2008 - 2009 Catalog

The Department of Psychology program prepares students to:

1. achieve a broad understanding and appreciation of human behavior, which serves as the foundation for a liberal arts education;
   
2. enter paraprofessional work in applied behavioral sciences and social service fields; and
   
3. pursue graduate and professional study in psychology or related fields.
   

Nine goals are identified as desired outcomes of completing the psychology major. Students will acquire:

1. a knowledge base
   
2. critical-thinking skills
   
3. writing and speaking skills
   
4. information-gathering and synthesis skills
   
5. research methods and statistical skills
   
6. interpersonal skills
   
7. ethics and values clarification
   
8. culture and diversity sensitivity
   
9. application skills
   

Psychology

1. Students who intend to be majors must register with the department and be assigned an advisor. For more details, contact the department or write the department chair at the Department of Psychology, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520.
   
2. Immediately after deciding to transfer to Southern Oregon University, transfer students who are juniors or seniors should contact the Psychology Department about obtaining an advisor and becoming a psychology major.
   

1. Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements as stated beginning on page 19.
   
2. Complete Elementary Statistics (MTH 243) and General Biology (BI 101) or Principles of Biology (BI 211).
   
3. A minimum of 53 credits in psychology, at least 32 credits of which must be upper division, is required for the baccalaureate degree, including:
   
   1. PSY 201, 202, 211, 228, and 229 (17 credits).
      
   2. Core curriculum (20 credits): PSY 334 or 370; PSY 341, 351, one approved upper division multicultural/diversity course, and PSY 498, 499. All courses taken to fulfill credit requirements for the psychology major or minor must have a psychology (PSY) prefix or be approved for psychology credit by the Psychology Department. The multicultural/diversity course or courses must total at least 4 credits and be selected from approved psychology courses, including PSY 369, 465, 479, 487, 489, 492, and 495. All psychology required courses, except General Psychology (PSY 201, 202, and the multicultural list) must be taken for a letter grade.
      
   3. Psychology electives (16 credits, of which 12 must be upper division). Transfer courses in the same content area that are equivalent to SOU offerings may not be used to fulfill both core and elective areas.
      
4. A minimum grade of C- for each psychology course counted toward the major or the minor and for Elementary Statistics (MTH 243) and General Biology (BI 101) or Principles of Biology (BI 211), plus a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all psychology courses are required for a BA or BS in psychology or human service.
   
5. Lower division writing requirements, General Biology (BI 101) or Principles of Biology (BI 211), Elementary Statistics (MTH 243), and PSY 201, 202, 228, and 229 are prerequisites for some psychology courses. Check each course listing below for prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.
   
6. Writing, critical-thinking skills, and research competencies will be achieved as components in PSY 201, 202, 228, 229, and 499.
   

Note: A maximum of 6 credits from practicum courses (PSY 209, 309, 409, and 416) may be counted toward the 53 credits needed for a psychology degree.

A minimum of 180 credits is required to graduate from SOU. Factors such as the number of hours and types of courses transferred to SOU may affect the total number of credits accrued in satisfying all requirements for graduation with a psychology major.

There are several program emphases for psychology majors, depending on particular career plans (e.g., paraprofessional programs and pregraduate school programs, including experimental, clinical or counseling, developmental, and organizational psychology). See your advisor for suggested coursework in these program emphases.

The Psychology Degree Completion Program is a bachelor’s degree program. Classes are conveniently scheduled at night and on weekends in Ashland and Medford to accommodate the schedules of working students. The program is for students who: have completed an associate of arts degree or approximately two years of college and desire to reach their educational goals while working, plan to enter paraprofessional work in applied behavioral sciences and social service fields, or who plan to pursue graduate and professional study in psychology or related fields.

The length of the degree completion program varies with each student depending on prior coursework and employment status.

Requirements

The following courses are required for the human service major:

1. Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements as stated beginning on page 19.
   
2. Complete Elementary Statistics (MTH 243) and General Biology (BI 101).
   
3. A minimum of 53 credits in psychology (at least 32 credits of which must be upper division) is required for the bachelor's degree, including:
   
   1. PSY 201, 202, 211, 228, 229.
      
   2. Core curriculum (24 credits): PSY 370 or 334; PSY 341, 351, one approved upper division multicultural/diversity course, and PSY 429, 497. The multicultural/diversity course or courses must total at least 4 credits and be selected from approved psychology courses, including PSY 369, 465, 479, 487, 489, 492, and 495.
      
4. A minimum grade of C- for each psychology course counted toward the major or the minor, MTH 243, BI 101; plus a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all psychology courses.
   
5. Writing, critical-thinking skills, and research competencies will be achieved as components in PSY 201, 202, 228, 427, and 429.
   

In collaboration with the sociology program, the Department of Psychology offers an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree program focusing on the needs of human service professionals. Classes are conveniently scheduled at nights and on weekends in Ashland and Medford to accommodate the schedules of working students. The program is for students who: (1) have completed an associate of arts degree or approximately two years of college; (2) want to better understand their community and social environment; (3) desire to improve their career opportunities and reach educational goals; and (4) wish to enhance specific human relations skills and strengthen their ability to work effectively in social services.

SOU’s small class sizes and friendly learning environment foster close ties among students, faculty, and the community. The length of the degree completion program varies with each individual, depending on prior coursework and employment status.

Requirements

The following courses are required for the human service major:

1. Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements as stated beginning on page 19.
   
2. WR 121, 122 or University Seminar; PSY 201, 202, SOC 204; and a Lifespan Development course are prerequisites to all upper division core curriculum courses. MTH 243 is an additional prerequisite for PSY 429.
   
3. A minimum of 46 core curriculum credits from psychology and sociology:
   
   1. Psychology (33 credits): PSY 409 (9 credits), 429, 438, 443, 471, 475, and 497.
      
   2. Sociology (16 credits): SOC 304, 310, 312, and 444.
      
4. Select upper division electives (11 credits) with advisor consent.
   
5. A GPA of 2.5 in all human service program courses is required for a BA or BS in social science.
   
6. Meet writing and research competency through components in PSY 429.
   

A minimum of 24 credits in psychology is required for a minor. These 24 credits must include PSY 201, 202; 16 approved credits, only 4 of which may be Special Studies/Practicum or teaching assistant credits; and at least 12 credits at the upper division level. Credit toward a minor is only given for courses passed with a grade of C- or better.

The Certificate in Management of Human Resources is collaboratively offered by the School of Business, the Psychology Department, and the Communication Department. The program is open to current upper division undergraduate, graduate, and postbaccalaureate students, as well as professional development individuals with significant managerial experience. To be awarded the Certificate in Management of Human Resources, students must meet the 36-credit course requirements, which are listed in the Certificates section.

The objective of the interdisciplinary studies major with an emphasis in psychology or a related behavioral science is to prepare students for occupations requiring behavioral science backgrounds (e.g., welfare caseworker, probation/parole worker, psychometric aide, and research aide). The degree granted is a BA or BS in social science.

This program permits a broad major in the social sciences with a concentration in psychology for those whose educational goals are not met by any of the other psychology programs. The general requirements for this degree are found under Interdisciplinary Options. The specific requirements for social science majors with a concentration in psychology should reflect the needs of the individual student and must be planned with advisors in the Psychology Department. Required courses include BI 101 or 211; PSY 201, 202, 228, and 229; and MTH 243. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

The required psychology capstone courses (PSY 498, 499) may not be taken until the student has: (1) been formally approved for an interdisciplinary studies major with a psychology emphasis and (2) registered with the Psychology Department and been assigned an advisor.

Prospective students should address inquiries to the Psychology Department office coordinator or the Master in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) graduate office coordinator.

The Master in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) prepares professional counselors to provide extensive mental health services within public and private agencies, as well as in private practice. The curriculum is designed to meet national counseling standards, so graduates will gain mobility in responding to changing employment needs throughout the U.S. Only the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) can determine such accreditation status. The MHC program has attained CACREP accreditation, and the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists has indicated that the curriculum meets the educational requirements for application for licensure as a licensed professional counselor.

The MHC program has also been designed to meet the majority of the educational requirements for application for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in California.

The MHC curriculum emphasizes practical application of theoretical foundations incorporating practicum and internship experiences throughout the program. Focus is on developing national counseling competencies in eight core areas: Professional Identity/Ethics, Social and Cultural Diversity, Human Growth and Development, Career Development, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Assessment, and Research and Program Development.

Admission Process

The deadline for applications for the next academic year is February 15. Students are required to submit two separate applications:

1. an SOU application for admission using the policies described in the Graduate Studies section, along with a $50 application fee; and
   
2. a Master in Mental Health Counseling application, which may be acquired by contacting MHC Graduate Office Coordinator Lori Courtney at 541-552-6947 or map@sou.edu. These applications are also available online at www.sou.edu/psych/map.
   

Prior to beginning their graduate program, all MHC students are required to complete the following undergraduate requirements:

Required

Core Required Courses for the Master in Mental Health Counseling

(90 credits)

Within the major and minor degree curricula, the Psychology Department presents or conducts a variety of additional practica, field studies, seminars, and research activities.

Field Practicum and Human Service Learning Opportunities

The human service, field practicum, and internship programs provide a sequence of progressively intensive experiences in human service agencies in the classroom or in the community. Students in these programs are exposed to a wide range of human service activities and acquire experience as human service providers. Students have been placed in the following organizations: Community Works; Mental Health Services; Welfare Department, Child Welfare; Vocational Rehabilitation Services; Veterans Domiciliary; animal shelters; preschools; Headstart; elementary and secondary school counseling programs; special education programs for the mentally disabled, emotionally disturbed, and physically disabled; private residential treatment centers; SOU’s Counseling Services; the Women’s Resource Center; juvenile justice programs; and public health programs.

Students interested in field experience programs must carefully plan with their advisor well in advance of any placement in such programs. Instructor consent and formal admission are required in all field service programs. Interested students should consult an advisor at their earliest convenience.

A maximum of 15 credits for field experience courses in psychology (e.g., practicum and teaching of psychology) may be applied toward the bachelor’s degree. These credits may be selected from any combination of PSY 209, 309, 409, and 416. Only 6 credits from these courses may be counted toward the minimum 53 psychology credits necessary for a psychology degree.

Research and Community Service

Students are encouraged to become involved in research and community activities. In addition to formal research courses, there are opportunities for involvement in the private research activities of various faculty members. Past projects have focused on such topics as competency examination development for professional groups, surveys of transportation facilities for the elderly and disabled, design and development of residential treatment facilities for the emotionally disturbed, creation of preschool education and Headstart projects, needs assessment surveys, and program evaluation research in a variety of areas.

Students should consult their advisors and faculty members to determine which research projects are currently ongoing or in the planning stages. Students are encouraged to initiate contact with faculty members for assistance with research activities, development of research proposals, and presentations of research findings at local and regional professional meetings.

Psi Chi

Qualified students may become members of the local chapter of Psi Chi, a national honorary society in psychology. The purposes of Psi Chi are to encourage, stimulate, and maintain the scholarship excellence of individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. To achieve these goals, Psi Chi offers a wide range of local, regional, and national programs.

Lower Division Courses

Upper Division Courses

Graduate Courses

Note: All 500-level graduate-only courses require instructor consent or current enrollment in the MHC program.