Core Requirements

Introduction to Psychology is a survey course in which an overview of the science and profession of Psychology is presented. It is the first course taken in Psychology, usually in the freshman year, and serves as a pre-requisite to all other courses in the Psychology curriculum.

Students in PSYC 101 have the option of participating as research subjects for studies conducted by Psychology faculty and upper-level students; this experience gives the student a view of psychological research from the participant/subject’s perspective. PSYC 101 also fulfills one of the Social Science General Education requirements. Some students are granted Competency in PSYC 101 based on advanced placement tests (the criteria are given in the Roanoke College Catalog)

The Research Methods course has a 1 and 1/2-hour laboratory in addition to the three hours of lecture. It should be taken in the sophomore year (or as soon as possible when one transfers from another college). This course focuses on correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental research designs, the statistics used to analyze data in psychological research, and the ethical guidelines when conducting studies with human participants. Students learn to write a research proposal, design and conduct studies, analyze data, and write a research report in the format prescribed by the American Psychological Association (APA). Computers are used for data collection, statistical analysis, and word processing. PSYC 200 serves as a pre-requisite to Research Seminar.

In the junior and/or senior year, each student will select a Research Seminar based on his or her interests and previous courses. Research Seminar gives students the opportunity to apply the methods that were learned in PSYC 200 to a topic in Psychology which they have studied in depth in a 300-level course.

In each Research Seminar, students read research reports in scientific journals, discuss the research literature, and design one or more studies to conduct. Students work individually and in research teams to write research proposals, conduct studies, analyze data, write research reports, and present the research findings orally to the class. There is no scheduled laboratory for Research Seminar, so that much of the "hands-on" work is done outside of class time. B. A. Psychology majors take one Research Seminar, and B. S. Psychology majors take two.

History of Psychology is the senior capstone course for all Psychology students. In this course, students examine the significant historical developments which have led to the science and profession of Psychology today. The course focuses on the origins of scientific Psychology in philosophy and physiology, the important "schools" of Psychology in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and the individuals who made significant contributions to the advancement of Psychology.