Fall 2007 & Spring 2008 Courses

Course descriptions are immediately following. There may be periodic changes and additions, particularly to Spring 2008 courses, so please check back frequently.

To view courses for 2006-07, click here.

GPSY 6100
Proseminar
Fall 2007. Not for credit.
Staff
Required for all master’s degree students. This course exposes students to the full range of current research of the psychology faculty and includes discussion of professional and career issues. Each week a different faculty member presents his or her recent research. Regular attendance is required. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for applying to the PhD programs.
 

A. GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

Three courses from this category are required for the master’s degree. GPSY 5102 Visual Perception and Cognition Spring 2008. Three credits. Arien Mack This course provides an introduction to the area of visual perception and makes clear why perception is an important problem for psychologists. Various aspects of perception are considered, among which are questions concerning the nature of focal perception, motion perception, and the perception of space, and the development of perceptual processes. No prior knowledge of the field is assumed.

GPSY 5104
History and Systems of Psychology
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Arthur Blumenthal
Great moments in modern psychological research and discovery stand upon a mountain of historical roots. This course describes and interprets those roots and their cultural contexts. It traces the development of differing systems of thought and the clashes between those systems. It reviews the tangled rise of modern psychology and gives samples of the detective work that expose some of this field’s origin myths. The course is in three parts: the classical roots, the 19th-century boom, and the 20th-century bust. GPSY 5110 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Spring 2008. Three credits. William Hirst This course surveys the progress made in understanding the human mind from the perspective of cognitive science. The areas of memory, attention, and thinking are examined.

GPSY 6101
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Marcel Kinsbourne
Students are introduced to the structure and function of physiological substrates of behavior. The role of physiological systems in the regulation of behavior is examined with emphasis on contemporary findings and theoretical issues with particular attention to neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy, sensory and motor systems, and motivated behaviors. Basic anatomy and physiology are reviewed within the context of the control of behavior.

GPSY 6107
Language and Thought
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Jonathan Bloom
This course surveys research on psycholinguistics, cognition, and the relation between language and thought. Topics include the psychological reality of grammars proposed by linguists; individual and dyadic processes in language planning, production perception, and comprehension; meaning, categorization, and knowledge representation; universals in language and thought. Cross-listed as LPSY 4556.
 

B. DEVELOPMENTAL, PERSONALITY, ABNORMAL, AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Three of the four courses from this category are required for the master’s degree, one each from Personality [P], Social [S], Developmental [D], and Abnormal [A].

GPSY 5120
Social Psychology [S]
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Emanuele Castano
This course provides students with a broad overview of social psychological research. Central to the course is the idea that human beings are not isolated entities who process information like computers, but social animals engaged in a complicated network of social relations, both real and imagined. Constrained by our cognitive capacities and guided by many different motives and fundamental needs, we attempt to make sense of the social world in which we live and of ourselves in relation to it. We see how this influences perceptions of the self, perceptions of other individuals and groups, beliefs and attitudes, group processes, and intergroup relations. Readings emphasize how various theories of human behavior are translated into focused research questions and rigorously tested via laboratory experiments and field studies.

GPSY 5151
Psychology of Personality [P]
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Megan Warner
This course discusses theory and research in the area of individual differences and personality functioning, with particular emphasis on trait, social, cognitive, and biological approaches.

GPSY 5152
Psychopathology I [A]
Three credits.
Summer 2007: McWelling Todman
Fall 2007: Xiaochun Jin
Fundamental diagnostic categories are discussed in depth. Relevant theoretical issues and clinical approaches to particular problems are explored.

GPSY 5153
Psychopathology II [A]
Spring 2008. Three credits.
McWelling Todman
This course is an introductory survey of biological, cognitive, sociocultural, and epidemiological aspects of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Prerequisite: GPSY 5152.

GPSY 6155
Developmental Psychology [D]
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Joan Miller
This course surveys major theories and research findings in developmental psychology. Among the topics addressed are attachment, emotion regulation, cognitive development, language acquisition, social cognition, family and peer relationships, morality, and aging. Consideration is given both to biological and cultural influences on development as well as to issues in lifespan developmental psychology. Cross-listed as LPSY 4505.

GPSY 6156
Psychopathology II : Biosocial and Cognitive Theories of Addiction [A, S]
Fall 2007. Three credits.
McWelling Todman
This course is an introductory survey of the psychological, biological, and sociological models of substance abuse and dependence. It is a required course for those individuals who wish to obtain an MA with a concentration in mental health and substance abuse counseling. Prerequisite: GPSY 5152 or permission of the instructor. This course provides 75 clock hours of NYSOASAS-approved CASAC training.
 

C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

GPSY 5130
Statistics I
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Wentao Yuan
Students are introduced to statistical description and inference. Topics include frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and variability, hypothesis testing, correlation, and an introduction to the analysis of variance. Credit in this course does not count toward fulfillment of the credit requirements for a degree in psychology.

GPSY 6131
Statistics II
Fall 2007. Four credits.
Wentao Yuan
This course serves as the first semester of a graduate-level statistics sequence with a primary emphasis on analysis of variance and regression. Prerequisite: GPSY 6130 or its equivalent. Lab attendance is mandatory for this course.

GPSY 6132
Statistics II
Spring 2008. Four credits.
Wentao Yuan
This course serves as the second semester of a graduate-level statistics sequence. The course focuses on the use of statistics as a useful tool for the advancement of psychological theory; accordingly, it is characterized by a bottom-up, problem-solving approach and revolves primarily around factor analysis, path analysis, and structural-equation modeling. Prerequisite: GPSY 6131 or permission of the instructor. Lab attendance is mandatory for this course.

GPSY 6238
Research Methods
Three credits.
Fall 2007: Emanuele Castano, Howard Steele
Spring 2008: Xiaochun Jin, Marcel Kinsbourne
This course provides hands-on experience in designing, running, and reporting psychology experiments. Class time is devoted to discussion on individual research projects at each phase of the work. This course may be used to satisfy the MA research requirement. Prerequisite: 18 credits in psychology with an overall 3.0 average.

GPSY 6255
Assessment of Individual Differences [P]
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Doris F. Chang
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to the field of psychological assessment. The term psychological assessment is used here in a broad sense to include the measurement of human skills or abilities, aptitudes, values, and aspects of psychological functioning such as personality and psychopathology. Throughout the semester, we will examine reliability, validity, test construction, individual tests in intelligence and personality, and special issues in diagnostic interviewing, and cross-cultural assessment. By the end of the course, students will have the tools to critically evaluate existing assessment instruments when applied to specific populations. Because the best way to learn about the principles of test construction is to try them out, students will complete a semester-long group project involving the design, administration, and psychometric evaluation of an assessment tool. Prerequisite: GPSY 5130.
 

D. INTERMEDIATE COURSES AND SEMINARS

Any course listed in this section will satisfy the seminar requirement.

GPSY 6203
Clinical Neuropsychology I
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Marcel Kinsbourne
This course considers brain-behavior relationships in cognition and emotion. Specific deficits due to localized brain lesions affecting the major domains of perception, memory, language, spatial cognition, and skill are illustrated with data from single-case and group studies, as well as deficits that impact affect, motivation, and social skills. Some conclusions are drawn about how the brain is locally specialized (i.e., modular) and yet generates integrated behavior. Prerequisite: GPSY 6101 or permission of the instructor.

GPSY 6212
Biological Aspects of Childhood Psychopathology
Not offered 2007–08. Three credits.
Marcel Kinsbourne
This course considers neurological concomitants of various psychopathologies in children that may constitute risk factors for the disordered mental processes that are involved. Such factors are genetic (as shown in twin studies), morphological (involving brain structure and function), electrophysiological, chemical, and cognitive. The discussion includes autism, pervasive developmental disorder, childhood schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, childhood-onset unipolar and bipolar disorder, Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific learning disabilities. Prerequisite: GPSY 6101 or GPSY 6203.

GPSY 6273
Diagnostic Neuropsychological Testing
Spring 2008. Three credits.
James Root
This course is an introduction to the clinical application of neuropsychology and neuropsychological assessment. While primary CNS disorders are discussed in regard to their clinical presentation and neuropsychological performance profiles, this course focuses primarily on the theory, administration, scoring, and interpretation of neuropsychological measures. Students learn to use neuropsychological measures from the ground up, both in the administration of comprehensive neuropsychological batteries and in the use of brief screening batteries and individual measures. Measure selection and interpretation are tailored to typical CNS and psychiatric disorders that the clinician may be expected to encounter in medical and psychiatric settings, including primary dementia, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Prerequisite: GPSY 6271.

GPSY 6280
Developmental Psychopathology
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Miriam Steele
This course reviews the emergence of the field of developmental psychopathology. Issues to be covered include the etiology of childhood disorders such as autism, conduct disorder, childhood depression, and attachment disorders. In each case, developmental outcome and programs of intervention are explored. Special emphasis is given to the developmental trajectories following from childhood maltreatment.

GPSY 6308
Health Psychology
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Lisa Rubin
This course provides an overview of the rapidly growing field of health psychology. We examine current research to understand how biological, psychological, and social factors influence health outcomes, with a particular focus on chronic and life-threatening illness (e.g., cancer, AIDS, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic pain conditions). We explore the role of psychologists and psychological research in prevention, early detection, and adaptation to illness, and students learn specific psychological and behavioral interventions relevant for clinical work with individuals facing health concerns. Consideration is given to gender and cultural factors that influence health behaviors, access and utilization of health-related resources, and health outcomes.

GPSY 6309
Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Beatrice Kraemer
Eating is an essential part of life. Not only does it ensure survival, but it is also connected to pleasure and life quality. Yet almost everyone has, at least at some point in their lives—if only temporarily—engaged in some sort of unusual eating pattern or experienced some kind of supposedly unusual attitudes and feelings toward eating. Under what circumstances do these turn into full-blown anorexia or bulimia nervosa? Since their identification, both anorexia and bulimia nervosa have grown increasingly important to researchers, clinicians, and laypersons due not only to their startling rates of morbidity and mortality, but also their often chronic nature. This seminar introduces students to the study of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. It addresses questions such as: How are both disorders conceptualized? How can they be differentiated from unusual eating habits? Why do they affect mostly women? Do they exist in other cultures? What are their etiological mechanisms and maintaining factors? How can they be treated successfully, and what defines a successful treatment outcome? Can they be prevented? What are the services available to those affected by eating disorders?

GPSY 6313
Relational Developments in Psychoanalysis
Summer 2007. Three credits.
Jeremy Safran
In recent years there has been a revolution in North American psychoanalysis that has led to a related series of developments collectively referred to as Relational Psychoanalysis. This developing tradition consists of a synthesis of a number of different traditions including American Interpersonal Psychoanalysis, British Object Relations Theory, Self Psychology, Feminist and Postmodern Theory. Some of the key features of Relational Psychoanalysis are as follows: 1) it assumes a two-person psychology (as opposed to a one-person psychology, 2) it is based upon a constructivist epistemology, 3) there is an emphasis on the mutuality of the analytic relationship, 4) there is considerable interest in the role that the analyst’s countertransference plays in the analytic process, 5) the classical ideals of analytic anonymity and abstinence have been abandoned, and have been replaced with an emphasis on participation and engagement, and 6) there is an emphasis on the role the analytic relationship itself plays as a change agent (in addition to the roles played by insight and understanding). In this seminar we will study the work of key relational thinkers including: Stephen Mitchell, Irwin Hoffman, Jessica Benjamin, Lewis Aron, Jay Greenberg, Jody Davies, Stuart Pizer, Muriel Dimen, Emmanuel Ghent, Philip Bromberg, Charles Spezzano, Thomas Ogden, Adrienne Harris, Owen Renik, Michael Eigen and Donnel Stern. Similarities and differences between these thinkers will be examined and the implications of important theoretical shifts for intervention will be explored.

GPSY 6320
Forensic Psychology
Not offered 2007–08.
Ali Khadivi
This seminar introduces students to the practice of forensic psychology. The course covers both civil and criminal forensic psychology, including personal injury, child custody, competency, and criminal responsibility evaluations and examines the differences between forensic and clinical practice. Landmark cases and relevant research and practical forensic methodology are discussed. In addition, the course examines the forensic and ethical issues relevant to practicing clinicians in mental health settings, such as evaluations of malingering, risk assessment, duty to warn, and limits of confidentiality. Prerequisite: GPSY 5152.

GPSY 6323
Assessment and Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Shireen Rizvi
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is heavily represented in inpatient and outpatient clinical settings. This course is designed to familiarize students with state-of-the-art assessment strategies and interventions for BPD. Students will become familiar with the latest research on BPD, with particular attention to issues of emotion dysregulation and suicidal behavior. Students will learn about various psychosocial treatments for BPD with an emphasis on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, to-date the treatment with the most empirical support for this population.

GPSY 6339
Cultural Psychology
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Joan Miller
This seminar examines cultural influences on human development and implications of cultural research for basic psychological theory. Drawing on psychological, anthropological, and sociolinguistic work, attention is given to cross-cultural and within-cultural variations in psychological functioning across the life course. Topics addressed include such issues as emotion, motivation, personality, cognition, and social understanding. The course is also concerned with the development of minority populations and immigrant groups, issues of cultural contact, and methodological and theoretical challenges in the integration of cultural perspectives in psychology.

GPSY 6360
Theories of Mind
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Lawrence Hirschfeld
The notions of subjectivity and subject formation are hotly debated topics in anthropology. The quintessential quality of a subject is her capacity for thought—and its susceptibility to manipulation. Individual minds inhabit complex cultural environments; yet thought is the activity solely of individual minds. Anthropologists have convincingly shown that all cultural traditions acknowledge that peoples’ thoughts undergird their actions, although this link is often described by very different public narratives. Cognitive psychologists, in their turn, have found that the development of the rich ability to interpret and predict behavior in terms of unseen mental states is surprisingly robust across cultural and individual variation. Are these two traditions of research addressing different questions using similar language or are they addressing different aspects of the same phenomena? This seminar explores how it is that peoples, whether they be members of folk or academic communities, conceptualize the processes of thinking and the mechanisms that govern them. Our goal will be to understand this multitude of theories of mind and, in particular, the relationship—the contrasts and points of agreement—between cultural and psychological versions.

GPSY 6365
Psychology of Intergroup Cooperation and Conflict
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Jeremy Ginges
This course will investigate the psychology of intergroup relations. We are all used to thinking about intergroup conflicts—whether those conflicts are between people of different religions, different genders, different nationalities or different sexual orientations. However, cooperation between groups is far more common, although less salient, and is the foundation of complex societies. We will explore research in social and political psychology that helps explain psychological sources of intergroup conflict and cooperation.

GPSY 6368
Psychology of Women and Gender
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Lisa Rubin
Over the past 25 years, feminists have transformed the field of psychology. Feminist psychologists have challenged how we study, what we study, and what we know about women and gender, and have explored how gender polarization shapes our everyday experience. This course provides an overview of the now burgeoning study of the psychology of women and gender, from the enormous contributions of early feminist psychologists who challenged longstanding notions of women’s intellectual and emotional inferiority, to contemporary postmodern feminist psychologists, some of whom contend that the scientific enterprise is itself laden with androcentric bias. Topics include biological and psychological perspectives on sex and gender development; sexuality, reproduction, and the regulation and management of the female body across the lifespan and across cultures; gender influences on mental and physical health; gender and the workplace; and violence in women’s lives.

GPSY 6379
Existential Psychology
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Emanuele Castano
In this course we conceive of existential psychology as the attempt to understand human behavior in light of the recognition of the fact that the human experience is unique, in the animal world, because of our capacity for self-awareness. Although our analysis is informed by existential philosophy and the specific school of psychotherapy known as existential, the bulk of our reading is on more recent developments, characterized by a strong focus on empirical rigorous investigation, rather than speculation or subjective interpretation of the dynamic of the clinical setting. We begin by reading Otto Rank and Ernst Becker, whose work gives central stage to the anxiety deriving from the awareness of inevitability of death, and the psychological mechanisms devised to keep this anxiety at bay.

GPSY 6381
Psychoanalysis and Buddhism
Not offered 2007–08.
Jeremy Safran
This seminar examines various ways in which a dialogue between these two traditions can have an impact on psychoanalytic thinking and practice. The course examines Buddhist thinking and practice through the lens of psychoanalytic theory, and explores various ways in which Buddhism is evolving as it becomes assimilated by psychoanalytic culture. The readings are of three different types: 1) core principles of Buddhist thinking and practice, 2) selected principles of psychoanalytic thinking and practice (for purposes of providing a basis for comparing and contrasting psychoanalysis and Buddhism), and 3) readings focusing explicitly on the interface of psychoanalysis and Buddhism.

GPSY 6388
Psychology and Design: Human–Computer Interaction
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Sven Travis
This seminar brings together graduate students from the Design and Technology program at Parsons The New School for Design and the Psychology program at The New School for Social Research to investigate human-computer interaction. The course focuses on theories of dyadic communication, differences between human-human and human-computer interaction, experimental methods of evaluating interfaces and behavior, and principles of interface design. The course involves readings of academic articles, writing, and development of Web-based prototypes. Students are expected to have background knowledge only from their own discipline. Parsons students are not expected to have any psychology expertise, and New School for Social Research students are not expected to have any design expertise.

GPSY 6389
Attachment Across the Lifespan
Summer 2007. Three credits.
Howard Steele, Miriam Steele
This seminar reviews attachment theory and research from its origins in the writings of John Bowlby in the 1940s and 1950s, through the era of his collaborative work with Mary Ainsworth and her own seminal contributions to the understanding of attachment in infancy. Specific topics to be covered include the concepts of internal working models, coherence and reflective functioning, attachment disorganization, unresolved mourning, and issues concerning the rating and classification of adult attachment interviews from diverse clinical populations.

GPSY 6392
Development of Morality and Social Cognition
Summer 2007. Three credits.
Joan Miller
This seminar examines developmental approaches to morality and social cognition. We consider different accounts of how morality develops, giving attention not only to psychological theory and research but also to relevant philosophical and anthropological work. Topics covered include such issues as developmental trends in moral judgment, sex differences, morality and emotion, socialization processes, cultural influences, moral exemplars, the prediction of moral action, and immoral behavior. We also address psychological and anthropological work on the development of theory of mind, autobiographical memory, emotion understandings, and person perception.

GPSY 6396
Evidence-Based Treatments
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Shireen Rizvi
This course is designed to familiarize students with the benefits and limitations of identifying and using empirically supported psychological treatments (ESTs) and the professional controversies surrounding identification and dissemination of ESTs. Students will become familiar with a number of ESTs for various mental disorders in an adult population and the principles from which many of them are drawn, specifically learning theory and behavior therapy. The ESTs covered in this course include, but are not limited to, exposure therapy for PTSD, interpersonal psychotherapy for depression, and cognitive behavioral group treatment for social anxiety disorder.

GPSY 6901
Departmental Seminar
Fall 2007, Spring 2007. One credit per semester.
Joan Miller
This seminar serves as a forum for discussion about issues of central concern to the research interests of the department. Both staff and outside speakers present their current work on a rotating basis. The seminar is held every other week. This course cannot be counted toward fulfillment of the PhD seminar requirements.
 

E. SUBSTANCE ABUSE

GPSY 6109
Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Susan Palmgren
This course is an introduction to the counseling and intervention techniques commonly employed in substance abusing and dually-diagnosed populations. A variety of theoretical approaches are explored and their application demonstrated through the use of actual case material. This is a required course for those individuals who wish to obtain an MA degree with a concentration in mental health and substance abuse counseling.

GPSY 6112
Advanced Issues in Substance Abuse Counseling
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Karen D’Avanzo
This course is a continuation of GPSY 6109. In this course, there is a greater emphasis on hands-on training and the application of the concepts and techniques introduced in the introductory course. Emphasis is placed on the management of the recovery process. This is a required course for those individuals who wish to obtain an MA degree with a concentration in mental health and substance abuse counseling. Prerequisite: GPSY 6109 or permission of the instructor. This course provides 75 clock hours of New York OASASapproved CASAC training.
 

F. REQUIRED PHD COURSES FOR CLINICAL STUDENTS

Open only to students admitted to the Clinical PhD program.

GPSY 6271
Diagnostic Testing I
Fall 2007. Four credits.
Doris F. Chang, Andrew Twardon
This is the first in a sequence of two courses intended to introduce techniques and instruments commonly employed in clinical assessment. The course covers intelligence and personality testing in adults and late adolescents. There is an emphasis on practical experience with a broad range of patient and non-patient populations. Instruments studied include the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, third edition (WAIS-III); Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, second edition (MMPI-2); Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI); Thematic Apperception Test (TAT); Early Memories Test; Projective Drawings; and Bender Gestalt Test. Students practice test administration and interpretation with non-patient volunteer subjects. Prerequisites: GPSY 5152, GPSY 5153, and GPSY 6255; and successful admissions screening by the Clinical faculty; and passing part I of the PhD qualifying examination. Course to be taken concurrently with GPSY 6275.

GPSY 6272
Diagnostic Testing II
Spring 2008. Four credits.
Andreas Evdokas, Ali Khadivi
In the second term of the assessment sequence, students learn to administer, score and interpret the Rorschach Inkblot Test. After the Rorschach has been introduced, our emphasis shifts to the integration of data from the entire test battery into a thorough diagnostic assessment. Students practice test administration and interpretation with inpatient and outpatient subjects referred by clinical agencies affiliated with our program. By year’s end, students should be able to administer and interpret a full test battery and to express diagnostic conclusions in a clear, useful written report. Prerequisite: successful completion of GPSY 6271.

GPSY 6275
Clinical Theory and Technique I
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Megan Warner
This course focuses on mastering basic clinical theory and technique in the context of the initial phase of the therapeutic process. Issues covered include therapeutic neutrality, transference/countertransference, resistance, differential therapeutics, treatment planning, and arriving at a comprehensive diagnostic formulation. Relevant biological, psychological, and social factors, along with research perspectives, are considered. This course includes a clinical practicum. Prerequisite: successful completion of part I of the PhD comprehensive examination. Course to be taken concurrently with GPSY 6271.

GPSY 6277
Clinical Theory and Technique II
Fall 2007. Three credits.
Jeremy Safran
A continuation of GPSY 6275, to be taken concurrently with GPSY 6272. Prerequisite: successful completion of GPSY 6275. This course provides an introduction to clinical theory and technique from a psychoanalytic perspective. Throughout the course an emphasis will be placed on the integration of theory, research and practice. Ongoing consideration will be given to the question of how relevant research can inform clinical practice and how clinical practice can inform research. In addition, the implication of cultural and individual differences for clinical practice will be considered throughout the course. A final objective is to introduce students to the topics of consultation and supervision. Topics include: beginning treatment, case formulation, the therapeutic frame, defenses and resistance, transference and countertransference, enactments, intersubjectivity, one versus two-person psychologies, mutuality and asymmetry in the therapeutic relationship, therapist self-disclosure, therapeutic impasses, cultural diversity, termination, and psychotherapy supervision.

GPSY 6350
Clinical Psychology Externship Seminar I
One, two, or three credits per semester.
Fall 2007: Herbert Schlesinger, David Shapiro
Spring 2008: Herbert Schlesinger, David Shapiro

GPSY 6351
Clinical Psychology Externship Seminar II
Fall 2007: Jeremy Safran, Ali Khadivi
Spring 2008: Jeremy Safran, Ali Khadivi
Two years of supervised field experience in a mental health agency approved by the Clinical faculty is required for the PhD in clinical psychology. The field experience consists of a two-day-per-week placement in an agency, with in-house supervision. Weekly class meetings link practical issues and problems to theoretical discussion and the research literature, including issues of gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Prerequisites: GPSY 6271 and GPSY 6272, and passing part I of the PhD qualifying examination. These courses cannot be counted toward fulfillment of PhD seminar requirements.

GPSY 6352
Seminar on Professional Issues and Ethics
Fall 2007. One credit.
Jeremy Safran
This seminar focuses on current issues related to training, evaluation, and accreditation. Social controls over professional practice are examined, along with the role and structure of national, regional, and local psychological associations. APA ethics guidelines and legal guidelines for professional conduct are discussed. Issues surrounding codes of conduct and accountability inside and outside institutions; scope of practice; special populations; issues of ethnicity, social class, and social orientation in professional practice; and professional relations in multidisciplinary settings are also explored. Prerequisites: GPSY 6350 and GPSY 6351; or enrollment in the CMHSAC and successful completion of GPSY 6109 and GPSY 6112. This course cannot be counted toward fulfillment of the PhD seminar requirements. This course provides 75 clock hours of New York SOASASapproved CASAC training.

GPSY 6371
Seminar on Ethnicity in Clinical Theory and Practice
Spring 2008. Three credits.
Doris Chang
This course examines the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical factors that shape the worldviews of the client and therapist, and their impact on the therapy process. Students will explore the influence of culture on the phenomenology of distress and learn practical skills for conducting culturally responsive assessment and therapy. Techniques for improving therapeutic engagement and case conceptualization with diverse client populations will also be discussed. Prerequisite: MA in psychology or permission of the instructor.

GPSY 6990
Independent Study
Fall 2007, Spring 2008. One, two, or three credits.
This is a student-initiated course that gives students the opportunity to pursue advanced research on a specific topic with the guidance of a faculty member. Permission of the instructor is required.

GPSY 6992
Practical Curricular Training
Fall 2007, Spring 2008. One-half credit.
Joan Miller
Practical curricular training provides students the opportunity to receive credit for professional training related to the degree. Students are expected to engage in such training for at least five hours per week. Training should take the form of teaching, research, or other work relevant to the student’s program of study. It may take place at institutions of higher learning, with governmental agencies, or at other sites as appropriate. Students meet regularly with an advisor and submit a written report at the end of the training. Grading is pass/fail.
  

This page was last updated October 24, 2007.