3.5 Course Overviews:
"P"
To speed your search, click on the appropriate alphabetical
course reference:
PHILOSOPHY
(PHIL)
PHIL
152
Basic Critical Thinking
3Humanities
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This is a preparatory course in critical thinking
that stresses reading and writing skills. It teaches an active,
critical approach to a student's own written work. The course
focuses on comprehension tools and skills and the development
of critical capacities in application to both reading and writing.
PHIL
231
Introduction to Philosophy
3Humanities
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This introduction to philosophy takes a cross-cultural
approach. While it traverses ancient Greek and Chinese philosophies,
developing comparisons between the Eastern and Western traditions,
it retains an emphasis on the argument form. The focus is placed
on the relationship between three main areas of philosophy: ethics,
metaphysics, and epistemology. A thematic approach based on the
notion of the "good life" is used to draw out issues
concerning ethical rightness, the nature of the person/soul and
how knowledge claims can be legitimized.
PHIL
252
Critical Thinking
3Humanities
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Prerequisite: None.
Critical Thinking is designed to improve a student's
ability to analyse and evaluate the kinds of arguments and assertions
commonly met with in everyday life. The course helps students
improve their own arguments and presentations by showing them
how to draw sound conclusions from available evidence, and how
to construct well-reasoned cases to support these conclusions.
Critical Thinking is intended as a foundation course in the Bachelor
of Arts program of study. It will also benefit students resuming
university studies after a lengthy period in the home or workforce.
PHIL
333
Professional Ethics
3Humanities
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Prerequisite: None.
The course will acquaint students with the special
moral questions and issues that arise for practitioners of professions.
Students will develop their ability to recognize moral aspects
of professional practice, to analyse concepts and issues in professional
ethics, and to develop and defend their own positions on a variety
of issues. The course is organized around issues common to many
professions, such as privacy, confidentiality, informed consent,
and professional-client relations. A number of professions are
examined including medicine, nursing, teaching, journalism, and
counselling.
PHIL
371
Ethics, Science, Technology, and the Environment
3Humanities
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Video
component.
Prerequisite: PHIL 252 and one university-level science course
are recommended but not required.
As an introduction to the special ethical problems
and issues associated with science, scientific research, applied
science and technology, this course addresses a number of issues.
For example, should research be conducted on animals, and if so,
under what conditions? What special moral qualities should scientists
and technical people bring to their work? What effects do practises
in science and technology have on the environment, and what are
the responsibilities of scientists and technical people in this
area? Students will develop their ability to recognize moral aspects
of scientific and technical practices and defend their own positions
on a variety of issues.
PHYSICS
(PHYS)
PHYS
200
Introductory Physics I
3Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Home lab. Computer
access required. Lab component
only.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: PHYS 200 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PHYS 274.
Téluq equivalency: PHY 1021.
This is a junior, non-calculus course that provides
a general overview of mechanics as an introduction to the quantitative
study of physics. It is divided into seven units and covers kinematics
of linear motion, motion in two dimensions, Newton's Laws of Motion,
rotational motion, gravitation, the work-energy theorem and law
of conservation of energy, and conservation of linear and angular
momenta. Physics 200, combined with either Physics 201 or Physics
202, gives 6 credits of introductory physics able to be matched
to offerings at other institutions.
Special instructional features: PHYS 200
has a compulsory lab component. Refer to the Web
site or contact the science lab coordinator or course professor
for lab details, dates, and sites.
PHYS
201
Introductory Physics II
3Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Home lab. Computer
access required. Lab component
only.
Prerequisite: PHYS 200 or equivalent and professor approval.
Precluded course: PHYS 201 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PHYS 274.
Téluq equivalency: PHY 1022.
This is a junior, non-calculus course that examines
topics in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electrical theory. The
course covers equilibrium, harmonic motion, heat and temperature,
kinetic theory of heat, thermodynamics, electrostatics, and circuit
theory. PHYS 201, combined with either PHYS 200 or PHYS 202, give
6 credits of introductory physics able to be matched to offerings
at other institutions.
Special instructional features: PHYS 201
has a compulsory lab component normally done by Individualized
study. Refer to the Web
site or contact the science lab coordinator to confirm whether
an on-site lab will be offered this year.
PHYS
202
Introductory Physics III
3Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Home lab. Computer
access required.
Prerequisite: PHYS 200 or equivalent.
This is a three-credit non-calculus second physics
course at the first-year university level. Topics include magnetic
fields, electromagnetic waves, geometric and physical optics,
and atomic physics including introductory quantum concepts. It
is designed so that six credits of first-year physics may be obtained
by combining PHYS 200 and PHYS 202, however, some familiarity
with harmonic motion and electricity (covered in PHYS 201 and
included in the textbook of PHYS 202) would be helpful to students
in this course. PHYS 202, combined with either PHYS 200 or PHYS
201 gives 6 credits of introductory physics able to be matched
to offerings at other institutions.
Special instructional features: PHYS 202
has a compulsory lab component normally done by Individualized
study. Refer to the Web
site or contact the science lab coordinator to confirm whether
an on-site lab will be offered this year.
PHYS
495-496
Physics Projects
3 eachScience
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite for PHYS 495: Professor approval, PHYS 200,
201 and 202, MATH 265 and 266, and at least one senior-level science
course.
Prerequisite for PHYS 496: PHYS 495.
These courses are suitable for senior-level students
who wish to do research projects in physics or its branches, including
geophysics and engineering, but not normally biophysics. Physics
Projects are based on a learning contract between each student
and an approved supervisor. In doing their research, students
learn to chose and define problems, obtain information from libraries,
theory, computational work, or experiments, organize facts and
ideas, and report ideas and conclusions in written form. The research
undertaken will follow the learning contract and represent new
work. These courses are excluded from the Challenge for Credit
Policy.
Special instructional features: The course
may involve library, laboratory, computer, or other research work
as agreed by the student and the supervisor. Laboratory work in
physics at a level useful for this course normally would involve
facilities not found in the home. However, typical home computers
are easily able to facilitate complex computational projects.
Students are expected to obtain and pay for all materials used
in projects. Further information and a course project proposal
form may be obtained from the course professor.
POLITICAL
ECONOMY (POEC)
POEC 230
Globalization and World Politics
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course is designed to introduce students
to the theoretical and practical issues associated with world
politics and the impact of "globalization." Other important
issues examined include global structures, processes and issues;
environmentalism and sustainable development; transnational actors,
companies and migrations; nationalism and identity; culture and
religion; and human rights. It is a key course for a university
student wanting an introductory course aimed at making sense of
globalization and its implications for local, national and international
relations. It should be of particular interest to students of
politics, economics, and cultural studies.
POEC
302
Introduction to Political Economy
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course introduces students to the fundamental
concepts and questions of political economy by reading the works
of major political and economic thinkers. It surveys the market
system from its foundation in the thought of Aristotle to its
nineteenth century and twentieth century exponents and critics,
including Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes. The
course encourages students to cultivate a greater appreciation
of the relationship between politics and economics, and how the
integration of the two has produced the distinctive tradition
of political economy.
POEC
393
Canada and the Global Political Economy
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course describes the Canadian state in the
global political economy. Global competitiveness and Canada's
role in the global economy are examined. Are there different ways
to compete? What should be the role of the Canadian government
in the quest for global competitiveness? Is free trade the answer?
Written by leading Canadian political economist, Professor Daniel
Drache, the course gives students the analytical tools to make
sense of these questions.
POEC
395
Global Development Strategies
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisites: None. A previous course in development is
recommended but not required.
This course will allow students to study in-depth
strategies of development in the "Third World" or South
since 1945. First, the course introduces students to traditional
Western theories of development and various indigenous critiques.
Second, it examines the main regions constitutive of the South,
including Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Middle
East; Southeast Asia; and North and South Korea.
POEC
483
International Political Economy: Power, Production, and Global
Order
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: Professor approval.
This course explores global power relations and
economic change by examining the dynamic interaction of states,
social classes, and the international political economy. Topics
include: the global debt and growing disparities between North
and South; the changing roles of women in the new international
division of labour and transnational production processes; debates
about the decline of the U.S. and rise in power of Germany and
Japan, as well as regional economic blocs; and Canada's place
in the rapidly changing world.
POEC
499
Directed Study in Political Economy
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: Professor approval.
This course allows students to pursue a topic
of special interest in more detail than permitted within the standard
political economy curriculum. The course is primarily intended
for students who are in the latter stages of a four-year program.
In exceptional circumstances, other students may also be permitted
to take this course with permission of the professor. Students
registering in this course are required to conduct an independent
empirical or conceptual research project.
POLITICAL
SCIENCE (POLI)
POLI
277
Introduction to Political Science I: Concepts, Structures,
and Institutions
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Video
component.
Prerequisite: None.
This course provides an introduction to basic
concepts, structures, and institutions in Canada, the United States,
and Great Britain. It introduces topics such as power, legitimacy,
and authority; sovereignty, states, and nations; liberal democracy;
feminist, radical, and Aboriginal approaches to the study of political
systems; representation and legislatures; leaders and executive
bodies; and public administration and the judiciary.
POLI
278
Introduction to Political Science II: Political Processes and
Political Behaviour
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: POLI 278 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for POLI 214.
This course proceeds to an analysis of political
processes and political behaviour in the political systems of
Canada, the United States and Great Britain. There is growing
public dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy in all
three countries. The course explores how citizens learn to participate
in the political process. Topics covered include political parties,
elections and electoral systems, interest groups, and social movements
such as the environmental, feminist, and civil rights movements.
POLI
307
Political Ideologies
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course first examines the nineteenth-century
ideologies of capitalism, liberalism, and democracy followed by
anti-liberal and anti-capitalist ideologiesconservatism,
anarchism, utopian and scientific marxism, and nationalism. It
considers contemporary ideological currents, the search for community,
postmaterialism, postmodernism, and the new social movements:
feminism and environmentalism.
POLI
309
Canadian Government and Politics
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Video
component.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: POLI 309 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for POLI 260.
This course introduces students to the structures
and processes of the Canadian political system, especially how
the Canadian government makes political decisions. The course
examines such topics as the impact of the United States upon Canadian
politics; constitutional renewal and sovereignty for Quebec; and
the role and structures of parliament, cabinet, and the bureaucracy.
POLI
311
Aboriginal Politics and Governments
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course outlines Aboriginal governing traditions,
the evolution of Aboriginal politics and changes in Aboriginal
governance systems as well as current trends and issues associated
with Aboriginal governments. Particular attention is paid to the
Indian Act, treaty making, land claims agreements, and issues
related to Aboriginal governments and intergovernmental relations.
POLI
325
Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
The course emphasizes the impact of value choices
upon Canadian environmental policy and politics, e.g., the trade-off
in values between clear air and water and economic development.
It considers how the environmental policy process works in Canada
and offers students a view of Canadian environmental organizations
and governmental structures.
POLI
330
International and Global Politics
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse
of the Soviet Union transformed international politics and intensified
the debate about "global politics." This course is about
transformations in international and global politics. It examines
the changing role of states in the new international context,
particularly the relationship of states to multinational corporations,
international organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
POLI
340
Comparative Politics I: In the Industrial and Postindustrial
Countries
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
The course has two primary objectives: 1) to
introduce students to the importance and basic methods of comparison
in politics; and 2) to impart a substantial amount of information
about the actual institutions, political culture and ideology,
political processes, and political participants in the industrial
/ postindustrial countries including Russia, Germany, Japan, England,
and the United States.
POLI
341
Comparative Politics in Developing and Industrializing Countries
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
This course is designed to introduce students
of world politics to countries characterized variously as developing,
industrializing, Third World and the South. The course covers
four regions: Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
It conducts detailed examinations of five countries: China, India,
Mexico, Nigeria, and Egypt and concludes with an examination of
the struggle for self-determination by the world's indigenous
peoples.
POLI
350
Women in Canadian Politics
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Video component.
Prerequisite: Students with an introductory course in women's
studies or in Canadian government and politics may find the material
easier to master.
This course examines women's participation in
Canadian political life. It explores women's roles in "official
politics" as aspiring and practising decision makers in elected
and appointed office. It further focuses on the political work
that women do outside of what is traditionally considered to be
the political arena, the grassroots and community-based realm
of "unofficial politics."
POLI
383
Introduction to Canadian Political Economy
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: Students who have taken a course in Canadian
history, political science, economics, or sociology may find the
material easier to master.
Precluded course: POLI 383 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for LBST 383.
This course examines the reciprocal relationship
between politics and economics, wealth and power in Canada. Topics
covered include Canada's industrial development, and the impact
of globalization and free trade on Canada. Special emphasis is
put on regional disparities, Alberta's role in Canada's political
economy, the controversy of forest development, the Klein Revolution,
the 1990's battle over deficits, cutbacks and their impact, women
and the welfare state, and the impact of economic development
upon Canada's Native peoples.
POLI
390
Canadian Federalism
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: An introductory political science course or
one other course in Canadian government and politics is recommended
but not required.
POLI 390 examines the origins and historical
development of Canadian federalism in the light of repeated demands
for constitutional renewal. The course covers the following topics:
Canadian federalism and its origins, demands by provincial governments
for increased powers and sovereignty for Quebec, and prospects
for a renewal of Confederation.
PSYCHOLOGY
(PSYC)
(See also Educational Psychology
(EDPY) courses, and the University Certificate in Career Development and the Diploma
in Inclusive Education offered by the Centre for Psychology.)
PSYC
205
Prior Learning Assessment and Portfolio Development
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: PSYC 205 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 205.
NOTE: This course is for students in programs at Athabasca University.
It is best taken near the beginning of the program.
This course is designed to facilitate an adult student's review
of his or her prior experiential learning for the purposes of
developing a portfolio that identifies possible course challenge
opportunities and petitions for university credit for learning
that are comparable to generalized competencies required in a
specific degree program. Students will learn the rationale, format
and process for developing a portfolio of prior learning. They
will identify and describe key skills and competencies required
in their chosen degree programs and in their chosen career areas;
identify and articulate pertinent skills and knowledge they have
gained which are germane to their chosen degree/career; identify
possible courses for challenge at Athabasca University, as appropriate;
solicit and collect meaningful documentation and attestations
of their learning; develop learning narratives that detail key
life experiences from which the learning was acquired; and present
all of the above in a standardized portfolio format suitable for
evaluation by Athabasca University faculty.
Through the portfolio that is produced in this course, a student
can petition for credit in the Certificate in Career Development.
However, credit for PSYC 205, itself, cannot be applied to this
certificate because the course is only at the junior level. PSYC
205 credit might be useful in fulfilling other degree requirements.
PSYC
228
An Introduction to Child Development
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded courses: PSYC 228 cannot be taken for credit
if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 257 or PSYC 323.
Téluq equivalency: PSY 1200.
This course studies the basic concepts and mechanisms
inherent in the process of human development from conception to
adolescence. It introduces the biological, intellectual, social,
emotional, and moral aspects of development through a stage-development
framework. The major emphasis of the course is on normal growth
and development. This course is intended as an introduction to
child development for students with no previous coursework in
psychology. Students with a previous coursework in psychology
should consider PSYC 323. Students considering an introductory
psychology course for general transfer should take PSYC 289 and
PSYC 290. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
289
Psychology as a Natural Science
3Social Science*
*Course can also be used to fulfill Science area of study (credential
students only).
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Grouped study. Video
component.
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded course: PSYC 289 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 206.
PSYC 289 introduces the broad areas of biological
bases of behaviour, sensation and perception, learning, and memory.
Specific topics covered include the brain, sleep, drugs, variations
in consciousness, touch, taste, smell, hearing, seeing, attention,
visual perception, emotion, Pavlovian conditioning, operant conditioning,
memory, and hypnosis. The course includes an extensive Web
site.
PSYC
290
General Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced. Video component.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 is recommended but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 290 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 206.
This course provides an introduction to behavioural
areas of study such as maturation and development, personality,
and social relationships. Specific topics covered include intelligence
and psychological testing, motivation and emotion, human development,
personality, stress and health, psychological disorders, psychotherapy,
and social behaviour. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
300
Theories of Career Development
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: Success in a variety of junior-level social
science courses is highly recommended but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 300 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 300.
A number of career development theories are examined with the
intent of integrating aspects of the theories into students' own
work as career development practitioners. Learners will study
a number of career development theories and be able to reflect
critically on the contributions and limitations of each one. The
intent of the course is for learners to develop a philosophy,
theory, and practice of career development that is consistent
with their personal style. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
301
Career Development Resources
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 300 (or CADE 300) is strongly recommended but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 301 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 301.
This course examines resources used by career development professionals
and their clients in the rapidly changing world of work. The examination
of resources occurs within a career planning framework. Learners
review resources from a variety of theoretical and pragmatic perspectives.
The course considers assessment instruments as resources and enables
learners to make decisions about using them. Learners also explore
online resources to evaluate their content and applicability to
career development. The online
course materials are available.
Special Instructional Features: A practical application
of resources is intended to make the material personally relevant.
Students are expected to find one or more participants for the
application. Students must have access to a videotape or an audiocassette
player.
PSYC
315
Psychology and the Mass Media
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: None.
This course introduces students to a range of
psychological theories, processes, and principles in the context
of the mass media. In addition, the application of these theories
and principles to several prominent issues will be discussed.
Such issues may include violence on television programs, advertising,
and news reporting. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon
their own lives and apply the psychological principles they find
useful to their work, study, or daily lives. As most scholarly
work has been written on the mass medium of television, the material
presented in this course will be over-represented in this area.
The newest electronic technologies, e.g., computer communication
on the Internet, will not be covered in this course. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
323
Developmental Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Video component. Grouped
study.
Prerequisite: Psychology 290 is recommended but not required.
Students taking the classroom version at GPRC should have previously
taken PY 1040 and PY 1050.
Precluded course: PSYC 323 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 228.
This course examines the nature of development
in the cognitive, social, emotional and physical realms of the
infant, the toddler, the child and the adolescent. The course
also covers prenatal development, the role of heredity, and developmental
psychopathology. This course is intended for students who are
majoring in psychology with an interest in developmental psychology.
The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
340
Introduction to Applied Social Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 is strongly recommended but not required.
This course examines the application of social
psychology to solving problems in the real world. The course has
three parts: theories and methods in applied social psychology;
applications to youth, work, substance abuse, forensic issues,
family violence, diversity issues, media and advertising; and
achieving social change which includes the opportunity to use
the knowledge from the course to develop a proposal for effecting
social change in an area of relevance to the learner. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
343
Issues and Strategies in Counselling Women
6Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Audio/video component.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: An introductory psychology or counselling
course is strongly recommended but not required.
This course provides students with an opportunity
to examine their own attitudes and beliefs about women and the
problems women experience. Students are given the opportunity
to compare traditional approaches with alternative approaches
to counselling women, gain information about the nature of psychological
distress commonly experienced by women, and develop an awareness
of the social and cultural bases of problems commonly experienced
by women. Some course components are available online as an optional
delivery mode.
PSYC
350
Adolescent Development
3Social Sciences
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 is recommended but not required.
This course examines the physical, cognitive,
social, and emotional development of adolescents in the contexts
of family, peers, school, work, and culture. Major theories, methods
of studying development, and contemporary adolescent issues and
concerns (e.g., sexuality and suicide) are discussed. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
355
Cognitive Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 or PSYC 290.
Precluded course: PSYC 355 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 455.
Téluq equivalency: PSY 4001.
This course introduces students to research
and theory in human cognition. Topics covered include an historical
review of cognitive psychology, pattern recognition, attention,
models of memory, sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term
memory, autobiographical memory, memory improvement, semantic
memory, language comprehension, problem solving, creativity, logical
reasoning, decision making. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
356
Introduction to Personality Theories and Issues
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 and PSYC 290 are strongly recommended
but not required.
This course surveys the field of personality
from a scientific perspective. It examines four general approaches
to understanding personality, namely, the psychoanalytic, the
dispositional, the environmental, and the representational. The
course looks at each approach, its strengths and its limitations.
This is a senior level psychology course, and it is expected that
learners will have library research skills and essay writing competence
at this level. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
375
History of Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: a 200-level psychology course. It is recommended
students who have successfully completed several psychology courses
and are in their third or fourth year of undergraduate studies take
this cours.
This course is an introduction to the history
of psychology. The development of psychology is traced from early
Greek civilization to the present. The coverage of psychology
is broad in scope and encompasses the historical development of
diverse sub-fields including clinical psychology, educational
psychology, biological psychology, humanistic psychology, etc.
The course includes an extensive Web
site.
PSYC
379
Social Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: A 200-level psychology course is recommended
but not required.
Téluq equivalency: PSY 3001.
Social Psychology helps students develop insights
into a science-oriented study of social relations. While the course
provides a solid survey of the whole field, it also highlights
centres of current action, such as social cognition and the application
of social psychology, and relates them to fields such as law and
health. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
381
The Psychology of Adult Development
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Audio
component. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: A 200-level psychology course is recommended
but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 381 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 363.
The course explores current psychological and
psychosocial theories and research findings that are relevant
to adult development. The course provides comprehensive coverage
of the physical and psychological changes associated with aging
and normal adult development. It also covers disease, disability,
and psychopathology in aging, family and intimate relationships,
work and retirement, and death and dying. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
387
Learning
3Social Science*
*Course can also be used to fulfill Social Science area of study
(credential students only).
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 or professor approval.
This course introduces students to the principles
of learning and how those principles can be used to modify human
behaviour. The course emphasizes the application of learning theories
and principles to solve behavioural problems as they exist in
oneself, one's family, schools, the workplace, and in larger social,
economic, and political groups. The course includes an extensive
Web site.
PSYC
388
Introduction to Counselling
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Audio
component. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 is strongly recommended but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 388 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 488.
This survey course introduces the field of counselling,
starting with a look at its contexts, the skills used, and ethical
issues. It examines how counselling is done, from the initial
assessment through goal-setting and interventions to ending the
process. A variety of applications, including marriage and family,
groups, career, school, college, mental health, substance abuse,
rehabilitation and consultation, as well as evaluation and research
are also examined. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
389
An Introduction to Learning Disabilities
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Video
component.
Prerequisite: An introductory psychology or a junior social
science course is recommended but not required.
This course introduces the field of learning
disabilities and focuses mainly on understanding phenomena of
learning disabilities from several viewpoints and theoretical
perspectives. It also deals with the recognition and remediation
of learning disabilities and emphasizes understanding the basic
issues. Topics range from legislation pertaining to learning disabilities
to providing services to individuals with learning disabilities.
The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
395
Psychology and Law
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 is recommended but not required.
This course examines the application of psychological science
to the Canadian justice system. Topics covered include applications
to investigative procedures; juries and sentencing; forensic assessment
and treatment; decisions regarding fitness to stand trial, criminal
responsibility, violence, and risk assessment; as well as applications
to civil law in the areas of civil competencies and rights, family
law, and psychological injuries.
PSYC
400
Teaching and Managing the Child with Learning Difficulties
6Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced. Video component.
Prerequisite: Professor approval. Previous course work in
special education or experience teaching children with special needs
is strongly recommended.
Precluded course: PSYC 400 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 348.
This course emphasizes a practical approach to
meeting the needs of children with learning difficulties in classroom
situations. It is concerned with the translation of theory into
action, and students are required to assess a child with learning
difficulties, develop an educational plan, and provide remediation.
The course discusses the assessment and instruction of reading,
written expression, language, spelling, math, learning strategies,
and study skills for students who are experiencing difficulties.
The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
401
Learning Through Life
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: Professor approval is required. Since this
is an advanced course, learners are expected to have previously
completed a variety of junior and senior level social science courses.
PSYC 381 is recommended but not required.
This reading course is about how we learn from
life's experiences. Specifically, it examines how adult learners
make meaning of their experience. It examines the transformation
theory of Jack Mezirow and looks at learning through the creation
of meaning schemes and through perspective transformation. Parts
of the theory are abstract and learners are expected to contribute
illustrations in the interpretation of the theory from their own
experience. This is an advanced course and a background in a variety
of senior level, social science courses is very important.
PSYC
402
Biological Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: A senior high school level biology course (or
an introductory university biology course) and a course in introductory
psychology (or animal behaviour) are recommended but not required.
This course shows how the brain and the nervous
system enable and establish limits for behaviour. Various topics
include the biological view of behaviour; the evolution of behaviour;
philosophical and empirical perspectives on the mind-body relationship;
anatomy, physiology and function of the nervous system; and methods
of investigation; in preparation for detailed examination of the
biological basis of all areas of human function. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
404
Experimental Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 or PSYC 290. Math 215 is strongly
recommended but not required.
This course focuses on experimental designs and
techniques used in psychological research. Topics include principles
of the scientific method, group experimental research, single-subject
research, ethical issues, and research reporting. Emphasis is
on laboratory experience (using either readily available household
materials or computer applications), reading and writing of research
reports, and data interpretation. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
405
Creating a Working Alliance
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 388 is recommended but not required.
This course focuses on developing a working alliance
between career development professionals and others such that
effective problem identification and problem solving can take
place toward mutual goals. The course covers some of the knowledge
and skills needed to do this. Specific areas covered include establishing
a collaborative working relationship founded on mutual trust and
respect, encouraging self-exploration, disclosing relevant information,
and helping others feel ready to risk trying new approaches to
problem solving. The course discusses factors that influence the
effectiveness of a working alliance. Individualized study learners
must find a person or persons with whom to practise the communications
skills, and prepare two audio or video skill assignments for grading.
Learners are expected to have previously completed a variety of
junior and senior level social science courses. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
406
Introduction to Theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 and PSYC 388 are recommended but not
required.
PSYC 406 examines the basic tenets and therapeutic processes that
characterize various theoretical approaches to counselling / psychotherapy.
The models are clustered according to the four major forces in psychology:
Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytic, Adlerian); Behavioural and Cognitive-Behavioural
(Behavioural, Cognitive-Behavioural, Reality); Humanistic (Existential,
Person-Centred, Gestalt); and Contextual / Systemic (Feminist, Family
Systems, Multicultural). Emphasis is placed on critical analysis
of the various approaches as well as self-reflection in relation
to values, beliefs, assumptions about human nature, and worldview.
The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
418
Special Projects in Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: SOSC 366 and professor approval. Students should
preregister six months before the start date of this course to ensure
the availability of research materials.
Precluded course: PSYC 418 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 318.
PSYC 418 allows students to pursue a topic of
special interest in more detail than permitted within the standard
psychology curriculum. The course is restricted to students enrolled
in the later stages of the four-year Bachelor of Arts program
with a psychology major. In exceptional circumstances, other students
may also be permitted to take this course with permission of the
professor.
PSYC
432
Psychology and the Built Environment
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Video component.
Prerequisite: A 200-level psychology course is recommended
but not required.
This course examines the transactions between
people and their everyday physical environment. Topics include
environmental perception and cognition, environmental stressors
such as noise, spatial behaviour such as personal space and territoriality,
physical settings where we live, work, and learn, and designing
for more fitting environments. The online
materials are available.
PSYC
435
Abnormal Psychology
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study. Video
component. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289, 290 and 356 are strongly recommended
but not required.
Precluded course: PSYC 435 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for PSYC 335.
PSYC 435 examines human behaviours and mental
phenomena that diverge widely from the normal. The course reviews
the historical and theoretical basis of abnormal behaviour, followed
by an overview of current assessment techniques and treatment
approaches relevant to stress and anxiety disorders; mood and
dissociative disorders, eating and addictive disorders, personality
and sexual disorders, psychotic disorders; and organic and developmental
disorders. The course concludes with an overview of contemporary
issues in abnormal psychology and a Canadian perspective on legal
and ethical issues. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
440
Special Projects in Career Development 2
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 443 and PSYC 300 (or CADE 403 and CADE 300) (or equivalent), and
competence in organized, written English at the 400 level.
Precluded course: PSYC 440 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 404.
This course is designed to explore a career development topic
of interest in more depth than is provided in the balance of the
University Certificate in Career Development program. Topics are
chosen in consultation with the course instructor. Students are
expected to have worked as career development practitioners for
several years, have familiarity with career development theory,
and have the competence to express their reflections in writing
at the senior undergraduate level. The paper submitted in this
course is to be original work, and not the basis of credit awarded
in another career development course. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
441
Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice 1
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 300 (or CADE 300) or equivalent. Learners are expected
to have worked as career development practitioners for several years
and have the competence to express their reflections in writing
at the senior undergraduate level. The focus of learning in the
miniportfolio in PSYC 441 must be clearly separate from the focus
in PSYC 442. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same learning.
Precluded course: PSYC 441 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 401.
Colloquially, experiential learning has come to mean learning
that takes place outside of formal education and the classroom.
This reading course is designed for practitioners who have been
involved in experiential learning related to their work in career
development. Insights gained from the workplace can be combined
with learning acquired from seminars, workshops, private study,
travel, hobbies or other forms of informal learning. The course
is evaluated on a case-study basis through production of a miniportfolio
describing and documenting the integration of theory and practice
in career development. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
442
Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice 2
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 300 (or CADE 300) or equivalent. Learners are expected
to have worked as career development practitioners for several years
and have the competence to express their reflections in writing
at the senior undergraduate level. The focus of learning in the
miniportfolio in PSYC 442 must be clearly separate from the focus
in PSYC 441. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same learning.
Precluded course: PSYC 442 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 402.
Colloquially, experiential learning has come to mean learning
that takes place outside of formal education and the classroom.
This reading course is designed for practitioners who have been
involved in experiential learning related to their work in career
development. Insights gained from the workplace can be combined
with learning acquired from seminars, workshops, private study,
travel, hobbies or other forms of informal learning. The course
is evaluated on a case-study basis through production of a miniportfolio
describing and documenting the integration of theory and practice
in career development.
PSYC
443
Special Projects in Career Development 1
3ReadingSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Prerequisite: PSYC 300 (or CADE 300) or its equivalent, and competence
in organized, written English at the 400 level.
Precluded course: PSYC 443 cannot be taken for credit if
credit has already been obtained for CADE 403.
This course is designed to explore a career development topic
of interest in more depth than is provided in the balance of the
University Certificate in Career Development program. Topics are
chosen in consultation with the course instructor. Students are
expected to have worked as career development practitioners for
several years, have familiarity with career development theory,
and have the competence to express their reflections in writing
at the senior undergraduate level. The paper submitted in this
course is to be original work, and not the basis of credit awarded
in another career development course.
PSYC
470
Consultation and Collaboration for Students with Special Needs
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Video
component.
Prerequisite: Previous course work in special education or
experience teaching children with special needs is strongly recommended.
PSYC 470's main emphasis is on understanding
collaborative consultation as a process to enable people with
diverse expertise to work together to generate solutions for educating
students with special education needs in regular public school
classrooms. Topics range from the foundations of consultation
and collaboration, structural elements, dimensions of a team approach,
and problem solving, to communication, management, and strategies
for implementation. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
471
Managing Behaviour Problems in the Classroom
3Social Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study. Online-enhanced.
Video
component.
Prerequisite: Previous course work in special education or
experience teaching children with special needs is strongly recommended.
PSYC 471 is a senior-level course that will assist
teachers to deal with children with behaviour difficulties in
the classroom. The course provides background information on assessment
and intervention methodology and presents specific intervention
strategies dealing with broad categories of problem behaviours
such as disruptive behaviour, aggressive behaviour, school survival
skills and social skills, stereotypic behaviours, attention problems,
and psychiatric problems. The online
course materials are available.
PSYC
472, 473, or 474
Topics in Special Education
1 eachSocial Science
Delivery Mode: Individualized
study.
Prerequisite: Professor approval.
This series of one-credit courses is offered
in conjunction with conference and/or professional development
activities completed independently by the student. Students will
select presentations from conference or professional development
activities that are of interest and relevant to their own professional/learning
interests. After discussion with the course professor, students
will attend 12 to 13 hours of conference presentations and complete
a follow-up assignment. The first time students register in this
series they will register in PSYC 472; second registration PSYC
473; and the third registration PSYC 474. Students may earn a
total of three credits if they complete the entire series.
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