General Education Courses

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. A comprehensive introduction to psychoactive drugs. Topics include pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, synaptic transmission, drugs of abuse and drugs used in the treatment of mental disorders, and the behavioral and cognitive effects of these drugs. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. A comprehensive introduction to psychoactive drugs. Topics include pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, synaptic transmission, drugs of abuse and drugs used in the treatment of mental disorders, and the behavioral and cognitive effects of these drugs. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. This course covers the biological underpinnings of psychiatric mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and developmental disorders. Topics will include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, genetics and biologically based treatments of mental disorders. Students will learn about biologically based research methods used to study mental disorders and to think critically about research findings in the field. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the biopsychology track. This course covers the biological underpinnings of psychiatric mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and developmental disorders. Topics will include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, genetics and biologically based treatments of mental disorders. Students will learn about biologically based research methods used to study mental disorders and to think critically about research findings in the field. Students will be expected to be able to write at an upper level using APA format.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the field of clinical psychology, including the way in which it is similar to and different from other mental health disciplines (psychiatry, social work, school psychology). The course will cover the basic foundations of clinical psychology, training models and graduate programs, clinical assessment, clinical interventions, and subspecialties in clinical psychology (e.g., neuropsychology, child clinical).

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the field of clinical psychology, including the way in which it is similar to and different from other mental health disciplines (psychiatry, social work, school psychology). The course will cover the basic foundations of clinical psychology, training models and graduate programs, clinical assessment, clinical interventions, and subspecialties in clinical psychology (e.g., neuropsychology, child clinical).

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. This course is intended for students in the psychology major to develop knowledge of psychological testing theory, methods, and applications. Students will first learn about the history of psychological testing, types of tests, and uses of tests. Students will learn about test development and standardization procedures including item construction, sampling, norms, reliability, validity, administration procedures, and scoring. A brief review of relevant statistical concepts will be provided. Students will learn how to locate and evaluate available psychological tests. Examples of psychological tests from various areas of application will be reviewed and critiqued.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. This course is intended for students in the psychology major to develop knowledge of psychological testing theory, methods, and applications. Students will first learn about the history of psychological testing, types of tests, and uses of tests. Students will learn about test development and standardization procedures including item construction, sampling, norms, reliability, validity, administration procedures, and scoring. A brief review of relevant statistical concepts will be provided. Students will learn how to locate and evaluate available psychological tests. Examples of psychological tests from various areas of application will be reviewed and critiqued.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. Students will learn the strengths and weaknesses of the major therapeutic approaches. They will learn the efficacy of these approaches. They will learn the theoretical and research bases for the approaches. As much as possible, application to real life situations will be discussed. Part of the clinical track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the clinical track. Students will learn the strengths and weaknesses of the major therapeutic approaches. They will learn the efficacy of these approaches. They will learn the theoretical and research bases for the approaches. As much as possible, application to real life situations will be discussed. Part of the clinical track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course reviews current research in the areas of memory and attention. This course will consider such memory topics as: classic theories of memory, Baddeley’s model of working memory, in-formation processing, implicit and explicit memory, principles of forgetting, developmental changes in memory, skill memory, autobiographical memory, eyewitness memory, and the neural bases of memory. Attention topics covered in this course will include: Selective and divided attention, search and vigilance, signal detection theory, and neural correlates of attention.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course reviews current research in the areas of memory and attention. This course will consider such memory topics as: classic theories of memory, Baddeley’s model of working memory, in-formation processing, implicit and explicit memory, principles of forgetting, developmental changes in memory, skill memory, autobiographical memory, eyewitness memory, and the neural bases of memory. Attention topics covered in this course will include: Selective and divided attention, search and vigilance, signal detection theory, and neural correlates of attention.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course examines the structure of human language and its relationship to thought, and surveys contemporary theory and research on the comprehension and production of spoken and written language. In addition, we will discuss categorization, representation of knowledge, expertise, consciousness, intelligence, and artificial intelligence. Topics on language and thought in non-human animals may also be covered. Part of the cognitive track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course examines the structure of human language and its relationship to thought, and surveys contemporary theory and research on the comprehension and production of spoken and written language. In addition, we will discuss categorization, representation of knowledge, expertise, consciousness, intelligence, and artificial intelligence. Topics on language and thought in non-human animals may also be covered. Part of the cognitive track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course explores judgment, decision-making and problem-solving processes and focuses on the social and cognitive aspects of complex information processing. Major topics include normative, descriptive (heuristics and biases), and naturalistic approaches to decision-making, as well as selective perception, memory and hindsight biases, framing effects, social influences, group processes and human error. Models of decision-making considered include the prospect theory, expected utility theory, and Bayes’ Theorem. Problem solving will be examined from perspectives of formal, computational methods as well as intuition and creativity. Experimental methods and applications in design of systems and decision aids will receive special attention.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the cognitive track. This course explores judgment, decision-making and problem-solving processes and focuses on the social and cognitive aspects of complex information processing. Major topics include normative, descriptive (heuristics and biases), and naturalistic approaches to decision-making, as well as selective perception, memory and hindsight biases, framing effects, social influences, group processes and human error. Models of decision-making considered include the prospect theory, expected utility theory, and Bayes’ Theorem. Problem solving will be examined from perspectives of formal, computational methods as well as intuition and creativity. Experimental methods and applications in design of systems and decision aids will receive special attention.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on visual perception and the methods used for studying sensation and perception. Structures in the human and other visual systems will be examined along with neurophysiology relevant to vision in particular and perception in general. Classical psychophysics, forced choice methods, staircases and other specialized techniques will be examined. Students will collect and analyze psychophysical data to demonstrate their understanding of the methods and their application in vision science. Part of the visual perception track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on visual perception and the methods used for studying sensation and perception. Structures in the human and other visual systems will be examined along with neurophysiology relevant to vision in particular and perception in general. Classical psychophysics, forced choice methods, staircases and other specialized techniques will be examined. Students will collect and analyze psychophysical data to demonstrate their understanding of the methods and their application in vision science. Part of the visual perception track for the psychology degree program.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the surface properties of objects, including color, form and other attributes. The course will examine how information is encoded by the visual system, with an emphasis on recognizing objects in scenes and surfaces. Receptive field properties, parallel processing in vision, the binding problem and other issues in vision science will be presented and discussed. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350 Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the surface properties of objects, including color, form and other attributes. The course will examine how information is encoded by the visual system, with an emphasis on recognizing objects in scenes and surfaces. Receptive field properties, parallel processing in vision, the binding problem and other issues in vision science will be presented and discussed. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350 Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the three-dimensional space, including the perception of depth and motion. This course will examine how sensory data are used to produce an accurate representation of the world. This course will include some discussion of multimodal perception given the interactions that occur between audition, touch, and vision to produce a 3D representation. Topics will include receptive field properties in relevant areas of cortex, parallel processing in vision, the uncertainty of extracting accurate 3D properties from 2D input and related material. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350-Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course is intended for students in the visual perception track. The course focuses on the perception of the three-dimensional space, including the perception of depth and motion. This course will examine how sensory data are used to produce an accurate representation of the world. This course will include some discussion of multimodal perception given the interactions that occur between audition, touch, and vision to produce a 3D representation. Topics will include receptive field properties in relevant areas of cortex, parallel processing in vision, the uncertainty of extracting accurate 3D properties from 2D input and related material. The course requires students to read primary sources and to gain some experience with the design of experiments. Empirical research in vision will be conducted including data collection and analysis. Students are recommended to take PSYC-350-Visual System and Psychophysics before this course, but it is not required.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course examines the ways in which people deviate from typical development throughout the lifespan. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like developmental disabilities, disorders of aging, disruptive behavior disorders, or the effects of maltreatment on development. This course is part of the developmental track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course examines the ways in which people deviate from typical development throughout the lifespan. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like developmental disabilities, disorders of aging, disruptive behavior disorders, or the effects of maltreatment on development. This course is part of the developmental track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course takes an in-depth look at some of the normative processes of human social and emotional development. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like parenting and family relationships, social development and peer relationships, or adolescent social and emotional development. This course is part of the Developmental Track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course takes an in-depth look at some of the normative processes of human social and emotional development. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like parenting and family relationships, social development and peer relationships, or adolescent social and emotional development. This course is part of the Developmental Track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course takes an in-depth look at the processes of perception and cognition as they develop over the lifespan. Drawing on basic research and theory, we will use a developmental perspective to study changes in perception and cognition. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like sensory awareness, perceptual learning, object representation, causality, language, theory of mind, memory, or problem solving. This course is part of the Developmental Track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course takes an in-depth look at the processes of perception and cognition as they develop over the lifespan. Drawing on basic research and theory, we will use a developmental perspective to study changes in perception and cognition. The specific course content will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor, but might include topics like sensory awareness, perceptual learning, object representation, causality, language, theory of mind, memory, or problem solving. This course is part of the Developmental Track for psychology majors.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This interdisciplinary course introduces the student to the key concepts of public policy, the policymaking process, the role of stakeholders and interest groups, and the basic dimensions policy analysis. Those concepts are then applied through a range of issues, such as the environment, clean energy, climate change, healthcare, cybersecurity, employment, privacy, telecommunications, and innovation, at local, state, federal and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This interdisciplinary course introduces the student to the key concepts of public policy, the policymaking process, the role of stakeholders and interest groups, and the basic dimensions policy analysis. Those concepts are then applied through a range of issues, such as the environment, clean energy, climate change, healthcare, cybersecurity, employment, privacy, telecommunications, and innovation, at local, state, federal and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students the understanding of the concepts of public policy formation and implementation, the role of citizens, other stakeholders, and interest groups. Students will engage in analysis of a wide array of contemporary socio-economic issues, through structured writing assignments and class presentations. The course content is structured to provide students with the skills to increase their writing proficiency, and the opportunities to publicly communicate and defend their ideas.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students the understanding of the concepts of public policy formation and implementation, the role of citizens, other stakeholders, and interest groups. Students will engage in analysis of a wide array of contemporary socio-economic issues, through structured writing assignments and class presentations. The course content is structured to provide students with the skills to increase their writing proficiency, and the opportunities to publicly communicate and defend their ideas.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course focuses on the connections and interplay between personal and social values, ethics, and public policy. It explores how values and norms influence public policies and how the resulting expressions of values through public policies impact the implementation and effectiveness of policy choices. It also delves into how different countries make widely different policy choices based on their citizens’ values and social norms. The course also considers how new developments in science and technology influence the interplay between values, ethics, and policy across multiple issues. In addition, this course explores how to formulate values-based explanations of certain public policy preferences. Topics range across the policy issue spectrum.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course focuses on the connections and interplay between personal and social values, ethics, and public policy. It explores how values and norms influence public policies and how the resulting expressions of values through public policies impact the implementation and effectiveness of policy choices. It also delves into how different countries make widely different policy choices based on their citizens’ values and social norms. The course also considers how new developments in science and technology influence the interplay between values, ethics, and policy across multiple issues. In addition, this course explores how to formulate values-based explanations of certain public policy preferences. Topics range across the policy issue spectrum.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course teaches the practical aspects of doing theoretically informed qualitative social research with policy applications. Special attention is given to the processes by which research problems are formulated, research designs selected, data gathered and interpreted, and inferences and conclusions drawn. A variety of tools, such as surveys, interviewing, and content analysis will be applied to specific case studies covering multiple policy issues.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course teaches the practical aspects of doing theoretically informed qualitative social research with policy applications. Special attention is given to the processes by which research problems are formulated, research designs selected, data gathered and interpreted, and inferences and conclusions drawn. A variety of tools, such as surveys, interviewing, and content analysis will be applied to specific case studies covering multiple policy issues.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students with necessary tools to help them become effective policy analysts. The course places particular emphasis on understanding the policy process, the different approaches to policy analysis, and the application of quantitative methods, such as cost-benefit analysis, sampling designs, and decision trees. Students will apply these tools to contemporary public policy decision making at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students with necessary tools to help them become effective policy analysts. The course places particular emphasis on understanding the policy process, the different approaches to policy analysis, and the application of quantitative methods, such as cost-benefit analysis, sampling designs, and decision trees. Students will apply these tools to contemporary public policy decision making at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students with an introduction to decision science and analysis. The course focuses on several important tools for making good decisions, including forecasting, risk analysis, and multi-attribute decision making. Students will apply these tools to contemporary public policy decision making at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides students with an introduction to decision science and analysis. The course focuses on several important tools for making good decisions, including forecasting, risk analysis, and multi-attribute decision making. Students will apply these tools to contemporary public policy decision making at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: Why are we still so bad at protecting computer systems? Is it because we don’t have good enough technology? Or because we lack sufficient economic incentives to implement that technology? Or because we implement technologies but then fail to use them correctly? Or because the laws governing computer security are so outdated? Or because our legal frameworks are ill-equipped to deal with an international threat landscape? All these reasons—and others— have been offered to explain why we seem to see more and more large-scale cybersecurity incidents and show no signs of getting better at preventing them. This course will examine the non-technical dimensions of this problem—the laws and other policy measures that govern computer security threats and incidents. We will focus primarily on U.S. policy but will also discuss relevant policies in the E.U. and China, as well as international tensions and norms. The central themes of the course will be the ways in which technical challenges in security can be influenced by the social, political, economic, and legal landscapes, and what it means to protect against cybersecurity threats not just by writing better code but also by writing better policies and laws.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: Why are we still so bad at protecting computer systems? Is it because we don’t have good enough technology? Or because we lack sufficient economic incentives to implement that technology? Or because we implement technologies but then fail to use them correctly? Or because the laws governing computer security are so outdated? Or because our legal frameworks are ill-equipped to deal with an international threat landscape? All these reasons—and others— have been offered to explain why we seem to see more and more large-scale cybersecurity incidents and show no signs of getting better at preventing them. This course will examine the non-technical dimensions of this problem—the laws and other policy measures that govern computer security threats and incidents. We will focus primarily on U.S. policy but will also discuss relevant policies in the E.U. and China, as well as international tensions and norms. The central themes of the course will be the ways in which technical challenges in security can be influenced by the social, political, economic, and legal landscapes, and what it means to protect against cybersecurity threats not just by writing better code but also by writing better policies and laws.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: Technological innovation, the incremental and revolutionary improvements in technology, has been a major driver in economic, social, military, and political change. This course will introduce generic models of innovation that span multiple sectors including: energy, environment, health, and bio- and information-technologies. The course also analyzes how governments choose policies, such as patents, to spur and shape innovation and its impacts on the economy and society. Students will be introduced to a global perspective on innovation policy including economic competitiveness, technology transfer and appropriate technology.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: Technological innovation, the incremental and revolutionary improvements in technology, has been a major driver in economic, social, military, and political change. This course will introduce generic models of innovation that span multiple sectors including: energy, environment, health, and bio- and information-technologies. The course also analyzes how governments choose policies, such as patents, to spur and shape innovation and its impacts on the economy and society. Students will be introduced to a global perspective on innovation policy including economic competitiveness, technology transfer and appropriate technology.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course examines how federal and international policies are developed to influence innovation in, and regulation of, information, computer, and telecommunications technologies. In particular the course will examine such topics as privacy, freedom of speech, cyber security, copyrights and intellectual property rights, access to information technology, and the regulation of the Internet.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course examines how federal and international policies are developed to influence innovation in, and regulation of, information, computer, and telecommunications technologies. In particular the course will examine such topics as privacy, freedom of speech, cyber security, copyrights and intellectual property rights, access to information technology, and the regulation of the Internet.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of energy resources, technologies, and policies designed to ensure clean, stable supplies of energy for the future. The course evaluates the impacts of fossil fuel, renewable energy, and hydrogen technologies on society and how public policies can be used to influence their development. The development of U.S. energy policy is of particular concern, although a global perspective will be integrated throughout the course.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of energy resources, technologies, and policies designed to ensure clean, stable supplies of energy for the future. The course evaluates the impacts of fossil fuel, renewable energy, and hydrogen technologies on society and how public policies can be used to influence their development. The development of U.S. energy policy is of particular concern, although a global perspective will be integrated throughout the course.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.

Course Description: This multidisciplinary course will provide students with diverse perspectives on global climate change issues, providing a survey of important aspects of the problem. Topics include atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling, ecological impacts and feedbacks, economics of climate change, international climate policies, and social and environmental justice. The course will include a variety of instructors and guest lecturers, providing an overview of the complex and inter-related nature of global climate change.

For prerequisites, availability, other details and to register, go to http://sis.rit.edu/.