Enrollment Priorities:
These procedures will be in place during registration:
- If you are enrolled in, or have received credit for, Psyc 492, 495, 497, or 499C, then you may not enroll in Psyc 497 or Psyc 492.
- If you are enrolled in, or have received credit for, two specialty content courses, then you may not enroll in another one.
- If you are enrolled in, or have received credit for, three social science content core courses, then you may not enroll in another one.
- If you are enrolled in, or have received credit for, three natural science content core courses, then you may not enroll in another one.
- If you received a D, D-, or D+ in any of these courses, reach out to your faculty advisor for assistance with enrollment.
Information about declaring the Psychology Major
View Catalog description of Psychology courses.
View the list of courses that can satisfy BS or BA degree requirements.
Spring 2025 Registration Dates and Assistance
Registration begins November 1, 2024.
Check the Student Center on MyMadison for your exact enrollment appointment date and time.
Enrollment details and tips from the Registrar are available online.
Information about the waitlist is available online. Most Psychology courses are reserved for Admitted Psychology Majors only. If a class is closed, please add yourself to the waitlist on MyMadison.
Registration Survey for Students graduating in May/August 2025 with enrollment difficulty in required psychology courses.
Course Notes
Psyc 250. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. This course is not open to Psychology Majors. Psychology majors interested in this content should take Psyc 335, Abnormal Psychology. Credit cannot be earned for Psyc 335 by students who have previously taken Psyc 250. Psyc 250 is a course designed for non-psychology students who need a brief exposure to this content for their non-psychology academic program.
Psyc 400, Section 1. Attention and Mindfulness. Through the pervasive myth of multitasking and the constant immersion in information-saturated environments, human beings have found themselves anxious, overwhelmed, and unable to carry out their goals. This course will explore the reasons for this situation and possibilities for regaining the ability to navigate these environments. Of particular emphasis will be the role of mindfulness practices. In addition to learning the mechanisms behind attention and distraction, students will apply the theory and findings to their own experience.
This course is offered by Dr. Sri Upadhyay.
Psyc 400, Section 2. Applications in Psychological Science. This course will focus on the systematic application of psychological science and psychological principles to examine and understand emergence and maintenance of and potential intervention for prevailing social issues. Empirical sources, theoretical content, and popular media will be used in conjunction with knowledge and skills garnered as psychology majors to engage in the process of applying psychological science to further understanding of social issues. Prerequisite: 1 Social Science Content Core and 1 Natural Science Content Core class. This course is offered by Dr. Jessica Irons.
Psyc 400, Section 3. Psychopharmacology. The course will center on understanding fundamental mechanisms of drug action, methods of drug investigation, and applications of drug compounds to promote therapeutic outcomes within the context of psychology (including psychopathology, substance use disorder, and neuro-cognitive conditions). Drug classes will be examined in detail including consideration of therapeutic and recreational uses and consequences of use. Prerequisite: 1 Social Science Content Core and 1 Natural Science Content Core class. This course is offered by Dr. Jessica Irons.
Psyc 400, Section 4. Community Psychology. In this course, students will be introduced to historical overviews, conceptualizations, theoretical perspectives, values, and goals of community psychology and prevention science. Topics will be covered include: (1) history of and proponents and values in community psychology; (2) ecology and community context; (3) community-based participatory research approach; (4) strategies promoting social changes; (5) prevention, resiliency, empowerment, and public policy; (6) studies on gender, race, and poverty. Prerequisite: 1 Social Science Content Core and 1 Natural Science Content Core class. This course is offered by Dr. Yanbin Li.
Psyc 400, Section 5. Thanatology – Death & Dying. Thanatology- Death & Dying/Life & Living. This course will survey various topics about death and dying as well as the meaning of life and living. The content will include psychological research related to death, the process of dying, and the stages of grief. Prerequisite: 1 Social Science Content Core and 1 Natural Science Content Core class. This course fulfills the sociocultural competency requirement. This course is offered by Dr. Bill Evans.
Sociocultural Awareness Courses
Psychology Majors are required to complete at least one "Sociocultural Awareness" course as part of their academic program. The following courses being offered during the Spring semester fulfill this requirement:
- Psyc 220. Psychology and Culture
- Psyc 325. Counseling Psychology
- Psyc 400, Section 5. Thanatology – Death & Dying.
- Psyc 497, Section 9. Work-Life Integration.
Please continue to check MyMadison. Courses to fulfill the Sociocultural Awareness requirement may be added.
Capstone Courses
The prerequisites for all capstone courses are two courses from the Social Science Content core and two courses from the Natural Science Content core. Email ugpsyc@jmu.edu if you are having trouble registering for your final semester coursework.
Psyc 492, Section 1 & Section 2. History of Psychology. This course will examine the history of psychology by looking at people, theories, and historical events that have influenced the development of psychology. We will pay special attention to how Psychology’s history is reflected in current topics in the discipline, and will also look at where Psychology as a field is headed in the future. This course will be offered online asynchronous. We will use an online format for group discussion and for student-led activities such as leading discussion and presenting on relevant topics. This course is offered by Dr. Suzanne Baker.
Psyc 497, Section 1. Sleep & Circadian Rhythms. For most humans, sleep is an activity that occupies approximately one-third of their lives. Despite this prominent position among human behaviors, most know little about what happens during sleep and the significance of sleep for psychological and physiological functioning. This course will survey the contemporary scientific literature on the science of sleep, emphasizing normal functioning, mechanisms involved in sleep and wake, the methods of investigation using human and animal approaches, and basic understanding of sleep disorders. Additionally, students will gain familiarity with the science of biological rhythms, aka chronobiology, and how these two disciplines overlap. Students will be familiar with sleep assessment to include basic scoring from polysomnographic recordings and will evaluate several sleep and chronobiology articles. This seminar is heavily discussion based and students should expect teaching and writing opportunities. This course is offered by Dr. Jeff Dyche.
Psyc 497, Section 2 and Section 14.. Leadership and Service. Leadership and Service will study the experience of leadership and service from a psychological perspective. The course will assist students with identifying their personal leadership skills and styles as well as how to adapt these to various situations related to service in the community. The course will enable students to integrate concepts of service learning into leadership development. Emphasis will also be on developing an effective leadership approach to service learning. 40-hours of service-learning will be required. This course is offered by Dr. Bill Evans.
Psyc 497, Section 3. Positive Psychology. This course will examine the nature of happiness, engagement, and meaning from the perspectives of experimental social psychology and positive psychology. Recent empirical research will be reviewed and you will be asked to critically analyze and apply the information in written assignments, an oral presentation, and in class discussion. While the main goal of this course is to extend your understanding of research on the topics of well-being,you will also be encouraged to apply some of the findings to your own life. This course is offered by Dr. Jaime Kurtz.
Psyc 497, Section 4. Neuroscience of Memory. Our memories shape how we describe and understand ourselves and they can alter our personality, emotions, and cognition. In short, memory is central to our everyday experiences. The purpose of this course is to explore memory, particularly memory dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease, from the perspective of neuroscience. We will base class discussions around empirical articles and other literature which examine different types of memory, how we quantify memories, and the effect disruptions of memory have on our brain and behavior. In addition, this course will focus on integrating information from other psychology courses with the neuroscience perspective presented in the course. You will be required to integrate information from courses such as research methods, biopsychology cognition, learning, social, and others, likely including courses outside of psychology. Because many of you will have different backgrounds, you will each be able to contribute unique information to our discussions. This course is offered by Dr. Janna Taft Young.
Psyc 497, Sections 5 and 6. Evolutionary Psychology. This course will explore the theories and methods used when studying human behavior through the lens of evolution by natural selection. Behaviors studied will include mating, group behavior, parenting, cognition, brain size, and others. This course is offered by Dr. Melanie Shoup-Knox.
Psyc 497, Section 7. Passion for Activities. Although the topic of passion has been discussed for centuries, the scientific study of this psychological phenomenon is only about 15 years old. The purpose of this class is twofold: (a) to introduce students to the scientific study of passion for activities and (b) to show students how to make evidence-based decisions to increase passion in their lives. This course is offered by Dr. Bryan Saville.
Psyc 497, Sections 8 and 11. Choice Behavior. Choice Behavior will survey modern ideas in choice behavior, with attention to the historical origins of this work, its development as a specialty within psychology, and its impact on our everyday lives. With a focus on psychology, students will learn to rely on empirical information to understand situations under which choice behavior is often irrational – yet predictable. Students will also learn to apply their understanding of the various factors that influence choice behavior to everyday contexts. Section 8 is offered by Dr. Dan Holt. Section 11 is offered by Charles Nastos.
Psyc 497, Section 9. Work-life Integration. This course will focus on how the dynamics among work, family, and individual responsibilities and goals relate to mental and physical health, public policy, family functioning, and discrimination, among other topics. This class will highlight historical changes in family structure, international variation in work/life integration issues, socioeconomic influences, and ideas for solving problems related to work/life integration. Fulfills Sociocultural Awareness requirement for the Psychology Major. This course is offered by Dr. Tracy Zinn.
Psyc 497, Sections 10 and 12. Existential Psychology. This course introduces students to an emerging discipline within the field of social psychology known as existential psychology. Many topics once thought to be in the domain of existential philosophy – such as fear of death, the search for meaning and authenticity of life – are now widely studied using experimental methods. Through discussion, readings, and the capstone project, students will bring in knowledge from all areas of psychology, specifically their psychology courses they have taken thus far. This provides a rich bed of content to draw from in class discussions. The course focuses on various theories and empirical research investigating how concerns about basic issues of the human condition, such as death, meaning, isolation, identity, control, and freedom influence a wide array of human behaviors. Furthermore, this course provides an in-depth understanding of existential issues within the field of social psychology along with the experimental techniques used to study their effect on the human experience. Section 10 is offered by Katayoun Tehrani. Section 12 is offered by Dr. Lindsay Harvell-Bowman.
Psyc 497, Section 13. Health Behavior Change. This course will include exploration of empirical and theoretical work related to health behavior change with particular focus on health-risk behaviors. Behavior change will be considered at individual, group, and epidemiological levels and across demographic characteristics most relevant to health. This course is offered by Dr. Jessica Irons.
