology  (3)  

Critical issues within cognitive and behavioral neuroscience are discussed, including neuronal physiology, functional neuroanatomy, and methods used in psychophysiological research. Special emphasis is placed on biological foundations of psychopathology and psychopharmacology. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 603  Advanced Health Psychology  (2-3)  

Advanced health psychology examines how biological, psychological, and social factors interact with and affect the efforts people make in promoting good health and well-being as well as preventing illness. Advanced study includes reviewing and discussing contemporary empirical research related to the science and practice of health psychology. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

PY 604  Social Emotional Foundations  (3)  

Social-Emotional Foundations integrates an academic group and societal orientation with an applied individual emotion focus to examine current social psychological and affective theory and research on topics such as social cognition and beliefs; social institutions; social identities; group dynamics; prejudice and discrimination; attitude formation and change; temperament, affect, mood, and emotion; emotion regulation; emotional processing; and social-emotional determinants of health. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing

PY 605  Psychology of Learning and Cognition  (2)  

This course provides an in-depth examination of key theories and empirical research in the fields of learning and cognition, focusing on how individuals acquire, store, and utilize information. We will explore foundational and contemporary theories of learning, memory, perception, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. Prerequisites: Graduate standing

PY 610  Intermediate Statistics  (3)  

Survey of basic statistical principles including parametric and non-parametric hypothesis testing techniques, correlation, and an introduction to computer statistical packages. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 611  Graduate Research Design  (1-2)  

Advanced, detailed study of research design, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs. Issues of ethics, sampling, reliability, validity, and analysis will be discussed. Students will also develop skills in critiquing and reporting scientific research. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 612  Scientific Writing  (1-2)  

Scientific writing is a unique form of writing and vastly different from the manner students typically write. Students in this course will be exposed to the various nuances that define APA style scientific writing, be exposed to the common errors made when writing scientifically, and will develop their skill in writing in a scientific manner. Prerequisite: PY 611.

PY 615  Counseling Skills and Interviewing Techniques  (1.5)  

The purpose of this course is to assist students in developing necessary skills to be an effective interviewer/therapist. This will be done through readings, self-exploration, and practicing therapeutics skills of motivational interviewing and other therapeutic and information-gathering techniques. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 625  Advanced Psychopathology  (3)  

Theory, research, and clinical approaches to problems of adulthood and childhood. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 631  Psychological Assessment of Adults Practicum  (1.5)  

This practicum, which is a co-requisite of PY 632 Psychological Assessment of Adults, is designed to provide students with the applied skills required to competently administer, score and interpret various adult psychological assessments. Students will also utilize related information gathering techniques toward the goal of validly and reliably assessing the intellectual, personality, and, to a lesser degree, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of adults. Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

PY 632  Psychological Assessment of Adults  (3)  

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to choose, administer, and interpret various instruments and information gathering techniques with the goal of assessing the intellectual, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of adults. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 633  Psychological Assessment of Children  (3)  

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to choose, administer, and interpret various instruments and information gathering techniques with the goal of assessing the intellectual, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 634  Psychological Assessment of Children Practicum  (1.5)  

This practicum will focus on the application of child and family assessment skills acquired in PY 633 Psychological Assessment of Children. The practicum will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, role plays, supervision, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 635  Ethics Psychological Practice  (2)  

This course will explore contemporary aspects of professional practice germane to master's level psychologists. The primary focus will be on the understanding and application of the APA Ethics Code when providing psychotherapy and psychological assessment services. Special topics such as requirements for licensure and career options may also be explored. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PY 637  Diversity Issues Treatment & Assessment  (2)  

Introduction to diversity issues in counseling and psychological/educational assessment, including culture, gender, language, and related issues. Training in models for providing effective psychological services to clients, taking into account their unique background. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 638  Seminar in Multicultural Psychology  (1.5)  

Students will develop multicultural competencies (i.e., knowledge, awareness, and skills) and cultural humility (i.e., openness, curiosity, perspective taking) to prepare them to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Prerequisites: Graduate student standing

PY 640  Introduction to Psychotherapy Techniques  (3)  

Theory and practice of basic interviewing and therapy skills, with an emphasis on the cognitive behavioral approach for treatment of anxiety disorders. Must be taken with PY 641. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

PY 641  Psychotherapy Practicum I  (1.5)  

Students are expected to demonstrate and master a variety of clinical techniques involving therapeutic skills being taught concurrently in PY 640. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PY 640.

PY 653  Psychological Assessment of Children  (3)  

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to choose, administer, and interpret various instruments and information gathering techniques with the goal of assessing the intellectual, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 670  Individual Adult Psychotherapy  (3)  

Theory and practice of psychotherapeutic intervention skills with an emphasis on interpersonal, cognitive, and brief therapy approaches for treatment of mood disorders. Must be taken concurrently with PY 671. Prerequisites: PY 630 and PY 640.

PY 671  Psychotherapy Practicum II  (1.5)  

Students are expected to demonstrate and master a variety of clinical techniques involving therapeutic skills being taught concurrently in PY 670. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PY 670.

PY 680  Psychological Assessment: Personality and Behavior  (3)  

Research bases and clinical applications of objective psychological instruments, projective techniques, and behavioral assessment designed to measure child, adolescent, and adult personality, affect, and psychopathology. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 690  Group Therapy: Theory & Application  (2)  

This course provides foundational knowledge and experience to support the facilitation of group approaches to psychotherapy. Didactic instruction will be supplemented with an experiential training component. Prerequisites: Consent.

PY 691  Group Therapy Practicum  (1)  

The faculty is committed to the belief that the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experience is an integral part of the curriculum. This practicum will focus on application of group therapy theory and skills acquired in PY 690 Group Therapy: Theory and Application. PY 691 will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Prerequisite: PY 690.

PY 700  Child and Family Therapy  (3)  

Theory and practice of family and child management interventions. Prerequisite: PY 670.

PY 701  Child and Family Therapy Practicum  (1.5)  

This practicum will focus on the application of child and family therapy theory and skills acquired in PY 700 Child and Family Therapy. The practicum will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, role plays, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Concurrent enrollment in PY 700 is required. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 720  Seminar in Psychology  (1.5)  

Selected topics of relevant psychological, clinical, and professional issues. May be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 780  Internship  (1-4)  

Field training experience oriented toward development of skill in assessment and therapeutic intervention, consultation experiences, preventive applications, and group and family interventions. Repeated to a maximum of 12 hours toward the degree. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy status and consent of instructor.

PY 795  Directed Research  (1-3)  

Independent supervised research. Does not count toward graduation. Prerequisite: 6 completed hours in PY 799.

PY 799  Thesis  (1-3)  

Independent supervised research. Repeated to a maximum 6 credit hours toward degree. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy status.