Course Information

The Department of Psychology provides relevant courses for many undergraduate students. Students in a variety of majors elect to complement their education, and improve the understanding of self and others, by completing course work in Psychology. Students who major in Psychology should expect to receive a general/liberal education. Psychology students take the introductory course, sample basic sub-disciplinary courses, and receive training in methods and data analysis. The specific Psychology degree requirements can be found in the Psychology Handbook.

 

  • Class Search

    To locate when and where courses are offered, the Student Information System is very helpful. This is the system students use to sign up for their courses. Remember to click on the class search tile. 

  • Psychology Online Course Information

     Register for Undergraduate Online Courses

    In order to take an Online course, you must either be an Undergraduate at Michigan State University or you must take the course through Lifelong Education.  Below are links to the relevant sites to register.  If you are not currently an MSU student, registration will get you an MSU ID that you will need to access the D2L websites described below which are associated with the Online courses.

    Registration for current MSU students

    Registration if you are not an MSU student     Once at this site click on "https://admissions.msu.edu/application/app.asp?AL=L". to confirm you have completed your application as a Lifelong Student. If completed you will be able to enroll using the enrollment system during the designated enrollment periods. In order to enroll you must have initiated your MSUNet ID and password.

    Class Search      This includes information about the courses offered and the sessions in which they are offered.  Make sure you are selecting the correct term you are looking for when searching for classes. 

    Get Ready for Your Online Courses- Steps to Follow

    In a traditional course, the class usually begins when students go to a local bookstore to buy their textbooks and then to a classroom on the first scheduled day of class and receive a syllabus, an introduction to the course by the instructor, etc.  The "electronic classroom" for an Online course at Michigan State University is a website in a course management system called Desire2Learn.  Psychology courses will be taught through D2L. To enter the D2L website you will have to have an MSU ID.  Once you have your MSU ID and can enter the D2L website you will have access to your on-line courses.   Book information can be found on the class search section of the new system . Click the section number of the course you have enrolled in and click on textbooks, It will help you identify needed books beyond what is in your syllabi

    1)    Get an MSU NetID. Current MSU students have them already.  The NetID is used by MSU to provide access to the central email system and many other services on campus.  An MSU NetID is a unique, alphanumeric identifier of two to eight characters and is generated automatically from the user's name (and is the portion of your e-mail address before the @).  To learn more about how to get your MSU NetID or how to use it go to:https://netid.msu.edu/. 2) Log into D2L - Have your MSU Net ID and password.   If you have forgotten your MSU NetID password, please go to:https://netid.msu.edu/.  If you are a registered student and have a problem accessing D2L, please contact the help desk at 1 -844-678-6200 (North America and Hawaii) Local: 1-517-432-6200. To log into D2L go to: http://d2l.msu.edu

    2)In order to enter your Desire2Learn course, log in to D2L. Once you log in you will be at "My Home" page. This shows all your D2L Courses. Navigate to your summer online course by clicking the name of the course offering. Courses are shown by semester in reverse chronological order. There is a "pin" function to keep any courses that you want on the top of the list. These courses will have an orientation that will be completed in order to view the course content. 

     

  • Psychology Course Syllabi

    The Psychology Department posts all of the course syllabi online at the beginning of each semester.  Syllabi from previous semesters can also be found here. If you are unable to locate prior years syllabi please reach out to undergraduate advising staff with your question.

     

  • Course Overrides

    On occasion, overrides are given to students needing a course that is full. Every department on campus takes care of their own overrides, so the Psychology Department cannot give overrides for courses outside of Psychology. Students requesting an override will need to fill out the Psychology Override Form please reach out to Kim Brown or Audra Jeffrey with any questions in regards to the form.

  • Psychology Transfer Credit Request

    This form is for students who plan to take a Psychology course at another institution AND the course is not listed on the MSU Transfer credit system (https://transfer.msu.edu/). This is not for courses taken prior to MSU. The transfer evaluation office can assist you with this type of request (traneval@msu.edu).

  • PSY 493 Expanded Descriptions

    Each section of PSY 493 covers a different topic.  Students should read descriptions of all 400 level writing courses.  Most of these courses do have prerequisites and are offered in varying semesters.

    Spring 2024: 493 Descriptions

    Sec 001: Close Relationshops across the Lifespan

    This writing seminar will provide an advanced introduction to close relationships, particularly in the context of lifespan development. By the end of this course, you will be knowledgeable about relationship dynamics at each point of the lifespan. Topics covering both biological and sociocultural influences are designed to give you a more holistic view of close relationships.  

    Sec 002: The Psychology of Sexual and Gender Diversity

    This course will introduce students to the psychological study of sexual orientation and gender diversity through theories of identity development and research on issues that impact lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals and communities. This course will include a historical perspective, examining how views of sexual orientation and gender diversity have evolved and changed over time. Students will develop a critical understanding of how psychology has approached the study of issues that impact LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as exposure to topics such as minority stress, mental health, coping, and resilience. A feminist analysis of sociopolitical contexts will be integrated into the course in order to understand the unique drivers of health disparities that exist for LGBTQ+ people.

    Sec 003: Evaluating Social Programs

    Evaluating Social Programs is an applied research methods course that meets the Tier II writing requirement. The course is designed to introduce students to the field of program evaluation and prepare them with foundational knowledge and skills needed in a bachelor’s level evaluation position.

    Sec 004: Advanced Personality Psychology

    Personality consists of stable patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This course focuses on the theories, methods, and research findings that help us understand personality. The course will be organized around popular "myths" about personality, which we will examine through lectures, readings, and course assignments. Topics to be covered include how to measure personality, how personality changes over time and across the lifespan, how personality affects life outcomes, and how the personality of relationship partners affects the relationship itself.

    Sec 005:  Neuroscience of Psychopathologies

     

    Sec 007: Intro to Feminist Research in Psychology: Theory, Methods and Practice

     This course explores the historic emergence of the discipline of feminist psychology through to the present day and provides opportunities to develop practical research skills through completion of an independent qualitative research project. This research project allows students to develop and apply their knowledge of feminist psychological theory, methods, and practice. Specifically, the course will also focus on contemporary debates within the discipline, moving beyond the borders of American psychology and toward global and transnational feminist perspectives. 

    Sec 008: Final Conversations Psycho, Socio, Cultural Perspectives on death, dying and bereavement 

    Examines psychological theories, concepts, and research that pertain to the study of death and personal death awareness. Topics include cross-cultural and historical perspectives, medical ethics, grief/loss issues, funerals and body disposition, legal and social issues, death in modern society, suicide and beliefs about life after death.  

     

     

  • Description of Courses

    Psychology and MSU campus-wide course descriptions are available in the Description of Courses Catalog. PSY 493 expanded descriptions and prerequisites are available on the psychology undergraduate website and from the course listing on student.msu.edu 

Undergraduates