Online Graduate Psychology Preparatory Courses

This course presents a broad overview of the realm of abnormal psychology. Students will examine and review critically the cultural construction of mental health and illness, the history of psychiatric diagnosis, and the major historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives regarding the diagnosis, causes, and treatment of abnormal behavior. The course also introduces students to the major categories of child and adult mental disorders and the current North American system of psychiatric classification and nomenclature as illustrated in the most current edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V). 

This course fulfills the Abnormal Psychology pre-requisite for our PsyD Clinical program.

Instructor: Caroline Miller, PsyD
Course Textbook: Kring A,M., Johnson, S.L., Davison, G.C., & Neale, J.M. (2014). Abnormal Psychology, (12th Ed-DSM-5 Update). New York: Wiley. ISBN#: 9781118640883

This course offers an exploration of a person's development throughout the lifespan. This exploration plays particular attention to the wide variety of the human experience and to cultural variations. A developmental perspective tracks neurobiological, cognitive, affective, psychomotor and intra an interpersonal features of human growth. Key models of development representing psychodynamic, structural, behavioral and cognitive schools of thought will be reviewed as well as current trends in developmental research.

This course fulfills the Developmental Psychology pre-requisite for our PsyD Clinical program.

Instructor: Ronda Goodale, PhD
Course Textbook: Feldman, Robert (2018). Discovering the Life Span. 4th Edition.

This course introduces the student to the concept and study of human personality and presents a survey and critical review of the major theories in the field, including their historical bases, core tenets and concepts, strengths, weaknesses, current status, and major applications. Among the approaches covered are the psychodynamic, interpersonal, social, behavioral, humanistic, biological, and evolutionary.

This course fulfills the Personality Theories pre-requisite for our PsyD Clinical program.

Instructor: Aimee Yermish, PsyD
Course Textbook: Sollod, R.N., Wilson, J.P., & Monte, C.F. (2009). Beneath the mask: An introduction to theories of personality. New York: Wiley. ISBN#: 978-0-471-72412-4