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266 COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2016-2017 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
this practicum, you are typically placed in a church or other ministry-based setting where your work is supervised and evaluated by
both a licensed/ordained site supervisor and a college faculty member. (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of at least 60 hours of college
credit, with at least nine hours of psychology credit
PSY 4320
Human Intimacy and Sexuality
This course is designed to enhance your understanding of human intimacy and sexuality in its physical, social, psychological, and
spiritual dimensions. The focus will be to help you answer the following question: How are people drawn into healthy, intimate, romantic,
and non-romantic relationships? (3)
Prerequisites: PSY 2110 and SOC 3740
PSY 4330
Group and Institutional Dynamics
In this course you will analyze in depth how healthy and functional groups and institutional environments can be formed. You will study
how people learn in a group, how to anticipate and recognize the developmental stages of a group, how to analyze behavior and
relationships within the groups and institutions, how to measure growth within a group or institutional environment, and how to facilitate
a group. You will develop skills and knowledge that will enable you to evaluate and build groups or institutional environments that will
encourage spiritual and emotional growth and maturation. (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 2110
PSY 4340
Personality Theories
In this survey of the leading personality theories including analytic, humanistic, behavioral, and cognitive schools, you will explore how
personalities develop, how they are organized, and how they change. You will examine how presuppositions influence personality
theories and the clinician’s approach to growth and healing. (3)
Prerequisite: PSY 2110; juniors and seniors only
PSY 4350
Physiological Psychology
This course is designed to introduce you to the biological foundations of perception, thought, emotion, and behavior by in-depth
examination of sensation thresholds, optical perceptions and illusions, different brain structures and their functions, and the biological
basis of some forms of mental illness. You will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the scientific underpinnings of
psychology through taking this course. (3)
Prerequisites: PSY 2110 and RES 3411; juniors and seniors only
PSY 4541
Psychology in Psalm and Prophets
This course is designed to help students achieve a deeper knowledge of ancient Hebrew literature. After being taught the hermeneutics
of contextual, linguistically accurate interpretation, students will examine selected readings from the Old Testament Psalms and
Prophets. Particular attention will be paid to the guiding, illuminating, comforting, and healing psychological principles contained in the
Psalms and Prophets. This course will include a review of relevant empirical studies/clinical evidence that supports the psychological
principles contained in the Psalms and Prophets. (3)
Prerequisite: BIB 3420 PSY 2110.
PSY 4920
Psychology Practicum II
This is an intensive, on-site experiential learning opportunity, involving approximately 100 hours of direct, on-site clinical service and
requiring additional paperwork, feedback, and measurements of outcomes. Usually this practicum is taken during a student’s senior
year. For this practicum, you are typically placed in a hospital or clinic-based setting where your work is supervised and evaluated by
both a licensed site supervisor and a college faculty member. (3)
Prerequisites: Completion of at least 60 hours of college credit, with
at least 15 hours of psychology credit
Research
RES 3411
Research Methods and Designs
In this course you will begin to examine the principles, methods, and procedures used in producing and evaluating research designs
in psychology. You will learn about experimental, quantitative methodology, as well as other major techniques of research. You will
prepare an original empirical study, written in APA format. (3)
Prerequisites: PSY 2110 and MAT 3410
RES 7961
Bible and Theology Integrative Seminar
This course offers you a guided study in the techniques and tools required to pursue in-depth academic library-based research on a
focused topic. As the summative exercise for the course, you will produce a 25-30 page research paper of publishable quality on a
biblical, historical, or theological topic chosen in consultation with the course instructor. (3)
RES 7962
Intercultural/Muslim Studies Integrative Seminar
This course offers you a guided study in the techniques and tools of bibliographic and field-based research on intercultural or Muslim
studies. As the summative exercise for the course, you will plan, research and write either a 25-30 page research paper or write a
proposal for a thesis (see RES 7972 description). You will demonstrate your ability to develop a clear research problem, master related
material and research methods, make a clear argument, and show original thought processes. (3)
RES 7971
Master’s Thesis
After submitting and defending a prospectus, as outlined in the SSM Master's Thesis Manual, you will research, write, and refine a
scholarly thesis in both content and form (as stipulated in the Manual) under the guidance of two faculty members. The process will
culminate in a defense of the thesis before an appointed committee composed of at least three faculty members. (3)
Prerequisite: RES
7961
RES 7972
Intercultural/Muslim Studies Thesis
You will research and write on a topic in your field under the guidance of one faculty member who will critique your work as you proceed.
(3)
Prerequisite: RES 7962 and permission of instructor.