Courses

The purpose of this basic level Disaster Services training is to prepare licensed mental health professionals to provide for and respond to the psychological needs of people across the continuum of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

This graduate level course is designed to allow learners to gain knowledge and skills regarding the use of tests by both school counselors and school psychologists, including the who, what, when, where, why and how of assessment; the test selection process; administration procedures and communication of test results both orally and in writing to a […]

An overview of the many forms of digital arts, this course encourages students in a collaborative fashion to identify and address problems in the cultural and urban environment. Via creative problem solving, research and discovery, learners will discuss how design can improve the human condition and serve as a catalyst for thought and evolution.

This course presents the theories and principles of modern psychology. Students learn about the different branches of psychology and the practical application of psychological tenets to functional behavior.

This graduate level course explores how history, culture, and context frame the social and policy response that enables substance abuse treatment. The historical, political, economic, and cultural factors contributing to and defining substance abuse problems are examined. These factors are emphasized because they are important, critical, and supplemental contributors to the biological, medical, and disease […]

A history of Western music from the Middle Ages to the present, comprising a survey of musical genres, styles, and representative composers of each era. Through critical reading, listening and written assignments, learners will apply musical vocabulary to deepen their understanding and enjoyment of music and its role in society.

This graduate level course explores counseling as a relationship in which the counselor helps the client mobilize resources to resolve problems or modify attitudes and values. Group counseling is an integral part of that process. This course is presented as a comparative study of counseling theories and practices as applied to groups, introducing major approaches, […]

This course offers a basic foundation of motion graphic skills using Adobe After Effects. Students will gain a clear understanding of the process involved in manipulating multimedia elements to achieve communication across a timeline. Students will learn basic composing skills to render a wide variety of projects. Emphasis will be upon developing an individual style […]

This course explores various aspect of linearity that include vector spaces, linear transformations, matrices, systems of linear equations, bases, projections, rotations, determinants, and inner products. The learner explores tools and models for using these concepts in a variety of situations and across disciplines.

This graduate level introductory course covers the theory and philosophy of counseling, the distinction between counseling and psychotherapy, personality types and development, learning theory, and trait theory. Learners become involved in the counseling experience and investigate the variables of client, counselor, setting, methods, and expectations, as well as basic theories of client-centered counseling, behavioral counseling, […]

This graduate level course covers the foundations, contextual knowledge and basic knowledge and skills needed to work as a competent counselor within community settings. This course provides emphasis on helping clients in variety of settings and stages of needs, such as crisis, referral, support, and advocacy.

In this graduate level course you will learn about the process of symbolic and social play development. Topics include an overview of the neurocognitive basis of development, an examination of social and symbolic play from a functional skills perspective, the variations in the developmental sequence caused by developmental disorders, with an emphasis on mental retardation […]

This graduate level course will explore theory-derived practices regarding communication and consultation with parents and teachers with respect to problems they encounter with children. It will also cover educational and clinical applications, issues regarding information sharing with other professionals, collaborating with other professionals and making referrals.

This course extends the examination of American history to the present day, including the impact of the frontier, the changing nature of business and government, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the United States as a world power, the Cold War and the struggle to achieve class, ethnic, racial, […]

Based upon real-world applications of motion media, this course offers an overview of the creative and effective use of video equipment, including digital video cameras and non-linear editing tools, as a catalyst for students’ examination of the theoretical and aesthetic ideas behind creating various types of media projects.

This course is an introduction to graph theory and its applications. Topics include trees, matchings, graph coloring, planarity, and graph algorithms.

This graduate level course provides an introduction to the historical, philosophical, and psychological, and sociological bases of guidance and counseling in the schools. The developmental model of school counseling will be introduced along with state and national standards. Learners will learn the counselor’s role as facilitation for learners’ personal/social growth, academic development, and career development […]

Determine how humans encode language in their brains, so that they can produce and understand an unlimited variety of utterances in context. Language and other forms of communication; how children acquire language; biological basis of language; the structure of language — phonology (sound structure), syntax (grammatical structure) and semantics (meaning).

Learners investigate how human behavior is shaped and modulated by cognition, affect, and their interaction. Findings from the fields of perception, motivation, language, memory, and learning are covered. Topics include artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, metacognition, Gestalt theory, Gibson’s ecological view, and Marr’s computational approach.

This graduate level course focuses on the chemically dependent person, this course covers initial intake, assessment of the problem, orientation of the patient to a specific program, treatment planning, reports and record keeping, recovery planning for the patient and family, and aftercare and follow-up. By the end of the course, learners will understand and be […]

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is a systematic treatment approach to child-generated play. This course is a combination of didactic presentations and experiential activities that detail the four major elements of CCPT technique: structuring, reflective listening, fantasy play, and limit setting. Also included are the history and theory of CCPT, selection of toys, types of play, […]

This graduate level course introduces learners to dynamics of family interaction and methods of prevention and intervention in family problems. Learners will analyze the family interaction, and propose remedial intervention. This course presents the learner with the opportunity to observe the application of the systematic theoretical framework and objective procedures described by Adler and developed […]

This graduate level course presents an analysis of the way individuals think, feel and behave in social situations and what factors influence our social behavior. The dynamics of individual and group behavior, and the perception of gender and ethnic differences as applied to the development of attitudes and values are also presented.

This graduate level course provides an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include measures of central tendency, measures of variability, correlation and regression, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing procedures including t-tests and analysis of variance.

This graduate level course will build upon the theoretical foundations of Gestalt therapy, this course emphasizes the methods of Gestalt play therapy, role-play, and psychodrama by using puppet play, dramatic enactment, art, floor play, sand tray, and stories. The course also covers the Gestalt approach to assessment, limit-setting, goal- setting, the developing sense of self, […]

This graduate level course provides an overview of the nature and history of abnormal behavior and then examines the predominant models underlying our understanding of abnormality. Detailed descriptions and empirical research relating to a range of clinical problems form the core of the course.

This graduate level course covers a wide-range of structured play therapy techniques and their theoretical underpinnings, including pre-set and prearranged play, therapist-staged dramas, facilitation of adaptive resolutions in child-generated play, contingency play, redirection, distancing, limit-setting, time-limited play therapy, and cognitive-behavioral play therapy techniques. They include the use of the Socratic method, modeling, correction of cognitive […]

This graduate level course will develop career counseling competencies uniquely related to the needs of adult clients who are faced with problems of career adjustment and change. The course includes theoretical constructs and models to prepare career counseling professionals for work in business and industry, adult schools and higher education, and various private settings.

This interdisciplinary course explores the interaction of living organisms between themselves and the environment. Topics include biomes, air, water, soil and biological resources and population dynamics, energy sources, and land use management.

This graduate level course provides a basic differential diagnosis framework for counselors working with a chemically dependent population. It introduces the major psychiatric disorders and how they mirror/interact with substance abuse disorders. Through methods such as case histories and role-playing, participants learn about prevalence, symptoms, assessment, treatment planning, and interventions.

This course addresses topics in human behavior and mental life, and include biological bases of behavior; perception, motivation and emotion; learning and memory; development; intelligence; personality; mental disturbance; and social influence.

This graduate level course will address non-verbal and verbal communications by examining symbolic representation. The use of art in the process of therapy is discussed. The capacity to gain self-awareness and understanding of others is explored and related to the learner’s professional and clinical development.

This introductory graduate level course is designed to help learners explore, understand, and analyze the relationship between the biological basis of behavior and how the brain interacts with the individual’s environment to shape individual identity. Brain & Behavior is a prerequisite course in a series of courses that emphasize personal growth and change.

This graduate level course offers the learners an opportunity to work with typical problems brought to a therapist and use art therapy techniques in addressing those problems. Learners participate in a supervised experience of an art therapist through working with clients, participating in clinical meetings, keeping case notes and participating in treatment planning. The learner […]

This introductory graduate level course covers the theory and philosophy of counseling, the distinction between counseling and psychotherapy, personality types and development, learning theory, and trait theory. Learners become involved in the counseling experience and investigate the variables of client, counselor, setting, methods, and expectations, as well as basic theories of client-centered counseling, behavioral counseling, […]

This course is founded on a strategic learning approach that involves teaching learners to become independent readers of various types of texts. The goal of such a program is to provide learners with a variety of learning strategies that foster comprehension and vocabulary development that meet the demands of college-level reading. Learners are trained to […]

This course covers media as it has changed through history and looks at how media has documented historical events and has sometimes been the driving force behind them.  It covers the shift from newsprint to radio to cinema to television and the internet as the semester progresses.  Throughout, there will be articles, radio broadcasts, television, […]

This course is a study of people, places and environments from a physical and cultural perspective. It emphasizes the practical and responsible application of geography to life situations. Learners analyze and evaluate the connection between their local and global communities.

This graduate level course presents a basic crisis intervention model along with appropriate clinical presentations of persons in crisis in a variety of settings, e.g., loss, AIDS and HIV related, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and victimization. Topics include defining crisis, when crisis is a danger, ethical and professional considerations, and use of self […]

This graduate level course addresses the similarities and differences among various culturally diverse groups, and informs counselors of the characteristics and processes necessary to become a culturally skilled counselor.

This graduate level course offers the learners an opportunity to learn about typical problems brought to a therapist and art therapy techniques that can be used in addressing those problems. Learners experience the role of the art therapist through on-site observation, classroom discussions, reading and personal art process. Learners observe and work with an art/expressive […]

This graduate level course provides an overview of the laws, ethics, and related issues affecting profession practice in Art Therapy. All aspects of professional functioning, including history, roles, relationships to other mental health providers, organizational structures, resume building and interviewing skills and the credentialing and licensure process will be explored through lecture, discussion, projects, and […]

A study of contemporary women authors, this course explores women’s literature, examining issues that these writers’ voices bring to the forefront. There will be emphasis on both close-reading of primary texts and of theoretical frameworks for understanding issues that are of importance in women’s literature. Our analysis of theoretical frameworks will primarily reference feminist intellectual […]

This graduate level course introduces Sandplay, a nonverbal therapeutic process developed by Dora Kalff, a psychologist and close collaborator of C.G. Jung. Its powerful healing attributes help clients bring into consciousness that which was previously hidden. This course explores the practicalities of sandplay therapy as a treatment modality and demonstrates how it is used with […]

This graduate level course on developmental play therapy theory and application methods covers the role of play within physical and social-emotional growth and secure attachment. Guided Interaction, a play therapy model to instruct parents in the process, will be introduced, and methods to assist parents in shifting parenting responses and developing nurturing skills will be […]

This course offers the learners an opportunity to work with typical problems brought to a therapist and use art therapy techniques in addressing those problems. Learners participate in a supervised experience of an art therapist through working with clients, participating in clinical meetings, keeping case notes and participating in treatment planning. The learner will complete […]

This course surveys the structural and functional relations of the central nervous system, physiology, sensory processes, and behavior. Study is divided into two subsections: (1) physiological psychology and (2) evolution, genetics, and behavior. Learners become familiar with the biology of memory and the biological/genetic aspects of psychiatric disorders.

This graduate level course, Lifespan Developmental Psychology focuses on the following content areas: the study of life span development; genetics, prenatal development, and childbirth; infancy and toddler hood; early childhood; middle childhood; adolescence; early adulthood; middle adulthood; late adulthood; and death and dying.

This graduate level course explores the history of field of Art Therapy through studying its founding members, related disciplines and traditional populations. The history of Art Therapy is taught in a reflective manner to help learners relate the history of Art Therapy to Current Practices in Art Therapy.

This course is a comprehensive study of the disorder “Post-Traumatic Stress.â€� A well-defined mental health diagnosis, learners will study all facets of the disorder, including therapeutic outcomes and stress management interventions. The course is presented from a “holistic viewâ€� toward the disorder and many dimensions of therapeutic interventions are presented. Learners will study the symptomology, […]

This graduate level course explores the many therapeutic elements of play, across the developmental stages from early toddlerhood through latency. Definitions of pathology–that is, what it is that play must address–will be discussed as a basis to understand the healing attributes of play. This is done both developmentally and through the prism of Piagetian and […]

This graduate level course helps learners to gain a comprehensive understanding of art-based assessments for the art therapist. The historical background as well as the development and use of projective techniques and diagnostic tools are examined. Methods of administration and interpretation of the assessment techniques are presented.

This project-based course discusses 3D animation in a variety of real-world applications. Learners will explore 3D animation as a medium for creating and enhancing artwork through hands-on explorations utilizing Maya and other industry-standard software.

This course is designed to develop the learner’s ability to write clearly. Emphasis is on effective writing and revising techniques including purpose, organization, and mechanics. Various modes and strategies of descriptive, narrative and illustrative essays are covered. The course culminates with a research paper.

This course examines the major turning points in American history beginning with the events leading up to the American Revolution, the origins of the US constitution, reform movements, Manifest Destiny and the Civil War and Reconstruction, focusing on the social, political, and historical forces that have shaped the United States.

This course addresses the increasingly complex ethical and philosophical issues of the 21th Century through a reintegration of personal, normative, and metaethical perspectives. Facets of a multi-cultural and diversified society are presented through critical reading, video and listening assignments that challenge learners to consider the larger scope of humanity beyond their own perspective. Prerequisite: ENGL […]

In this graduate level course learners learn to assess the physiological effects of alcohol and other drugs; tailor withdrawal plans to each patient’s alcohol/ drug-use history; recognize signs and symptoms of toxicity, withdrawal, and overdose; identify principles of detoxification and withdrawal from each major drug group (including multiple dependencies); be made aware of ethical considerations; […]

This graduate level course will concentrate on the classic topics in adult cognition: memory, attention, categorization, problem solving, reasoning, and decision-making. Special attention will be paid to the relationship between logic and the psychology of reasoning and to the relationship between linguistics and the psychology of language.

This course is a broad overview of classical and modern physics, and discusses the role of physics in society, technology, and engineering. Topics include mechanics, heat, sound, and electromagnetism.

This course, designed for students already well-versed in the digital arts, enhances critical thinking and communication skills and informational literacy. Learners will develop content in preparation for the creation of their professional portfolio through research, exploration, constructive criticism and collaboration across the many forms of digital arts. Prerequisite: Completion of 9 credits of 100-level DIGA […]

This course focuses on the use of technology in audio production and the designing of sound for live performance, film, television, video and games. Students will address the aesthetics of audio design through lecture, listening assignments and hands-on practice with industry-standard software.