The counseling minor can complement any major at the college. Counseling minors may not minor in Psychology or Social Welfare. Psychology and Social Work majors complete six additional courses that are not counted toward the major. 1,2 Students majoring in another area
complete seven courses.  

The Counseling Minor for Students not Majoring in Psychology or Social Work:
Psychology 130: General Psychology
Social Work 101: Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
Social Work 102: Social Work Field Experience
Counseling 301:  Evidence-Based Practice
Psychology 465:  Abnormal Psychology
Psychology 468:  Introduction to Counseling
One 200-level course selected from the following:  Social Work 204, Psychology 240, Psychology 241, Psychology 243, Psychology 249, Psychology 270.

The Counseling Minor with a Psychology Major:
Psychology 130: General Psychology
Social Work 101: Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
Social Work 102:  Social Work Field Experience
Social Work 204: Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
Counseling 301: Evidence-Based Practice
Psychology 465: Abnormal Psychology
Psychology 468: Introduction to Counseling 1

Psychology majors take PSYC 130 and could take PSYC 465 and PSYC 468 for the major. Therefore, Psychology majors complete SW 204. Psychology majors who complete PSYC 465 or PSYC 468 as part of the major must select an additional course to substitute for each, which can be Psychology courses not counting toward the major or SW 201, 303, or 304. 

The Counseling Minor with a Social Work Major:
Psychology 130: General Psychology
Social Work 101: Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
Social Work 102: Social Work Field Experience
Counseling 301: Evidence-Based Practice
Psychology 465: Abnormal Psychology
Psychology 468:  Introduction to Counseling
Two 200-level courses selected from the following:  Psychology 240, Psychology 241, Psychology 243, Psychology 249, Psychology 270.
Social Work majors take SW 101 and SW 102 for the major.  Therefore, Social Work majors take two 200-level psychology courses.

Counseling Course
COUNSELING 301 Evidence-Based Practice
2 hours
Prerequisites: PSYC 130; One 200-Level Psychology Course from Among PSYC 240, 241, 243, 249 or 270; SW 101; and SW 102

This course will explore how and why helping professions are increasingly driven by demands for accountability through evidence-based practices and will help students prepare for future workplace expectations. Students will investigate methods of generating, applying and evaluating evidence-based practices, and develop knowledge and skills through state-certified formal training in essential areas of practice (such as Court-Appointed Special Advocate, Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution, Mandatory Reporter, and HIPAA). This course will review evidence supporting the training and biopsychosocial factors contributing to the problems addressed (e.g., substance abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence, epidemics). Students will select training(s) from a pre-approved list and will process their experiences through concurrent class seminars. Due to the logistical differences in training formats (e.g., in-person on campus, synchronous and asynchronous online formats, community-based training,etc.), students should expect to spend between 10-15 hours in formal training, approximately half of which will be in lieu of class time. While completion of the self-selected training course(s) is expected, there may be occasions for approved exceptions due to individual student response, or unanticipated external factors. Course grades will reflect progress in achieving the stated learning objectives.

Psychology Courses
PSYC 130 General Psychology
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior—Social Science Methods

An introduction to the field of psychology intended for both majors and non-majors. Topics covered include social processes, personality, emotional disorders, development, thinking, testing, learning, motivation, perception, psychobiology, and animal behavior. This course is prerequisite to all other psychology courses.

PSYC 240 Developmental Psychology
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: PSYC 130

Developmental psychology is the branch of psychology that studies how people change as they age. This course focuses on the description, prediction, and explanation of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of age-related change, from conception to old age.

PSYC 241 Psychology of Health and Illness
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: PSYC 130

This course deals with the scientific and professional contributions of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health; the prevention and treatment of illness; and the identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness, and related dysfunctions.

PSYC 243 Personality and Individual Differences
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: PSYC 130
An examination of the major psychological approaches to personality and topics such as cognitive ability, attitudes, and other latent structures underlying consistencies in behavior.

This course will explore the biological basis of behavior through the fields of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. The focus is on how the brain regulates human behavior, with emphasis on particular psychological topics such as developmental processes, perceptual processes, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, thinking, and disorders; as well as biological topics such as neural communication, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology. Recent research is discussed in terms of its applications to understanding human behavior and brain disorders.

PSYC 270 Psychology and Aging
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: PSYC 130
This course is designed to examine psychological aspects of growing older in the 21st century. Students will be introduced to the current methodologies used to study aging as we explore the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes in individuals over the age of 60. The lecture, readings and assignments will address a range of topics that include expected versus abnormal changes in memory, creativity, the shifting roles of the elderly in family and society, and coping with illness and loss. In light of the fact that individuals over the age of 85 are the fastest- growing segment of the global population, and that the majority are women (approximately 2:1), we will also study changes associated with gender roles and sexuality during our later years. A major goal for this course is to foster a clearer understanding of the processes associated with normal aging and to dispel a number of the stereotypes that surround this time of life. (Same as WGST 270)

PSYC 380 Psychology Internship
4 hours
Prerequisites: PSYC 130, a 200-level psych course and junior status

PSYC 465 Abnormal Psychology
4 hours
Prerequisites: PSYC 130, a 200-level psych course, SW 301 and at least junior status. An examination of the major psychological disorders including depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, psychosomatic disorders, organic disorders, and the disorders of childhood. Emphasis is placed on the description and classification of psychopathology and on the research relating to etiology and treatment.

PSYC 468 Introduction to Counseling
4 hours
Prerequisites: PSYC 130 and 465
An introduction to models of counseling with emphasis on selected processes and skills necessary to apply the models in a variety of settings. One class meeting per week is devoted to practice of skills. Other topics include professional ethics and the efficacy of major models of counseling.

Social Work Courses
SW 101 Introduction to Social Work and Social Justice
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
A survey course covering the development of the social welfare institution and the social work profession in the United States. Included is information on how social welfare and social work impact diverse populations, populations at risk, and promotion of social and economic justice in our society. Content on social work values and ethics is interspersed throughout the course.

SW 102 Social Work Field Experience
4 hours
Full time supervised field experience as a participant-observer in a social service agency.

SW 201 Fundamentals of Social Work Practice I
4 hours
Prerequisites: SW 101 or SW 102 and declared social work major
An introduction to the generalist method of social work practice that includes the study and practice of basic counseling skills. This course provides a foundation model for social work practice which is built and expanded upon in SW 301 and SW 401.

SW 204 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: SW 101
This course focuses on theories of human behavior and the interaction between behavior and the social environment. The course develops a conceptual framework for social work practice by examining knowledge and theory related to the development of human behavior across the life span in relation to individuals' emotional, spiritual, physical, intellectual, social and cultural contexts. A life cycle approach is used to understand the experience of individuals in their environment and explore theories of human behavior and responses to life cycle challenges. Human diversity, global perspectives, and an ecosystems approach to understanding human behavior are emphasized.

SW 303 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
4 hours
Fulfills: Human Behavior
Prerequisites: SW 101
This course describes how organizations, communities, society and the natural environment impact individuals, families, and groups. A social justice lens will be used to understand the dynamic interaction among systems in the macro social environment. A key focus is on the interplay between human behavior and the physical, social and political environment. Special attention is given to global perspectives, issues of human diversity in macro or self-examination in relation to ethical and human diversity issues.