Calvary University  

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Faculty of Psychology

Syllabus: Certificate in Psychology

Programme details for the Certificate in Psychology

Courses Presented in This Programme

The Cert. Psych includes the following compulsory courses:

• Study Skills (No assessments)
• General Psychology
• ... or alternately the next course:
• Psychology of Life
• Developmental Psychology

Duration of the Programme

This programme has a minimum learning duration of eight months before the qualification certificate can be issued. The maximum learning duration is normally two years.

Prerequisites

An applicant may be granted admission to this programme being in possession of one of the following certificates:

• A valid tertiary education entrance qualification
• Any other certificate deemed equivalent and which the CU Senate has approved

Study Skills

Credits: 13

Synopsis. This guidance course to study skills is essential for students going to university for the first time. Whether it is studied before or alongside a study skills module, Study Skills will enable students to gain the necessary skills and confidence to really make the most of time at university. The aim is to equip students with the key skills to enable success in the highly competitive era of mass higher education, and to cope with the increasing trend toward independent study and lifelong learning. It has been designed to help develop the skills necessary for working life as we move into the new millennium. Since this is primarily a self-study course, an active learning approach has been adopted.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• PREPARING FOR STUDY
  • Learning to learn
  • Managing stress and time
  • Group working skills
  • Finding information
  • Reading for study
  • Taking notes
  • Working with numbers
    
    
• ASSESSMENT SKILLS
  • Essay writing
  • Writing reports and dissertations
  • Case studies
  • Presentations
  • Examinations

General Psychology

Credits: 24

Synopsis. This introductory psychology course provides for a solid, balanced foundation of core material, grounded in good research. Classic studies are carefully integrated with the most up-to-date research to provide students with an accurate and current view of the field. Students are challenged with frequent quizzes and critical thinking exercises, while technology provides them with online activities to review and reinforce what they have learned. The discussions of current examples, cross-cultural and gender concerns, and enduring issues that bring the field together provide students with exactly what they need to know to achieve success in introductory psychology.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• The Science of Psychology. What is Psychology? The Growth of Psychology. Human Diversity. Research Methods in Psychology. Careers in Psychology.
• The Biological Basis of Behavior. Neurons: The Messengers. The Central Nervous System. The Peripheral Nervous System. The Endocrine System. Genes, Evolution, and Behavior.
• Sensation and Perception. The Nature of Sensation. Vision. Hearing. The Other Senses. Perception.
• States of Consciousness. Conscious Experiences. Sleep. Dreams. Drug-altered Consciousness. Meditation and Hypnosis.
• Learning. Classical Conditioning. Operant Conditioning. Comparing Classical and Operant Conditioning. Cognitive Learning.
• Memory. The Sensory Registers. Short-Term Memory. Long-Term Memory. The Biology of Memory. Forgetting. Special Topics in Memory.
• Cognition and Language. The Building Blocks of Thought. Language, Thought, and Culture. Nonhuman Thought and Language. Problem Solving. Decision Making.
• Intelligence and Mental Abilities. Theories of Intelligence. Intelligence Tests. What Makes a Good Test? What Determines Intelligence. Mental Abilities and Human Diversity. Extremes of Intelligence. Creativity.
• Motivation and Emotion. Perceptions of Motivation. Hunger and Thirst. Sex. Other Motives. Emotions. Nonverbal Communication of Emotion. Gender, Culture, and Emotion.
• Life Span Development. Methods in Developmental Psychology. Prenatal Development. The Newborn Baby. Infancy and Childhood. Adolescence. Adulthood. Late Adulthood.
• Personality. Psychodynamic Theories. Humanistic Personality Theories. Trait Theories. Cognitive-Social Learning Theories. Personality Assessment.
• Stress and Health Psychology. Source of Stress. Coping with Stress. Stress and Health. Staying Healthy. Extreme Stress. The Well-Adjusted Person.
• Psychological Disorders. Perspectives on Psychological Disorders. Mood Disorders. Anxiety Disorders. Psychosomatic and Somatoform Disorders. Dissociative Disorders. Sexual Disorders. Personality Disorders. Schizophrenic Disorders. Childhood Disorders. Gender and Cultural Differences in Psychological Disorders.
• Therapies. Insight Therapies. Behavior Therapies. Cognitive Therapies. Group Therapies. Effectiveness of Psychotherapy. Biological Treatments. Institutionalization and Its Alternatives. Gender and Cultural Differences in Treatments.
• Social Psychology. Social Cognition. Attitudes. Social Influence. Social Action.

Psychology of Life

Credits: 22

Synopsis. This course deals with the principles of management. It demonstrates the real-world applications of management concepts and makes management come alive by bringing real managers and students together. As it successfully integrates the various functions of management, this course establishes a dialogue with managers from a variety of fields.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• The Science of Psychology in Your Life
• Research Methods in Psychology
• The Biological Bases of Behavior
• Sensation and Perception
• Mind, Consciousness, and Alternate States
• Learning and Behavior Analysis
• Memory
• Cognitive Processes
• Intelligence and Intelligence Testing
• Human Development Across the Life Span
• Motivation
• Emotion, Stress, and Health. Emotions
• Psychology in Your Life: Why Are Some People Happier Than Others? Stress of Living
• Personality
• Psychological Disorders
• Therapies for Psychological Disorders
• Social Cognition and Relationships
• Social Processes, Society, and Culture

Developmental Psychology

Credits: 25

Synopsis. This course in the field of human development, places the emphasis on the interplay between biology and environment, and covers biology, culture, and social issues, while emphasizing the lifespan perspective of development.

Students are provided with an especially clear and coherent understanding of the sequence and underlying processes of human development, emphasizing the interrelatedness of all domains—physical, cognitive, emotional, social—throughout the text narrative and in special features.

While carefully considering the complexities of human development, we discuss classic and emerging theories with a multitude of research-based, real-world, and cross-cultural examples. Strengthening the connections between application and theory or research, it brings forth the most recent scholarship in the field, representing the changing field of human development.

Outline. The following aspects are reflected in this course:

• History, Theory, and Research Strategies
• Biological and Environmental Foundations
• Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn Baby
• Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
• Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
• Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
• Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
• Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence
• Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
• Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
• Emotional and Social Development in Middle Adulthood
• Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
• Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood
• Death, Dying and Bereavement