Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology at Texas Southern University (TSU) has two degree programs in Psychology, one undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), and one graduate degree, the Master of Arts (M.A.). The Department also offers a minor in Psychology for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in majors of other academic units at TSU.
Students interested in the M.A. degree in Psychology are referred to the Graduate School Bulletin of Texas Southern University for general information about admission requirements.
The mission of the Department of Psychology is to contribute to the development of an individual who has assumed a productive role in society upon completion of a liberal arts education. To fulfill its mission, the Department of Psychology imparts:
- knowledge, skills, and values related to the science and application of psychology; and
- knowledge, skills, and values consistent with a liberal arts education that are further enhanced by the discipline of psychology. After successful completion of the curriculum plan in psychology, students will:
- demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology;
- apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation;
- use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes;
- apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues; and
- be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.
Students wishing to pursue either the B.A. in Psychology or an undergraduate minor in Psychology must satisfy university requirements and remediate identified deficiencies, as well as petition the Department for admission by completing the appropriate form available through the Departmental Office. Students applying to declare either major or minor in Psychology must:
- present evidence of having an overall GPA of 2.0 or better;
- have completed PSYC 2301 General Psychology with a grade of “C” or better;
New freshmen to the university can declare the major or minor. Upon admission to the Department, students are each assigned an official advisor, and they are expected to keep the Department Office informed of changes in contact information including home and mailing addresses and telephone number up to graduation.
For the B.A. degree in Psychology, students must declare a minor in another academic discipline (as first-time seekers of an undergraduate degree) at the University and must earn grades of “C” or better in all Psychology and minor courses undertaken. (Grades of “C-” or below are not acceptable in these courses.) In selecting a minor, psychology majors should seek detailed advisement from their designated advisors, because the selection of a minor having representative courses in the core curriculum of study could impact the total number of credits required. Students can remain in the Psychology major or minor as long as they
- maintain a grade of “C” or higher in all Psychology courses with no more than two attempts for a given course;
- do not receive a “F” in two or more courses, or a “D” or lower in three or more courses, in a single semester;
- and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher in two consecutive semesters
In no case will students qualify for graduation at the undergraduate level with fewer than 120 semester credit hours satisfactorily completed. Psychology majors and minors must also have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 across all Psychology courses taken to be eligible for graduation. Prior to graduation, candidates for the B.A. degree in Psychology must take the departmental exit examination which is part of the requirements for PSY 461 Selected Topics In Psychology. Students who do not take the exit examination will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony, and must reapply for graduation in the next semester. Students are required to attend mandatory workshops before admission to the exit exam.
Transfer students may substitute FS 102 Freshman Seminar/ first Year Experience with any college level course to complete the total credit hours required for graduation by their degree plan.
For a minor in Psychology, click here.
For further information regarding the Psychology major or minor requirements, contact the Department Office at (713)-313-7344.
The Department of Psychology is located in the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences in Suite 302 on the third floor of the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland Building.
Psychology Courses
This course covers advances in knowledge and theory about human development across the life span. The role of genetics, environment, and maturational processes in cognitive, affective, and behavioral development are covered. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: PSY 131. Listed as PSYC 2314 in the Texas Common Course Numbering System.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131 or PSY 2301
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Elementary Statistics (3) Basic statistics course for students in Psychology and in the College of Education. Limited practice in the use of calculations and computational devices included. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: MATH 133. Formerly PSY 436.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131)(PSY 131)
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Educational Psychology (3) Study of the relationship between psychology and education and its usefulness in the normal processes of growth and development. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: PSY 131.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
This course builds upon the foundation provided in Basic Statistics by presenting the conceptual and formulaic bases of correlational analyses, ANOVA, and liner regression. Post-hoc and planned comparisons to identify significant between-group differences and covered. Nonparametric statistics are introduced with a focus on chi-square analyses. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: PSY 131 and PSY 234.
Prerequisite(s): (PSY 131 and PSY 234)
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
An introduction to the principles of classical and operant conditioning with emphasis on the application of learning principles to the modification of human behavior.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131 or PSYC 2301
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
The course exposes students to experimental research on animal learningand behavior. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning principles will be reviewed during lectures and demonstrated in virtual labexperiments. Three hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory per week. Prerequisite: PSY 131.
Prerequisite(s): (PSY 131)
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
This course covers theory and research on the advances in the study of memory, language processing, perception, problem solving, and thinking. Classical theories and seminal studies on human cognition are also discussed. 3 credit hours.
Prerequisite(s): (PSY 131 and PSY 233)
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Vocational and Industrial Psychology (3) Study of the basic factors in vocational selection, methods of estimating aptitude, measurement of special abilities, problem analysis and specifications. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: PSY 131.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Experimental Psychology (3) Study of the experimental analysis of behavior and experimental design. Emphasis placed on the application of behavior principles to non-laboratory settings. Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: PSY 131 and consent of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): PSY 131
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
The experiences of people of African descent in the U.S. from enslavement to the 21st century in terms of their psychological and behavioral functioning are described in this course. The biopsychosocial correlates of personal and group identity, socioeconomic conditions, racism, and residential segregation in the Black community are discussed. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: PSY 131.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Psychological Testing and Measurement (3) Emphasis on the role and function of informal and standardized tests in the mental health and educational settings. The use of group and individual tests in the assessment of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains will be considered. Prerequisite: Statistics course.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
The course covers theory and research on social psychological processes including attitudes, group processes, self and identity, integroup relations, social influence, social cognition, and social psychological aspects of affect and emotion. 3 credit hours.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Abnormal Psychology (3) Study of pathological behavior, its causes, preventive measures, and remedial treatment. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: Completion of nine (9) semester credit hours in Psychology.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Psychology of Personality (3) Consideration of the individual as both a social and biological unit by relating each group of factors to the development of personality. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Completion of nine (9) semester credit hours in Psychology and consent of the instructor.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Biopsychology (3) Study of brain structures and their relationship to behavior. Brain chemicals and psychoactive medications also covered. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Completion of nine (9) semester credit hours in Psychology, BIOL 143, and BIOL 245. Formerly carried under the title of Introduction to Child Behavioral Problems as PSY 234.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
This course reviews the various theoretical models of human behavior change that have influenced the development of schools of thought in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. The course covers major theories guiding treatment for problems of living and mental illness for psychodynamic, humanistic, existential, cognitive, and behavorial perspectives. Three hours of lecture.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Behavioral Problems in Children (3) Survey of behavioral abnormalities in children with particular emphasis on types of social and emotional disorders. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor or Faculty Chair. Formerly listed as Behavioral Psychology under the same course designation.
Prerequisite(s): (PSY 131 and PSY 231 and PSY 433)
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Selected Topics in Psychology (3) Seminar which focuses upon selected topics in the field of Psychology. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: Senior standing and the completion of at least twelve (12) semester credit hours in Psychology.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Independent Study in Psychology (3) Investigation of an area in Psychology and/or the conduction of a research project under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisites: Senior standing and consent of the Faculty Chair.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of Psychology
Philosophy Courses
Introduction to Philosophy (3) Exploration of the methods and problems of philosophy through critical discussion and analysis of contemporary social and moral issues. Three hours of lecture per week. Listed as PHIL 1301 in the Texas Common Course Numbering System.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of English
Aesthetics (3) Critical examination of classical and contemporary aesthetic theories and their relevance for students' aesthetic experiences. Three hours of lecture per week.
College/School: Liberal Arts & Behavioral Scie
Department: Department of English