Curriculum

All first-year graduate students will begin their careers at Washington State University with the assumption that they have had the following undergraduate courses or acceptable equivalents (either through undergraduate or previous graduate work): research methods/experimental design, statistics, biological psychology, cognition/learning or sensation/perception, and social/personality. Those who are lacking appropriate background in these areas (as determined by the DET when they enter the program) must remedy the deficiency by one of the following methods:

1. Take a graduate course in the deficient area(s), with the consultation and consent of the instructor;
2. Take (or in some cases audit) an undergraduate course in the area(s);
3. Other method, with the approval of the DET. The principal objective is to work out a plan for meeting the assumption of basic knowledge so that the student can succeed in advanced courses.

The following was adopted as a general policy by the faculty in the Psychology Department: “All resident candidates for a graduate degree in psychology are required each semester to be involved in research, teaching, and/or clinic assistance. The level of involvement is expected to be 20 hours per week. This requirement applies to each student, whether or not the student holds an assistantship appointment. Exceptions to this policy may be made only by the Department Chair.” The implication of this policy for students in Experimental Psychology is that they will be involved in research as soon as they enter the program. This may involve participating in ongoing research projects in their major advisor’s laboratory, developing their own research interests in collaboration with appropriate faculty, beginning work on a Master’s Thesis, or some other involvement, depending on the student’s needs, goals, previous experience, and other circumstances. The faculty consider research to be the most important activity for an experimental psychologist, and graduate students should expect to be involved in research at all times throughout their graduate careers.

Although students typically enter the program assigned to work with a particular faculty advisor, the DET may serve as a secondary advisor for all new students in the program, or at any time during their graduate training in which students would like to consult with another faculty member. If a student wishes to switch major advisors, the DET should be consulted before any actions are taken, and necessary forms will need to be filed with the Graduate School.

The program requires that the student work closely with their major faculty advisor. The advisor will chair the student’s Master’s and Doctoral Committees. By the end of the second semester in residence, the student will meet with their advisor and plan the remaining years of their program. While it is not required that the student keep the same major advisor throughout their graduate career, maximum continuity of training is achieved when the Master’s committee chairperson (if applicable) also serves as the Doctoral Committee chairperson. Students are strongly encouraged to maintain regular contact with their advisor at all stages of their training, and to regularly ask for feedback regarding performance expectations.

Core requirements

The following is the usual curriculum for graduate students in the Experimental Psychology program. It assumes that the student has no previous graduate training in psychology and that the student is on a half-time teaching or research assistantship or its equivalent. Exceptions to these assumptions will require appropriate adjustments.

Students who enter the program with previous graduate course experience may request their graduate records be evaluated by the DET, who, in consultation with relevant faculty members and major faculty advisor(s), will determine which requirements have been met, which courses to transfer, and an appropriate first-year schedule. No more than 13 credits of relevant graded coursework completed in another graduate program may be applied to the PhD program of study. Students who wish to have graduate-level courses and/or their Master’s thesis evaluated, should submit detailed syllabi and/or a completed thesis document to the DET and graduate coordinator for possible transfer consideration (typically by June 1 prior to starting the program). To be evaluated as equivalent, a syllabus is required for each course you want to transfer, you must have received at least a B in the course (or A- for first year statistics courses), and it must be recorded on your official transcript from an accredited graduate institution. Students should communicate with the DET early to request an exception if the June 1 deadlines is not feasible. Only well-written theses based on empirical research will be acceptable.

Master’s degree

A master’s degree requires completion of at least 30 credit hours of coursework, including a minimum of 21 hours of graded coursework plus a minimum of 4 credit hours of Psych 700 (Master’s Research). The student must sign up for at least 1 credit of Psych 700 each semester until the thesis is completed, and 2 credits of Psych 700 the semester of the thesis defense.

• Required coursework for the MS degree includes completion of at least 5 graded courses under the Experimental Program’s core requirements as noted below (items A. Required Graded Courses and B. Core Graded Electives).

Doctoral degree

The doctoral degree requires completion of at least 72 credit hours of coursework (including those earned under the Master’s program of study), including a minimum of 26 hours of graded coursework and a minimum of 20 hours of Psych 800 (Dissertation Research). The student must sign up for at least 1 credit of Psych 800 each semester until the dissertation is completed, and at least 2 credits of Psych 800 the semesters of the preliminary exam and dissertation defense. Note that to earn the required minimum of 20 Psych 800 credits, a student will need to register for more than 1-2 credits each semester.

• Required coursework for the doctoral degree includes completion of at least 6 graded courses under the Experimental Program’s core requirements as noted below in the “Required Graded Courses” and the “Core Graded Electives.”

All students must complete the Experimental Program’s core requirements. These include 6 graded courses:

A. Required graded courses

The following 3 graded courses are required of ALL students:

• Psych 504: History of Psychology: Theoretical and Scientific Foundations (3 credits)
• Psych 511: Experimental Designs, T-tests, and Analysis of Variance (3 credits; see note below)
• Psych 512: Non-Experimental Designs, Correlation, and Regression (3 credits; see note below)

Note: Psych 511 and 512 must be taken during the first year and a grade of B or better must be obtained.

B. Core graded electives

From the following 8 graded courses, students must choose at least 2 courses for the MS and 3 courses for the PhD:

• Psych 530 or 540: Bioethics (2 credits) or Ethics for Social Scientists (3 credits)
• Psych 519: Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 credits)
• Psych 523: Health Psychology (3 credits)
• Psych 529: Occupational Health Psychology (3 credits)
• Psych 550: Social Psychology (3 credits)
• Psych 574: Clinical and Experimental Biopsychology (3 credits)
• Psych 592: Cognition and Affective Basis of Behavior (3 credits)

Note: These courses are typically offered on two-year rotation schedules, so you are encouraged to take courses as soon as they become available.

C. Current Research in Psychology (Psych 506)

All first-year students (pre or post MS) are required to complete two semesters the first year. This is a one-credit, non-graded (Spring/Fall) seminar.

D. Teaching Introductory Psychology (Psych 505)

All first year Pullman-based students [P] who will be supported on a teaching assistantship while enrolled in the program are required to take this course in the Spring of Year 1 and Fall of Year 2. Vancouver-based students interested in teaching are also welcome to take this course. This is a non-graded (Spring/Fall) seminar.

E. Introduction to Online Instruction (Psych 510)

All students supported on teaching assistantships (any campus) are required to take this course the Spring of their first year if supported on a teaching assistantship. This course is required before a student (on any campus) can serve as a Global Campus instructor for Psychology which is often offered as a means of financial support for Pullman students during summer. This course is only offered Spring semesters. This is a one-credit, non-graded (Spring/Fall) seminar. 

Course Requirements and Information for Pre-Masters Students

Students must register for 10 credits each semester (or more, if one credit of Psych 700 increases the total above 10). The difference between 10 total credits required and the number earned from coursework are credits earned for research (Psych 700 credits); thus, after the first year, most students enroll in fewer course credits and more Psych 700 credits.

The Master’s degree requires 21 hours of graded coursework before or during the semester in which the final thesis defense (T2) is conducted. The 5 required courses for the MS yield 15 graded credit hours. Thus, students must complete 6 credits of additional graded credits (2 additional 3-credit courses) before or during the semester of the thesis defense to earn the required 21 graded credits. Students are encouraged to choose additional elective core courses as this is required for the PhD. However, students may also choose non-core elective credits to meet the requirement for 21 graded credits. Therefore, students must complete Psych 504, Psych 511, and Psych 512; at least two core electives (under item B above); and at least 2 additional graded 3-credit courses to receive their MS.

Students who leave campus before the T2 is completed and need to return for an oral defense must register for 2 credits of Psych 700 during the semester in which the defense is conducted. The student will be responsible for paying the tuition fees associated with these 2 credits if they are not on an assistantship.

Recommended courses for first-year students entering without an approved Master’s degree

Psych 506, Psych 511 and Psych 512 must be completed during the first year.

Fall semester, First year:

• Psych 506 (1 credit, pass/fail)
• Psych 511 (3 credits, graded)
• Psych 504 (3 credits, graded)
• Additional core elective (3 credits, graded)
• Psych 700 (1 credit, pass/fail)

Spring semester, First year:

• Psych 506 (1 credit, pass/fail)
• Psych 512 (3 credits, graded)
• Additional core electives and/or other electives (3 credits, graded)
• Psych 505 (1 credit, pass/fail, Pullman students)
• Psych 510 (1 credit, pass/fail)
• Psych 700 (1+ credit, pass/fail)

Course requirements and information for post-Master’s students

Students must register for 10 credits each semester (or more, if one credit of Psych 800 increases the total above 10). The difference between 10 total credits required and the number earned from coursework are credits earned for research, Psych 800; thus, most students at the post-master’s level enroll in fewer course credits and more Psych 800 credits.

The doctoral degree requires 26 hours of graded coursework. Thus, students must complete an additional 5-6 graded credits of electives (in addition to the 21 credits required for the master’s degree). Students must complete Psych 504, Psych 511, and Psych 512; and three core graded electives (under item B above) to receive their PhD. Therefore, if the student did not take all three graded core electives (under item B above) during the master’s program of study, at least one course must be from that category. Students must have 6 or fewer remaining credits to complete during the semester of the Preliminary Exam. All students must register for Psych 800 credits during each semester after the MS is completed (at least 20 Psych 800 credits total by the time of the D2).

Students who leave campus before their final dissertation defense (D2) is completed and need to return for an oral defense must register for 2 credits of Psych 800 during the semester in which the defense is conducted. The student will be responsible for paying the tuition fees associated with these 2 credits if they are not on an assistantship.

If entering the program with an approved Master’s degree, students must take Psych 506, Psych 511, and Psych 512 during the first year unless transfer credits have been approved. Students should aim to complete as much graded course work as possible in the first year so as to not delay progress of completing the preliminary exam (which requires no more than 6 graded credits remaining).

Recommended courses by area of concentration

* Refers to courses students are expected to take for specific specialty areas

Electives for ALL students (required for those on assistantships)

• Psych 505: Teaching Introduction to Psychology (Spring, Fall)
• Psych 510: Introduction to Online Instruction (Spring only)

Recommended courses for students in Biopsychology:

• Psych 574: Clinical and Experimental Biopsychology (required for students in this specialty area)
• Psych 592: Cognition and Affective Basis of Behavior (required for students in this specialty area)
• Neurosci 404 or 430: Neuroanatomy or Principles of Neurophysiology
• Neurosci 504: Affective Neuroscience
• Neurosci 520: Fundamentals of Neuroscience
• Neurosci 540-543: Special Topics in Neuroscience courses

Recommended courses for students in Cognition:

• Psych 592: Cognition and Affective Basis of Behavior (required for students in this specialty area)
• Psych 523: Health Psychology
• Psych 550: Social Psychology
• Psych 561: Human-Computer Interaction (cooperative with U of I) Psych 562: Advanced Human Factors (cooperative with U of I) Psych 574: Clinical and Experimental Biopsychology
• Psych 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling
• Ed Psych 575: Multilevel Modeling

Recommended courses for students in Health:

• Psych 523: Health Psychology (required for students in this specialty area)
• Psych 514: Psychometrics
• Psych 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling
• Psych 592: Cognition and Affective Basis of Behavior
• Ed Psych 575: Multilevel Modeling
• Psych 533: Adult Psychopathology
• Psych 574: Clinical and Experimental Biopsychology

Recommended courses for students in Industrial/Organizational:

• Psych 519: Industrial/Organizational Psychology (required for students in this specialty area)
• Psych 523: Health Psychology
• Psych 529: Occupational Health Psychology
• Psych 550: Social Psychology
• Psych 514: Psychometrics
• Psych 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling
• Ed Psych 575: Multilevel Modeling

Recommended courses for students in Social:

• Psych 550: Social Psychology (required for students in this specialty area)
• Psych 523: Health Psychology
• Psych 514: Psychometrics
• Psych 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling (or equivalent in HD or Ed Psych)
• Ed Psych 575: Multilevel Modeling
• Mktg 507: Consumer Behavior Theory
• Pol S 533: Topics in Political Psychology

Recommended electives for students interested in non-academic or industry careers

• Data 301: Introduction to R
• Data 302: Introduction to Python
• Data 303: Introduction to Structured Query Language
• Psych 514: Psychometrics
• Psych 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling
• Ed Psych 575: Multilevel Modeling
• Prev Sci 508: Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling
• Prev Sci 512: Finite and Growth Mixture Modeling
• Prev Sci 510: Multilevel Modeling II: Advanced Multilevel Models for Longitudinal Data

Graduate courses offered in Experimental Psychology

Below are the course numbers and descriptions of Experimental Psychology courses offered at Washington State University (or cooperatively at the University of Idaho). This list does not include most courses that belong to the Clinical Psychology program, although such courses are occasionally taken by Experimental Psychology students. Additionally, graduate students may take up to 6 credits of upper division undergraduate courses.

A complete listing of all graduate Psychology Department courses can be found in the Washington State University online catalog. Following each course description is a set of notes, the principal purpose of which is for intra-departmental reference. Such notes are used by faculty and students to provide clarification of the purpose and content of each course, and to help maintain continuity from year to year regarding how the course is taught.

• Psych 504 History of Psychology: Theoretical and Scientific Foundations (3 credits) Roots of scientific explanation in psychology traced through various philosophical schools and psychological movements.
  • Note: This course is offered every year (alternates between WSU-Vancouver and WSU-Pullman, typically with videoconferencing to the other campus). Its purpose is to provide students with an understanding of how scientific method and explanation evolved, particularly as it is applied to psychology. Various approaches may be used, depending on the instructor. The emphasis may be on the philosophical development of ideas and thought, the development of scientific method, advances in epistemology, and/or the historical development of schools and theories in psychology. The principal idea is to ensure that students understand why psychologists approach questions the way they do, how such strategies developed and their historical context, and what the advantages and disadvantages are of such conceptions.
• Psych 505 Teaching Introductory Psychology (1 credit) Problems and techniques related to teaching Introductory Psychology; for graduate students who are teaching their own courses.
  • Note: This course is offered every fall and spring to students who are teaching their own sections of undergraduate courses. It is a seminar-format course designed to help new instructors develop effective lectures, solve problems related to grading and examinations, learn audio-visual techniques, etc. It should be taken first in the spring before the first semester of independent teaching (usually in Spring of the first year, to prepare to teach independently in Fall of the second year).
• Psych 506 Current Research in Psychology (1 credit) May be repeated for credit.
  • Note: This course is offered every fall and spring and is required for all new students to introduce the various research areas represented in our department. In some weekly meetings, a faculty member or graduate student will present a research seminar, providing the theoretical background for the research problem, discussing some of the most current findings, and explaining how the problem fits into the larger context of their subdiscipline within psychology. Other meetings involve discussion of professional development issues for Experimental Psychology graduate students, to help new students adjust to the demands of graduate training.
• Psych 508 Special Topics in Psychology (V1-3 credits) May be repeated for credit.
  • Note: This seminar is used for special topics that lend themselves to a variable credit format.
• Psych 510 Introduction to Online Instruction (1 credit) Instruction in teaching online courses addressing issues faced by instructors and students; students are mentored while teaching online.
  • Note: This course provides formal training in, and supervision of, online instruction. It is taken by students who are teaching or are planning to teach online (can be taken the same semester as the online course being taught). Instruction covers the first 3 weeks of the semester with additional assignments through Week 10. This course is ONLY offered in the Spring semester of each academic year. It is required that any student on a TA take it their second semester of Year 1. This course is required for all students (on any campus) to teach WSU Global Campus courses including summer session and winter intersession.
• Psych 511 Experimental Designs, t-Tests, and Analysis of Variance (3 credits) Parametric, nonparametric, repeated-measures, and multivariate ANOVA; planned comparisons; confidence intervals and power analysis; experimental design and variants.
  • Note: This is the first graduate-level statistics course, taken by all graduate students in psychology (experimental and clinical) unless waived on the basis of previous work. It assumes that the student has had at least one undergraduate level course in statistics. It covers a variety of basic rationales and techniques (as indicated in the above description), preparing the student to use a number of basic designs in research. To pass the course, students must receive a minimum grade of B.
• Psych 512 Non-Experimental Designs, Correlation, and Regression (3 credits) Simple and multiple correlation and regression; time-series analysis; factor analysis; field research and quasi-experimental design.
  • Note: Like 511, this course is required of all graduate students in psychology. After having completed the 511-512 sequence, the student should be well prepared to use a wide variety of sophisticated research designs and analyses as well as be conversant with necessary basic computer skills. To pass the course, students must receive a minimum grade of B.
• Psych 513 Seminar in Quantitative Methods and Research Design (3 credits) May be repeated for credit. Prereq Psych 512. Advanced topics in specialized quantitative procedures and in design of research in psychology.
• Psych 514 Psychometrics (3 credits) Prereq Psych 512. Scientific construction of behavioral assessment instruments, including validation and reliability; types of scales and responses; statistical scaling; test theory issues.
• Psych 515 Multilevel and Synthesized Data (3 credits) Prereq Psych 512. Structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear modeling and meta-analysis and the software used to conduct these analyses.
• Psych 516 Applied Structural Equation Modeling with Current Software (3 credits) Prereq Psych 512; Psych 514. Confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, structural regression analysis, multilevel analysis and latent growth analysis with current software.
• Psych 519 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 credits) Overview of research, theory, and application of psychological principles in the workplace; includes topics such as personnel selection, performance appraisal, training, work motivation, teams, leadership, and job attitudes.
• Psych 523 Health Psychology (3 credits) Overview of the field of health psychology from a social-cognitive perspective; includes a focus on health behavior models addressing how beliefs, expectations, affect, and other social influences impact health decisions and behavior.
• Psych 529 Occupational Health Psychology (3 credits) Overview of major occupational health psychology content areas and foundational theories; causes and consequences of work-related stressors, injury, and illness; individual and organizational interventions.
• Psych 550 Social Psychology (3 credits) Attitude structure, function, and change; social cognition and motivation, and attributions.
  • Note: This course provides an in-depth survey of the research in social psychology directed at attitude structure and function, as well as the cognitive processes that underlie social interaction. It serves as a foundation for students interested in specializing in social psychology.
• Psych 561 Human-Computer Interaction (3 credits) Overview of human-computer interaction (HCI) topics, including user models, dialog, display design, usability, software development, groupware, and multimedia.
• Cooperative course taught by University of Idaho (Psyc 561); open to WSU students. NOTE: you must sign up for these courses early. See timeline and procedures at the U of I – WSU Coop page at the University of Idaho website.
• Psych 562 Advanced Human Factors (3 credits) Review of topics and theories germane to human factors such as performance measurement systems, design specifications, research issues, controls and displays, human reliability, and illumination.
• Cooperative course taught by University of Idaho (Psyc 562); open to WSU students. NOTE: you must sign up for these courses early. See timeline and procedures at the U of I – WSU Coop page at the University of Idaho website.
• Psych 574 Clinical and Experimental Biopsychology (3 credits) Neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and other biological cases of human and animal behavior.
  • Note: This course is recommended for all experimental students. It provides a solid background in biological psychology, giving students in the other specialty areas important perspectives from which to view some of the work in their own specialty area.
• Psych 577 Behavioral Pharmacology (3 credits) Survey of drugs which affect brain function with emphasis on animal models and clinical applications.
  • Note: This course is taught every 2-3 years. It is a required elective for students in the biological area, providing coverage of a rapidly changing specialty in that area.
• Psych 592 Cognition and Affective Basis of Behavior (3 credits) Experimental approaches to human information processing, memory, and cognition.
  • Note: This course is a recommended first-year course for all experimental graduate students. It covers advanced topics in attention, perception, memory, decision-making, problem solving, and language, and how affect influences these processes. This course serves as a foundation for future work that students elect to do in cognitive psychology; it also provides needed breadth of experience for students in other specialty areas.
• Psych 700 Master’s Research, Thesis, and/or Examination (Variable credit). Independent research and advanced study for students working on their master’s research, thesis and/or final examination.
  • Note: This course number is used whenever the student is working on any aspect of a formal Master’s Thesis. The student must enroll in at least one Psych 700 credit each semester until the thesis defense is successful.
• Psych 800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination (Variable credit). Independent research and advanced study for students working on their doctoral research, dissertation and/or final examination.
  • Note: This number is used whenever the student is working on any aspect of a doctoral dissertation. The student must enroll in at least one credit of Psych 800 during each semester after the MS is completed, including the semester in which the final oral examination is scheduled.