Psychology & Human Development - Curriculum

Conceptual Framework:
The concentration in Psychology and Human Development focuses on the growth and development of individuals through the life course.  In this broad field of inquiry, you will be supported by your faculty advisor to develop a plan of study that focuses on those aspects of psychology that are the most interesting and relevant to you. This concentration is ideal for those who wish to develop a career in the human services or who simply are fascinated by the psychological dimensions of life. Along the way you will be encouraged to explore life experience, formulate relevant questions, and learn how these questions can be conceptualized and examined from a psychological perspective.

The Psychology and Human Development concentration encourages a multidisciplinary approach to the examination of psychological questions.  This means that you will have the freedom to look at other fields of study (e.g. history, literature, art, spirituality, ecology) from a psychological perspective.  Learners who are particularly interested in entering the helping professions can focus their studies in the clinical direction, often directly applying the rich life and work experiences that adults typically bring to their studies.

Like all of the concentrations in the Union’s BA, the curriculum in this concentration is driven by and emerges from your interests and questions.  We support the emergence of your unique plan of study by helping you to develop core knowledge in history, theories and concepts, methods, controversies and applications of field of psychology.  Our aim is to provide you with an educational experience that will provide a confident and broad grasp of the field as well as a deepened connection to your own place within it.

Throughout your studies, you will be encouraged to explore questions within the following domains of core knowledge

• History – Studies in this area include developing an understanding of the development of psychology as a field of study, situating it with respect to other disciplinary approaches.
• Theories and Concepts — Studies in this area include examining theoretical systems, philosophical underpinnings, and key ideas in the field of psychology generally or the specific topic addressed in an individual study.
• Methods — Studies in this area involve the development of questions and hypotheses appropriate to psychological inquiry and the tools for constructing knowledge – for example, observational and experimental methods, uses of interviews, surveys, questionnaires, tests, etc.
• Controversies — Studies in this area recognize multiple perspectives and approaches within psychology and between psychology and related fields. Where are there disagreements within this field of study and between psychology and other fields? What are the social, ethical, and historical relevance of these controversies?
• Applications — Studies in this area involve the study of methods aimed at ameliorating individual and social problems through psychological understanding and intervention.

History, theories, methods, controversies and applications may be understood and elaborated through an array of study topics.  Several core areas of knowledge are often included in one study project.  The following are some examples of study topics that students have developed within the concentration.

• Abnormal Psychology: Conventional and Holistic Approaches
• Nature/Nurture in Child Development and Beyond
• The Psychology of Spirituality
• Jungian Psychology: Theory and Method
• Consciousness and Language: What are the Connections?
• Maternal Addiction and Poverty: Exploring the Psychology of Social Oppression
• Autism: Diagnosis and Therapy
• Behavioral Therapy Approaches: Comparing ABA and CBT
• The Psychology of Stress: Exploring Stress and its Consequences
• The Psychology of War and Pacifism
• Studies in Female Identity: Exploring Women’s Rites of Passage
• Psychology of Gender Differences
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Spiritual Autobiography: Narrative and Post-Formal Adult Development
• Early Childhood Development
• Adolescent Psychology: Risks and Resiliency
• Learning Differences/Disabilities
• Psychoanalysis: An In-depth Review
• The Psychology of Mindful Parenting
• Contemplative Psychology: An East –West Dialog
• Developmental Neuropsychology: Brain Development Across the Lifespan
• Creative Leadership: Psychological Principles Applied
• Exploring Mediation: Alternatives to Psychotherapy
• Strength-based Approaches to Therapy