Graduate Program

Overview of the major content areas in psychology. Topics to be covered include learning, cognition, perception, motivation, biological systems, social and abnormal psychology, development, personality and approaches to psychotherapy. Meets New Mexico Lower-Division General Education Common Core Curriculum Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Presentation of basic principles of description and interpretation of data. Provides acquaintance with statistical principles appropriate to liberal arts education, as well as a basis for further work in data analysis. Students planning graduate study in any field are advised to also take 302.

Prerequisite: 105.

Overview of the physical, perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional and social development of children from infancy through adolescence.

Prerequisite: 105.

(Also offered as WMST 231)

Exploration of the physiological, cultural, social and individual factors that influence sexual behavior, sex roles and sex identity.

Prerequisite: 105.

A general survey of the biological foundations of behavior. Emphasis is on the central nervous system.

Prerequisite: 105 or BIOL 110 or BIOL 123.

Study of any psychological topic not otherwise included in the curriculum upon expression of mutual interest by students and faculty. May be repeated for credit provided the subject matter varies.

Survey of the variety of laboratory learning situations, with an emphasis on the application of principles to practical situations. Topics range from simple processes, such as conditioning, to complex processes, such as transfer, memory and concept formation.

Prerequisite: 105.

Study of the cognitive processes involved in the encoding, storage, retrieval and use of knowledge including attention, memory, comprehension, categorization, reasoning, problem solving and language.

Prerequisite: 105.

Study of social influence: perception of oneself and others, attitudes, conformity, attraction, altruism, aggression, and groups.

Prerequisite: 105.

This course introduces Health Psychology. The course will cover the role of stress in illness, coping with chronic illness, stress, and pain, and the role of health behavior in health and disease.

Prerequisite: 105.

Application of the concepts covered in 200. Includes discussion of basic principles of research design and scientific methodology as applied to psychology.

Prerequisite: 200.

This overview of the role of case management in the addictions field will examine the relationship of the 12 core functions to service coordination.

Prerequisite: 332 and (347 or 411 or 430).

Restriction: permission of instructor.

An advanced course that presents theory and research on the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, perceptual and motor development in the first two years of life.

Prerequisite: 220.

Empirical study of adolescent development from different theoretical perspectives. Organization of individual social patterns through cultural and historical transitions and interplay between risk and protective factors in healthy development as well as deviant behaviors.

Prerequisite: 200 and 220.

Survey of theory, research and applications of both classical and contemporary approaches to the study of personality.

Prerequisite: 200 and 220.

Review of the historical, scientific and ethical issues in the field of psychopathology. Categorization of deviant behavior, theories of abnormal behavior, systems of therapy and relevant research are covered.

Prerequisite: 105.

This course focuses on the assessment of mental disorders, with an emphasis on substance abuse. It also provides an overview of science-based treatments. Additionally it reviews professional issues in psychology, ethical standards, and multicultural issues.

Prerequisite: 105.

This laboratory course is designed to offer students exposure to the wide variety of research that is typically conducted in the field of clinical psychology. It will teach students how to read and critique the relevant literature in an area and how to design solid studies to answer specific research questions.

Prerequisite: 200 and 332.

A survey of contemporary research and theory derived from an evolutionary perspective on behavior.

Prerequisite: 240.

The analysis of brain-behavior relationships regarding affect and higher cognitive functions (language, memory, spatial reasoning) in humans.

Prerequisite: 240.

General survey of topics in the cognitive and brain sciences of aging and dementia. Topics include the etiology of dementia subtypes, treatment, management, and the socioeconomic impact of an increasingly older population demographic.

Prerequisite: 240.

Study of the pharmacological action and physiological and psychological effects of drugs of abuse including stimulants, depressants, narcotics and hallucinogens.

Prerequisite: 240.

How humans acquire and use knowledge. Theoretical and applied issues discussed around the topics of memory structures, attention, forgetting, mnemonics, imagery and individual differences in memory.

Prerequisite: 260 or 265.

Study of the methods organisms use to gain information about objects. The sensory processes are discussed as a basis for description of more complex perceptual phenomena.

Prerequisite: 260 or 265.

(Also offered as LING 367 / 567)

Theoretical and methodological issues in psycholinguistics, including comprehension, speech perception and production, language acquisition, bilingualism, brain and language, reading.

Prerequisite: 220 or 240 or 260 or 265 or 271 or ANTH 110 or LING 101 or LING 301.

This course explores the emotion of horror both from the standpoint of theoretical and empirical work on emotion and from the standpoint of critical approaches to the phenomenon of horror in art.

Prerequisite: 105.

Impact of culture on human behavior, learning, personality and other selected topics is examined. Course emphasizes critical analysis, discussion and writing about cross-cultural research and theory.

Prerequisite: 220 or 271.

(Also offered as WMST 375)

Survey of research and theory on gender-role stereotypes and gender differences in such contexts as interpersonal relations, the family, the work force, mass media, mental and physical health.

Prerequisite: 105.

An in-depth examination of the universal human experience of love. This course explores the full range of theories on love, including biological, taxonomical, implicit, developmental, cultural, and evolutionary. PSY 220-Developmental Psychology is recommended.

Prerequisite: 105.

Discussion of the history and systems of psychology, philosophy of science and research methodology, particularly as related to current topics in psychology.

Prerequisite: (260 or 265) and 302.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

{Fall}

Continuation of 391.

Prerequisite: 391.

{Spring}

An introduction to the major developments and individuals in the history of psychology.

Prerequisite: any 300-level psychology course.

Training and experience at Agora Crisis Center. Can lead to national certification. Some weekend, evening and holiday hours required. Minimum commitment: two semesters, weekly four hour shift. Must be 18 and deemed eligible by the Agora Executive Committee.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

This course will examine research and theory on important issues in health psychology including stress, health behaviors, and managing chronic disease. Learning tools include analyzing, synthesizing, and integrating readings and discussing them in class.

Prerequisite: 280 and 302.

Restriction: instructor permission.

This course will provide an overview of evidence-based approaches to the treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders.

Prerequisite: 332 or 347 or 430.

This field experience at an addiction agency teaches students to apply classroom learning to practice situations. A licensed counselor supervises.

Prerequisite: 332 and 335 and (347 or 430).

Pre- or corequisite: 313 and 411.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

This course will examine theory and research regarding emotion and health. The areas covered include the psychology of emotion, mental and physical health, emotional intelligence, and emotion-focused psychological interventions.

Prerequisite: 280 and 302.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

Investigation of the theoretical bases and critical issues in the area of developmental psychology.

Prerequisite: 220.

Morford, John-Steiner

(Also offered as LING 460 / 560)

Theories, methodologies and findings in child language, from birth to late childhood. Emphasizes implications of child language data for linguistic and psycholinguistic theories. Topics: biological foundations; pre-linguistic communication; phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic development; bilingualism.

Prerequisite: 324 or 360 or **367 or LING 367.

Human emotions evolved to help solve specific problems of survival, reproduction, or social living. We'll discuss the forms and functions of fear, disgust, love, jealousy, anger, pride, embarrassment, shame, guilt, empathy, trust, curiosity, and happiness.

Prerequisite: 105.

This advanced psychology course is for those interested in the nature of and prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related problems. 

Prerequisite: 332.

This seminar examines research on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of clinical depressions and mania.

Prerequisite: 240 and 332.

A survey of clinical behavior therapies, including techniques based upon learning theory, self-control, cognitive and social psychological principles. Emphasis is upon treatment outcome research and the practical application of methods to clients’ life problems.

Prerequisite: 332.

Focuses on the major theoretical approaches to family dysfunction and examines family influences on the development and maintenance of deviance, including juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, anorexia nervosa, depression and schizophrenia.

Prerequisite: 332.

Theories and practices related to an understanding of children and adolescents who deviate from normal development either intellectually, educationally, emotionally, physically or in some combination. Relevant family variables are considered.

Prerequisite: 220 and 332.

This seminar explores research on sleep incorporating molecular biology, math modeling, electrophysiology, comparative biology, developmental psychology, circadian physiology, and anthropology. Students read original research reports and discuss research methods. Background in neuroscience and mathematics necessary.

Prerequisite: 240 and 302.

The course reviews the psychological science of emotion, particularly the application of objective physiological and neural measurements. Topics will include historical perspective, neuroscience of emotion, physiology of stress, disorders of emotion, and more.

Prerequisite: 105.

The goal of the course is to provide a conceptual, mathematical, and pragmatic understanding of neural time series data, especially in regard to electroencephalographic (EEG) signals.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

In DNL we aim to understand the integrative complexity of developmental and disease-related changes in the brain and behavior in the context of epigenetics as measured by neuroimaging (MRI, MEG, EEG) and neuropsychological measures.

Prerequisite: 324 and 332.

Pre- or corequisite: 240.

Study of any psychological topic not otherwise included in the curriculum upon expression of mutual interest by students and faculty.

Psychology laboratory topics not otherwise included in the curriculum. Labs offered upon the expression of mutual interest by students and faculty.

Prerequisite: 200.

This will examine theory and research regarding the development of human strengths at an advanced undergraduate level. The course will focus on strengths that promote better functioning including creativity, optimism, wisdom, courage, love, and spirituality.

Prerequisite: 105.

This is an advanced lab course teaching how positive psychology theory and research can be applied to improve well-being and success. This is a lab that includes individual and group presentations and several papers.

Prerequisite: 454.

Restriction: instructor permission.

This seminar considers the origins, nature, and functions of general intelligence, mating intelligence, creativity, humor, and openness, and how they play out in school, work, relationships, lifespan development, history, culture, the arts, and the sciences.

Prerequisite: 105.

The purpose of this course is to teach students the basic skills needed to take systemic, reliable observational data on captive Lowland Gorillas living at the Albuquerque BioPark.

Prerequisite: 105 and (200 or 260 or 265 or 271 or 302 or *400).

Restriction: junior or senior standing.

This laboratory course exposes the research that is conducted in Health Psychology. It includes methods of research and student experience in evaluating and critiquing Health Psychology research.

Prerequisite: 105.

Experimental methods and laboratory techniques. Senior thesis based on independent research. Three hours lab.

Prerequisite: 392.

{Fall}

Continuation of 491. Three hours lab.

Prerequisite: 491.

{Spring}

Restriction: permission of instructor.

Frequency and probability distributions; sampling distributions and point estimation; central tendency, variability and z scores; the normal distribution and the central limit theorem; the logic of hypothesis testing; correlation and regression; multiple regression.

Corequisite: 503L.

{Fall}

Introduction to the logic of experimental design and to experimental designs commonly used in psychology and the corresponding analyses.

Corequisite: 504L.

{Spring}

Computational techniques for statistical methods introduced in 501. Emphasis placed on the use of a computerized statistical package, e.g., SPSS®.

Corequisite: 501.

{Fall}

Practical issues related to material introduced in 502. Emphasis placed on use of a computerized statistical package, e.g. SPSS®.

Corequisite: 502.

{Spring}

Facilitates development of active research in first-year graduate students. Presentations include 1) research lectures by faculty and graduate students; and 2) research proposals by class members, critiqued by instructor and classmates.

Discussion of recent research in various areas of mathematical psychology, including behavioral decision theory and mathematical learning theory.

The course is designed to prepare graduate students, both conceptually and practically, for teaching, with the construction of a professional teaching portfolio as its goal.

This course will examine research and theory on important issues in health psychology including stress, health behaviors, and managing chronic disease. Learning tools include analyzing, synthesizing, and integrating readings and discussing them in class.

Restriction: admission to Psychology graduate program.

Survey of historic and contemporary systematic issues and conceptual viewpoints in psychology.

This course will examine theory and research regarding emotion and health. The areas covered include the psychology of emotion, mental and physical health, emotional intelligence, and emotion-focused psychological interventions.

Restriction: admission to Psychology graduate program.

This course will examine research and theory on the application of psychological interventions to health problems including coping with illness and health behavior change. The interventions will include stress management, meditation, and cognitive behavior therapies.

This is an overview of health Psychology from a social psychological perspective. The focus is the design, implementation, and evaluation of theory-based interventions to improve healthy behavior (e.g. increase exercise, engage in safer sexual behavior).

Investigation of the theoretical bases and critical issues in the area of developmental psychology.

A seminar covering theory and research on the development of cognition, organized around Piaget’s constructivist model of cognitive development and subsequent challenges, both theoretical and empirical, to that model.

Course focuses on the practical issues of setting up and conducting therapy, learning clinic procedures and forms, dealing with commonly occurring issues that arise with clients and observing what therapy looks like in the room.

A research-bases course that provides a comprehensive study of abnormal behavior. It stresses diagnosis and assessment of psychopathology and examines various theories of etiology. Recommended treatments are mentioned briefly.

Provides an introduction to intelligence testing, contemporary factors influencing intellectual performance, and clinical interpretation of cognitive tests. The neuropsychological implications of cognitive deficits are reviewed, along with different approaches to neuropsychological assessment.

This course examines: 1) psychometric principles involved in the development and evaluation of psychological tests; 2) major means of personality inventory construction; and 3) the general logic of major personality assessment procedures, including MMPI and Rorschach.

This course is intended to serve as an introduction to the issues and literature concerned with the science of clinical psychology.

Restriction: admission to Ph.D. Psychology program.

Theories and practices related to an understanding of children and adolescents who deviate from normal development either intellectually, educationally, emotionally, physically or in some combination. Relevant family variables are considered.

Provides an introduction to basic aspects of neuroscience; e.g., historical perspectives, neurocytology, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy. In depth critical discussion of fundamental and current topics.

Provides an introduction to functional neuroimaging, from its history to the present. Technical aspects of commonly used neuroimaging methods will be discussed, along with their interpretation and application to questions in psychology and medicine.

Restriction: Psychology graduate students only.

Focuses on the literature and current experiments on epilepsy and functional recovery, the two major problems following traumatic brain injury or stroke. Mechanisms of these processes and clinical advancements will be discussed.

Study of the pharmacological action and physiological and psychological effects of drugs of abuse including stimulants, depressants, narcotics and hallucinogens. Course may be used towards major.

This will examine theory and research regarding the development of human strengths at the graduate level. The course will focus on strengths that may promote better functioning, including creativity, optimism, wisdom, courage, love, and spirituality.

Surveys the major topics and issues in lower order cognitive processes. Includes coverage of fundamental theoretical and empirical work in sensory detection, attention, perception, and motor control.

This seminar considers the origins, nature, and functions of general intelligence, mating intelligence, creativity, humor, and openness, and how they play out in school, work, relationships, lifespan development, history, culture, the arts, and the sciences.

Prerequisite: 105.

(Also offered as EDPY, LING 565)

The role of language in human cognition is approached from a sociocultural framework. Topics: semiotic systems, languages of the mind, categorization, problem solving, and cognitive pluralism.

(Also offered as LING 568)

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Course provides overview of multivariate (MV) methods often used in psychology: data screening; multiple regression, MANOVA, MANCOVA, discriminant analysis, exploratory factor analysis, multiway frequency logistic models; brief introductions to structural equation models and multi-level models.

Restriction: permission of instructor. 

The goal of this course is to introduce a group of statistical techniques, known as latent variable models, to characterize unobserved variables. We will cover factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and related techniques.

The goal of this course is to cover a range of latent variable models that can be used to characterize unobserved variables, including factor analysis, factor mixture modeling, and latent growth and growth mixture models.

A bimonthly seminar learning experience where clinical graduate students meet with faculty to present and discuss ongoing, interesting or challenging cases.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Human emotions evolved to help solve specific problems of survival, reproduction, or social living. We'll discuss the forms and functions of fear, disgust, love, jealousy, anger, pride, embarrassment, shame, guilt, empathy, trust, curiosity, and happiness.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This seminar is principally concerned with ethics in psychology research, service delivery, training and teaching. Topics in career development and contemporary controversies in professional psychology are also dealt with.

This graduate course provides the theoretical and scientific basis for behavioral couple therapy, and teaches students skills to implement the therapy with distressed couples and couples dealing with individual psychological problems.

Prerequisite: 532.

Restriction: admitted to graduate program in Psychology.

This course provides an overview of multicultural counseling including the principles of understanding one's values and biases, understanding and respecting the client's worldview, and using culturally appropriate interventions.

The purpose of the seminar is to provide a broad overview of the empirically-supported treatments movement and to teach student how to effectively deliver empirically-supported treatments for specific psychological disorders.

Critical examination of recent empirical and theoretical articles on behavioral/cognitive neuroscience topics selected by students.

The course reviews the psychological science of emotion, particularly the application of objective physiological and neural measurements. Topics will include historical perspective, neuroscience of emotion, physiology of stress, disorders of emotion, and more.

The goal of the course is to provide a conceptual, mathematical, and pragmatic understanding of neural time series data, especially in regard to electroencephalographic (EEG) signals.

Study of any psychological topic not otherwise included in the curriculum upon expression of mutual interest by students and faculty.

Available only to students who have successfully completed their dissertations. This is a one-year, full-time external clinical internship in which students provide treatment, assessment, and other relevant professional services under intensive and direct professional supervision.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.