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James C. Denniston, Chair
Denise M. Martz, Assistant Chair

The Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology is the sole agency at Appalachian State University charged with the responsibility for developing, maintaining, and delivering undergraduate and graduate curricula in psychology. The Department is dedicated to the ideal that an understanding of psychological science contributes to a liberal education and forms the foundation for careers in psychology and for other endeavors. Departmental faculty promote intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and a culture of learning through meaningful educational, scholarly, and service experiences. In support of this mission, the faculty of the Department provide mentoring and collaborative educational experiences, engage in scholarship, and serve the discipline, the university, and the community.

The faculty of the Department of Psychology value:

1. An array of high quality experiences that provide learners with depth and breadth in their education
2. Mentoring students in the discovery of psychological science within the traditional classroom context, the laboratory, and the greater community
3. Scientifically-informed applied experiences
4. Collaborative and interdependent relationships among students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and the community, both within psychology and across disciplines
5. Diverse contributions to the Department’s mission

Honors Program in Psychology

The Department of Psychology offers honors courses at the undergraduate level to students who have distinguished academic records and/or are nominated by a faculty member, and are invited by the departmental honors committee. Credit earned in honors courses may be applied toward the major, the minor, or the electives required for graduation. To graduate with “honors in psychology,” a student must be recommended by the departmental honors committee and meet the criteria for such consideration: a minimum overall GPA of 3.45; a minimum GPA of 3.5 in psychology courses; and successful completion of the honors sequence. The honors sequence consists of nine semester hours of honors courses, with at least a grade of “B” in each. Six semester hours may be selected from: PSY 1200  (honors), PSY 3511 , and PSY 3512 . A student may substitute any course that is numbered PSY 3000  or higher, except for PSY 3000 , PSY 3100 , PSY 3500 , PSY 3511 , PSY 3512 , PSY 3520  , PSY 3530-3549 , PSY 4001 , PSY 4002 , PSY 4511 , PSY 4512 , and PSY 4900, for a course in the honors sequence by satisfactorily completing an honors contract (made between the student and the professor teaching the course). Three semester hours are senior honors thesis courses (PSY 4511  and PSY 4512 ) to be taken over two semesters. The honors program requires a minimum of three semesters to complete. Honors courses are not offered during summer sessions.

Master of Arts degrees in Psychology

The Department of Psychology offers a Master of Arts degree in Psychology, General Experimental which requires 33 semester hours including a thesis; a Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management which requires 48 semester hours; and a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Health Psychology which requires 57 semester hours with an optional thesis. The Master of Arts/Specialist degree in School Psychology requires 72 semester hours. Persons interested in any of these degrees are requested to consult the Graduate Bulletin for further information.

Programs

• Psychology - Business Concentration, BS
• Psychology - Health Studies Concentration, BS
• Psychology - Human Services Concentration, BS
• Psychology - Natural Science Concentration, BS
• Psychology - Social Science Concentration, BS

• Psychology, BA

• Psychology Minor

Courses

• PSY 1200 - Psychological Foundations (3)
• PSY 1530-1549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• PSY 2100 - Psychology of Parenting (3)
• PSY 2200 - Careers in Psychology (1)
• PSY 2210 - Psychology of Human Growth and Development (3)
• PSY 2211 - Psychology of Personality (3)
• PSY 2212 - Abnormal Psychology (3)
• PSY 2213 - Survey of Social Psychology (3)
• PSY 2305 - Psychology of Gender (3)
• PSY 2500 - Independent Study (1-3)
• PSY 2700 - Behavior Change (3)
• PSY 3000 - Educational Psychology (3)
• PSY 3010 - Psychology Applied to Teaching (3)
• PSY 3100 - Research Methods in Psychology (4)
• PSY 3207 - Organizational Psychology (3)
• PSY 3210 - Child and Adolescent Psychology (3)
• PSY 3211 - Personality and Individual Differences (3)
• PSY 3212 - Psychopathology (3)
• PSY 3213 - Social Psychology (3)
• PSY 3214 - Principles of Learning (3)
• PSY 3215 - Perception (3)
• PSY 3216 - Biological Psychology (3)
• PSY 3217 - Cognitive Processes (3)
• PSY 3218 - Adult Development (3)
• PSY 3500 - Independent Study (1-4)
• PSY 3511 - Honors Colloquium (3)
• PSY 3512 - Honors Colloquium (3)
• PSY 3520 - Instructional Assistance (1)
• PSY 3530-3549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• PSY 3653 - Health Psychology (3)
• PSY 4001 - Research Assistant (1-3)
• PSY 4002 - Supervised Research (1-3)
• PSY 4020 - Applying to Graduate School (1)
• PSY 4206 - Industrial Psychology (3)
• PSY 4207 - Evolutionary Psychology (3)
• PSY 4208 - Forensic Psychology (3)
• PSY 4211 - Personality Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4213 - Social Psychology Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4214 - Learning Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4215 - Perception Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4216 - Biological Psychology Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4217 - Cognitive Psychology Laboratory (1)
• PSY 4220 - Community Psychology (4)
• PSY 4511 - Senior Honors Thesis I (1)
• PSY 4512 - Senior Honors Thesis II (2)
• PSY 4562 - Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (3)
• PSY 4640 - Seminar in Psychology (3)
• PSY 4655 - Contemporary Issues in Psychology (3)
• PSY 4658 - History and Systems of Psychology (3)
• PSY 4660 - Psychological Tests and Measurements (3)
• PSY 4700 - Applied Behavior Management (3)
• PSY 4905 - Fieldwork in Applied Psychology (1-6)

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